Super woohooo! Welcoming new country Vanuatu into the collection, stamp-issuing entity No. 159! Card shows sites on the island of Espiritu Santo, the largest island in Vanuatu. The islands was named by Portuguese navigator Fernandes de Queirós, who arrived in 1605, claiming the archipelago for Spain and naming it Espiritu Santo, Spanish for "Holy Spirit". The Spanish never maid much of their claim to the region and by the 1880s France and the United Kingdom both claimed parts of the country. In 1906 they agreed on a unique form of government for jointly managing the archipelago as the New Hebrides through a British–French condominium, until independence was achieved in 1980.
Deep, heartfelt thanks and merci to friend of friend Juliette for helping me strike one more country off my list! :-D
Stamp from a 2011 set of four featuring beaches in Vanuatu, seen here the beach on Eratrap Island, a small island off the coast of Vanuatu's main island, Efate. To really get you in the mood, the stamp actually features a special coating mimicking the feel of real sand on the beach!
Your collection may be really depressing for other collectors ;) I'd love to have at least few of your 'rare' country postcards :) The most I envy you this one with Queen Margrethe II from Greenland.
ReplyDeleteMay I ask where do you search for all this people to exchange postcards with? :)
Hi there!
DeleteWell, I'm lucky to come from a family of travellers, so some cards are from aunts and parents and cousins. I also worked for a UN agency for a number years, so I was able to interact with a lot of people from all over the world., which helped a lot too.
Naturally, I also search for people who are interesting in swapping on Postcrossing. Another really helpful resource has actually been Couchsurfing.com. In addition to being able meet and interact with travellers around there world, there are actually two postcard groups you can join as well. :-)
I know what you feel about seeing other people's collections; sometimes I wonder how I can ever get a postcard from Sierra Leone or Nagorno Karabakh. But be sure in the knowledge that opportunities will present themselves. Patience is a virtue. :-)
Ha! I'm waiting for postcards from Sierra Leone right now ;) You can try interpals.net ;) It's also very helpful site where you can find people interested in snailmail from all around the world :) That's how I found Sierra Leone, Lesotho, Guam, Papua New Guinea, Madagascar and Saint Lucia ;)
ReplyDeleteSo goodluck with your collection!
Dziękuję! I'll certainly give Interpals a try. :-)
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