COVER N. 757 - FRANCE

Postmark: 58 Clamecy Nièvre  11.08.2026

Posted on the 11th August;  Received on the 14th August 2026

_________________________________________________________________________________

Another example of this year's EUROPA common design stamp, this time from France. 

Un gros Merci, Jean-Pierre.

Even though it is always a pleasure to receive mail with EUROPA  stamps on the envelopes, I would much prefer that PostEurope would have kept to the usual common theme instead of the common design approach.

Anyway, as my father used to say, "não vale a pena chorar sobre o leite derramado" (it is useless to cry over spilled milk) and I might as well forget my pains and concentrate on the half-full side of the bottle, to note how well the colourful printed selvedge goes with the equally colourful composition that serves as common design for this year's issue, in the French iteration of the stamp.

As usual with Jean-Pierre's covers, the postmark was applied at Clamecy, a town with a population of about 3600 inhabitants, part of the Nièvre Department, in Central France.

COVER N. 756 - SPAIN 

Postmark: Castillo de Peníscola/Peñíscola - Oficina Posta de Peníscola/Peñiscola 12.08.2026

Posted on the 12th August;  Received on the 14th August

_________________________________________________________________________________

Upon returning home, with the impressive image of the solar eclipse still quite vivid in my memory bank I was greeted by a somewhat generous week's mail in the letterbox, which had been rather neglected by Mr. Postman during the previous two weeks.

Among the nice letters and postcards I received, one immediately grabbed my attention not only for the uncommon format of the envelope, but also for the beautiful souvenir sheet on it, cancelled with one of those absolutely lovely pictorial postmarks that Correos de España has created for several Spanish cities and places of interest.

But that was not all. When was the last time that you have received a letter addressed on a manual typewriter?

All in all, a totally unexpected and totally welcomed letter and what's more the opportunity to keep in tune with the last post in my blog.

Moltes gràcies, Eva. M'ha encantat la sorpresa i espero que també hagis tingut l'oportunitat de gaudir de la bellesa de l'eclipsi.

My wife and I really enjoyed watching the eclipse from a good location with full unimpeded view  in Vinhais, District of Bragança, in the Trás-os-Montes region, in the northeastern tip of Portugal.

Unfortunately, we were not in the totality path (although very close to it: > 99.5%) what does make a huge difference, I had the opportunity to learn, since the corona was not visible.

Still,  we had no traffic jams, had plenty of space for ourselves and could even seat on a stone bench for the duration of the event. 

All in all we had a great time, safe for the heat we had to endure, for the day temperature was running on the very high 30s centigrade, 39, maybe? In fact, the way the temperature dropped as the eclipse reached its climax was  one of the things I was most happy with... 😀

I won't go in more detail here since I just finished a post on my other blog with a couple of elucubrations about it all, which you are welcome to check , should you feel so inclined  (I have a "translate" buton, on the side of the pages).

Anyway, back to Eva's lovely letter.

The souvenir sheet with a 4 € stamp Eva used to post the letter was issued on 23JUL2026. 

The stamp itself features  a photo composition with all the phases of a total solar eclipse on its top third with the logo for Trio de Eclipses, the Website that the Spanish Ministry of Science through the National Geographic Institute has created to provide information regarding the three solar eclipses that will be able to be watched  from locations in Spain in 2026, 2027 and 2028.

Below it, a satellite image of the Iberian Peninsula and another smaller picture of the Canary Islands, with the totality path for the 2026 eclipsed indicated on it.

The rest of the sheet is occupied with an enlarged part of the photo composition on the stamp, the aforementioned logo for the Trio de Eclipses platform and the legend Ciência, Eclipse solar total, España 12 de agosto 2026. The Correos logo is also present on the top left corner of the sheet.

The beautiful pictorial postmark, which has the particularity of being dated of the day of the eclipse, features the castle of Peníscola, a town on the edge of the Mediterranean sea in the province of Castelló, in the Autonomous Community of Valencia, with a population of about 8,000, which was under the path of totality for the 12th August event. Some people have all the luck.... 😉

Eva's letter was written in a most beautiful postcard featuring an image I was not able to watch: an artist's rendition of the totality moment. I absolutely love the colours and the composition.

POSTCARD N.240 - GERMANY

Postcrossing postcard dated of 23 July; received on the 7th August 2026

Postcard image: A Lufthansa Junkers W38 

_________________________________________________________________________________

Another great postcard with a photo of one of the fabulous aircraft of the golden age of aviation. What's not to like? Vielen Dank, Karl-Heinz!

It was once the world's biggest aircraft. Serviced by a crew of 7, the Junkers W.38, which first  took to the air in 1929, could accommodate 34 passengers in its fuselage and wing cabins... just imagine the view from the nose cabin or from the wing leading edge with a propeller constantly cutting the air in front of you and the noise from one of the V-12 engines right on your side.....oh how I would love to have a ride in it.....

Only two were made by Junkers Flugzeug und Motorenwerke AG (D-AZUR and D-APIS) and they both served with Deutsche Lufthansa from 1930 till 1936, when the D-AZUR  crashed at Dessau, being irrecoverable.

D-APIS would fly on, only to be requisitioned by the Luftwaffe during World War II. Its history would come to a sad end during the invasion of Greece in May, 1941, when it was destroyed on the ground by an RAF bombing, 

Karl-Heinz used a 0,75 € self-adhesive stamp, illustrated with a photo of the Cathedral of Saint Peter, Regensburg, part of a set of two stamps (0,55 + 0,75 €) issued on 03MAR2011 as a joint issue with Japan dedicated to UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Postage was completed with a 0,50 €  stamp from the "flowers" definitive series initiated in 2005. The  stamp, illustrated with  an Autumn Aster (Aster novae), was initially issued on 02JUN2005, but has been reprinted in 2017.

The Postmark is illegible.

POSTCARD N.239 - SENEGAL

Postcard sent on the 21st July; received on the 7th August 2026

Postcard image: Las Médulas, Spain - Info on Total Solar Eclipse of the 12th August.

_________________________________________________________________________________

What a great postcard this one is. Absolutely amazing. Thank you so very much, Wilhelm. I wish you get a great view of the Eclipse at las Médulas.

Wilhelm's wonderful postcard is self-designed and there are quite a few things to notice on it.

The first is that I obliterated part of the main image for privacy reasons, but it depicts the Las Médulas site, an historically relevant mining site located close to Ponferrada, in the province of Léon, part of the  Autonomous Region of Castilla y Léon.

The second is that part of the image is also blocked by the much appreciated 5 stamps on the card, since it is not that often that I get mail from there.

Third is that information on the face of the postcard goes well beyond the picture, for not only does the recipient immediately learn that the site depicted is a UNESCO  World Heritage site, but also there are QR codes that take him to a) the European Space Agency Solar Eclipse  site, where one will be able to follow it in real time b) UNESCO World Heritage Convention page for Las Nébulas c) the eclipse map page at the NSO - National  Solar Observatory website.

The fourth is the inferred correlation between las Médulas and the Eclipse, given that the latter, once the largest open pit gold mine of all the Roman Empire, will fall on the path of totality, making it a privileged viewing spot for  the astronomical spectacle.

Of course there is yet the Spanish flag, a coat of arms that I cannot identify and a nice vintage "Par Avion Correo Aereo” label.

Then there is the stamps and the postmark:

The largest and more colourful stamp is a 25 CFA franc illustrated with a painting of two astronauts, the lunar module and the American flag on the surface of the moon with the Earth in the background. It is part of a set of four (25; 145; 180; 500 CFA franc), issued on 09OCT1999, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the first man on the moon.

Hard as I tried, I could not find information on the other two stamps (50 and 125 francs) illustrated with the portrait of a "Femme Peuth" (Peulh Woman) the Peulh or Fula or Fulani being the second most numerous ethnic group in Senegal, with 27% of the population, right behind the Wolof (39%).

The stamps contain the legend “Poste 2025” on the base of the frame, so they are quite recent,  (the name of the artist - A. Aziz  - and the printer - Philaposte - is also present) and they may be part of a definitive issue comprising several stamps identical except for the colour and the face value.  

The very clear and large postmark indicates that the postcard was mailed from Foundiougne, a town on the west of Senegal with a population of about 9000.

How's that for info on a 10x15 cm piece of card?

The back of the postcard is totally occupied with printed information concerning the eclipse of next Wednesday, the 12th August, including a globe with the totality path indicated on it and lots of other information that I cannot decipher that seem to be time referenced to a spot located somewhere between Greenland and Iceland.....

On top of the card there is the Spanish coat of arms on one side and a QR code that I cannot read because a tiny slice of it is hidden under a strip of the margin of one of the stamps.

On the bottom left corner there is yet another coat of arms that I cannot decipher and the UNESCO las Médulas logo on the right one. Between them three unmistakable Spanish icons are also printed: D.Quijote and Sancho Panza, a Saint James Scallop shell and the Osborne Bull.

All in all a great Postcard. Vielen dank, Wilhelm.

I will try to watch the eclipse too, but I will be just outside or at the margin of the totality path, in Vinhais, Trás-os-Montes. Pity I could not get a sheet of solar filter so far, so no photos, probably....

 POSTCARD N.238 - PORTUGAL

Postcard sent on the 3rd August; received on the 4th August 2026

Postcard image: Rio de Onor

_________________________________________________________________________________

The Parque Natural de Montesinho is a protected area in the northeast of Portugal, in the Trás-os-Montes region, which goes up to the border with the Spanish province of Zamora in the Castilla y Léon Autonomous Region.

One of its most picturesque villages is Rio de Onor, a small urban nucleus home to some 50 people, which lies divided from its  Spanish sister, the equally small village of Rihonor de Castilla, by the administrative border between the two countries.

Still both villages make but one urban nucleus and  in truth there is but one population for family and friendship bonds between both side of the imaginary line are plenty and have been so since the formation of the two villages.

My friend the Flying Dutchman has recently visited Rio de Onor and sent me a very nice postcard with a view that it still very vivid in my mind for I too have been to Rio de Onor a couple of times in a not so recent past. 

Hartelijk dank, Eric, que é como quem diz: Muito Obrigado! Um abraço.

The remoteness of Rio de Onor led, over time,  to a tradition of  self governing and communitarianism, that was evident not only in the way  that agriculture and herding were carried out, and bread was baked, all under communitarian principles,  but also in the administration of the village which was the responsibility of a Communitarian Council.

The isolation led also to the development of a local dialect called rionorês, which today is sadly fluently spoken by not more than a dozen (old) people.

Rio de Onor has been much talked about lately, because it will be one of the very few places in Portugal where it will be possible to observe the coming eclipse of the 12th August in full totality. There was even an event scheduled for the place, but given the sensitive nature of the local and the crowds expected to be drawn, the observation event was relocated to the Aerodrome of Bragança, the District capital.

Anyway, I was very happy to view the photo of the bridge of Rio de Onor, on the postcard Eric sent and I could not help but go and search my archives fro pictures of it... and I did find one, of  the main arches:

As well as one of some of the typical slate roofed houses 

For postage, Eric used one of the stamps of the 5 x 0.69€ minisheet issued on 10DEC2025 dedicated to Portuguese dog breeds. 

Fittingly, Eric used the stamp illustrated with a photo of a Cão de Gado Transmontano (Catlle herding dog of Trás-os-Montes) a rare local breed, whose males can grow up to 85 cm tall, and weigh up to 75kg while females can reach 78 cm and weigh 60 kg.

- The 0,04€ stamp with an image of a Marching Lyre is part of the definitive issued dated of  02APR2024, dedicated to Musical Instruments of Philharmonic Bands.

Postmark from Vila Nova de Cerveira, another border  town in the northwest of Portugal, right on the bank of the Minho River, 

POSTCARD N.237 - UNITED KINGDOM

Postcard dated of the 22nd July; received on the 29th June 2026

Postcard image: London -  Trafalgar Square by night

_________________________________________________________________________________

I don't get that many mail from the UK, so it is always a renewd pleasure when a letter or a postcard from the largest country in old Albion drops into my letterbox. Many Thanks, Martyn!

It has been ages since I last was in London, but I had no trouble identifying the place in the photograph of the postcard, for the church of  Saint Martin in the Fields, with its colonnade and spire is one of those images that will be forever kept on one's ROM, once you inscribe it.... even by night, as is the case.

- Joe Mercer (1914 –– 1990) was a British football player, who went on to manage first Aston Villa and then Manchester City, a club that he would lead to take the 1967–68 First Division championship,  the 1969 FA Cup, the 1970 League Cup, and the 1970 European Cup Winners' Cup.

He was also one of the ten distinguished Brits that were honoured by Royal Mail in its Remarkable Lives set issued on 25MAR2014 in the form of two strips of 5 se-tenant 1st class stamps.

- The second 1st class stamp on the card is a Data Matrix Barcoded Machin part of the set of 4 (1st; 2nd; 1st Large; 2nd large) issued on 01FEB2014.

Unfortunately, the Postcard evaded the postmarking machine....

COVER N. 755 - SPAIN 

Postmark: Correos CTA Valencia 22.07.2026

Posted on the 22nd July;  Received on the 24th July 2026

_________________________________________________________________________________

The unmistakable sweet smell of roses on your desk... there could not be a better way to begin a day Eva, Moltes Graciès  ...)😉.

I quite appreciate the care you once again put in composing this envelope, with all the various components contributing to a most pleasant end result, from the stamp down to the colour of the envelope...

Roses are not red (and violets are not blue). In fact, if we go by what etymology tells us, Roses are rosa (rose), a colour that sits equidistant between magenta and red in the colour wheel,  the use of which to define a colour was first recorded in 1382. 

Oh, and by the way, violets are... well violet! (mostly)

Roses are, or course,  famous (amidst several other things) for their scent. Rose essence, the fragrance we all associate with the flower (although some roses do smell, while others do not) is mostly produced from an hybryd rose (which is also rose in colour): the Rosa × damascena, derived from  Rosa gallica and Rosa moschata.

In truth, the multitudinal variations of the genus Rose that we know today, which comprises about 100 species of perennial shrubs native mostly to Asia, but also present in America and Europe, comes from the fact that roses easily hybridise and crossbreed.

This fact has led to garden lovers specialising in rose collecting and also to the  creation of rose gardens, all around the world, as the eponymous entry in Wikipedia clearly shows. 

Spain, more specifically Madrid, the Capital, has at least two Rose Gardens of relevance;  La Rosaleda del Retiro, in the Buen Retiro Park, and La Rosaleda del Parque del Oeste, in the Parque del Oeste.

This last one was established in 1956 and was conceived and built under the supervision of the  Jardinero Mayor del Ayuntamiento de Madrid  (the Head Gardener of the City Council) Ramón Ortíz en 1956.

Celebrating the 70 years of this garden which is home to more than 600 varieties of Rose, Correos issued on 14MAY2026 the 2€ stamp on the cover illustrated with an image of a rose tunnel and a legend  with the name of the rose garden, Rosaleda del Parque del Oeste Madrid.

The stamps were issued on a souvenir sheet comprising seven stamps, whose paper is rose scented. The sheet bears a photograph of the garden,  topped by a perforated plan of the garden and a rectangular legend that contains the designation of the issue.

On the cover, further to the stamp, Eva included this particular item as well as a section of the part of the sheet bearing the Rosaleda photograph.

The mechanical postmark is, as usual in Eva's mail, that of the Automated Treatment Centre of Valencia (CTA Valencia).

One again, Eva kindly included a postcard with another of Erica Fustero's photos, this one taken in Berlin in 2025. The subject of the photo couldn't be more in tune... a rose shrub, of course.

All this talk of Roses just reminded me of good old Jacques.... what a fabulous Rose he was... a whole garden of them!