Postcard from last weekend: street view

Due to personal circumstances (among others, see my recent blog post about pet stamps) I missed the previous weekend's Postcards for the Weekend.
The theme was 'Street scenes', a theme I love. So still it inspires me to share postcards.

These postcards show two typical Dutch common street scenes. Be it that the scene shown above is common in four cities only: besides Amsterdam there are trams in Utrecht, Den Haag/the Hague and Rotterdam (plus a few neighbouring towns). In the past there have been more tram cities, but in the majority of them alas trams have disappeared from the streets. As I love public transport, I of course am happy that we're still able to catch the tram in present days.

The other street scene is common, too. Many Dutch travel to school, study, work by bicycle. And every now and then (fortunately not so often) you can see bicyclists stop in the middel of the street. Fortunately there are many good cycle paths besides the roads.
Helmets are not obliged for bicyclists, so most Dutch - including me - ride the bike without them, when riding the bike in daily life. Only sport bicyclists (bicycle racing, mounain biking) do wear a helmet.



See more beautiful and interesting street views at and via the previous weekend's Postcards for the Weekend!

Postcards for the weekend: Trains / trams

This weekend's Postcards for the weekend's theme is dear to me, too: trains and trams. In the past I've sent and received several postcards (and stamps) on this subject, see trams, and trains (and of course the corresponding subject: railway stations).

This postcard I got at the Railway Museum in Utrecht (which happens to celebrate its 90th anniversary tomorrow).
Some years ago we visited this nice museum and that day there was an additional theme: safety on and besides the railways:



I must say that I prefer the present (electric) trains to the older (steam) ones. The main reason is the fact that these modern electric trains remind me of my trips to and with my late grandparents in the seventies.



An other reason is of course that the old, steam engined, trains produced a lot of smoke.
Nevertheless I was very happy to receive these postcards:

From John, from the United Kingdom:



On the back he added this matching stamp:



From Nomi, from Sri Lanka:



From Ravindra, also from Sri Lanka:



Be sure to check Ravindra's train blog, he collects postcards of trains and trams and has received many, from all-over the world!



And here a modern Japanese high speed train, I received from Hana, who designed this maxi/postcard by herself:





Finally a few trams:

From Natalie, a double deck tram sent from Hong Kong:



From John, also a double deck tram:



And this horse power driven tram:



The following postcard is Dutch and has been sent by me to Ravindra. It shows three historical trams. These - and other historical trams - still ride in summer between Amsterdam and Amstelveen, thanks to the people from the Tramway Museum:



See more trams and trains on Maria's Postcards for the Weekend blog and follow the links mentioned there.

In: from the United Kingdom - of Mail, Transport and Peter Rabbit

Mail transport, a tram and the railway station, to my opinion always nice themes to see. And I was happy that John sent these in one postcard!

On the back side more vehicles:



Also related to mail is of course the mailbox, a famous one from the United Kingdom is the red pillar box:



The stamp on the back side of this card is a 'bridge' to a postcard John had sent me some time ago, namely an illustration by Beatrix Potter of a character from the tales of Peter Rabbit. This is Benjamin Bunny, Peter's cousin:



The card sent / received previously shows Peter Rabbit himself, plus a squirrel and Jemima Puddle-Duck:



Peter Rabbit also shows up on a stamp, accompanied by a stamp of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, the hedgehog:



Thank you very much, John!

In: from the United Kingdom

Beautiful illustration of a dragonfly, issues as a postage stamp and a maxicard, sent by John.
On the back more insects: a fly, on a stamp issued for the 150th anniversary (in 1989) of the Royal Microscopical Society, and my favourite butterfly, the Atalanta.



And this interesting stamp, or even intriguing as long as I don't know the meaning. I see a lady, a deer, the lady rowing a boat, horses, a building, trees... Please let me know if you know what this stamp is about!



The same day this postcard arrived. I had to look several times, wondering if is it a photo or a painting. It is a painting! Created by Robert K. Calvert, who has painted more trams in that era.



On the back two great matching - metro - stamps.



Thank you very much, John!

In: from the United Kingdom

Those were the days, when people used real horse power for their transportations.
The back side of the card says (besides a kind message from John):
"Liverpool United Tramways & Omnibus Co., horse-drawn tram No. 43 (c. 1890) at Merseyside PTE Works, Edge Lane." The photo has been taken by Cyril Hayes, and published by Merseyside Tramway Preservation.

The accompanying stamps show some famous people, among them one I didn't know yet. Would you believe that I still haven't seen any Star Wars movie in my life so far?
It proofs that people still can learn from stamps!



Thank you very much, John!