COVER N. 282- CABO VERDE

Postmark: Correios de Cabo Verde - Agência de S. Filipe / Correios de Cabo Verde  - ?? Praia Postal  07.06.23

Posted on the 6th June; Received on the 14th July 2023

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Cape Verde... my "place of conception"... I wonder if by some mysterious osmotic mechanism, places may enter into your genetic stream somehow, for wind, lava, sea and  sand seem to melt into a distant and never ending blue horizon line that has shined over  the most happy days of my transit through our beloved planet.

Not that I  remember much of my first four years of existence spent in the island of Sal. In fact, all I recollect is an episode that could have been the last of the very short series, which I have already narrated here, but years later I would cut the soles of my feet in lava paths, on my way to the blue of the Azorean waters where I would go spear fishing, or manoeuvre a home made kite in the gusty wind or just wind the day away in the white sand beach (a precious rarity in the Azores) of Praia Formosa in Santa Maria island, and I'd feel - as I still do - that those were my elements, the roots that connect me to the soil I've been part of and to which I'll some day return.

I have visited a few Islands in my days, some large, some small, but I've always felt at home in them. It's the eternal and unavoidable presence of the sea, I guess: the luminous white highlights of spray and foam contrasting deep against the undertones of rocks and stones... and its smell..., the life-giving odour of salt and iodine and seaweed and then the colour gradient that erases a soft turquoise into the deepest ultramarine blue as the depth of the waters increases.....

I have to discuss this empirical genetics theoretical hypothesis  with my daughter Marta, within a week or so, when she returns from the Island of Fogo, in Cape Verde,  where she is at present for professional reasons. Have to ask her if she didn't feel that somehow, without ever having been there, she felt in some way at home.... or maybe I'd better not.... she has lived all her life in the city....her DNA must be more inclined to fossil fuels and concrete  than to seaweed and salty winds, no matter what links of the chain my personal heritage have influenced ...., 

One thing is certain, I would not let her go to Cape Verde without begging her to go to the post office and mail a few envelopes to daddy and friends, even though daddy's affection for stamped envelopes is regarded by her as another of the old man excentricities....

With the help of Eric, one of the honoris causa members of this blog, a small stash of envelopes was prepared and handed to Marta with intructions regarding the absolute need of having the envelopes postmarked upon expedition, since I did not want to run the same risk I ran when she went to São Tomé and the envelopes were all returned without cancellations.

She was really keen on having things done right this time and she even phoned me from the post ofice to make sure.

The result?

Thank you so much, Marta, dear daughter, for the time and effort. The old one (and I'm sure his friends also) was quite happy to receive the very spiffy letters you sent on your day off.

Cape Verde has been participating ininterruptively in the Summer Olympics since 1996. In the 2004 Edition, the Cape Verdean delegation comprised three athletes who would defend the coulours of the country in Athletics (Marathon), Boxing and Rhytmic Gymnastics.

Celebrating the Olympics and its Athletes, the Correios de Cabo Verde issued a three stamp set (10, 60; 100 Cape Verdean Escudos) on 13AUG2004, two of which can be seen on the cover.   Oddly enough, although being de facto represented in the Boxing discipline, one of the three stamps issued is illustrated with the image of a Taekwondo combat, a discipline that would see a Cape Verdean athlete Competing but in 2016...

The cancelations on this cover are quite interesting, since the stamps were postmarked with what looks like the corporative  stamp of the Agency of São Filipe, Island of Fogo, that in place of the date mark includes the logo of the Postal Company - Correios de Cabo Verde S.A.

On the back of the envelope, though, there is a "regular" cancelation postmark issued at Cidad da Praia, Island of Santiago, wherefrom the letters were sent to their final destination, I presume.