Village scenes

The truth is, I don't collect Villages or Village scenes, but I do collect any building with a thatched roof.  T was taken by other topics so here we are with Villages.

A typical English village would, especially in the south of England, have had a large number of thatched cottages, but they are found in many other countries too. The card at the top left shows a house in Germany, and the centre bottom shows an Irish cottage.

Green Ireland

Ireland is where I was born and to some extent it was where I was brought up too.  I almost went back for my university days but decided on somewhere else in the end.  It didn't stop me visiting family as often as I could in the meantime.  As a result I consider Ireland to be "my" country and so I find the cosy cottage image of Ireland shown on so many postcards quite irritating, especially when they come with stamps like the one shown above marking UNESCO's World Year of Physics which allows a more modern Ireland.  The contrast is fun though.

This stamp was sent in 1981, the 50 year anniversary of the Youth Hostel Association in Ireland.  An Óige means "youth" in the Irish language.  I'm pleased, even amazed, to find I haven't forgotten it all.

The final stamp is my favourite one and comes from a set shown in its entirety today by Bob.  I really wish they would re-issue them.

This is a post for Sunday Stamps, now hosted by Violet Sky at "See it on a Postcard!"

Irish cottages

A John Hinde card from 1967 with the following write-up on the back:

Thatched cottage, Connemara. Connemara is a region of supreme scenic grandeur in the west of Ireland.  The coastline is fretted and carved into hundreds of rocky inlets which are almost indistinguishable from its numerous lakelets.  This cottage is typical of the region - thatched and whitewashed.  The type of thatching varies according to the region, and is often carefully pegged down to resist the winter storms.  Many of them have such wide fireplaces that several people can sit under the chimney beside the turf fire.

The second card dates from 1996 and merely says "A typical Irish cottage".  I feel sure this wasn't where the sender was staying, but the message says "Ireland is lovely and peaceful.  Cottage rather primitive but overlooks the harbour.  Spent first night in Kilkenny - very interesting."

I always think "interesting" is a word with a multitude of unexpressed meanings.