COVER N. 682 - FRANCE

Postmark: Bureau Philatélique 06 Nice Marché aux Fleurs 27.01.2026

Posted on the 27th January;  Received on the 2nd Febreuary 2026

_________________________________________________________________________________

Stamps can bring memories forth. I said it here before, I restate it again, thanks to a nice cover from France with a stamp that made me go and take a look at the photographs I took a bit over a year ago at Nice....

Un grand Merci Andrè. Aussi pour les fantastiques timbres aviation. Je les ai adoré!  

I much rather walk along any given coast or shore line in the winter than in the summer. In fact, in the summer I'd rather stay away from the coast, this being one of the most perennial points of contention with my dear wife, who, for nine out of the twelve months of the year, longs for the scorching hot days of the sunny season, since that is the only time when she will allow the ocean to caress her delicate body, while I barely exist by her side, turned into a lifeless lump of sweaty, nearly vegetative, matter...

That's why I was quite happy when we visited Nice, a little more than a year ago, in mid winter. And, just to set the record straight, so did she, since, barring our thermostatic differences, summer or winter, what we really like is to go and see what we have never seen before.

What could be more pleasurable than a late afternoon walk along La Promenade des Anglais, thus concluding a more than full day on the coast that took us to Cannes and Antibes with its Picasso Museum, taking advantage of the sunny and temperate embrace of the Mediterranean?

That's what the calm and inviting illustration on the stamp on the cover seemed to ask me, when I first look at the envelope that I had just taken out of my letterbox.... ah those blue chairs.... we both sat on them for a while having a sandwich (an omelette sandwich, I remember quite vividly) while the calm waters played the looping minimal symphony of the beach stones rubbing their backs against each other...

The 2025 United Nations Conference on the Oceans, took place in Nice between 9 and 13 June, with the aim of « Accelerating action and mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean ».

Not an easy task in a world that still seems to ignore the voice of science, and where a leader that should know much better, proclaims his unabated love for coal, while exerting the oil industry to "drill, baby drill", and exhibiting ferocious cold tempests as proof that global warming is a hoax....

On the occasion of the Conference La Poste issued, on 10JUL2025, the 2.10 € stamp on the cover illustrated with a nice artistic rendition of Nice's waterfront, with the typical blue chairs, a couple of seagulls and two frolicking dolphins in the distance. 

Postage was colpleted with two Marianne stamps. The 0,10 is part of the Marianne of Lamouche issue, and is dated of 01OCT2006, while the 0,05 is part of the Marianne de l’avenir set, issued on 13SEP2023.

Postmark of the Philatelic Bureau of the Post Office, located near the Flower Market, in downtown Nice.

COVER N. 681 -BRASIL

Postmark: A C Central de São Paulo SE/SPM 12.01.2026  

Posted on the 12th January;  Received on the 29th January 2026

_________________________________________________________________________________

First Portuguese speaking Cover of the Year. Muito Obrigado, Luis. Um abraço!

Of note in this particular cover is the fact that two of the stamps have seen issues in both Portugal and Brazil. 

In fact the 2,80 Reais, issued on 30JUN2022, is a joint Portugal-Brazil Issue, celebrating the 200th anniversary of Brazil's Independence declared by a man who would enjoy the privilege of Being Emperor in Brazil, as D. Pedro I and King in Portugal, albeit briefly, for he would abdicate in favour of his daughter Maria,  as D. Pedro IV.

The stamp is illustrated with reproductions of two paintings. The upper one is dated of 1922 and was authored by Brazilian painter Georgina Moura Andrade de Albuquerque (1885-1962). It is now on display at the Museu Histórico Nacional, in Rio de Janeiro.

The other painting is a portrait of Pedro I, authored in1826 by Portuguese Painter, born in Cape Verde and deceased in Brazil, Simplício Rodrigues de Sá (1785-1839), which can be seen at the Museu Imperial of Petrópolis.

The 5,95  Reais stamp is the UPU 150th anniversary commemorative issue, dated of  09OCT2024, featuring the celebratory logo that was replicated in stamp issues worldwide.

The 0,10 Reais is proof that a stamp can have an interesting design irrespective of its face value. In fact I find the definitive  series to which it belongs, themed on musical instruments,   issued on 01JUL2002 and comprising10 values, quite attractive.

The postmark, as usual with Luis' letters was applied at the Central PO of São Paulo.

.

COVER N. 680 - SRI LANKA

Postmark: Headquarters P. O. Colombo Mail 20.01.2026  

Posted on the 20th January;  Received on the 29th January 2026

_________________________________________________________________________________

2026 is going to be an exciting astronomical year since here in Portugal we will have the opportunity of witnessing a total solar eclipse, something that hasn't occurred since 1912, that is more than a century ago.

 

In practice the area of Portuguese soil where the eclipse will be fully visible will be quite restricted, being limited to the north-eastern tip of our continental territory, Natural Park of Montesinho being probably the most privileged viewing point to go stick your neck up in the air. (after the eclipse, a full tour of the park area is highly recommended..., for it is a nice place to visit and enjoy not only the sights but also the gastronomy.... you can't go bad with a Posta à Mirandesa......)

Since the full eclipse will only be visible for 26 seconds and there will be no possibility of rewinding and playing it again, I gather that the Park will be quite a hot spot on the 12th August...

Anyway, I got a full preview yesterday. Ravindra kindly sent me a cover with the three stamps of the "Wonders of the Universe" that he still hadn't sent me and one of them shows a beautiful photograph of  a "Total Solar Eclipse with Corona".

බෝහම ස්තුති, Ravi!

The stamps are part of the 10x20 Rupee sheet entitled, "The wonders of the Universe", issued on 25SEP2025.

Further to the solar eclipse on the stamp in the centre, the one to its left is illustrated with " Galactic wrekage in Stephan's Quintet" (hmmm.... a nice title for a jazz piece, I would say), an Hubble image., while the one on the right shows  "Sagitarius A" a black hole in our old Milky Way., which recently made the news because for his was the first photograph taken of such a celestial body, thing...(so dense, I can't find a word for it :-).

the remaining stamps of the series can be seen on covers  #647 and  #671

As usual, the postmark was applied at Colombo's Central P.O.

COVERS N. 679 - FRANCE - DROM-COM - NOUVELLE CALÉDONIE

Postmark: 78e Salon Philatélique d'Automne  2025 - Premier Jour d'émission 6 Novembre 2025 Nouméa Agence Philatélique / Noumea Agence Philatélique Nelle Calédonie 06.01.2026  

Posted on the 6th January;  Received on the 27th January 2026

_________________________________________________________________________________

What a nice surprise I got today: a letter from the French territory of New Caledonia, a group of Islands located in the Pacific, almost antipodean in relation to the country I write these lines from.

Receiving mail from such uncommon origins is always a pleasure and so,  mon très grand Merci, cher Roland,  pour cette magnifique surprise.

When I had my first bout of stamp collecting, many years ago, I chose to concentrate on the "Fish" theme. I was a teenager and  just arrived in the mainland from my pre-adolescence years in the Azores, where I had developed a strong connection with the ocean and marine life.

I still have some stamps (not many, for resources were scarce)  from that period,  and with time my bond with the ocean and marine life would wither a bit but I still cannot imagine myself living very far from the vastness of the sea, although I now seem to have developed an all inclusive love to everywhere, be it sea, forest, mountain, plain or just the relatively quiet neighbourhood where I live, not that far  from the capital (in distance,  I mean, because in time..... try it at 7 AM on a rainy weekday...)

Anyway, what I meant to say, before  embarking in one of my customaries trains of thought, is that I still adore fish stamps.

And the one on the cover is simply beautiful!

Issued on 11JUN2025, the "International" rate stamp is illustrated with an eloquent depiction of a Zebra Shark (Leopard Shark, the French call it, leaning more towards the nature of its "inherent" adult camouflage) or Stegostoma tigrinum.

The thing is that Zebra shark juveniles do look stripped, not mottled (or shall I say shaken, not stirred?), hence the option for the equine comparison.

This gentle dweller of sandy flats and coral reefs of the indo-pacific region, categorised as an endangered species by the IUCN, has nocturnal habits, this being the period of the day when it is actively feeding on molluscs and crustaceans, and can grow up to 2.5 meters in length.

The stamp is cancelled with the postmark of the Philatelic agency of Nouvelle Calédonie, located in Noméa, the capital, and the cover also bears a first day of issue cachet of the Salon Philatélique d'Automne, which took place in Paris, from the 6th till the 8th November 2025, where Roland was able to deliver it to the care of the Office des Postes et Télécommunications de Nouvelle-Calédonie (OPT-NC).

 My National Covers

Every now and then I have the opportunity to add what I call a "National Cover" to my collection.

These are nothing fancy. In fact they are but covers that I print  at home with the flag and coat of arms of a specific country and which I then either send to a fellow collector who is willing to help or give to friends or family or take my own self whenever travelling abroad, in the hope that these might find a way to a local post office to get a stamp and a postmark.

I will be adding these to a new "My National Covers" section in this blog.

If you don't see your country here and are willing to help me add your own country's national cover to my collection, please email me at pnsoares1@gmail.com. 

You'll get a cover from Portugal (if you want I'll be happy to print a Portuguese National Cover just like the ones I print for myself, although in a somewhat larger envelope) and a printed envelope with the relevant symbols printed, so that you can then return it to me.

Thanks a lot.

Note: Whenever possible I will try to transcribe the flag and coat of arms information from the relevant national site. Failing that I'll transcribe from Wikipedia.

__________________________________________________________________________________

 Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia 

/የኢትዮጵያ ፌዴራላዊ ዴሞክራሲያዊ ሪፐብሊክ

The Flag

The Ethiopian flag comprises three colors. In the center there is a national coat of arms. The three colors are set horizontally in equal dimension with green at the top, yellow in the middle, and red at the bottom. 

Source: Historys - Embassy of Ethiopia

What the colors symbolise varies depending on point of view. However, generally, red represents the blood spilled in defense of Ethiopia; yellow represents peace and harmony between Ethiopia's various ethnic and religious groups; and green is said to symbolise hope, or the land and its fertility.[citation needed] The colors had historically been used by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (red for faith and power, yellow for the church & peace, and green for natural wealth) prior to their adoption as the colors of the state, likely due to them being easy to produce and common in the Ethiopian landscape

Source: Flag of Ethiopia - Wikipedia

The Emblem

The national emblem is a blue circle with depiction; straight and equal lines of yellow come from all directions and join each other. A star is formed by the straight and equal lines with yellow rays radiating from the joints of the straight and equal lines. The national coat of arms on the flag reflects the hope of the nations, nationalities and peoples of Ethiopia, as well as of its religious communities to live together in unity and equality.

Source: Historys - Embassy of Ethiopia

The Stamp

The 40 birr stamp is part of a three stamp issue (20; 30; 40 birr) dated of 21JUN2023, themed on Ethiopian frogs.

The Hildebrandtia macrotympanum, the animal depicted in the stamp,  is a species of frog in the family Ptychadenidae. It is a rarely seen fossorial frog[1] that is found in southern Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. Common names Somali ornate frog, northern ornate frog, and plain burrowing frog have been proposed for it.

Source: Hildebrandtia macrotympanum - Wikipedia

The Postmark

The unusual rectangular postmark was applied at Lalibela, a town in the north of the country, famous for its rock cut monolithic churches.

A huge "Danke Sehr! goes out to "The Phantom", for this interesting addition to the collection.

POSTCARD N.209 -  BARBADOS

Postcard sent on the 15th December 2025; received on the 20thJanuary 2026.

Postcard image: Barbados beach views

_________________________________________________________________________________

The last of my friends' Caribbean venture. And another box ticked on the list. Wonderful

Muito obrigado, Diana, Nuno e Xavi, sois os maiores!

A former British Colony, Barbados, The Easternmost  state of the Caribbean, comprises but the Island that bears its name.

Having become independent from the UK in 1966, although maintaining the status of realm of the Commonwealth, with Elizabeth II as the Head of State, the country would become a Republic in 2021, although maintaining its association with the Organisation, now with the status of Republic within the Commonwealth, its Head of State being elected by an electoral college.

Barbados is probably one of the most sought tourist destinations in the Caribbean and the fact that it is located out of the Hurricane area of influence is without doubt a contributing factor for this.

Other than tourism, the economy also benefits from offshore finance operations and  the sugarcane industry, this having been cultivated locally since the 17th century. 

The stamp used is part of a definitive issue of 14 stamps, dated of 18JAN2016, dedicated to the "Builders of Barbados".

It is illustrated with a very nice portrait of Sarah Ann Gill (1795 - 1866), a  social and religious leader  during the era of slavery upon whom the parliament bestowed the title of National Hero of Barbados.

The Postmark was applied at the town of Christ Church, located in the Southern end of the Island.

COVERS N. 678 - BRAZIL

Postmark: AC Central de São Paulo / SE SPM 28.08.2025  

Posted on the 28th August;  Received on the 8th September 2025

_________________________________________________________________________________

Sometimes it happens: one or two (or 5 or 10) covers or postcards get pilled out of the usual stash of  items to post here on my blog. 

As hard as I try to keep it up to date, it is not always easy, due to holidays, lack of free time, journeys out of my usual place or even (worst case scenario) a broken leg....

That is why today I found a cover from Luis, from Brazil, neatly tucked into the box where I keep mail that has already been posted here, but which has not yet been properly archived.

Better late then never, they say, so withouth further ado, and with an apology to Luis, (Desculpe o atraso e muito obrigado, como sempre, Luis; Abraço)  here it goes:

Quite a coincidence that just one day after Europe signed a free trade treaty with the Mercosul countries, I should post this cover carrying a very interesting stamp issue dedicated to beneficial insects, which was the Mercosul stamp series of Brazil for 2021.

The 6 x 1.80 Reais stamps issued on 02DEC2021 and in a light propedeutic way, with children book type illustrations, highlight the paramount role insects play as adjuvants of  agriculture, as pollinators, pest controllers, compost producers and so on.

Following the 1/2/3 order in which they were glued on the cover, the stamps carry illustrations of  bees, dragonflies, praying mantis, dung beetles, micro-wasps and ladybugs and the segment of the stamp with the illustration is printed in bas relief, standing physically above the rest of the stamp.

Each stamp also carries the Mercosul logo on the right upper corner of the illustration.

As usual with Luis' covers, the Postmark was applied at the Central Post Office of São Paulo.