Pin-up girl by Elvgren Gil - Rosto-on-Don, Russia

Gillette Alexander Elvgren (1914-1980) was an American painter of pin-up models, advertising and illustration. Best known for his pin-up paintings for Brown & Bigelow, Elvgren studied at the American Academy of Art. He was strongly influenced by the early "pretty girl" illustrators, such as Charles Dana Gibson, Andrew Loomis, and Howard Chandler Christy.

 

#73 FOTW - Laagri, Estonia

A symbolic interpretation made popular by the poetry of Martin Lipp says the blue is for the vaulted blue sky above the native land, the black for attachment to the soil of the homeland as well as the fate of Estonians — for centuries black with worries, and white for purity, hard work, and commitment.

On 23 February 1989, the Soviet flag was taken down permanently from the Pikk Hermann tower of the Toompea Castle in the capital city of Tallinn. It was replaced with the blue-black-white flag on the next morning, 24 February, upon the 70th anniversary of the Estonian Declaration of Independence (1918).

 

Camino de Santiago in France - Chatenois, France

The Soulac route is a secondary route of the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage which runs along the Silver Coast. It offers the pilgrim of Santiago de Compostela an alternative to the four main paths described in the 12th century by Aimery Picaud in his Pilgrim's Guide, namely (from north to south): the via Turonensis, the via Lemovicensis, the via Podiensis and via Tolosane.

The Soulac route starts from Soulac-sur-Mer in France and ends in Irun in Spain. The Jacobean route then continues via the Camino del Norte. It is also possible to join the Camino Francés in Pamplona by continuing on the Baztan route.

 

Large Letter Reprint - Cheyenne, Wyoming

Nicknames: Equality State; Cowboy State; Big Wyoming

Motto: Equal Rights

Wyoming ranks among the top coal producers in the United States. In 1994, a record amount of 3 million tons of coal was mined here per week.

Yellowstone Park is famous for its geysers and hot springs. The most famous of the geysers - Old Faithful - has not changed its habits since its discovery in 1870: every hour it sends a column of water up to 50 m high into the air, which then falls after 20 seconds, ending with clouds of steam.

 

Porto Antonat vintage illustration from 1946 - Lisbon, Portugal

Port wine or simply port, is a Portuguese fortified wine produced in the Douro Valley of northern Portugal. It is typically a sweet red wine, often served with dessert, although it also comes in dry, semi-dry, and white varieties.

EUROPA stamp 2019 - "National birds" (The Azores)

 

French Bulldog - Aachen, Germany

The French Bulldog is a French breed of companion dog or toy dog. It appeared in Paris in the mid-nineteenth century, apparently the result of cross-breeding of Toy Bulldogs imported from England and local Parisian ratters. It is commonly kept as a pet and is among the most frequently registered dogs in a number of countries including Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

 

#72 GF - Port Louis, Mauritius

Along with the other Mascarene Islands, Mauritius is known for its biodiverse flora and fauna with many species endemic to the country. The main island was the only known home of the dodo, which, along with several other avian species, became extinct soon after human settlement. Other endemic animals, such as the echo parakeet, the Mauritius kestrel and the pink pigeon, have survived and are subject to intensive and successful conservation efforts.

 

Mount McKinley National Park - Bemidji, Minnesota

Denali National Park and Preserve, formerly known as Mount McKinley National Park, is an American national park and preserve located in Interior Alaska, centred on Denali, the highest mountain in North America. Denali's landscape is a mix of forest at the lowest elevations, including deciduous taiga, with tundra at middle elevations, and glaciers, snow, and bare rock at the highest elevations. 

 

#72 FOTW - Moroni, Comoros

The national flag of the Union of the Comoros was designed in 2001 and officially adopted on 23 December of that year. It continues to display the crescent and four stars, which is a motif that has been in use in various forms since 1975 during the independence movement. 

The design consists of a white crescent with four white five-pointed stars inside of a green triangle. The flag has four stripes, representing the four main islands of the nation: yellow for Mohéli, white for Mayotte (a French department claimed by the Comoros), red for Anjouan and blue for Grande Comore. The four stars on the flag also symbolize the four islands. The star and crescent, as well as the colour green on the flag, symbolise their main religion, Islam.

 

Postcrossing Meeting in Zhengzhou - Zhengzhou, China

The city lies on the southern bank of the Yellow River. Zhengzhou is a major hub of China's national transportation network, with railways connecting Zhengzhou to Europe and an international airport. Zhengzhou is a National Civilized City and a State-list Famous Historical and Culture City.

 

Tausendschön PK697 - Karlsruhe, Germany

Karlsruhe is the third-largest city of the German state (Land) of Baden-Württemberg after its capital Stuttgart and Mannheim. It is also a former capital of Baden, a historic region named after Hohenbaden Castle in the city of Baden-Baden. Karlsruhe is Germany's legal centre, being home to the Federal Constitutional Court, the Federal Court of Justice and the Public Prosecutor General of the Federal Court of Justice.

 

"Henryk Rutkowski" sailing ship - Kołobrzeg, Poland

"Henryk Rutkowski" - Brigantine, built at the Fishery-Shipyard in Gdynia (1951); L with jib-boom 28.5 m, B 6.4 m, sail-area 337 square meters. Sailship of the Schooling Centre of the Polish Sailing Union in Trzebież.

Kapitan Głowacki - a sailing ship named after Włodzimierz Głowacki (until 1997 the yacht was called Henryk Rutkowski in honour of the communist activist Henryk Rutkowski).

Postcrossing Meetup Wuxi and Singapore - Singapore

Singapore has the second highest population density of any country in the world, although there are numerous green and recreational spaces due to urban planning. With a multicultural population and in recognition of the cultural identities of the major ethnic groups within the nation, Singapore has four official languages: English, Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil. 

Wuxi is a historically and culturally prominent city and has been a thriving economic centre since ancient times as a production and export hub of rice, silk and textiles. In the last few decades, it has emerged as a major producer of electrical motors, software, solar technology and bicycle parts. The city lies in the southern delta of the Yangtze River and on Lake Tai, which with its 48 islets is popular with tourists.

 

#71 GF - Seoul, South Korea

Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving punching and kicking techniques. The literal translation for taekwondo is "kicking", "punching", and "the art or way of". It sometimes involves the use of weapons.

 

Postcrossing Meeting in Kassel - Kassel, Germany

Kassel is a city on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, in central Germany. The former capital of the state of Hesse-Kassel has many palaces and parks, including the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Kassel is also known for the Documenta exhibitions of contemporary art.