POSTCARD N.121 - UNITED KINGDOM

Postcrossing postcard sent on the 31st October;received on the 8th November 2023

Postcard image: Batle of Britain Memorial Flight Avro Lancaster
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The most famous Avro Lancaster of them all, that of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, the only existing flying example, makes a second appearance on this blog, this time courtesy of Karen, a fellow Postcrosser. Thanks a lot, Karen!

Vickers Armstrong built at the Broughton factory at Hawarden Airfield, where it was rolled out on 31 May 1945, Avro Lancaster B1 PA474 has been in the care of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (or RAF Historic Aircraft Flight, up to 1969) since 1973.

From that day on the aircraft has been subject to various restoration and improvement works that have made it possible to continue operating it at selected occasions, when onlookers have the opportunity to watch the only Avro Lancaster still flying on Europe (there's another in Canada) cross the skies, thankfully not to drop bombs anymore, and vibrate to the sound of its 4 Rolls Royce Merlins revving in unison. 

The postcard picture depicts PA474 as QRM of  61 Sqdn.

Karen used an up to 100g  label still of the Elizabethan period to mail me her postcard, which was mechanically cancelled at Birmingham (?, the cancellation mark is far from clear).

COVER N. 342 - FRANCE

Postmark: Service des Oblitérations Philatéliques - 24 - Boulazab 02.11.2023

Posted on the 2nd November; received on the 7th November 2023

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Another Euromed 2023 cover, courtesy of Roland. Un grand Merci, Roland!

The 2023 theme for the Euromed common issue being Mediterranean Festivals, La Poste chose Les Rencontres de la Photographie d'Arles to showcase on the very nice 1,80 stamp issued on 07JUL2023, that constitutes the French emission as I had already mentioned on my post regarding cover #280

COVER N. 341 - SRI LANKA

Postmark: Headquarters PO Colombo 21.10.2023

Posted on the 21st October; received on the 3rd November 2023

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Another fantastic cover from Sri Lanka, full of interesting fauna stamps. Thanks a lot Ravindra!

I really like wild animal stamps and to receive an envelope with 6 of them on, a full set, it's nothing short of great!

Yala National park occupies an area of 378 square miles and is located in the south of Sri Lanka, right on the coast, some 300 kilometres from Colombo. a Wildlife sanctuary since 1900, it is the oldest wildlife reserve in Sri Lanka.

On 28JUL2013, Sri Lanka Post issued the set of stamps on the cover with examples of wild fauna from Yala National Park:

5 Rupees - Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)

Although having a global distribution the sole member of the Eretmochelys genus is classified as critically endangered due to hunting for consumption of their meat and eggs and also for ornamental use of their carapaces and also because of loss of nesting areas due to coastal development.

15 Rupees - Swamp Crocodile (Crocodylus palustris)

Classified as threatened the swamp crocodile can be found in Iran, Pakistan, Nepal, India and Sri Lanka, in freshwater lakes, rivers and marshes.

25 Rupees - Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus)

The largest land animal in Asia, the asian elephant  is classified as an endangered species. It occurs in the Indian subcontinent, Continental Southeast Asia, and Asian islands.

30 Rupees - Black-necked Stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus)

The black-necked stork is classified as near threatened and has a distribution that encompasses the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia, while the biggest population of the species occurs in Australia.

40 Rupees - Wild Boar (Sus scrofa)

The wild boar is an example of an animal with a truly global distribution. In fact its populations are on the rise at least in some places causing extensive damage to crops and plantations. It is classified under the "least concern" status

50 Rupees - Spotted Deer (Axis axis)

Another animal of  "least concern" status, the spoted deer occurs in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

POSTCARD N.120 - SRI LANKA

Postcard sent on the ? October ;received on the 3rd November 2023

Postcard image: Greetings from Sri lanka
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Another self explanatory Post card, and another easy  blog post. Thanks a lot again, Ravindra!

- 2019 was proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations as the International Year of Indigenous Languages, calling on the attention of the world to a vast heritage, of which part is in danger of disappearance either by reverse assimilation of by erosion of speakers.

Of note here is the fact that amongst these languages (although not strictly an indigenous language, I believe,  since it is the product of the interaction and inter-development of a bridge idiom between existing different idioms)  one could possibly count Sri Lankan Portuguese Creole, which to this day is still spoken by a very small number of Sri Lankans.

Highlighting the UN General Assembly decision, Sri Lanka Post issued a 15 Rupee stamp on 06OCT2019, illustrated with the logo chosen to represent the International Year of the Indigenous Languages.

- The motto for World Post day celebrated on the 9th October, was  "Together for trust: Collaborating for a safe and connected future".

To mark the occasion, Sri Lanka Post issued on World Post day the 50 Rupee stamp on the postcard, which is illustrated by a gesture that is synonymous with trust everywhere in the world: a handshake.. The  World Post Day motto is also included in small lettering on the stamp, below the legend “World Post Day” and, on the bottom of the stamp, the flag of Sri Lanka is also included.

- Sixteen constellations were depicted on a sixteen definitive stamp set issued by Sri Lanka Post on 09OCT2007. The five Rupee stamp on the postcard is illustrated with an image of Libra. 

COVER N. 340 - USA

Postmark: Carol Stream IL 21.10.2023

Posted on the 21st October; received on the 31st October 2023

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It had to happen ... a nice cover, with very interesting stamps, one in particular, and all of them hand cancelled with a ....pen! I hate it when this happens, the more so since there is a mechanical cancellation on the cover so what's the use of scribbling over the already cancelled stamps....

Anyway, Thanks a lot, Felice, for this nice cover and especially for using an Amelia Earhart stamp on it, Amelia being one of my aviation heroes.

Left to right we have:

- USPS began issuing a series dedicated to American Design in 2002. Over the years additional stamps were issued and others  were reprinted featuring new dates on their frame. Such is the case for the 1 cent stamps illustrated with a Tiffany lamp, which were first issued in 2003, although those on the cover are 2008 reprints.

Conversely, The silver coffepot stamp was first issued in 2005, but the stamp of the cover is the 2007 reprint.

- Amelia Earhart (1897-1937) was a legend on her days, and I think she still is, particularly due to all the theories and opinions regarding her disappearance in the vicinity of Howland Island, in the Pacific, while trying to circumnavigate the globe in a twin engined Lockheed Electra, in the company of Fred Noonan, her navigator and radio operator.

Before this last fatal flight, Amelia had logged a lot of brilliant flights the most famous of them being the first solo crossing of the Atlantic by a woman. As a curious note,  she had also been the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, although that first time, purely as a passenger.

On the 25th anniversary of her disappearance, the United States Postal Services issued the 8 cent air mail stamp on the cover, illustrated with an image of Amelia with her Electra in the background.

- On 09MAR2023, USPS issued a set of 5 self-adhesive "Forever"  stamps dedicated to historical Train stations. One of these stamps, illustrated with an image of the Union Station in Cincinnati, Ohio,  can be seen on the cover.

. -  Chief Standing Bear (1829-1908), was a Ponka tribe Native American who would distinguish himself in the fight for civil rights for  Indians, having been the first native American to be granted civil rights under American law, when Judge Elmer S. Dundy ruled on 12 May 1879 that "an Indian is a person"... 

Honouring his legacy, 115 years after his demise, USPS issued on 12MAY2023 the single Forever self-adhesive stamp with his portrait which can be seen on the cover.

- The stamp illustrated with grapes was issued on 24FEB2017 and it is part of a definitive series themed on fruits, started in 2016.

POSTCARD N.119 - LATVIA

Postcrossing postcard sent on the 23rd October;received on the 31st August 2023

Postcard image: Kuldiga - Old brick bridge across the river Venta; Kuldiga castle gatehouse; old wooden architecture of Kuldiga.
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Kuldiga is a Latvian city on the Western part of the country, not that far from the Baltic sea, with a population of over 10,000 inhabitants.

In the course of the current year, the old town of Kuldiga has been awarded World Heritage Status by  UNESCO, recognising the fact that it is "an exceptionally well-preserved example of a traditional urban settlement, which developed from a small medieval hamlet into an important administrative centre of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia between the 16th and 18th centuries".

Thanks a lot for the card, Iveta.... I'll be sure to visit Kuldiga if ever my once planned but covid postponed Baltic States tour, comes to being.

- The Vairogs company resulted from the nationalisation of Rīgas Vagonbūves Rūpnīca, a train carriage factory established founded in 1895, to save it from bankruptcy.

From 1937, the company was licensed by Ford motor company to assemble Ford cars and trucks, which it continued to do  all through the 2nd world war, until the occupation of the Baltic States by the Soviets, who again nationalised the company, and stopped producing Ford vehicles altogether.

On 13JUL2018, Latvijas Pasts issued a 1,39€ stamp illustrated with the image of the most successful Ford produced by the Vairogs company, the V8 model of 1939.

- The 0,45 € stamp illustrated with the image of a black rabbit was issued on 13JAN2023 as part of a three stamp definitive set dedicated to domestic animals, the other two stamps being illustrated with images of a turkey (=.65 €) and a horse (1.65€).

Unfortunately other than the date, the postmark information is totally illegible.

POSTCARD N.118 - SINGAPORE

Postcrossing postcard sent on the 23rd October;received on the 31st August 2023

Postcard image: A pot.
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A postcrossing postcard that allows me to add another country to my list.

Now, the reason for the pot on the postcard might become more clear if I quote from the legend inside:

"Under a service volunteer pilot programme by NCSS (National Council of Social Service), Suntec Singapore employees join Chef Alfred Lee, Executive Chef of Suntec Singapore Coinvention & Exhibition Centre, in befriending seniors at NTUC Health SilverACE (Bukit Merah) and teaching them to prepare delicious, healthy meals."

Thanks a lot Chee!

Two stamps were used on the postcard

The stamps on the left with a face value of 50 cents is part of a ten stamp set of "greetings" stamp issued on 25MAR2013, while the  stamp on the right, meant for 1st class domestic mail, illustrated with an image of a ranchu goldfish, is part of a set of 9 definitives issued in souvenir sheet form on 11JUN2021.

COVER N. 339 - USA

Postmark: Grottoes VA USPS 24441 16.10.2023

Posted on the 16th October; received on the 31st October 2023

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Airmail covers with their colourful borders always tickle my fancy. I had never seen such a longish one though, quite longer than the European DL size common around here.  Thanks a lot, Jewel!

George Mason (1725-1792) is one of the founding fathers of the United States and the author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which would form the basis for what would become  the United States Bill of Rights, comprising the first ten ammendements to the American Constitution. These constitute (no pun intended), as Britannica puts it, "a collection of mutually reinforcing guarantees of individual rights and of limitations on federal and state governments".

On 07MAY1981 he was honoured by USPS with an 18 cent stamp of the "Great Americans" definitive series.

Quoting from a previous post of mine:

- Joel Sartore has been on a mission, which luckily has been well publicised, so there is no need to get into great detail here. Suffice to say that in the 18 years that have passed since he started his amazingly ambitious project of photographing every living species in human care, out of a total of 25,000, he has already photographed more than 14,000 producing exquisite images that have been exhibited throughout the world, in books and....in stamps.

On 19MAY2023, USPS issued a sheet of twenty Forever self adhesive stamps dedicated to the Photo Ark Project illustrated with photographs by Joel Sartore.

Two of these stamps are on this cover, one featuring a black footed ferret (Mustela nigripes), a mustelid native to central America, and a Lower Keys marsh rabbit (Sylvilagus palustris hefneri),  which curiously was named after Mr. Playboy, Hugh Hefner.....probably something to do with his rabbit connection....

Judging by the postmark, the cover was mailed from the city of Grottoes, in the State of Virginia.

COVER N. 338 - MOLDOVA

Postmark: Poşta Moldova  Chișinău  16.10.2023

Posted on the 16th October; received on the 26th October 2023

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It is not everyday that I get mail from Moldova, so this rather clean  and neat cover, with a very nice small souvenir sheet on it was a very welcomed addition to the collection.  Thanks a great lot, Matthias!

Who would have said that the black swan (Cygnus atratus) is original from Australia? In my own country they were quite common in public gardens when i was a child.... (come to think of it, i don't remember seeing them around lately...) but all European black swans are descendants of birds introduced in the 19th century for "decorative" and zoo collection purposes.

As such it is no surprise that a black swan would feature on this souvenir sheet dedicated to an European zoo,  the Chisinau Zoological garden.

The stamp was issued on 30MAY2023, along with a set of four stamps illustrated with images of other animals in the zoo collection, namely a lama, a crocodile, a parrot and an emu.

The Postmark indicates that the cover was mailed from the country's capital, Chișinău.

COVER N. 338 - GERMANY

Postmark: Garching B. München 108 85748 23.10.2023

Posted on the 23rd October; received on the 26th October 2023

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I still remember the first time I went to a Planetarium in Lisbon, quite a few decades ago. Watching planets and other celestial bodies travel above our little and still quite empty heads was immensely inspirational and awe inspiring.

It all began 100 years ago, on the 16th September 1923, in Germany, when the founder of the Deutsches Museum, Oskar von Miller, commissioned the Carl Zeiss Jena company to manufacture a device that could project  a replication of the motion of celestial bodies.  After a first demonstration on October 1923, Zeiss Planetarium Model 1 entered service in 1924 in the planetarium located in the Deutsches Museum (which I presume was sadly destroyed during the aerial bombings or the second world war).

A planetarium  100 years ago..... I can't even phantom the difference between what was shown to the original visitors and what inquiring kinds of all ages nowadays have the opportunity to be confronted with. And I am not talking exclusively about the technological evolution of the projecting systems... in fact, as much as those might have evolved from the early analogue to current day digital, the amount of knowledge we have ammassed during the last 100 years on how the universe above our heads works is absolutely staggering.

Come to think about, it's been ages since I last went to the Planetarium... maybe I should make a visit one of these days....

Meanwhile Thanks a lot Alex for another nice cover in my collection.

Deutsche Post celebrated the 100 years of the Planetarium in Germany by issuing on 05OCT2023 the nice 0,95 € stamp on the cover which includes some printing in metallic colours, so as to replicate a current day projection session at a planetarium. Because of this the stamp is quite dark, but seen under a light the mettallic effects really come through..

To complete postage Alex used  4 definitives of the world of letters series started in 2021. The 5 cent pertains to the first issue, dated of 02DEC2021 and the 10 cent to the 2022 set, issued on 02NOV2022.

The rather profuse postmark hails from Garching bei München a Bavarian city, obviously close to Munich.

COVER N. 337- BRASIL

Postmark: AC Central SE / SPM 09.10.2023

Posted on the  9th October; received on the 25th October 2023

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I am always especially happy when I receive covers that speak my own language. The more so if posted with interesting stamps. O meu muito Obrigado, caro Luis!

- Forró is a lively popular music genre characteristic of the Northeast of Brazil. It became popular in the 50s of last century in the voice of its main ambassador, singer and composer Luiz Gonzaga (1912-1989). A quaternary rhythm based genre, it was originally centred in the use of the accordion for the melody while triangle and zambumba (a type of drum) provided rhythmic support.

Highly danceable, the genre has evolved through the times so as to accommodate different types of instruments but always maintaining its rhythmic characteristics.

Forró has been declared immaterial cultural heritage of Brazil. Acknowledging its importance within the vast framework of Brazil's popular music, Brazil Post issued on 13DEC2022 (December 13 being the date of birth of Luiz Gonzaga) the 6.5 Reais stamp on the right top corner of the cover. On it, three musicians with the three above mentioned instruments play a forró for the pleasure of couples dancing, in a forró party.

The 3.10 reais stamp in the middle is part of the Brazilian mercosul emission of 2018, which comprised two stamps: the one on the cover, issued on 23NOV2018 and another one also dedicated to Brazilian Museums, issued on 04DEC2018.

Being dedicated to the Bahia Arte Museum, the stamp is illustrated with a reproduction of the painting "A República" (The Republic) by Manoel Lopes Rodrigues (1859-1917) who was born in the city of Salvador, also in the Bahia State.

The small 0.2 Real stamp on the upper left corner is part of the definitive series issued between 2005 and 2011, dedicated to Professions. This particular stamp, dedicated to  shoemaker, integrated the first set of three stamps, issued on 30DEC2005.

The postmark is very neat and clear but I know not what the initials therei stand for.

COVER N. 336 - LICHTENSTEIN

Postmark: Triessen Fürstentum Liechtenstein 13.10.2023

Posted on the 13th October; received on the 23rd October 2023

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I really like pictorial postmarks, such as the one that I have to thank Vural for, on the stamps of another cover from the Principality of Lichtenstein on my collection.

Further to the unfortunately not very clear postmark, there are two nice stamps on this cover:

- Nendeln is a small municipality of less than 1500 inhabitants, located in north central Lichtenstein.

Nedeln is also home to the Schaedler Pottery, which since 1836 has been producing "small series of stoneware crockery, exclusive works of art and traditional tiled stoves", as can be read on the homepage of the firm.

I mention this because the image on the 0,90 Franc stamp issued on 04SEP2023 as part of a two stamp set (0,90 + 1.10 Franc) dedicated to Village views is that of the Pottery facilities, as my investigation through Goole Earth allowed me to conclude.

The second stamp on the cover is a 0,90 Swiss Franc stamp issued on 03JAN2022, as part of a 4 stamp set dedicated to bee species. The bee depicted in this particular stamp is the Andrena hattorfiana, an endangered solitary bee species that is present in most of Europe (although not in Portugal, I believe).

The Postmark although not very clear is illustrated with a line drawing of Saint Mamerten Chapel, in the municipality of  Triessen.

COVER N. 335 - SRI LANKA

Postmark: Headquarters P.O. Colombo - Mail - 27.09.2023

Posted on the 27th September; received on the 19th October 2023

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Sri Lanka is one of our planet's 36 Biodiversity Hot Spots. In order to classify for this distinction, the region has to meet the following two criteria:

- Contain at least 1,500 species of vascular plants found nowhere else on Earth (known as "endemic" species).

- Have lost at least 70 percent of its primary native vegetation

It is as such no surprise that many stamps issued by Sri Lanka Post are dedicated to the immensely rich fauna and flora of the country, as the ones used by Ravindra in one more lovely stamp laden cover I got from him. Thanks a lot, Ravindra.

The ten15 rupee stamps on the cover represent half of a 20 stamp sheet issued on 03MAR2020, highlighting species endangered by illegal trade  and I presume that all these beautiful animals are endemic to the Island sate.

From left to right, top to bottom, the eight animals and two plants represented in the stamps on the cover are:

Sri Lankan House Gecko (Hemidactylus pieresii)

This particular gecko endemic only to Sri Lanka, was first described in 1852 but hadn't been recorded for a long time until the discovery in 2012 of two populations in the island.

Nepenthes distillatoria

This is a member of the carnivorous Nepenthaceae family, species distillatoria being endemic to Sri Lanka. These plants also known as pitcher plants, presenting modified leaves that form traps filled with digestive liquid into which small animals fall and are then slowly digested by the plant.

Ranwella's Spined Tree Frog (Polypedates ranwellai)

This little tree frog is endemic only to the reserve of  Gilimale forest in Sri Lanka.

Serendib Scops Owl (Otus thilohoffmanni)

This owl was only first seen to science by human eyes in 2001 and is known to inhabit four locations in Sri Lanka.

Karu's Horned Lizard (Ceratophora karu)

Another animal known only to be found at a single habitat, in the case the Sinharaja Rain forest reserve.

Leschenault's Snake-Eye (Ophisops leschenaultii lankae)

This species of lizard is endemic to India and eastern Sri Lanka

Vanda tessellata

A beautiful orchid, with a distribution ranging from the Indian subcontinent to Indochina. It is also a  plant with various medicinal uses ranging from anti inflammatory and anti pyretic  to analgesic and aphrodisiac.

Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata)

Endemic to the native subcontinent, this pangolin is under threat due to it being hunted for meat but also for the use of its scales in traditional medicine.

Haly's Tree Skink (Dasia haliana)

This is the the only arboreal skink in Sri Lanka, the only place in the world where it occurs.

Crimson Rose Swallowtail (Pachliopta hector)

This member of the Papilionidae family, is found in India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and possibly the coast of western Myanmar.

AQs usual with Ravindra's cover's the postmark hails from the central Post Office at Columbus, Sri Lanka's economic capital .

COVER N. 334 - UK

Postmark: Mechanical: Royal mail Lancashire South Lakes (?) 16.10.2023; Manual Illegible.

Posted on the 16th October; received on the 23rd October 2023

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River fauna on a poshy First Day envelope. Thanks a lot Muhammad.

Rivers are very susceptible ecosystems and a lot of times we do our best to ensure they have the worst time of their lives.... rivers are also biodiversity concentrators for many are the animal and plant species that thrive in and around them, from grasses to trees, from insects to large mammals and, of course, fish.

Recognising the role rivers play in support of wildlife, Royal Mail issued on a ten stamp set (5 x 1st class + 5 x 2nd class)  illustrated with photographs of notorious river dwellers of the UK.

The cover Mohamed kindly sent me is graced with two of the 1st class stamps, illustrated with images of  an European otter (Lutra lutra) an inhabitant of all Europe, parts of Asia and Northern Africa, and a brown trout (Salmo trutta), the most common member of the genus Salmo, which nowadays can be found almost in all latitudes given its introduction as game fish in non-original habitats.

Further to these two stamps the set includes stamps illustrated with photographs of  the following animals:  (2nd class) beaver; atlantic salmon; kingfisher; beautiful demoiselle; water vole; (1st class) grey wagtail; common mayfly; dipper.

COVER N. 333 - MOROCCO

Postmark: Festivals Mediterranéans Barid al-Maghrib 18.07.2023 / Meknes C.D. 18.09.2023

Posted on the 18th September; received on the 18th October 2023

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Another very nice Moroccan FDC courtesy of Pierre. Un grand Merci!

The Tetouan Mediterranean Film Festival, whose 29th edition will run from the 29th April till the 4th May 2024, is the brainchild of the Friends of Tetouan Cinema” (FTC), and was created in 1987 with a view to the promotion of the cinematographies of the countries of the Mediterranean basin.

It was also the event chosen by Postes Maroc to be highlighted on the Euromed 2023  common issue stamp, dedicated to Mediterranean festivals.

The stamp, which began to circulate on 10JUL2023, is illustrated with what I presume is the official poster of the festival, upon which  the Euromed and the Film Festival logos were also printed on its the top and bottom left, respectively.

As usual with Moroccan FDC the envelope is numbered, #0922.

COVER N. 332 - CANADA

Postmark: Canada Post  Postes Canada World's largest mushrooms Plus grands Champignons au monde  Vilna AB 06.10.2023

Posted on the 6th October; received on the 18th October 2023

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November is really the beginning of the mushroom season around here, but the theme came up a bit earlier this year, with this Canadian cover with a very beautiful and large mushroom related postmark that I got, courtesy of The Phantom.

On looking at the slogan,  on the postmark, though, I was really intrigued...

The world’s largest mushrooms? How could someone claim that....? After all mushrooms come in all sizes and sometimes some really big pop up here and there, (go ask Alice...) so much so that to claim that a given location is the place where the largest mushrooms grow might be a bit of wishful thinking.... I went and took a look into it...

...and… mystery solved: the world's largest mushrooms won't grow more, because they are a sculpture. Located in a public park of the city of Vilna, in the State of Alberta, the huge sculpture replicates a group of three Tricholoma uspale mushrooms, a species that occurs locally and which is traditionally collected for culinary purposes.

With a total weight of over 18,000 pounds and standing 20 feet tall, the sculpture claims to be the largest mushroom replica sculpture in the world, as advertised in the very nice pictorial postmark that is illustrated with a line image of it.

Thanks a bunch, Alex!

- The 2.5 Canadian Dollar stamp on the right illustrated with an image of a baby wapiti (Cervus canadensis) was issued on 31MAR2014. It is part of a set dedicated to baby animals comprising five stamps, which constitutes, the last set issued in an annual definitive series initiated in 2011, dedicated to the theme.

 The Wapity is member of the deer family (Cervidae) distributed in Asia and North America. It was  thought to be a sub species of the reed deer, which can be found in Europe, but genetic studies have proved it to be an entire different species.

 - The two stamps on the left (10 and 25 cents) were issued on 05AUG1992, integrated on a definitive set themed on edible berries. 

 The 10 cent stamp is illustrated with an image of a kinnikinnick shrub (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), a red berry producing plant that is native to subarctic regions. Given its name, it is easy to conclude that bears must be great admirers of the berries produced by the plant.

 The 25 cent stamp is illustrated with an image of a Saskatoon Berry shrub (Amelanchier alnifolia), a white flower and purple berry producing plant native to Alaska, Western Canada and Western and North-central United States.

 Although rather small, I find these stamps quite beautiful and am quite pleased to have them on a cover.

COVER N. 331 - SLOVAKIA

Postmark: Trnava Hora 96611  05.10.2023

Posted on the 5th October; received on the 11th October 2023

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The first thing that stroke me when looking at this cover was the realisation of how far Slavic languages are from the Latin roots of mine.

Trieda class... If not for the  numeral 1 right alongside the legend, thought I, one  would think that the sticker meant third class (whatever that may mean) by simple association of the word trieda to the way three is spelled in latin languages três, trois, three (drei, I know, but here it comes from the German...)...

Well nothing could be more far off from the truth. Not only "Three" in Slovak is... "Tri", but  also "Trieda" is the Slovak for ... you guessed it... "Class".

So what the sticker really means is 1st Class.  How easy our  unconscious associations can lead us to trouble.....

Anyway, Thanks a lot Michal. not only the stamps are nice, but I learned something from the sticker too 

 😀

 On to the stamps:

The one on the left with a face value of 1.40€ was issued on 19MAY2023, on the occasion of the bicentenary of the Express Stagecoach Service between Bratislava and Vienna, which I'd presume was ensured in a stagecoach just like the one in the photograph that illustrates the stamp.

The 0,20€ stamp is part of a three stamp definitive set, issued on 04JAN2021, themed on glasswork.

It is illustrated with a photo of a Golden Suzana wine glass, designed by glass artist Jozef Staník in the 60s of last century.

The Postmark hails from Trnavá Hora, in central Slovakia.

COVER N. 333 - MOROCCO

Postmark: Premier Jour d'émission Meknès CD 11.09.2023 / Meknés 21.09.2023

Posted on the 21st September; received on the 17th October 2023

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According to the official definition, "UNESCO Global Geoparks are single, unified geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development.

 A UNESCO Global Geopark comprises a number of geological heritage sites of special scientific importance, rarity or beauty. These features are representative of a region’s geological history and the events and processes that formed it. It must also include important natural, historic, cultural tangible and intangible heritage sites".

In Morocco, an area of 5,730 km2 in the middle of the chain of the central  high Atlas, some 100 km from Marrakech and 330 Km from Casablanca, was so declared and designated as the M'Goun UNESCO Global Geopark, in 2015, recognising the importance of the existing geological structures, some of it imprinted with fossil footprints of sauropod and theropod dinosaurs and harbouring large deposits of bones.

Morocco also hosted the 10th international conference on UNESCO Global Geoparks,  in Marrakech, which was to run from the 7th till the 11th September. Unfortunately, as if a stern reminder that the geological features over which  Geoparks want to call on our attention are sometimes due to tremendous convulsions, on the night of the 8th September Morocco was impacted by a terrible earthquake, rated at 6,9 on the Richter scale, with its epicenter in the town of Ighil, 63 kilometers southwest of the city of Marrakesh.

This unfortunate fact led to the congress works having to be closed in a dignified and organised way in spite of the appalling circumstances, on the 9th, with participants in a gesture of solidarity volunteering to donate blood, a scarce and much needed commodity on such devastating occasions.

The hosting of the Conference was also an occasion for Poste Maroc to issue a stamp dedicated to the event, which was to be issued on the last day of the Conference, the 11th, if not for the already mentioned disruption brought about by the disaster.

The 9,80 MAD stamp, illustrated with an image of a waterfall  in the M'Goun geopark, features on the numbered FDC that Pierre so kindly sent me and which besides the First Day Postmark dated of the 11th also features a regular postmark dated of the 21st September.

Un grand Merci, Pierre!

POSTCARD N.117 - PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Postcard sent on the 2oth September; received on the 17th October 2023

Postcard image: Flag and Coat of Arms of Papua New Guinea
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Papua New Guinea. Another country joins the list, thanks to a postcard laden with very nice stamps as it is always the case with the Flying Dutchman.... Muito obrigado, Eric. Um abraço!

Now, this particular type of postcard lends itself very well for blog posts since it takes all of hard the work from the writer. In fact, not knowing much about this insular country in Oceania, which has but one land border with Indonesia on its main island, New Guinea, I happily rely on the notes included around the image of the outstanding country's flag, and leave it for you to do the same  😀.

As of today, Papua New Guinea is administratively organised into 22 Provinces belonging to four regions.

In 2001, 2004 and  2005, the Papua New Guinea Postal Services issued three sets of stamps dedicated to the flags of the country Provinces. Since the total series comprises but 20 stamps, I suppose there must have been some administrative changes since then, account taken of the 2 province discrepancy. 

- The flags on the postcard are all part of the 2005 issue that came out on 21SEP2005 and which comprised six stamps (2 x 75 toea; 1; 3; 3.10; 5.20 Kina).  Left to right, top to bottom, they exhibit the flags of the Southern Highlands Province; Gulf Province and Western Province.

- The 7 toea stamp on the top right corner is part of a four stamp set issued on 23JAN1980, celebrating the fact of Papua New Guinea becoming a member of the UPU in 1979. The four stamps trace the story of postal services on the country going back to its days of German administration in the late 19th century and beginning of the 20th century.  The stamp, dedicated to the contemporary Postal Services provider is illustrated with an image of a postal worker sorting mail and a mail delivery van in front of a post office building.

Papua New Guinea is a country of immense biodiversity and  according to the WWF, there may be about 300,000 different insect species in the country.

Butterflies rank high on the list of endmic species and as such it is no surprise that these should be selected to illustrate several stamp sets.

- One such set, comprising four values (7,10;L 30; 40 toea), was issued on 11JUN1975. The lesser value stamp, on the card, is graced with the illustration of an Ornithoptera Alexandrae, the largest butterfly there is, with a wingspan that can reach 30 cm, endemic to PNG.

- The 1cent stamp featuring a Papilio Ulysses Autolycus, a butterfly of the Papilionidae family, which can be found in PNG, Indonesia and Australia, was issued while PNG was still an Australia administrated trust territory, designated Papua and New Guinea, on 14FEB1966. 

 - The last stamp also dates back to the Australian Administration times. A definitive 2 cent stamp, issued on 01APR1971, it is illustrated with the image of a Raggiana Bird-of-paradise (Paradisaea raggiana), also endemic to the Island.

Unfortunately, the stamps are not postmarked, but there is evidence of a mechanical postmark on the lower right corner of the postcard, which reads SWLE 993 / 23:17 /20/09/2023. Now, what SWLE stands for...

UPDATE

Just a while ago I got an email from Eric Contesse, author of the most informative and inspirational cover colleting blog that I know: "Mon Blog Timbré". (if you never read it, just hit the link and you're in for a treat...).

Turns out Eric shed all the light I needed on the SWLE postmark, and informed me that it meant that the postcard had transited through Australia, the initialism standing for “Sidney West Letter Facility”.

Un grand Merci, Eric !

COVER N. 332 - RUSSIA

Postmark: Illegible 04.10.2023

Posted on the 4th October; received on the 17th October 2023

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Space, the last frontier, the place where Americans and Russians and a few other Nationals cohabit in absolute confinement and interdependency and prove that they can actually work together for a common goal, irrespective of what's going down below, in the place they were sent up from.... 

People are strange, said Morrison. Indeed they are, part comes from them, of course, but the environment wherein they thrive has a lot to do with it...

That said, on to what brought me here: Julia always sends me great covers and postcards, but this time she really outdid herself, by sending a most interesting package, comprising cover and maxim card. Thank you so much Julia.

I will not even separate the cover from the Maxim card inside on the blog post, as I usually do with her nice sendings, since this, as I said, is a full package, the cover and the  card being so intimately related.

"The Challenge" is the name of the first commercial film to have been partially filmed in space. The international Space Station was the set chosen and in order to accomplish this goal actress  Yulia Peresild and film director Klim Shipenko, who also dubbed as cameraman/photography director/make up artist and production designer, were trained and dispatched in its direction aboard a Soyus Vehicle (MS-19) atop a Soyus 2.1 a rocket. There they stayed for 12 days, during which Shipenko captured approximately 30 hours of images, which, when edited, correspond to about 35 minutes of the screened film.

Curiously the logistics of it all implied that the forecast 6 month shift of the ISS regular crew had to be extended to one year, with return to earth of an American astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut happening already after the unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces. This unfortunate event  would also leave its mark on the final days of the mission,  although, as I said above, irrespective of what is unfortunately going on down here, up there things are continuing to work as planned as attested by the fact that, as I type, there are seven people working in the ISS: three Russians; two Americans; one Japanese; one Dane.... I guess there is no veto right in this productive assembly...

Let us take a look at the cover, first:

The image on the envelope is clearly evocative of a connection between film and space, with a strip of analogue film undulating on the base of the illustration, while a Soyus cargo ship, probably MS19, with  cosmonaut Colonel Anton Shkaplerov aboard in the company of Yulia Peresild and Klim Shipenko, orbits the Earth on its way to dock at the ISS.

This connection is highlighted by the 30 Ruble stamp in the central position, issued on 20APR2023, replicating an advertising poster for the film  "Вызов" (The Challenge), with an image of the main character, Evgenia Belyaeva (Yulia Peresild) floating by the window of the ISS.

To complete postage, Julia used two additional stamps:

- the one on the left, with a face value of 40 Ruble, issued on 07MAY2020, highlights the Rzhevsky Memorial or Ржевский мемориал, as written on the white lettering over a red star on the top right corner. 

This memorial was erected in 2020 to honour the soviet soldiers that perished in the battles of Rzhev, fought against the Wehrmacht, between  January 1942 and March 1943.

- The stamp on the right, with a face value of 5 Ruble, was issued on 12APR2000 and is part of a three stamp set dedicated to International Cooperation in Space.

The stamps in this set are dedicated to the 25 anniversary of the first joint Apollo-Soyuz mission (2 Ruble); the International Space Station (3 Ruble) and project Sea Launch (5 Ruble), this being the stamp that can be seen on the cover .

One cannot fail to note on this particular stamp the presence of the Ukranian flag side by side with those of  the Russian Federation, the United States, and Norway. When will this be possible again....?

Sea Launch was a private sector (I believe) project, developed by companies of the four above mentioned countries, aimed at providing satellite launch services from a mobile floating platform, converted from a former oil drilling rig.

Given its shareholder composition, the company fell victim of Russia's invasion and annexation of Crimea in 2014.

The  Maxim card is illustrated with an image taken from "the Challenge", showing mission control centre at Baikonour cosmodrome, I would guess. As per maxim card rules, the stamp (the same one used on the cover) is closely related to the card, and so is the cancellation postmark, in the case at hand a First Day of Issue (20APR2023) cancellation, issued at Baikonour, the leased Russian enclave in Kazakhstan, where the famous rocket launching facility is located.

All in all a very interesting  combination  and an excellent addition to my collection. Thanks a lot Julia!

COVER N. 331 - CZECH REPUBLIC

Postmark: Svĕtový den Pošty Praha 09.10.2023

Posted on the 9th October; received on the 13th October 2023

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World Post Day, instituted by the congress of 1969 of the UPO - Union Postale Universelle/Universal Postal Union, commemorates the establishment, on the 9th October of 1874, in Bern, Switzerland, of  this particular organisation, nowadays a specialised agency of the United Nations.

Given the trans-international character of the date, many are the postal administrations that issue stamps or/and celebratory postmarks related to it, such as the ones on the beautiful cover I received from the Czech Republic. Thanks a lot, Ivan!

This time I'll start with the stamp on the right since it occupied a more important place in the context of this particular cover.

- The 21 Koruna stamp was issued on  05OCT2011, in celebration of World Post Day and its beautiful illustration depicts our  planet being orbited by a line of white doves carrying mail on their beaks, while Hermes, the messenger god, takes a rest on top of the world an blows a post horn. The stamp also carries the  legend "Svĕtový den Pošty" (World Post Day).

- Česká pošta has been issuing quite regularly amazingly illustrated souvenir sheets with stamps themed on Czech flora and fauna.

The 23 Koruna stamp on the left is taken from one such sheet, issued on 07SEP2022, dedicated to the flora and fauna of Lake Macha, an artificial pond in the Liberec region, in the north of the country. The stamp is graced with illustrations of a Purple emperor butterfly (Apatura iris), and of a Martagon lily (Lilium martagon).

As can be seen on the portion attached to the stamp, the frame of these sheets also include drawings of plants and animals, the case at hand featuring a Rosalia alpine, a coleopter of the Cerambycidae family, ánd a gulder rose (Viburnum opulus), a member of the Adoxaceae family.

The First Day Postmark was applied at the country's Capital, Prague.

COVER N. 330 - INDONESIA

Postmark: Malang 29.08.2023

Posted on the 29th August; received on the 9th October 2023

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Indonesia. Quite a distant country from where I stand and it does show in the amount of time the very nice cover Irene sent me took to get to my letterbox. Thanks a lot, Irene!

When deciding what themes to concentrate our attention on, hard choices have always to be made. I am a "things that fly" fan and so I always try to not let myself get carried away by images of ships, cars, buses, bikes and so on,  but  just from looking at the beautiful stamps on Irene's cover, it is hard not to think about starting a collection of train themed stamps.... but then again, I think this happens with any beautiful stamp than I happen to settle my eyes on, irrespective of the theme it covers...😀

- The two se-tenant 3000 Rupiah stamps were issued by Indonesia Post on 28SEP2018. 

The stamp on the left is illustrated with an image of the Light Rail Transit train which began to operate in Indonesia in 2018, in Palembang, South Sumatra.

The stamp on the right is illustrated with the image of a Rail Clinic train. Quoting direct from a dispatch of Antara, the Indonesian news Agency, dated of the 5th March 2020: "State railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) began operating the so-called "Rail Clinic" on Thursday as part of the precautionary measures against the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19) at stations and other railway facilities."

There were two trains assigned to this purpose, operating on Java's southern and Northern lines, providing health services and counselling to the population, within the framework of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

- The single stamp souvenir sheet with a face value of 2500 Rupiah was issued on 10AUG1998. On the same date a set of ten 300 Rupiah stamps with images of several locomotives and carriages was also issued by the Indonesian Postal Services.

The illustration on the stamp depicts the first Locomotive to operate in Indonesia, NIS-1, NIS standing for Nederlandsch-Indische Spoorwegmaatschappij (Netherlands-Indies Railway Company). 

- To complete postage, Irene used a 500 Rupiah stamp issued on 06MAR2023, illustrated with the image of a Dutch era letterbox.