POSTCARD N.91 - GERMANY

Postcrossing postcard sent on the 23rd November, received on the 28th November 2022

Postcard image: Leer - City hall; Bunting Tea Museum; Haus Samson; historic quarter
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Germany must be one of the countries with the more registered Postcrossers. In fact, more often than not, a Teutonic postcrossing postcard lands on my desk, such as this beautiful one sent by Ingrid who chose to use the nice postcrossing themed stamp issued by Deutsche Post. Thank you so much, Ingrid.

Leer is a town in the region of the same name that is part of Lower Saxony, and which lies close to the border with the Netherlands and in 2021 it had a population of almost 35,000.

Ingrids's card is composed of several views of some of the town landmarks: 

The old Rathaus, the Town Hall, is the most impressive building in town, having been built between 1889 and 1894 in German/Dutch Renaissance style. In 1983 a new Town hall was inaugurated, and the old building can now be visited for the tourist to appreciate the painted walls and ceiling.

The east Frisian tea Culture was awarded intangible Cultural Heritage status by the UNESCO in 2016.

It is said that Frisians drink more tea than anyone in the world, so it comes as no surprise that a museum devoted to the tea culture should exist at the heart of Lower Saxony. The Bunting Tea Museum was thus created in  2001, highlighting the very significant role that tea plays in the day to day life of  Frisians.

Haus Samson was built in 1570 and later refurbished in 1643. Today it houses a wine shop on the ground floor and a museum dedicated to the culture of Eastern Frisia in the 18th and 19th centuries, on the upper floors of the house. The tower is also open to public and visitors can climb it to enjoy a panoramic view of the town.

On 06OCT2022, Deutsche Post joined the ranks of Postal Administrations that have already issued Postcrossing themed stamps, with this nice 0,95 € stamp that Ingrid used to mail me her postcard.

The Postmark tells us that the postcard was processed at Briefzentrum 26 (Oldenburg)

POSTCARD N.90 - RUSSIA

Postcrossing postcard sent on the 2nd November, received on the 24th November 2022

Postcard image: Kaluga Airport
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Once again Julia send me an interesting postcard with beautiful stamps themed on things that fly. Thank you so much, Julia! I truly appreciate the fact that you always manage to find something to suit my interest in all things airborne.

As I said in my previous entry on this blog. this card arrived on the same day I got my first cover from  Ukraine, and  seeing them both here on my table as I write, I believe it just goes to show that no matter what differences, dissents, or even grudges nations might have, there is always a much better way to solve them than giving weapons manufacturers an horrific and immense extra bonus at the expense of the precious, unfulfilled lives, be it of soldiers or of civilians just the same… you hear that Vladimir?

Kaluga airport, Julia tells me, was built in 1970, but it was competely renovated in 2014. A quick look at the arrival schedule on its website lends me to conclude that Azimuth Airlines is the only airline operating from and to this infrastructure which is 100% owned by the by the Ministry for Economic Development of Kaluga Oblast.

The image of the postcard shows a Sukhoi Superjet 100 of the fleet of 15 operated by Azimuth Airlines, parking on the apron in front of  Terminal A, which I supose is domestic flights only, international flights being operated from terminal B.

Kaluga was founded in 1371 and so in 2021 the city celebrated its 650th aiversary, the logo for the celebrations being also present on the postacrd acompained by a legend which I believe translates into "Hello from Kaluga" but I'm far from certain.

Stamps Left to right, top to bottom

- After a first signing in Reims, France, by General Alfred Jodl, on the 7 May, on the 9th May 1945, Germany through the pens of  Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, Colonel-General Hans-Jürgen Stumpff and General-Admiral Hans Georg von Friedeburg,  signed the German Instrument of Surrender in Berlin, thus ending the war in Europe, in what was thenceforth known as V-E Day (8 May for the western allies, 9 May for Russia). The USSR representative to this act was Marshall Georgy Zukhov.

On 02SEP2015, celebrating the 70th anniversary of this important event, Russia Post issued the 17 ruble stamp on my card, depicting Zhukov, alone, signing the Instrument of German surrender, of which, the first page is also depicted in the image. In a rather Stalinist move, Zhukov is illustrated as being alone, when in fact British Air Marshal Arthur W. Tedder also signed the document as deputy of the Supreme Commander Allied Expeditionary Force as well as General de Tassigny (for France) and General Carl Spaatz (for the USA) who signed  as witness.

- Long before becoming famous for his pioneering work in the development of the helicopter, Igor Sikorsky had already left un indelible mark in the development of aviation, especially in what concerns long range multi engine aircraft.

Of the large aircraft that left his drawing board none was more famous than the giant Ilya Muromets bomber, the first four-engine flying machine.

Initially conceived as a luxury transport aircraft, and first flown in 1913,the eruption of the First World War saw its transformation into a heavy bomber capable of carrying (and releasing..) 500 kg of bombs onto enemy positions, If one thinks that the first flight of an heavier that air machine had taken place only 10 years before, one can really see that the progress was fast.

On 10SEP2015, Russia Post issued a four 21 ruble stamp set dedicated to Russian Weapons of the First World War. Further to the Ilya Muromets, the set includes stamps with images of the Mosin–Nagant 7.62mm Rifle, the 76.2mm Rapid-Firing Field Gun and the Destroyer "Novik".

- Velikiye Luki  is a town in the Pskov Oblast, being its second largest, with a population nearing 99,000. Due to the heroism shown by its dwellers in the  2nd World War, it was granted the title of City of  Military Glory.

In 2016, it celebrated its 850th anniversary, and Russia Post issued a 24 ruble stamp with an image of hot air balloons flying over the city, given that since 1996 Velikiye Luki has become famous for hosting  ballooning competitions.

COVER N.182 - UKRAINE

Postmark: unpostmarked
Posted on the 10th November, received on the 24th November 2022
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Expect the unexpected ... Yesterday, on my usual anxious check on the letterbox upon arriving home after a day at work I was surprised by what these days can only be regarded as an uncommon combination: in all glory and perfect convivial harmony, a letter and a postcard were waiting for me to pick them up, both gestures of friendship, both gestures of civility, both significant expressions of  humanity, in their simplicity and almost negligible material value.

The letter came from Ukraine; the postcard from Russia. And I couldn't be happier for having received both.

A letter, stamped and duly circulated arrives at its destination in about a fortnight after expedition. 

at first sight this could be a definition for normality; as it stands, it is an expression of the utmost resilience;  a story of relentless courage; an indication that no matter what and who the circumstances cowardly  throw against you some people will never give up, when certain that they stand on the right side of history.

I, as I type in the comfort of my room, with access to such luxuries as running water, full time electricity, heating if need be, cannot even try to imagine what it is like to live in Kiev or any Ukrainian town for that matter, in the harshest conditions and always in fear that another strike of a murderous missile or drone may impinge death on the rubble they leave behind...

and yet,... Someone, amidst all this civilisational aberration, took the time to carefully compose a beautiful envelope with  gorgeous stamps, take it to the post office and mailed it... as if ... just another perfect day like the ones Lou Reed immortalised 

Thank you so much, Basil. I'm truly moved by what your beautiful cover signifies. Slava Ukraini!

I hope that soon the little miracle that happened inside my mailbox may transcend it... now,  wouldn't that be a grand Christmas Carol?

As far as I can infer from the online catalogue sources I consulted, the envelope Basi used was meant to be a FDC for a stamp of the set of 4 issued on 21MAY2021to celebrate traditional embroidery. The embroidery motiv of the envelope is typical of  the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.

Stamps. left to right

- The Theme for the Europa Issue of 2019 was "National Birds", Ukraine issued two Letter Z (International, up to 50 g) stamps, beautifully illustrated, one (on the cover) with a pair of nesting storks (Cicconia cicconia) and the other with a thrush nightingale (Luscinia luscinia).

Incidentally, given the fact that the letters V and Z are now associated with the markings on the vehicles of the aggressors,  Ukrposhta, the Ukranian Post, has stopped using these letter as stamp denominations.

- On 18AUG2017, Ukrposhta issued a set of four 4 Hryvnia  stamps dedicated to medical and melliferous plants (a second 4 stamp set would also be issued the following year), again beautifully illustrated as it is the norm with Ukraine stamps.

The stamp on the cover is dedicated to the  greater celandine (Chelidonium majus), which is Portugal is known as Erva-andorinha,  (swallow grass) certainly by way of a popular derivation of its scientific name, given that chelidon in Greek means swallow and also due to the fact that it begins to flourish when the swallows begin to arrive in their migration, in spring.

Although toxic, it has several medicinal uses mainly for skin, liver and gallbladder ailments.

The vignette on the edge of the stamp is part of the frame of the minisheet containing 9 stamps, in which the stamps were presented.

- Tradition is again at the core of the U tariff stamp illustrated witha Pysanka Easter egg, painted in the traditional fashion of the Lviv area.

The stamp is part of a set of two definitives issued on 27SEP22, the one on my cover with U denomination and its companion, illustrated with an egg painted with a motif typical of the Vinnytsia region.

- The  7th definitive stamp issue  of Ukrposhta, comprised some 20 stamps issued between 2007 and 2011, themed on traditional handmade household items . The  1,50  Hryvnia stamp on cover features an ornamented tile and its rather difficult to say when it was issued since there were several printing runs of these definitive stamps. The first iteration of this 1,50 Hryvnia stamp dates of 25MAR2009.

Unfortunately, no postmark was applied to the stamps, but I cannot complain about it since it is nothing short of a miracle that in the current state of affairs, 

COVER N.181 - GERMANY

Postmark: Deutsche Post - Munchen Philatelie-Shop 81825 / Munchen 81825 zz 18.11.2022  
Posted on the 18th November, received on the 22nd November 2022
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22-11-22, nice date to receive a cover. I'm not at all attracted to strange theories and numerology and stuff like that, but I have to say that this is really a once in a lifetime combination of numbers in a date, given that not only its is a palindromic sequence but also the mid section is exactly half the rest. Cool. 

Now I shall connect this with the fact that on this date I have received a cover dedicated to a number that will read the same way if I turn the envelope upside down - 96 - and I'm sure there's more than enough here to start a rocambolesc divagation into what this means, probably a secret message in need of decoding  from those that hold the everlasting power and secretly dominate the world, for whom we are but pawns of their vicious game...

I shall don my secret superhero vest then.... :-)

Thank you so much, Alexander, for a really nice cover with the face of the envelope totally taken up by interesting stuff..

Errors are a classic amongst  collectors. The uniqueness of the odd item that, for a twist of fate, ends up having a “genetic" difference vis a vis the other members of the series can only add interest and singularity to the collection,  and as such it comes as no surprise that  errors, which from a production point of view, should be considered faulty elements and be thus discarded when undergoing quality control, end up being the most valuable pieces of the whole run.

Printing errors are a classic amongst stamp collectors. One such case is the subject of this year's Deutsche Post Stamp day issue: the Baden misprint.

Nothing easier that to take a 6  for a 9 and vice versa. History has it that when the Grand Duchy of Baden issued its first stamps on the 1st Mat 1851, the 9 Kreuzer-Marke stamp would have been printed in pink, while the 6 Kreuzer-Marke would be a darkish turquoise colour.

Somewhere along the prnting run it seems, the printers took a 6 for a 9 and printed some 9 Kreuzer Mark stamps in the turquoise paper meant for the 6 Kreuzer mark

The relevant bit is that the error went unnoticed and the stamps went on the market to fulfil the aim they had been created for.

It was only more than four decades later that the mishap was detected when a philatelist called on the attention of his peers to a singular cover he had come into possession of, with a 9 Kreuzer Mark turquoise stamp. Since that day two other examples of the faulty stamp have been found, one in a cover that is now residing at the Museum für Kommunikation in Berlin. while the other two are in  private hands. 

The Deutsche Post commemorative souvenir sheet featuring fac-similes of  both the 9 Kreuzer mark stamps, the urquoise one being an actual  stamp itself, was issued on 06OCT2022. The stamp has a face value of 0,85€ and along its 4 edges it has  the face value and the legends "Deutgschland"; "Tag der Briefmarke" (Stamp day) and "Baden Fehldruck" (Baden Misprint).

The souvenir sheet bears the following legends :

On May I, 1851, the Baden misprint of a 9-Kreuzer postage stamp was issued. This was printed on blue-green paper instead of pink.

The value was probably confused by the printer with the 6-Kreuzer-Freimarke, which was printed on blue-green paper.

Further to this interesting souvenir sheet, Alexander used a 0,05 € stamp, which is part of the "World of the letter" definitive set, first instalment, issued on 02_DEC2021. The stamp image represents a lotus flower made with letters.

To complete the postage, Alexander used a 0,20 € label.

The postmarks indicate that the Cover was posted at the Deutsche Post Philately shop of Munich.

 COVER N.180 - ITALY

Postmark: Pratovecchio AR C 52015 11.11.2022  
Posted on the 11th November, received on the 21st November 2022
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An oddly postmarked cover can add a touch of unexpectedness to the collection, I guess. Grazie Mille Roberto!

The theme for the 2004 EUROPA emission was "Holidays" and Poste Italiane chose to illustrate it on the two stamps (0,45 and 0,65 Euros) it issued on 07MAY2004 with the most iconic graphic representation of holidays that I can think of: a vintage traveller's suitcase, from the time when you could tell that a person was a well travelled  tourist from the number of hotel stickers one had on the suitcase.

The stamps both feature the same  suitcase, which on the 0,45€ stamp is closed and travelling on what is supposed to be some sort of path, a road, for instance, drawn on the background of the stamp which to my eye looks like wallpaper from an hotel room maybe, while on the 0,62€ stamp lays open upon a table, bed, maybe, at the hotel room, exhibiting the usual paraphernalia associated with holidays: hats, reading glasses, books, photo camera, travel guide, etc.

Both stamps are taken from the lower corners of the stamp sheet and on the edges they exhibit the logo of  Vastophil 2004, which I presume was a philatelic exhibition.

The postmark is the usual postmark on Roberto’s letters, from Pratovecchio.  

Given that the current international tariff is higher than the value of both stamps, a 0,18€ mechanical stamp was also applied to the letter, but it is imprinted on the lower left corner and not on the right upper corner as usual, so as not to mess up with the handwritten address, which is occupying this rather unusual position. Given the way the envelope had to be fed to the stamping machine  in order for the stamp to be applied at this position, it resulted in an upside down stamp...odd!

 

COVER N.179 - FRANCE

Postmark: 58 - Corbigny - Nievre - 10.11.2022  
Posted on the 10th November, received on the 15th November 2022
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Another cover from France with quite a recent stamp on it. Thank you so much, Jean-Pierre, for the cover and the contents.

Ada Lovelace (1815-1852), is considered to be the first computer programmer, given her association with Charles Babbage's project, the Analytical engine, and her main claim to fame comes from the fact that she developed and wrote the first algorithm to be executed  by such a machine. No mean feat, considering that it all happened in the 30s...of the 19th century when the role of women in society was, generally speaking, not geared towards such remarkable scientific endeavours.

Augusta Ada Byron, countess of Lovelace, was also the only legitimate daughter of a famous father: Gordon George Byron, the 6th Baron Byron, who would go down in history as Lord Byron, the illustrious Romantic Poet, also famous for his rather colorful life.

Byron left Ada's mother when her newborn daughter was but one month old, never to return to England or meet his daughter again and it is said that Ada's mother fostered her daughter's interest in mathematics as a way to make sure that she would not follow her father's devious steps, even though Ada would always highly regard her father, to the point of asking to be buried next to his grave.

In 2009, Suw Charman-Anderson, an activist of digital rights and freedoms, once considered by the daily Telegraph to be one of the fifty most influential Britons in technology,   established "Ada Lovelace Day" as an "international celebration of the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM)" as can be read on ALD's site. The day is now celebrated  on the second Tuesday of October.

In 2022, the day was thus celebrated on the 12OCT, the date chosen by La Poste to issue the 1,65€ commemorative stamp dedicated to Ada Lovelace that can be seen on the cover.

The stamp is illustrated with the reproduction of Ada's figure from a painting by   Margaret Sarah Carpenter (1836) over a turquoise background upon which  vertical running legends inform the viewer as to who is the  person in the stamp and her claim to fame as informatics pioneer, highlighted by also including the citation of  purely logical and mathematical concepts (as I, the mathematical very challenged, think is the intention...).

Unfortunately again, the post office chose to double postmark the cover, adding a mechanical postmark over the nice original manual one...

COVER N.178 - SAN MARINO

Postmark: Poste Rep. San Marino San Marino - 04.11.2022  
Posted on the 4th November, received on the 11th November 2022
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Nothing less that seven stamps on an envelope... I don't have words to express my gratitude to Eric, who again helps me tick another box in the countries list, with this amazing cover from one of Europe's micro-states, albeit its oldest one (and also the world's, for that matter, having been established in 301 AD). San Marino! Thank you so much Eric!

Stamps left to right, top to Bottom

- The 7th Winter Olympic Games took place at Cortina de Ampezzo, a well known Italian winter sports and general tourism location, right at the base of the imposing Dolomites. Calling on the attention of philatelist for the then upcoming games, Poste San Mario issued  a ten stamp set on   15DEC1955. Given that the disciplines of the competition were but seven (although there were also combined events)  three of the stamps use the same drawing, albeit in a different set of coulours.

further to the 2 Lire stamp on my cover dedicated to cross-country skying (the subject also of the 25 L stamp), the set comprised stamps dedicated to speed skating (1 l); Bobsleigh (3 and 50 L); alpine skiing (4 L); Ice Hockey (5 and 100 L), figure skating (10L) and sky jumping (200 l).

- Europa stamps have been issued since 1956, first by the member countries of the then European Communities, until 1959, then between 1960 and 1992  by the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations CEPT and from 1992 on by PostEurope, a trade association representing Europe's postal operators.

The common design chosen for the 1973 issue represented a postman's horn, brought to life through the union of three arrows representing  the  traditional vectors of communication  managed by the postal administrations:  Post, Telegraph & Telephone.

Poste San Marino issued two stamps for the 1973 set: the one on the cover with a face value of 180 L and  a 20 L one. As it was the norm by then, both stamps featured the same design although in different colour combinations.

Zodiac signs have always been a popular theme for stamp issues, so it comes as no surprise that Poste San Marino has also issued a set dedicated to the theme on 18FEB1970 (although the stamps carry a little 1969 legend next to the printers designation)

As to be expected, the issue is composed of 12 stamps (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 20, 70, 90, 100, 180 L) one for each sign and constellation. As a curious side note, I have to say that Eric was right on the money, since I am a native of Pisces (although I couldn't care less about it, since I'm not a believer...)

- The theme for the 1980 Europa common issue was "Famous People". San Marino  chose to honour two of its nationals, both renaissance men who have achieved notoriety in their quite different trades, one being a  military architect, Giovanbattista Belluzzi (1506-54), and the other, Antonio Orafo (1460-1552), a jeweler and a goldsmith, 

The stamps with face values of 170 and 220 Lire (the one on my cover) were issued on 08MAY1980.

- 1977 was designated as the World Rheumatism Year by the World Health Organisation. Several postal administrations issued stamps evocative of the fact, and San Marino was one such case. The 200 L stamp being illustrated with the image of a feminine figure being trapped by an octopus. I confess I don't quite know what the allegory stands for and a search on the internet has not given me any concrete clues to it, although I found a mention to octopus feet, what I suspect is a deformation of the fingers caused by rheumatism, so this may be the missing link...

The stamp was issued on 19OCT1977

- "Transportation and Communications" was 1988's EUROPA stamps theme, with San Marino being one of the 35 countries participating in the common emission with two stamps - 600 and 700 L - issued on 17MAR1988.

The 600 L stamp, which can be seen on my cover, is illustrated with the image of a monorail train on a journey from San Marino to ....another planet, since the rail path comes out of  our little blue planet and goes on to a point somewhere where we cannot see :-) ... this is a bit strange since I do not believe there is any train station at San Marino, but maybe there's something in this image history that is escaping me, I don't know... The companion stamp follows the same pattern of a path leading out of San Marino to somewhere in space, but this time with a communications cable, maybe fiber optics, judging from the little sparkles at the end of the cable....

The Council of Europe is an international European  institution that aims to promote democracy, the rule of law and human rights within the European continent, its more famous body being the European Court  of Human Rights.

A member state since 1988, San Marino held the Presidency of the Council  from November 2006 till May 2007, and this fact was honoured by Poste San Marino with a 0,65 stamp issued on 23JAN2007, featuring an image of the country's flag alongside the logo of the Council of Europe.

The stamps are cancelled by a nice pictorial postmark, which unfortunately is not very clearly imprinted, illustrated with a  view of the Guaita tower, one of the three towers that were built on the peaks of Monte Titano, the hill that dominates the State capital.

On a short visit to the country in 2017, I took a photo of the tower that closely resembles the image in the postmark

COVER N.177 - PORTUGAL

Postmark:  First day Postmark: Solidários Com o Povo Ucraniano CTT LISBOA 2022.09.27 
Posted on the  27 September 2022.
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Yesterday was the day of the Armistice... of the War to end All wars... and yet, since that day the poppies have continued to grow in so many fields that it seems that Flanders is, just like the universe, expanding...  oh how I wish we could celebrate a different armistice, but while that doesn't happen it's good to see a yellow and blue flag being hoisted where it really belongs!

I don't usually post here FDCs that I now and them mail to myself, whenever CTT issues a series that tickles my fancy, but this one, for obvious reasons, is symbollicaly much more than just another stamp issue and what better day to post it than now that the yellow and blue flag is again flying at Kherson ...

Joining the circle of Postal Administrations that have so far issued stamps in support of Ukraine against the  unjustified and unjustifiable Russian aggression, CTT, Correios de Portugal the Portuguese Post has issued on 27SEP22 a single 0,95€ stamp illustrated by a yellow sun on a blue sky shinning on a yellow horizon over what could be a blue sea, in itself a metaphor for Portugal, or blue mountains, maybe the Carpathian... another metaphor for Ukraine. On the top centre of the stamp the legend "Solidários com o Povo Ucraniano - Солідарні з українським народом (In Solidarity with the Ukranian People)", clearly stating what the stamp stands for.

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, issued a statement in support of the stamp issue which can be read on the presentation notice of the stamp, downloadable by hitting the link "Download da  pagela" under the issue thumbnail, on the page dedicated to  2022 stamp programme. 

 

As can be also read on the presentation notice "CTT will donate all net proceeds from these stamps to actions that contribute towards alleviating the plight of the Ukrainian people. These actions will be defined in detail in close collaboration with the Embassy of Ukraine in Portugal".

I find the commemorative postmark truly remarkable in that it transubstantiates a symbol of might and  resilience, virtues that, all facts notwithstanding, have a semiotic aura connoted to war and the military,   into a symbol of peace, hope and future, the virtues we all associate with bread, in its most essential form: an ear of wheat

COVER N.176 - FRANCE

Postmark: Philatelie - 39 DOLE - 04.11.2022  
Posted on the 4th November, received on the 8th November 2022
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Nothing better than a surprise to start the day, so Many Thanks Eric for the unexpected cover that landed today in my letterbox!

Stamps, Left to right:

- If a dog is said to be man's best friend, guide dogs have to be even more than this. I cannot fail to be truly impressed to see the way users of guide dogs trust their animal's judgment for such common day activities  as crossing streets full of traffic or getting onto a bus,  that I really don't know how I would do if nature hadn't been so kind to me, allowing me to go about my own business without any sensorial challenge.

Labrador retrievers are said to be the best dogs for the task, even though a plethora of other races can do it, provided they receive the necessary training. I, not being a dog expert (not being an expert in anything, for that matter...) am going to believe that the dog seen guiding someone in the illustration that graces the Lettre Verte (up to 20g domestic)  stamp issued on 26SEP2022 dedicated to these unsung heroes is one such puppy. 

Besides the image of the guide and the guided, there is also an imprint of the dog's footprint, which I believe is a logo for a funding campaign, since I found it also in the pages of the "Fédération Française des Associations de Chiens guides d'aveugles FFAC" next ot the legend "Ils nous soutiennent" - They support us.

- Manga... I have to confess my ignorance about a genre that is really not my cup of tea. a quick check of La Poste website, so as to enlighten myself  regarding the character highlighted on  this quite recent Letre Verte stamp issued  on 10OCT2022, didn't provide much, but I at least learned that Naruto, the character, is an aspiring Ninja and the stamp issue aims at celebrating  20 years of the manga series in France, (episodes 1 to 220) with over 20 million copies sold since 2002....

Of note is the fact that La Poste organised some sort of game or raffle running on facebook and twitter with pretty good cash prizes, associated with this stamp.

The stamps are cancelled with the postmark of the Bureau Philatelique de Dole, the birthpalce of Louis Pasteur, Éric tells me. It is quite uncommon and truly special because it comprises the portrait of Pasteur and the coat of arms of the city... nice!

Unfortunately, the cover suffers from over cancellation, and on top of  the lovely manual postmark, it also shows a  rather unnecessary machine cancellation.

COVER N.175 - CANADA

Postmark: Canada Post - Postes Canada - Barry's Bay On  Zurakowsky Park - Home of the Avro Arrow - 27.10.2022  
Posted on the 27th October; received on the 7th November 2022
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It has been a while since my last addition to the blog. A slight perturbation in mail distribution due to a couple of days of industrial action at  CTT, the Portuguese Post, but things are now back to normal, as the "clonk" of the letterbox lid  closing that I again heard today so clearly illustrated.

The moment I heard it, I ran to the door, of course, and rightly so, because amidst other letters of a far less pleasant nature - taxes and utilities accounts - there was this beautiful cover from Jeff in Canada, laden with three very recent stamps dedicated to my theme of choice: aviation. Thanks a lot, Jeff, for a fabulous cover, indeed!

The stamps Jeff used on this cover are part of the second set of the "Canadians in Flight" series, started in 2019, three stamps of  which he  had already kindly sent me on a previous sending.

The 2022 set, equally comprising five P (Permanent) tariff stamps as that of 2019, was issued on 17OCT2022. 

- Ask any aircraft fan to name a bush plane and I'm certain that a unanimous "Beaver" will be the first answer. The DHC-2.. a true Jack of all trades, rugged and capable of operating in all types of conditions from all types of strips, with STOL capabilities, be it land or sea....

Designed in the aftermath of WW2, the Beaver first flew on the 16 August 1947 and throughout its production life, that was to come to an halt in 1967, more than 1,600 aircraft were built, many of which are still flying. Although being decidedly linked with the vast and wild spaces of the American North, many Beavers were used by the military in a large number of countries.

It is fitting that such a landmark in the history of Canadian aviation would be included in a series dedicated to the theme, and this is not the first time that it happens since the Beaver also featured in the 1982 issue of the lovely Canadian aircaft series, which ran from 1979 to 1982.

The current Beaver stamp though is marked by controversy. It so happens that the designers of the stamp chose a photograph that features a DHC - 2 Beaver, indeed, but ... bearing an American registration on the fuselage, not a Canadian.  and this was not that well taken by many a Beaver and Stamp fan..... well, this is not really perceivable upon looking at the stamp with the naked eye or even with a loupe, but the artwork has been shown in much larger supports, I would thing, and that's probably where it all became apparent...

Anyway, registered in the USA or in Canada, the Beaver is as Canadian as the Mounties and fittingly it is shown on the stamp flying over land and sea, juxtaposed to 3-view drawings of it and the  a De Havilland Canada Logo substituting the Beaver for the usual Mosquito, which was issued, I read somewhere, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the former.

- Wallace Rupert Turnbull (1870-1954)... I confess my ignorance as to the relevance of Mr. Turnbull's work in the aviation field., but Canada Post informs me that he was famous for developing the variable pitch propeller, that is, the ability to change the angle of the propeller blades while the prop is rotating , an important step towards maximisation of the thrust generated by the propeller during the various phases of a flight. 

The stamp dedicated to Rupert Turnbull is illustrated by his picture in front of an airplane equipped with his invention, which is also the subject of the line drawing on the left side of the stamp.

- Flight simulators more than learning tools were life-savers. Aviation is not an activity devoid of danger for the initiated and going through what is to be  (un)expected high above the surface, knowing that no matter what you'll be always able to walk back home through the stairs down to the ground and out through the door is ... reassuring, to say the least.

Aviation simulation technology was first brought to Canada in 1947 by Kenneth Patrick (1915-2002) who founded CAE Canadian Aviation Electronics, a concern that would develop simulators for the Canadian Air Force and later for Canadian Pacific Airlines ...(writing this suddenly brought to my mind vivid images of the beautiful DC-8 aircraft in the orange livery of Canadian Pacific that I saw so many times being refuelled at Santa Maria Airport in the Azores, when I was a lad. 

The stamp dedicated to the CAE Flight Simulator is illustrated with a photo of a simulator, and it also features a side view line drawing of one such machine.

- The remaining two stamps on this set, which was issued in souvenir sheet format, are dedicated to Violet Milstead (1919-2014), one of the first female bush pilots, and a member of Britain’s Air Transport Auxiliary, during WW2. and Dr. Wilbur Rounding Franks (1901-86) the inventor of the first G-suit,  

Jeff had the Cover fittingly Postmarked at Barry's Bay, for Canada Post issued a special cancellation for that city that features an image of another of Canada's most famous aircraft, the Avro Arrow, a scale replica of which is now gate guarding Zurakowski Park, named after the chief test pilot of the Arrow, Janusz Zurakowski.