POSTCARD N.164 - PORTUGAL - R.A. AÇORES

Postcard sent on the 9th September, received on the 23rd September 2024

Postcard image: the islet of Vila Franca seen from the Island of S. Miguel___________________________________________________________________________, 

As it is well known, The Phantom, the ghost who walks, knows no boundaries, so I wasn't surprised at all to receive a nice postcard from the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, from one of islands of one the nicest archipelagos on the planet: S. Miguel, in the Azores.

Thanks a lot, Mr. Phantom. I wish I was there with you...

The vertical drone view of the Islet of Vila Franca off the coast of the town with the same name, midway down the south coast of S. Miguel Island  Island is one of the recent years iconic views that have been promoting the Azores as an outstanding tourist destination.

If you google it, you'll understand why... suffice to say that red Bull has chosen the location as one of the venues for their cliff diving series...

Hydrangeas are also one of the Azores trademarks and the view of the Islet against the never ending sea, framed by a bunch of  vivid hydrangeas couldn't be more eloquent as to what the Azores are about... 

To send me the postcard, Alex used a stamp with from my country's other Autonomous Region, the Archipelago of Madeira, issued on 08SET20223 as part of an outstandingly beautiful issue comprising 3 stamps (0,61; 1,05; 1,15 €) and a one stamp souvenir sheet (3 €) dedicated to endemic species of the region.

The Postmark  indicates that the postcard was mailed from São Pedro, a parish of the city of Ponta Delgada, S. Miguel's capital.

Of note is the (negative) fact that in spite of paying for  "Correio Azul", what should mean 2 working days delivery from the islands to the mainland,  as clearly indicated by the appropriate label on the card and by the use of a stamp with a face value exceeding that needed for the service (0,90 € at present), the postcard took no less than 14 days to arrive.....

COVER N. 512 - LAOS

Postmark: ? Acceptence...? 02.09.2024

Posted on the 2nd September; Received on the 23rd September 2024

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My friend the Flying Dutchmen surprise me with yet another cover from a distant place, making it possible for me to add another country to the ever growing list. Muito Obrigado, Eric!

Laos, or the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a large question mark to me. In fact the only thing I can remember about this Southeast Asia state is that it once was part of French Indochina and after gaining its independence, as the Kingdom of Laos, it suffered heavily under the carpet bombings of B-52's during the Vietnam war, when part of the country was occupied by North Vietnamese forces, in support of their actions against the South Vietnamese/American forces.

The Kingdom of Laos would subside in 1975 with the end of the  civil war  which would go one for another 2 years after the Vietnam War  terminated in 1973, and,  its place, the Pathet Lao, a communist movement backed by the USSR, established the now existing  Lao People's Democratic Republic. 

I wonder why would Laos issue a stamp commemorating 50 years of the first Europa Stamps, let alone six, but that's exactly what happened as proved by the six imperforate stamps on the cover, issued on 01DEC2005.

Each stamp is illustrated with an image of a well known European landmark side by side with a Laotian one.

from left to right, top to bottom:

7000 kip  - the Palace of Knossos, Greece and Patuxai, Vientiane, Laos, a monument completed in 1968 honouring the victims of the fight for independence from France.

 6000 kip - Stonehenge, England, and Plain of Jars, Laos, a megalithic site with hundreds of stone jars implanted on the ground, believed to be used for burial purposes.

8000 kip - Trier Cathedral, Germany and Wat Phra Keo, Vientiane, Laos, a temple made in 1565 to house what is known as the Emerald Buddha, a statue of Buddha sculpted in green stone.

7500 kip - Notre Dame de  Paris, France and That Lauang, Valentiane, Laos, considered to be the most iconic of all Laotian landmarks, this Buddhist stupa, whose origins can be traced back to the 3rd century AD, is covered in gold.

7500 kip - Lom Stave Church, Norway and Wat Xieng Thong, Luang Prabang, Laos, one of the most important Buddhist monasteries in the country, it was built in 1559-60.

7000 kip - The Coliseum, Rome, Italy, and Wat Phu, a temple in Southern Laos, one of the oldest worshiping constructions in all Southeast Asia.

Unfortunately, I cannot make out the local of expedition in the postmark.

COVER N. 511 - FRANCE - DROM-COM - TAAF - TERRES AUSTRALES ET ANTARCTIQUES FRANÇAISES

Postmark: Ile Tromelin - Iles Éparses T.A.A.F 06.09.2024

Posted on the 26th July; Received on the 19th September 2024

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I imagine that for all the multidisciplinary experts that live for a few months in the scientific bases established in such remote places as the Kerguelen, Crozet and Amsterdam/Saint Paul Islands, all territories part of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands (TAAF), a visit to the grocer's shop for a pack of butter or to the office supplies centre for an ink cartridge is way out of question. And yet, these valiant boys and girls have to be fed and provided with all the comforts (well, at least the very essential)  needed for an everyday life as normal as the situation allows for, and, at the end of their missions, rotated back to where they usually belong.

This is one of the important roles that one of the world's largest oceanographic ships provides, in complement to its mission as research vessel (and also, I read, as tourist ship, accommodating up to 14 passengers for a 28 day journey to the islands...if ever I win the lottery, count me in....)

Upon opening my mailbox a couple of days ago, I had this amazing cover, posted from this impressive vessel in the cold sub-Antarctic seas lurking there. Thank you so much, Jeff. You really made my day!

Other than the  regular post office postmark applied at the Island of Tromelin (one of the scattered Islands, located off and around  the coast of Madagascar) the envelope is absolutely laden on the front and the back with the personal cachets of several members of the crew. Those that can be identified are: the ship's Captain - who also autographed the cover - Commandant Ganor Ginat; Communications Officer Vanessa Larose; The "Vaguemestre" for Tromelin island (not identified by name); Telecommunications manager Florent Payet and the Chef of Crozet island Anne-Adelaïde Lasbareilles.

As usual a square mark with the coordinates of where the postmark was applied  is also present, along with a few stampmarks pertaining to the vessel itself.

The stamp Jeff used is the same I commented on post regarding cover 499, issued on 02JAN2024,  illustrated with an image of  the La Dauphine, a Corvette built in 1773.

The Marion Dufresne
Image credit: DATA TERRA

COVER N. 510 - INDIA

Postmark: 26th July - 11th Aug. 2024 Paris Olympic games Paris 2024 560 0C1 Bengaluru 26.07.2024

Posted on the 26th July; Received on the 19th September 2024

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A cover with a bit of a mystery. In fact, it was addressed to me as a member of the London Cover Circuit, but inside there was no circuit form, just some philatelic items. Anyway, Thanks a lot A. V., I'll be sure to reply some time soon.

India's team for the Olympics which took place in Paris this last summer, included 110 athletes competing in 16 disciplines. 

By the night of the closing ceremony, India ranked 71st in the list of countries with athletes being awarded medals, with a total of 6 prizes: 1 silver (men's javelin throw) and 5 bronze (3 for shooting, one for men's field hockey and one for men's freestyle wrestling) medals.

Celebrating its participation of India in the Games, India Post issued on 26JUL2024 the 4 x 5 rupee stamps souvenir sheet on the cover. The stamps are illustrated with images of 4 disciplines of the Olympic menu, namely sailing, javelin throw, field hockey and table tennis.

At the height pf the Covid pandemic in India Post  issued a 4 x 10 Rupee mini-sheet themed on "Combat Corona Campaign - Salute to COVID-19 Warriors". The stamp on the cover, part of this issue, features an illustration of two of the many postal workers, who ensured postal services were maintained all through those difficult times.

The letter was mailed from Bangalore (Bengaluru) the capital of the State of Kamataka, in the South of the country.

COVER N. 509 - SRI LANKA

Postmark: Headquarters P. O. Colombo Mail 10.09.24

Posted on the 10th September; Received on the 17th September 2024

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Another cover with stamps from the lovely waterfall set issued by Sri Lanka Post as its first issue for the current year. Bohomȧ  sthoothi, Ravi!

The waterfall set was issued on 02FEB2024 and it comprises ten 50 rupee stamps. With the addition of the present three, I believe I'm only missing one of them, thanks to the care and generosity of Ravindra.

From left to right:

Lover's Leap Ella waterfall

Lover's Leap Waterfall is fed with water coming from Pidurutalagala Mountain, the highest in Sri Lanka and  one that is the subject to one of the postcards Ravindra has also sent me and which I have been posting here on my blog.

It is 30 metres high, being located in Nuwara Eliya’s countryside and it gets its name from a legend that says that two forbidden lovers chose it to plunge to their deaths, so that they could be together forever.

Dunsinane Ella Waterfall

Having as its closest urban conglomerate the town of Pundalu Oya, this seldom visited waterfall is 100 metres high and cascades downs several steps into the river which bears the same name as the aforementioned closest town: Pundalu Oya.

 Aberdeen Ella Warterefall

Water drops from an height of 98 metres in this waterfall located on the Kehelgamu Oya, near Ginigathena, being named in honour of... you've guessed it, the well known Scottish city of Aberdeen.

As usual, the postmark is from Colombo's PO Headquarters.

COVER N. 508 - HUNGARY

Postmark: Balatonalmádi 11.09.24

Posted on the 11th September; Received on the 17th September 2024

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A travel through time... a beautiful first day cover... from 1985. Nothing like some nice flowers to brighten up your day. Köszönöm szépen, Hòka.

As I type I cannot erase from my mind the absolutely heart-wrenching images I saw on TV of the effects of tempest Boris in several central and eastern European countries, Hungary being one of them. I hope that things get back to normal  soon and that all those afflicted by the storm can find the help they will surely need to rebuild their lives.

The negative impact of  large scale natural phenomena brought about by extreme weather, be it tempests or forest fires, such as the devastating ones we had in  Portugal again this year, is growing with each year that passes....we must find a way out of this vicious cycle....climate change is a global challenge and a global threat to everyone.... Scientists have warned us, the Secretary-general of the UN has called on our attention to it, even the Pope has many times raised the issue in his allocutions....

We urgently need leaders that will work together to find a way out of the labyrinth, but as António Guterres yesterday said, the world is derailing..., all because of the lousy quality of most of the conductors, I add...

Lilies, who doesn't love them? The Liliaceae family comprises some 600 species of flowering plants mainly to be found in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere.

On 29OCT1985, the postal services of what was then the Hungarian People's Republic issued a seven stamp set (1; 2x2; 2x4; 5 and 6 forint) dedicated to flowers of the Lily family.

left to right:

- Snake's head fritillary (Fritillaria Meleagris), a native to the flood river plains of Europe, it is easily recognised by the checkered pattern of its petals.

- Lemon daylily (Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus), daylilies produce flowers that last but for a day, and the Lemon daily is one such case. It can be found in the wild in China, Russia and Northern Italy and Slovenia.

 

- Orange Lily (Lilium Bulbiferum), a native to most of Europe, from Spain to the Ukraine, growing on mountain meadows and hillsides.

- Martagon Lily (Lilium Martagon). another widely distributed plant that can be found from Portugal (although it estimated that its local population only numbers between 2,500 to 10,000 plants) to Mongolia.

The stamps actually used to post the letter to Portugal comprise two pairs of "Belföld" (domestic) tariff items:

- Stamp illustrated with a photo of a postal delivery bicycle, part of a 5 (3 x Domestic + 2 x Europa) self-adhesive definitive stamp set, issued on 05MAY2021, dedicated to postal history artefacts.

- Stamp issued on 07JUL2023, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the introduction of Postal Codes in Hungary, illustrated with a map of the country divided into the 9 existing Hungarian postal code regions.

The Postmark indicates that the letter was sent from the city of Balatonalmádi, a resort town on the northern shore of lake Balaton, with a population of 8,500.

POSTCARD N.163 - CZECH REPUBLIC

Postcard sent on the 6th September, received on the 16th September 2024

Postcard image: Vitkov castle 
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Another of Michal's great high ground lookouts and castles postcards from the Sumava mountains. Bardzo děkuji, Michal!

Vítkov castle (Vitkův Hrádek - The little castle of Vitek), dating from the 13th century, is the highest located castle in Bohemia (1053 m) and in the 50s of the 20th century it served as a military watch-post, a steel tower having been built alongside it for this purpose. It is now a visitable space.

The E tariff stamp was issued on 12OCT2022 as part of a se-tenant pair of E tariff stamps issued on the occasion of  LIBEREC 2022, an European postage stamp exhibition held in the city of Liberec, Czech Republic, between 13 and 16 October .

POSTCARD N.162 - MEXICO

Postcrossing postcard sent on the 12th August; received on the 14th September 2024

Postcard image: Two wrestlers 
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Luta Libre, (Wrestling) has Intangible Cultural heritage Status in Mexico, so I'm told by Caro, a fellow Mexican postcrosser, who sent me this card. Muchas gracias, Caroline!

Wrestling is Mexico, I read, started to be very popular in the beginning of the 20th century and since then it has but grown in the number of fans it attracts. 

Of note is the fact that Mexican wrestlers usually wear masks, as can be seen on the image on the postcard.

Caro used a stamp which is the 2023 reprint of a stamp first issued in 2005, as part of a definitive series dedicated to folk art, which, since then, has been reprinted quite frequently. The stamp is illustrated with the image of an amber marimba, from the city of Tuxtla Gutiérrez, in the State of Chiapas, amber collected in this Mexican State being famous and subject to a  Denomination of Origin. 

The Postmark seems to indicate that the postcard was mailed from the central post office in Mexico City located in the Palacio Postal, a building dating from 1907.

COVER N. 507 - PALESTINE

Postmark: Bethlehem 20.08.24

Posted on the 20th August; Received on the 13th September 2024

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Palestine...what can I say...  need I say anything....isn't turning on the tv enough? To see the sufferance of millions of people cornered in their own land, with nowhere to go, without access to the most basic facilities that every human being should be entitled to is something that defies reason, defies moral, defies ethics and yet, day after day, they are told to move,  only to be bombed again and told to move once more....

To "neutralise" one terrorist, dozens of innocent people, women, children, sometimes entire families, are wiped out of this world, or smashed dead in the rubble of the buildings where a regular (if living in a tightly controlled ghetto from where you cannot go out at your own will, can ever be called regular)  daily life once pulsated...

Supreme irony: in the morning you get a polio shot, in the afternoon, you are shot!

When will this lunacy, this barbaric behaviour stop? When will the people of Gaza be free from the oppression of the lunatic terrorists of Hamas and the state terrorism (I find no other definition to what I see....) of Israel? 

What will ensue of this war?   It is not hard to believe that many of those children who are now given the polio shot will one day be easily brainwashed by those who, themselves, have nothing but hate and radicalism in their hearts and minds...  a never ending vicious circle....with God, that Supreme Entity capable of everything, constantly evoked by both sides, watching in utter indifference...

I received a cover from Palestine with a stamp issued by the Palestine Authority. My thanks to Alex (who, by the way, I was very happy to meet here in my country) and to someone in Bethlehem, Palestine, again a rather symbolic city...

My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Them?

On the 1st July 1997, the United Kingdom handed over the Administration of Hong Kong to China after one and a half century of British ruling over what is now one of the two Special Administrative Regions (the other being Macau which was under Portuguese administration until 1999) of the People's Republic of China, which substantiates the One Country, Two systems principle. 

On the occasion, the Palestine Authority issued the single stamp souvenir sheet which can be seen on the cover, illustrated with a view of the bay of Honk Kong in the setting (or is it rising?) sun framing the single 225 Jordanian fils stamp with what I believe is called a Junk (?), sailing the waters of the bay.

Of note is the stampmark with a T, on the side, which Alex tells me indicates that the letter was mailed with insufficient postage, although it did arrive to its destination.

POSTCARD N.161 - SRI LANKA

Postcard sent on the 2nd September; received on the 11th September 2024

Postcard image: Ritigala Mountain 
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Another item of  the postcard set dedicated to Sri Lanka's mountains, which Ravindra has kindly been sending me. Bohomȧ  sthoothi, friend!

Ritigala mountain comprises 4 peaks, the highest one standing 764.25m above see level, what makes it the highest mountain in North Central Sri Lanka.

The mountain is also famous for being the location of an old Buddhist monastery, dating back to the 1st century BC.

The 20th general Conference of World Buddhist Sangha Youth (Sangha designating ordained members of the cult, if I get it right) was held in parallel with the  5th General Conference of the World Alliance of Buddhists on the 22nd June 2024 at Nagadeepa Purana Rajamaha Viharaya,  one of the sixteen most sacred places of worship by the Buddhists in Sri Lanka. 

On the occasion, Sri Lanka Post issued the 50 rupee stamp on the postcard, issued on 22JUN2024, and I have to confess my total ignorance as to what the hand symbols featured in the illustration represent. Can you help, Ravi?

Postage was completed with a 25 rupee stamp issued on 13SEP2017, featuring a nice painting of Dondra lighthouse, which is particular because it is Sri Lanka's tallest Lighthouse (49 m) and also due to the fact that it is located on the southernmost tip of the Island.

As usual, the postmark is from Colombo's PO Headquarters.

COVER N. 506 - SRI LANKA

Postmark: Headquarters P. O. Colombo Mail 26.08.24

Posted on the 26th August; Received on the 8th September 2024

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Gosh...this time Ravindra chose to surprise me with something quite unique: the longest existing stamp, it seems.

This is quite an addition to the collection. I couldn’t be more grateful to you, for making it possible for me to have a cover embellished with  one of these, Ravindra.

From what I read, each year in Sri Lanka, at the Temple of the Tooth Relic, in Kandy, (which houses what is said to be one of Buddha's four teeth which were retrieved from his body upon his cremation)  a 10 day festival is held in honour of Buddha, also as a way to ask for timely rains and good harvests.

The long processions (I read the comments of someone who witnessed one that went on for 3 hours)  are participated by musicians singers, dancers and acrobats and also by elephants. In one of the processions, one of the elephants carries the sacred casket which holds a replica of the tooth relic.

The lengthy procession is now perfectly transposed to a... lengthy stamp, 20.5 cm long, illustrated with images of the event, wherein, as above stated, dancers, acrobats , musicians and elephants parade, the later lavishly decorated in colourful garments, alongside the one tasked (or tusked, should I say...) with the privilege of carrying the holly relic (second elephant from the right). 

Great cover to have in the collection! Bohomȧ  sthoothi, Ravindra!

POSTCARD N.160 - SRI LANKA

Postcard sent on the 26th August; received on the 4th September 2024

Postcard image: Pidurutalagala Mountain Range
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Ravindra keeps showing me how beautiful his country is, with postcards with images of the country's mountain ranges. Bohomȧ  sthoothi, friend!

This time  the featured mountains are those of the Pidurutalagala Mountain Range, which, as explained in the postcard legend, includes Sri lanka's highest mountain, the one that gives its name to the range - Pi durutalagala - which stands 2524 metres high, near the town of Nuwara-Eliya.

This time,  the featured mountains are those of the Pidurutalagala Mountain Range, which, as explained in the postcard legend, includes Sri Lanka's highest mountain, the one that gives its name to the range - Pidurutalagala - which stands 2524 metres high, near the town of Nuwara-Eliya.

- Dharmadasa Walpola (1927–1983), was a musician and singer, who is considered to be the most important male playback singer of the 50s and 60s, in Sri Lanka, have lent his voice to countless film soundtracks. 

Besides singing, Dharmadasa was also an accomplished multi-instrumentist, playing instruments as diverse as the flute, the harmonium, the violin or the tabla.

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of his passing, Sri Lanka Post issued the 5 Rupee stamp on the postcard illustrated with Dharmadasa's portrait and a miniature of a flute and  a tabla, in the right lower corner.

- Another stamp of the mini-sheet comprising  20 x 50 Rupee circular stamps, dedicated to fruits and vegetables of Sri Lanka, issued on 15JUN2023, which I have already mentioned here in connection with other sendings by Ravindra. 

This time the stamp bears the illustration of an Okra plant  (Abelmoschus esculentus) which is cultivated in Sri Lanka for its edible fruit.

- The 15 rupee stamp with a taaffeite gem, Taaffeite being one of the rarest gemstone minerals in existence, is part of the 10 x 15 rupee mini-sheet, dedicated to gems of Sri Lanka, issued on 06NOV2021, which I have also already mentioned a propos another of Ravindra's postcards.

Postmark as usual, from PO Headquaters in Colombo.

COVER N. 505 - FRANCE

Postmark: 58 - Corbigny Nièvre 26.08.2024

Sent of the 26th August; received on the 2nd September 2024

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Strangely enough, a letter posted on the same day, in the same place, arrived at my letterbox four days later.

As a matter of fact, the cover I included in the previous post features the same postmark as the one I'll be presenting now, but this last one took much longer to check-in....

Mon sincère remerciement, une fois de plus, Jean-Pierre, pour une autre jolie lettre.

- La Bourse de Paris, Palais Brongniart, conceived in neo-classical style by architect Alexandre-Théodore Brongniart (1739-1813), the name also behind the layout of Paris' and France's, and probably Europe's if not the world's most famous cemetery - Père Lachaise - under a commission from none other than the emperor himself, Napoleon Bonaparte.

Having died before the completion of the building, Brongniart would be laid to rest at the cemetery he designed, and the construction would go on under the supervision of Éloi Labarre (1764–1833), to be finished by 1825, and inaugurated the following year as Paris' Stock Exchange, a function it retained until 1987.

Approaching its two hundredth anniversary, the Palais Brongniart was chosen to illustrate a 1,29 € stamp issued on the occasion of the 94th Congress of the  Fédération des Associations Philatéliques (French Federation of Philatelic Societies ).

The stamp illustrated with an in-taglio image of the façade of the palace, was issued with a se-tenant vignette reproducing a statue by Francisque Duret (1804-1865), an allegory of Justice, dated of 1851, located on the left corner of the façade of the building.

- The washing machine... where would we be without it? One of the great inventions of the 20th century, for sure and one which really helped create more leisure time at home.

Even though manual washing machines had been around since the late 19th century, the great leap forward came in the early 20th, with the first electric operated washing machine, conceived by American engineer Alva Fisher, patented in 1910.

On 30SET2000 La Poste issued a 5 x 3 Franc/0,46 € stamp set dedicated to Great Events of the 20th century, and it is curious to notice that all but one are events that directly resulted in the improvement of living conditions  for the common people. As such,  alongside the stamp dedicated to the washing machine, chronologically identified has having occurred in 1901, the set comprised stamps evocative of the first step on the moon (1969); the right for women to vote (1944); paid holidays (1936) and the Universal Human Rights Declaration (1948).

To complete the required postage, three Marianne stamps (2 x 0,10 and 1x 0,01 €) of the 23JUL2018 issue were used.

Once again, the letter was mailed from the city of Corbigny, Nièvre Department, in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, and further to the manual postmark a mechanical obliteration was also applied to the letter.

COVER N. 504 - FRANCE

Postmark: 58 - Corbigny Nièvre 26.08.2024

Sent of the 26th August; received on the 29th August 2024

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As mentioned in my previous post, I could only receive a letter from the Philippines since it was resent me from France, inside a large envelope with very interesting stamps on it, as usual.

Mon très grand Merci, Jean-Pierre pour votre disponibilité et générosité.

- The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movements owe their existence to the thinking and actions of  Henry Dunant (1828-1910) a Swiss humanitarian activist and pacifist, who would eventually be the recipient of the first Nobel Peace Prize, in 1901.

Horrified by the horrors of the aftermath of the Solferino battle, after which some 40,000 dead and wounded were left to their fate on the battle fields by the French and Austrian armies, he wrote down his thinking on the need for the establishment of an organisation that, in case of conflict, would take care of the wounded, irrespective of which side they were fighting for, in a book entitled "A Memory of Solverino".

Inn 1863, the President of the Geneva Society for Public Welfare, Gustave Moynier (1826 – 1910), having read Dunant's book, proposed its discussion within the Society and a special Committee - firstly known as the Committee of Five, (for such was the number of its members) was thus created which would in time change its name, first to "International Committee for Relief to the Wounded" and later, in 1876, to the designation by which it is still today recognised: The International Committee of the Red Cross.

In 1864 The European nations as well as Brazil, Mexico and the United States were invited by the Swiss Government for a diplomatic conference that took place in Geneva. France was one of the countries which attended the conference and, as such, also one of the 16 States that signed the first "Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in Armies in the Field".

This also led to the establishment of the "Société française de secours aux blessés militaires" forerunner of the Croix-Rouge Française, which was established in 1940, during the Second World War.

In time, as it is well known, the Red Cross and Red Crescent scope of actions transcended the battlefields and  nowadays, first respondents from the Red Cross/Crescent  are a fundamental asset in almost the totality of the world's countries' civil protection plans and programmes.

On 23OCT2023, La Poste issued the souvenir-sheet Jean-Pierre used on the cover, aiming at raising awareness for the  recruitment of voluntary first-responders of the French Red-Cross, as made clear by the legend on the sheet: "Deveir Secouriste Bénévole à la Croix-Rouge Française" (to become a voluntary first-responder for the French Red Cross).

Each of the three 1,16€ stamps is illustrated with an image of a volunteer, identified by his/her name, age and location,  performing some kind of action inherent to his/her activity as a member of the Red Cross.

The price of the souvenir sheet includes an extra charge of 2€ which will be given to the French Red Cross.

- Lyon is the subject of a very nice illustration on the 0,555€ stamp issued on 07APR208 as part of a 2 x 0,55€ stamp set featuring views from French cities (the companion stamp is dedicated to La Rochelle).

The bridge depicted in the stamp is the Passerelle Paul-Couturier, and 87 metres long bridge over the Saône. First built in 1853 and named Passerelle Saint-Georges, it was destroyed during the 2nd World war and rebuilt in 1944. Its current designation dates of 2003 and honours a priest known for the promotion of ecumenism. 

To complete the required postage, three Marianne stamps (0,10 and 2x 0,01 €) of the 23JUL2018 issue were used.

According to the postmark, the letter was mailed from the city of Corbigny, Nièvre Department, in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté.

As frequent, an upside down mechanical obliteration is also present on the base of the  letter.

COVER N. 503 - PHILIPPINES

Postmark: No postmark

Posted on ?; Received via France on the 29th August 2024

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A long and winding road for this cover from the Philippines. As it stands, it seems there is no postal service, at the moment, between the Philippines and Portugal, although I believe that the inverse route is operational. I'll have to resend this circuit to the Philippines, so we shall see...

Anyway, preoccupied that I should still get my letter from her country, Vanessa took the liberty of sending it back to France, where the circuit had originated, asking that the letter be forwarded to me, this being the reason for my having received a letter without any sort of postmark.

I could  not be more grateful for Jean-Pierre's kindness in going through the trouble of resending the letter to me and also for Alexa resourcefulness in trying all she could to make sure I did get her letter.

So, mon très grand Merci pour Jean-Pierre for his kind gesture, and Maraming salamat, Vanessa for your attention and care.

The Philippines, an archipelago of some 7641 islands in southeast Asia, were first touched by an European in the course of the Magalhães/Elcano circumnavigation in 1521, Claimed by the Spanish, who christened the archipelago in honour of King Philip II, it would remain a Spanish possession for more than 3 centuries, until 1898, in the period of the Spanish-American war, when secessionist Emilio Aguinaldo declared the independence of the territory. 

Neither Spain, nor America recognised the  independence and formally, the Spanish would  later transfer the administration of the Philippines to the United States of America as a disposition of the Treaty of Paris, which ended the war between the two powers, dated of 10 December, 1898.

Independence from the United States would eventually come in the aftermath of the second world war, in 1946. This fact notwithstanding, the day of the proclamation of Emilio Aguinaldo (12 June, 18989) is recognised in the Philippines as the date of the country's independence and thus celebrated.

On the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the Independence, PHLPost, the Philippine Postal Corporation, issued a set of two se-tenant 16 piso stamps, honouring the date. 

The stamp on the cover shows the Philippine flag being waved from a balcony while Emilio Aguinaldo next to the man with the flag, reads the declaration of independence, as explained by the legend "Aguinaldo Proclaims Philippine Independence". 

By the side of the stamp, Vanessa included a sticker of her philatelic club: PSCS the Philippine Stamp Collectors Society.

COVER N. 502 - BRASIL

Postmark: AC Central de S. Paulo SE/SPM 12.08.2024

Posted on the 12th August; Received on the 19th August 2024

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Another welcome cover speaking my own language sent from out brother country. Muito Obrigado Luis, é sempre um prazer receber correspondência sua.

This time Luis used 4 of the 6 x "1º Porte de Carta" stamp set issued on 23ABR2024 by the Empresa Brasileira de Correios e Telégrafos, dedicated to unconventional food plants, this probably meaning plants thatcan be found in the wild and are not cultivated on a large scale. 

I find theses stamps very nice since I love botanical and all natural history illustration, and the drawings in the stamps do look the part.

Left to right, top to bottom, we have:

Jambu (Acmella olearacea)

a Native of Amazonia,  this herbaceous member of the Asteraceae family is used as a condiment or a side dish in several preparations of the local gastronomy. It also has medicinal uses as a pain killer, since its leaves and buds are rich in spilanthol, a natural anaesthetic.

 Vinagreira (Hibiscus sabdariffa)

A member of the Malvaceae family native to Africa but which has been naturalised in many places across the globe, Roselle, as it is known in English, is fundamental in the preparation of "Arroz de Cuxá" (Cuxá rice) a typical dish of the State of Maranhão.

Bertalha (Basella alba) 

native to the Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia and New Guinea, but naturalised in many tropical regions, Brazil included, Bertalha, a member of the Basellacea family,  is used either raw, in salads, or braised as a side dish. 

Mangarito (Xanthosoma riedelianum)

Native to Brazil, this member of the Areacea, which produces large and quite caloric tubers used to be part of the diet of the Amazonian tribes in ancient times, being today almost forgotten, although it can still be found in local markets in the State of Minas Gerais.

The 0,05 Real, illustrated with the image of a seamstress is part of the definitive series issued between 2005 and 2011, dedicated to Professions. It is part of  the first set of three stamps of the series, issued on 30DEC2005.

COVER N. 501 - SRI LANKA

Postmark: Headquarters P. O. Colombo Mail 22.08.24

Posted on the 22nd August; Received on the 28th August 2024

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Another of Ravindra's great covers, this time with a very recent set dedicated to Ancient Incsriptions of Sri Lanka. Bohomȧ  sthoothi, Ravindra!

The 4 x 50 Rupee set was issued by Sri Lanka Post on 12AUG2024 and it aims at highlighting the historical importance of ancient writings as a way of confirming or infirming theories and speculations on past events already shrouded by the opaque blankets of time.

The four stamps all bear witness to such writing, by replicating them as illustrations. Two are rock inscriptions while the other two are inscriptions in metal, copper, presumably.

Of note is the fact that one of the stamps is illustrated with what is believed to be the world's first written peace treaty and as such also the first inscribed on a rock, this being the text on the vertical stamp on the right corner of the cover. 

The stone bearing the  inscription, is located at the Sangamuwa Rajamaha Viharaya (a Buddhist temple, I believe) in the village of  Udabulathgama village, Gokarella.

An interesting newspaper article on this particular stamp issue can be found here.

As usual, postmark from Colombo's PO Headquarters.

COVER N. 500 - PERU

Postmark: SERPOST Cultura Perú - 07.08.2024

Posted on the 7th August; Received on the 19th August 2024

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500! The number by itself means absolutely nothing more than being one unit above 499, but, for some reason,  we humans, used to decimalising every bit of our existence, are keen on round figures and intra-numeric relations. In fact, even it being exactly the same, five hundred, by itself an interesting, noteworthy  number, gets a whole new dimension when expressed as  half a thousand...

And so I've reached the half a thousand mark, and what's more I do it adding another country to my list, thanks again to international cooperation,  thanks to the care of my friend The Flying Dutchman, who  teamed up with Gloria to get this cover flying to my letterbox. (I first mentioned Matthias as one of the senders, but it turns out I was wrong, and Matthias, who nonetheless has been a great help in getting some very interesting covers before, was not involved this time).

So, Hartelijk dank, Eric y Muchíssimas Gracias, Gloria, for your kind and generous help in making sure my list of countries keeps getting bigger and bigger, this time with the addition of the República del Perú.

To mail me the Andean cover, no condor was used but I am more than happy to see 6 stamps on the face of the envelope.

- The souvenir sheet with 4 x 2 Sol stamps was issued to mark the 50th anniversary of Europa common stamp issues, first appearing in 1956. 

The stamps, issued on 24NOV2005, are illustrated with  photos of pre-Columbian jewels paired with a reproduction of an EUROPA Stamp issued by Spain, highlighting the importance of the relationship between the two Spanish speaking countries.

From left to right, top to bottom:

- Hair adornment of the Mochica Culture and the 1968 issue (Key)

- Ceremonial jewellery of the Chimú culture and the 1960 issue (Roman mail coach wheel) 

- Gold, lapis lazuli and turquoise earrings from the Mochica culture and the 1969 issue ( Ancient temple - 10 years of CEPT)

- Hair adornment of the Mochica Culture and the 1970 issue (Sun)

- FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN, is tasked with ensuring food security and access to food for all people on the planet, a mission which is nothing short of impossible, given the obstacles that some regimes are always keen to lay upon not only others, but also on their own people subsistence....

FAO was established in 1945, on the aftermath of the second World War and its first 50 years of existence were honoured by Peru with a single 0.60 Sol stamp issue which began to circulate on 24APR1996, illustrated with a photo of Peruvian farmers (two ladies in the company of three children) and the logo of the Organisation.

- Loincloths of the Paracas is the theme of  a series of 4 x 6 Sol stamps issued on 05NOV2008, of which one can be seen on the cover.

Paracas textiles rose to fame when a burial ground site in the Ica region of the country was studied in the 1920s and many examples of  well preserved textiles were found wrapped around the buried bodies.

The Postmark, other than the country's name,  does not contain any information as to the place of posting.

POSTCARD N.159 - COSTA RICA

Postcard sent on the 28th June; received  0n the 19th August 2024

Postcard image: Agalychnis callidryas (Red Eyed Tree frog)
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Ask me to thin Costa Rica and I will say volcanoes and colourful frogs. 

I got t a lovely card from Eric, the Flying Dutchman, posted in Costa Rica and since it did not have a volcano image, I wasn't at all surprised to see that it had a great picture of one of those amazingly colourful creatures that are endemic to central America, and Costa Rica in particular, a country with a  incredible degree of biodiversity. Muito Obrigado, Eric! Fantástico postal.

The Red Eyed Tree frog (Agalychnis callidryas) is an absolute icon of Costa Rica.

An arboreal being, the small frog (females can grow up to 3 inches while males do not exceed 2) is most active at night, when it hunts for insects, its main diet staple, although they are known to eat smaller amphibians too. 

Being such a colourful creature, one would think it to be poisonous, but it seems that is not the fact, Be it as it may, the red eyed tree frog is a tremendously photogenic little creature and the image on the postcard corroborates this.

Stamps., left to right:

- On 04MAY2007, Correos de  Costa Rica issued a 5 x 155 Colones mini-sheet dedicated to pre-Columbian art (the term  Pre-Colombian designating the period before contact with European culture, that is to say up to 1492, date of the arrival of  the first Christopher Columbus' expedition to the  Americas).

Two of these stamps can be seen on the postcard, the one on the left illustrated with a photo of a Ceramic Censer with an alligator figure on top of the lid and the other with the figure of a warrior.

- The centenary of FIFA the Federation Internationale Football Association was celebrated in 2004. 

For the occasion, Correos de Costa Rica issued, on 15DEC2004, the 2 x 140 Colones se-tenant pair of stamps on the cover. The stamp on the left is illustrated with the logo of the organization and the one on the right with a rather subdued image of a soccer player over a soccer field At first sight I thought that the image was some sort of a map, but it doesn’t bear any resemblance to the map of Costa Rica, after a more attentive examination. 

-- The 75 Colones stamp  is illustrated with an image of  a Venus fan (Gorgonia flabellum), a form of soft coral whim can be found in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean sea, as well as in the Tyrrhenian Sea, which is considered to be a vulnerable species, in terms of its conservation status.

The stamp is part of a 4 x 75 Colones stamp set issued on 25SEP2002, dedicated to the marine life of Uvita island or Isla Quiribrí, a small  415 m x 320 m Island, off the Caribbean coast of  Costa Rica.