COVER N. 747 - SPAIN 

Postmark: Correos CTA Valencia 22.07.2026

Posted on the 22nd July;  Received on the 24th July 2026

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The unmistakable sweet smell of roses on your desk... there could not be a better way to begin a day Eva, Moltes Graciès  ...)😉.

I quite appreciate the care you once again put in composing this envelope, with all the various components contributing to a most pleasant end result, from the stamp down to the colour of the envelope...

Roses are not red (and violets are not blue). In fact, if we go by what etymology tells us, Roses are rosa (rose), a colour that sits equidistant between magenta and red in the colour wheel,  the use of which to define a colour was first recorded in 1382. 

Oh, and by the way, violets are... well violet! (mostly)

Roses are, or course,  famous (amidst several other things) for their scent. Rose essence, the fragrance we all associate with the flower (although some roses do smell, while others do not) is mostly produced from an hybryd rose (which is also rose in colour): the Rosa × damascena, derived from  Rosa gallica and Rosa moschata.

In truth, the multitudinal variations of the genus Rose that we know today, which comprises about 100 species of perennial shrubs native mostly to Asia, but also present in America and Europe, comes from the fact that roses easily hybridise and crossbreed.

This fact has led to garden lovers specialising in rose collecting and also to the  creation of rose gardens, all around the world, as the eponymous entry in Wikipedia clearly shows. 

Spain, more specifically Madrid, the Capital, has at least two Rose Gardens of relevance;  La Rosaleda del Retiro, in the Buen Retiro Park, and La Rosaleda del Parque del Oeste, in the Parque del Oeste.

This last one was established in 1956 and was conceived and built under the supervision of the  Jardinero Mayor del Ayuntamiento de Madrid  (the Head Gardener of the City Council) Ramón Ortíz en 1956.

Celebrating the 70 years of this garden which is home to more than 600 varieties of Rose, Correos issued on 14MAY2026 the 2€ stamp on the cover illustrated with an image of a rose tunnel and a legend  with the name of the rose garden, Rosaleda del Parque del Oeste Madrid.

The stamps were issued on a souvenir sheet comprising seven stamps, whose paper is rose scented. The sheet bears a photograph of the garden,  topped by a perforated plan of the garden and a rectangular legend that contains the designation of the issue.

On the cover, further to the stamp, Eva included this particular item as well as a section of the part of the sheet bearing the Rosaleda photograph.

The mechanical postmark is, as usual in Eva's mail, that of the Automated Treatment Centre of Valencia (CTA Valencia).

One again, Eva kindly included a postcard with another of Erica Fustero's photos, this one taken in Berlin in 2025. The subject of the photo couldn't be more in tune... a rose shrub, of course.

All this talk of Roses just reminded me of good old Jacques.... what a fabulous Rose he was... a whole garden of them!

COVER N. 754 - BURUNDI

Postmark: RNP Burundi 10.(?).2026  

Posted on the 10th ?;  Received on the  24th July 2026

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Totally unexpected cover from Burundi. My second ever, and on one of those air mail envelopes I so much like.

Un grand Merci Charlotte pour la lettre et les timbres.

Imperforate stamps are not that common, and not that practical, either, I'd add. Still, every once in a while some show up, like the two in this cover, which were cut from a souvenir sheet containing only these two 500 Burundian francs, illustrated with sepia toned photographs of  two examples of local traditional houses, issued on 02JAN2010.

Since all the images of the souvenir sheet in question that I could find over the internet show the stamps to be perforated, I wonder if there were perf and imperf versions issued or if the one on the cover is some sort of accident. Anyone?

The 250 franc stamp showing a nice painting of an hipopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) is part of an issued dated of 02APR2026, dedicated to this particular artiodactyl, put out by Stamperija, comprising 5 stamps (150; 250; 1000; 1500; 2000 francs) plus a single stamp souvenir sheet (10000 francs).

Somehow it is nice to see a Stamperija stamp actually cancelled by an official postmark.

The bi-colour postmark (blue and red, which goes great with the envelope itself :-)) bears no indication as to the place of dispatch, just the mention RNP an acronym for Régie Nationale des Postes,  the Burudi Postal Operator.

COVER N. 753 - SRI LANKA

Postmark:  Headquarters P. O. Colombo Mail 24.03.2026  

Posted on the 7th July;  Received on the 16th July 2026

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Ravindra hits me with another with his always nice covers featuring interesting stamps.  බෝහම ස්තුති, Ravi!

- On 15JUN2023, Sri Lanka Post issued a mini-sheet containing 20 x 50 Rupee circular stamps, dedicated to fruits and vegetables of Sri Lanka.

Ravi had already used some of these stamps on previous mail to me (cover #651, postcards #158 #160) and now he used the following three (left to right):

- Salacia chinensis, a climbing shrub of the Celastraceae family, known for its effects as adjuvant of the digestive health and obesity related illnesses such as diabetes type 2 and cardiovascular conditions.

- Mangifera zeylanica, or Sri Lanka wild mango. An edible mango species endemic to Sri Lanka.

- Dimocarpus longan, an edible fruit bearing tree in the same family - Sapindaceae - to which the lychee belongs, its yellowish fruits bearing some resemblance in terms of taste to lychees, also.

As usual, postmark from the central Post Office at Colombo.

COVER N. 752 - JORDAN

Postmark: None

Posted on  (?);  Received on the 12th July 2026

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The third cover I received on the same day sent from the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, sadly arrived without postmark, something which has happened to covers sent by me also (unfortunately not from Jordan...) but which always imparts an "incomplete" look to the envelope (although having the added bonus of letting the stamps shine in their integrity.

This, I suspect, is a cover which I have deux Mercis to send out. One, most certainly, to Roland, whose name was on the sender's address, and the other to the actual sender, who I don't know who it was.  Anyway, a great many thanks to the two.

According to Wikipedia, Jordan is home to one of the oldest Christian communities in the world, dating back to the times of the cruxification of Jesus.

Conversely, Jordan is also home to several Biblical sites, the most famous of which is probably the Baptism site, or "Bethany Beyond the Jordan", the place where Jesus would have been baptised by John the Baptism, today a  World Heritage Site.

Celebrating the relevance of  these Biblical sites for Christianity, Jordan Post issued on 19JAN2025 a stamp sheet with 10 x 30 Piaster stamps illustrated with photos of "Christian Pilgrimage Sites in Jordan".

Two of these stamps are on the cover, namely the one depicting the Um al-Rasas, once a Roman garrison site which is believed to have been the biblical settlement of Mephaat, mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah and the other, Um al-Jimal, another old Roman garrison site.

Both sites have been awarded World Heritage status by Unesco.

Arabian Purebreeds are as famous as they are indeed beautiful, with their unique head shape, big eyes, and high tail carriage.

On 26OCT2021 Jordan Post issued a 7 x 30 Piastre  set of stamps illustrated with photos (profile and head) of several examples of this distinguished equine. One of them is also featured on the cover.

COVER N. 749 - AZERBAIJAN 

Postmark: Azərbaycan Şuşa MXŞ 05.06.2026

Posted on the 5th June;  Received on the 10th July 2026

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Danke Sehr Alex, for this cover from the Nagorno-Karabah region of Azerbaijan.

The Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan was until 2023, a self-proclaimed, albeit not internationally recognised state, designated as the Republic of Artsakh, its history goingt back to 1918, when both the recently established  Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and the First Republic of Armenia, claimed the territory, an enclave inside Azerbaijan, mostly populated by ethnic Armenians, after the fall of the Russian Empire.

The conflict went cold during the period when both Azerbaijan and Armenia were part of the USSR, only to erupt again after the Soviet Union too came to an end, and both Azerbaijan and Armenia became independent states again.

The contention (and the so called Republic of Artsakh) ended when in 2023 Azeri forces expelled all the Armenians from the region, in conditions that motivated strong remarks by International Human Rights organisations, forcing them to flee into Armenia.

As in the other cover Alex sent me from Azerbaijan (#748)  two 0,5 manat stamps featuring a photo of Heydar Aliyev (1923-2003), the third President of Azerbaijan and the father of the current President, Ilham Aliyev were used as postage.

Heydar Aliyev served for a total of 23 years as the most important dignitary of Azebaijan, first, for 13 years (1969–1982), as  First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan. and later, for another 10 year period (1993–2003) as President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, until his resignation in October 2003.

The stamp is part of a vast multiple format issue marking the 20th anniversary of Heydar Aliyev passing, dated of  10MAY2023, all stamps being illustrated with his portrait. 

The Postmark was issued at the city of Şuşa.

COVER N. 751 - JORDAN 

Postmark: Amman City Centre (?)  Reg. Mail 13.04.2026

Posted on the 13 April;  Received on the 12th July 2026

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The second cover I got from Talal, from Jordan. Shukran jazeelan.

- On 13JAN1993, Jordan Post issued a definitive set comprising 9 values (5;80;100;125; 160;240;320; 500 fils; 1 dinar), illustrated with an image of the Arch of Hadrian in the city of Jerash, all stamps being equal safe for the value and colour.  

The monumental structure was constructed in 129-130, honouring the visit of Emperor Hadrian to the city where it now stands, which was then called Gerasa and was subject to reconstruction in 2007.

A block of 4 x 160 fils  stamp was used on this cover.

The series would be continued in later years either with new values or with surcharged stamps.

- 40 piastre stamps are part of a set of 5x40 piastre stamps issued on 21NOV2017, highlighting World Heritage Sites in Jordan. The stamps on the cover feature:

The Umm ar-Rasas site, located in central Jordan,  renowned for its Roman, Byzantine, and early Islamic ruins, including 16 churches and a famous mosaic floor in the Church of St. Stephen;

Al-Maghtas, The Baptism, a site located on the east bank of the Jordan River, reputed to be the location of the Baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist and venerated as such since at least the Byzantine period.

- The 60 fils stamp is part of a set of 3 (20;30; 60 fils)  issued on 18SEP1973, celebrating the Day of Familywood as indicated by the legend on the stamp.

- Petra needs no presentation. The famous city cut in  pink sandstone dating from the 4th century BC, lay  in the desert forgotten to the eyes of the world until its rediscovery in 1812 by  Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, but its true call to fame came more than one and a half centuries later, when Indiana Jones entered one of its most famous buildings - Al-Khazneh, the treasury - only to almost never exit it again.

Another of the city's famous buildings, Ed-Deir, The Monastery, is featured on the 1fils stamp, on the back of the envelope, in a block of 4.

The stamp is part of a set of 4, issued on 09FEV1954. The stamps in the set were either illustrated with the image of the Monastery (1;3;5 fils) or of King Hussein II (2; 4 fils).

The Postmarks indicate that the letter was mailed from Amman, the Capital of Jordan.

COVER N. 750 - JORDAN

Postmark: ?

Posted on the 11 March;  Received on the 12th July 2026

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It has been a while since I last added a new country to my origins list. Well, this time, the Postman did not ring twice, as some say he always does, but thrice, withe three covers from a country in the troubled Middle East that had not yet made the rounds into my letterbox: Jordan.

So, Shukran jazeelan, Talal. It is a pleasure to add Jordan to my collection and I hope that peace may soon prevail.

Talal used a full set of stamps on his cover. The stamps, with face values of 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 piastre, are illustrated with several citrus varieties and were issued on 23OCT2013, although they carry the legend 2012 on the top left corner.

Some of the varieties depicted are complete strangers to me, but I think I can identify the oranges (40 pt), lemons (30 pt) and mandarins (20 pt).

The postmark is illegible with exception of the date.

COVER N. 748 - AZERBAIJAN 

Postmark: Azərbaycan Naxçivan Muxtar Respublikasi

Posted on the 6th June;  Received on the 10th July 2026

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It seems that The Ghost Who Walks, the restless wanderer, my friend Herr Phantom, went to the South Caucasus, specifically to places that have been has restless as himself..... Danke Sehr, Alex. These make interesting additions to the collection.

The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is an Azerbaijani landlocked exclave separated from Azerbaijan by Armenia in the North and East; by Iran in the South and West and by Turkey in the West.

Given that relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan have been quite tense, especially in what concerns the Nagorno-Karabah region, (which was populated mostly by ethnic Armenians)  the location of the exclave has put it under pressure by Armenia during the active confrontations between the two ex-Soviet Republics.

These had their apex in 2023, during the so called second Nagorno-Karabah war, when Azerbaijan expelled all the Armenian population from what was until then the self-proclaimed Artsakh Republic, which had no international recognition, forcing it to flee into Armenia under conditions that motivated the remarks of several International organisations like Human Rights Watch or Amnesty International.

Nowadays  a de facto peace exists between the two countries, even though a formal peace treaty has yet to be signed.

The cover was stamped with two 0,5 manat stamps featuring a photo of Heydar Aliyev (1923-2003), the third President of Azerbaijan and the father of the current President, Ilham Aliyev.

The stamp is part of a vast multiple format issue marking the 20th anniversary of Heydar Aliyev passing, dated of  10MAY2023, all stamps being illustrated with his portrait. 

The postmark was applied at Nakhchivan, the capital if this  autonomous region of Azerbaijan.

COVER N. 747 - SPAIN 

Postmark: Correos CTA Valencia 08.07.2026

Posted on the 8th July;  Received on the 10th July 2026

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Gosh, this one travelled fast. Moltes Gràcies, Eva. M'ha agradat molt la postal també. (And I hope Google got it right, though it does look the part, to me....)😉.

It is 70 years past the first Europa stamp issue, a decision taken in 1956 by the postal administrations of the countries partaking in the  European Coal and Steel Community, the embryonic pan-european organization that would later be subsumed into the EEC (1957), which in time (1993) would become the now existing European Union.

The Postal Services of Belgium, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Italy, Luxemburg and the Netherlands, were thus the original six issuers of the first common Europa Issue, which highlighted the theme "Europe, Community of Interests and Objectives".

The issue shared a common layout, featuring a scaffolded tower constructed with the letters EUROPA, a symbolic way of portraying  European nations working together to build a shared future.

From 1960 on, the stamps would be issued under the auspices of the recently created European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations, and the stamps would then feature the legend  CEPT.

The practice of issuing a stamp with a common design, although printed in different colours, was carried on until 1973. 

From 1974 the common design stamp practice was abandoned in favour of a common theme, the participating postal administrations being free to design their own stamps.

With  the coordination of European postal policies having been removed from the scope of action of CEPT in 1993, a new organisation, PostEurope, was established to this end, and so, from 1993 on, all common themed issues would feature the EUROPA logo that is now in use.

As far as I can remember only in the year 2000 and 2023 (and quite justifiably so, for this particular issue, in my opinion) was the Common theme  abandoned in favour of a common design.

What was generally an exception became the norm again  this year with PostEurope organising a contest to chose a common design for the stamp celebrating the 70 years of EUROPA issues.

The winning design was the proposal presented by Posti (Finland), authored by Finnish designer Klaus Welp and accoding to the PostEurope Press Release presenting the results of the competition 

"The design of the 2026 EUROPA Stamp combines abstract and symbolic elements. The diagonally ascending dotted line represents both the perforation of a stamp and the progressive work of the PostEurop . The seven dots, connected by a straight line, symbolize seventy years of unified effort by postal operators across the continent. The blending gradients and dotted patterns in the background form a cohesive and vibrant surface, reflecting the joyful mix of colours from the European flag and symbolizing the unity of all member nations.”

On her cover, Eva used this year's Spanish EUROPA issue  - a single tariff "B" (Europe) stamp issued by Correos de Espãna on 05MAY2026.

From a plastic point of view I don't dislike the winning artwork, which I find joyful and uplifting in all its colours and diagonals. Still, I  don't think that the symbology it purportedly affirms is readilly apparent to the viewer (at least I only was aware of it after reading the relesase notes). What I find absolutely boring is seeing it replicated over and over again, although many postal administrations took the opportunity to take an extra buck from the collector's purse by including their own design companion stamps or souvenir sheets in the issue.

Thankfully, next year we take to the ususal practice again with a theme that I am really looking forward to: Street Art... can't wait for it....

Eva's letter was written on the back of a very nice postcard with a photograph  by photographer and illustrator Erica Fustero, taken in Tokyo in 2018. 

The simplicity of the scene, evoking one of the little village shops of my youth that sold all that was needed and more,  is disarming, bathed in the warmness of the dominant colours, only to be disrupted by the outlandish appearance of the scales that take the place of the shop owner that somehow one would expect to be smiling at you from behind the counter.

Photography is really the art of seeing....

COVER N. 746 - POLAND

Postmark: Gdansk 50 ZA 29.06.2026

Posted on the 29th June;  Received on the 10th July 2026

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A change of country, at last 😀. This time Poland, with a cover laden with beautiful stamps. Dziękuję bardzo, Roman.

- The  Poznań Bambers are a Polish ethnic group that was formed when groups of Catholic German settlers from the region of  Bamberg, in Upper Franconia, migrated to  repopulate villages around  Poznań that had been decimated by the Great Northern War (1700-1721), a conflict that opposed Sweden to a coalition of  several countries. namely Russia, Denmark-Norway, Saxony-Poland-Lithuania, Prussia and Hanover, and the plague that ensued. 

Marking the 300th anniversary of the arrival of the Bambers in Poland, Poczta Polska issued on 19OCT2029 a 3.30 Zloty stamp illustrated with a photograph of a group of Poznań Bambers clad in their distinctive festive garments.

~

- On 28DEC2018 Pozcta Polska issued a 4 stamp (2x1.30 + 2x3 Zloty) plus se-tenant vignettes set, themed on "Wild Animals and their Young".

The 1.30 Zloty stamps, one featuring a Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) and the other an Indian Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) were used on this cover. The vignette that was paired to the Chimpanzee stamp (also featuring a chimpanzee) is also on the cover.

The 3,90  Zloty stamp with a dancer in traditional costume was issued on 08NOV202 in commemoration of the 75 years of the celebrated Mazowsze Ensemble  - Państwowy Zespół Ludowy Pieśni i Tańca "Mazowsz -  The Polish National Song and Dance Folk Ensemble, founded in 1948.

-  The 20 grosz definitive stamp bearing the image of a Saffron plant, Crocus sp, is part of the  flowers and fruits series,  issued on 06JUL2016.

The Postmark as usual with Roman's letters, was applied at Gdansk.

COVER N. 745 - FRANCE

Postmark: Maurice de Vlaminck (1876-1958) La Poste Paris 13.06.2026

Posted on the 13th June;  Received on the 25th June 2026

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The last of Eric's Paris Philex FDCs. What an amazing bunch of covers. Je n'ai pas de paroles pour exprimer le combien j'étais content de recevoir tous ces plis. Un grand Merci, Eric. 

Fauvism is one of the artistic movements that characterised painting (and the arts in general) in the early days of the 20th century, in which  very intense, saturated, high-key and unexpected colours were used to depict simplified or even abstract subject matter.

Henri Matisse was probably the most well known of the Fauves but the style was professed by several other  artists his contemporaries.

One such painter and also one of the leading names in the movement was  Maurice de Vlaminck (1876 - 1958) who was also a musician (violinist) and a writer (with both poetry and prose to his credit).

On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of his birth, la Poste issued a 4 stamp souvenir sheet highlighting Vlanick's work "Still Life", dated of 1907, which can be seen at the fabulous Musée d'Orsay, in Paris.

The Stamp being in-taglio printed, the souvenir sheet illustrates the trichromatic creation  process associated with it, by including not only the end result, but also the results of  separated colour plates, namely Blue; Ochre and Red (on the cover).

COVER N. 744 - FRANCE

Postmark: Nikos Aliagas Danse Millénaire 1er Jour  La Poste  Paris 11.06.2026

Posted on the 11th June;  Received on the 25th June 2026

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And yet another FDC from Eric, with another of the issues that came out during the Paris Philex 2026 stamp show. Encore Merci, Eric. 

From what I read, Nikos Aliagas is quite popular a TV presenter in France, having been the host of such globally known shows as Star Academy and The Voice, which in France goes by the title of la Plus Belle Voix.

Further to that, Nikos is also a well established Black and White photographer, with several published works and international exhibitions to his credit.

His photographic work started in the early 2000 and bio notes say he specialises in Humanist and Portrait Photography, having shot not only celebrities but also the everyday citizen in candid portraits that emphasise the character, the essence, of the subject.

Nikos has also photographed extensively  Greek landscapes, often focusing his lens on a subject which I also find rather photogenic: old olive trees.

On 11JUN2026 La Poste issued a 3,10 € stamp illustrated with one of Nikos' high contrast black and white olive trees photographs, entitled Danse Millénaire (Millennial Dance), portraying two centuries old trees that seem to be dancing in the wind.

The stamp includes a QR code which, when scanned with the Philinfo app, brings the olive trees to life, seen from above, while the photographer comments the photographed scene.

As a personal note I have to say that I am not particularly fond of this augmented reality in photography thing. At the risk of sounding petulant and crude, I'd say that  most of the times (if not all of the times) it adds little (if anything) to the photo, distracts the viewer and diminishes the main artistic subject (the photo, itself). I can see it being used as a vector for guidance, explanation, enlightenment, but photography is a two dimensional thing even if out of it tridimensional constructions might be obtained... but then again, that is already an extension of the medium...

The very nice First day Postmark features an owl, the bird of wisdom, a common occurrence in Greece, which Nikos has also photographed and which he chose as his own symbol.

COVER N. 743 - FRANCE

Postmark: 99e Congrès de la FFAP Hôtel de Soubise 1er Jour  La Poste  Paris 11.06.2026

Posted on the 11th June;  Received on the 25th June 2026

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Fitting that, thanks to Eric,  I post another French FDC on the blog, on Bastille Day. Un grand Merci, Eric. Joyeux quatorze juillet!

The Fédération Française des Associations Philatéliques (French Federation of the Philatelic Associations) was established on the 5th of June 1922, in Paris, then adopting the name of Fédération des Sociétés Philatéliques Françaises (Federation of the French Philatelic Societies).

As stated on its official website, "The FFAP aims at federating the associations of philatelists and collectors, ensuring their connection with their partners, and managing associative philately"

"The FFAP federates almost 600 philatelic associations organised into 20 regional groupings and a specialised philatelic associations grouping (the GAPS), for a total of approximately 25.000 members".

The 99th Congress of the Fédération Française des Associations Philatéliques took place between 10 -  14 June 2026, in paralell with the Paris Philex 2026 expo, and the celebration of the Centenary of the FIP - Fédération Internationale de Philatelie, established in 1926, in Paris.

The sessions were held at the Hôtel de Soubise, a monumental baroque palace also located in Paris, dating from the 18th century, which today houses the Musée des Archives Nationales (French National Archives Museum).

On the occasion, La Poste issued, on 11.06.2026, a 1,52 stamp with a se-tenant vignette, celebrating the Congress and the centenary of the FFAF.

The stamp is illustrated with a beautiful in-taglio multicolour rendition of the Palace, while the vignette carries the legend " 99e Congrès de la Fédération Française des Associations Philatéliques" and the logos of the Fédération Internationale de Philatélie and of the centenary celebrations.

The First day Postmark, issued at Paris, features a rendition of what I would think could be a detail of one of the stucco ornamentations of the palace's lavish  rococo rooms.

COVER N. 742 - FRANCE

Postmark: Ron Agama J'aime la France du plus profond de mon coeur La Poste Paris 11.06.2026

Posted on the 11th June;  Received on the 25th June 2026

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Still going through the large pack of FDCs Eric sent me from Paris Philex.  Ron Agam. I confess my ignorance, but that's what stamps are good for: learning, discovering, enjoying. Un grand merci, Eric.

Ron Agam is a French-Israeli artist, born in Paris in 1958, who after working as an acknowledged photographer for quite a number of years, directed his creative vision to the world of Kinetic and Op Art, following on the footsteps of his father, Yaacov Agam (1928-2026), who was a well established name in this particular domain, which he helped to pioneer.

In recognition of his work, mainly photography at the time, being especially noteworthy a series of  photos  he took at ground zero on September 11, 2001, which are now part of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum permanent collection, Ron Agam was awarded by the French President the title of Chevalier of the Legion of Honor (Knight of the Legion of Honor) in 2008.

On 11JUN2026 La Poste issued a 2,25 €stamp designed by Ron Agam which replicates one of his lenticular works, in the form of a heart shape in the colours of the French Flag, with the bilingual legend  "J'aime la France du plus profond de mon coeur - I love France from the depth of my heart". The signature of the artist tops the heart shape.

The stamp is coated in a special varnish to create the illusion of movement characteristic of lenticular works, but although, upon examining the stamp with a magnifier, I can notice some illusion of depth, the lenticular effect is not that apparent.

The First Day Postmark issued at Paris is illustrated with what I suppose is a trademark of the artist: a woolly hat.  His signature and the legend that is on the stamp (in French only) are also present.

COVER N. 741 - ANDORRA - FRENCH POST

Postmark: 50 Anys de Colonies a AINA - Principat d'Andorra Primer Dia Postes Premier Jour 11.06.2026

Posted on the 11th June;  Received on the 25th June 2026

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A change of country, not of date nor of place of expedition: une fois encore, un énorme Merci, Eric, pour  un autre joli pli Premier Jour.

As far as I can make it through the information I consulted over the Internet, AINA is an Andorran Catholic  charity established in 1976 with the aim of providing access to leisure occupations for Andorran children, as the third vertice of an education triangle comprising family education; schooling and leisure.

Its activity is centred around  the following 6 main objectives:

- Making a country; 

- Creating friendship bonds;

- Cultivating creativity;

- Promoting the most complete and accessible sports for all: mountain hiking in summer and cross-country skiing in winter.

- Sowing human and evangelical values: spirituality, peace, joy, forgiveness;

- Respecting the faith that each child brings from home.

To which, another objective - Inclusion - was added over time, due to the ever increasing number of immigrant children living in the Principality.

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the AINA vacation colonies, the Postal Administration of the Principality issued on 11JUN2026 the 2,35€ stamp on the cover illustrated with the image of a little girl wearing a scarf with the national colours while holding an image of the Virgin of Meritxell, the Patroness of Andorra.

In the background, three hills also painted in the National Colours of Blue, Yellow and Red are topped by children, evoking the emphasis that AINA puts in the mountain sports.

 The First day Postmark is designed around the legend "50 years of AINA colonies", which is also included in the stamp.

COVER N. 740 - FRANCE

Postmark: Palais du tau Reims 1er Jour L51 reims la Poste 11.06.2026

Posted on the 11th June;  Received on the 25th June 2026

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A very relevant item in the vast list of French Historical Monuments: La Palais de Tau, another of Eric's great first day covers sent from Philex France 2026. Merci Encore, Eric.

The Archdiocese of Reims was first established as a diocese by Saint Sixus of Reims around 250 AD and elevated to its present status  by 750.

The palace which served as the residence of the Archbishop of Reims and which would become known as the Palais du Tau given its shape in plan form being that of a letter T (Tau, in Greek), was built upon the ruins of an ancient roman villa dating from the early 5th century, right on the side of  la Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims (Reims Cathedral) where, from the 11th century on, with but a very few exceptions, all  French kings were crowned. 

Over the years the Palace has gone through several enlargements and architectural style changes, from its original fortress like appearance, to its final baroque/classical look, with a flamboyant gothic renovation in between.

Further to its use as residence of the Reims Archbishop, the Palace was also used as a tribunal and commodity exchange, between 1790 and 1823, the year when it again reverted to its original use.

With the official separation of the Church from the State in 1905, the Palace was classified as national monument and in 1907 it was again refurbished to house no less than 3 museums: the ethnographic museum of Champagne, a coronation museum and also an archaeology museum.

Heavily impacted by WWI, which left it mostly in ruins, the palace would once more be rebuilt in 1972, to open again as a museum. Currently the palace is yet again undergoing refurbishment works to install a new museum dedicated to the coronation of French Kings.

It should also be mentioned that the palace was the place where for the first time a certain bubbly wine called Champagne was served to the guests attending the coronation of Louis XV.

The Palace of Tau as well as the Cathedral of Reims were awarded World Heritage Status by UNESCO in 1991.

On 11JUN2026 La Poste issued an in-taglio printed 1,52 € stamp illustrated with a view of the Palace of Tau, with the Legend “Palais du Tau” in gold ink.

The First Day Postmark contains the same graphic items as the stamp, although the palace is shown in a different view.

COVER N. 739 - FRANCE

Postmark: JR - La Caverne du Pont-Neuf JR Paris - Premier Jour La Poste 11.06.2026

Posted on the 11th June;  Received on the 25th June 2026

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Another super nice cover, sent by Eric from Paris Philex 2026. Merci encore, Eric!

 

Le Pont-Neuf (the New Bridge) is the oldest of all the 37 crossings over the Seine in Paris in existence today.

The construction of the bridge, which has a length of 232 metres was initiated in 1578, with the last stone being laid in 1607.

 In 1985, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, the artist couple who astonished the world by elevating wrapping to a new form of art, devoted their attention and creativity to this icon of the city of lights, having fully draped the bridge and its lamps in fabric. The response from the public was nothing short of sensational with an estimated 3 million people having visited the installation (I wonder how many more it would attract today, now that journeying across the world has become a much more feasible proposition….)

 40 five years past this event, French street artist JR, famous for his use of large black and white photographs that  he merges with the physical reality to create outstanding art pieces (just check his “Ballerina in Containers, Holding Tight” at Le Havre port in 2021), paid homage to Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s legacy by “wrapping” again the Pont-Neuf.

 This time, the old bridge was enveloped in fabric printed photographs so as to evoke the stone quarries from where the actual stones used for the construction of the bridge came from, thus constructing a virtual “Cavern” which the visitors can walk trough immersed in a special soundscape created by Thomas Bangalter, an also specific scent, devised by Sarah Bouasse intended to heighten the disorienting, raw sensory experience of being in a cave and augmented reality propositions.

Recognising the relevance of the intervention, La Poste asked JR to create a stamp highlighting it.

The result is, as expected, a stamp featuring a black and white photograph of a segment of the bridge, that really highlights the transformational virtue of the intervention over the old stone infrastructure.

Further to the photograph, the 3,10 € stamp, dated of 11JUN2026, carries the artist’s JR logo, and the legend “La Caverne du Pont-Neuf”, elements that are also present in the First Day Postmark, applied at Paris.

 

COVER N. 738 - FRANCE

Postmark: 190 Ans des Courses de Trot 1er Jour La Poste 50 Cherbourg-en-Cotentin 11.06.2026

Posted on the 11th June;  Received on the 25th June 2026

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Trot (or harness) races... here is another subject which I know absolutely nought about... But like it or not, I guess there is no escaping in admitting that the monochromatic painting on the stamp issued by La Poste to celebrate the 190 years of the sport in France is absolutely gorgeous (and yet... )

Un grand Merci, Eric, pour encore une très chouette enveloppe Premier Jour.

According to the release notes, Trot races began to take place in France, in 1836, at Cherbourg.

Over time the sport would captivate a dedicated fan base amongst horse breeders and riders, so much so that a special breed of horse was selective bred in Normandy, specifically with the sport in mind: the French Trotter, a compact and medium sized animal, usually chestnut or bay, with an height of 1,54 to 1,67 metres, featuring a sloped shoulder and a prominent sternum. 

Today, France is home to one of the most famous and more prize endowed races in  the world of Trot races: Le prix d'Ámérique, which takes place annually, since 1920, on the last Sunday of January, at the Vincennes Hippodrome, in Paris.

Celebrating the 190th anniversary of the Trot races in France, La Poste issued on 11JUN202, a souvenir sheet with a single 2,25  € stamp with a painting by Architect Wandrille Thieulin, whom I presume was also responsible for the equally monochromatic background illustration of an hippodrome.

I have to say I like both illustrations a lot, but I am no particular fan of the end result, the souvenir sheet, that is, both in composition terms (maybe if the stamp was placed a bit lower and closer to the lower left corner....)  which I find a bit confuse, and choice of colours for the legend,  which I find too contrasty... Still, I am no art critic,  and as I said the paintings do please me a lot.

The First Day Postmark hails from the city of Cherbourg, as previously mentioned, the original place of the first trot races in France (although Wikipedia claims the first races took place at the Champ de Mars, Paris, in 1806...) and is illustrated with  a plan view of a hippodrome track and the same legend "190 Ans des Courses de Trot" which is included in the block and stamp.

COVER N. 737 - FRANCE

Postmark: Métiers D'Art - Caligraphe - la Poste, 1er Jour Paris 11.06.2026

Posted on the 11th June;  Received on the 25th June 2026

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It is 10 years since la Poste started a new anual stamp series dedicated to "Les Métiers d'Art" (Arts and crafts).

I think this was an excellent idea, because whenever we see a particular piece from one of the professions highlighted in the series, we always seem to take it for granted, never sparing a thought about the usually long learning curve associated with some very specialised professions that demand absolute control over several rather uncommon skills.

The 2026 issue of this series is dedicated to the Calligrapher and Eric kindly sent me an FDC with the beautiful stamp on it. Un grand merci, Eric.

The market for Calligraphers must really be one very tiny high-end niche, these days. In fact, with the advent of word processors and typography software, hand written messages in a beautiful typeface is something that is reserved for very special occasions like invitations for official ceremonies or banquets, marketing campaigns, certificates or diplomas, etc.

In an era which we can already classify as remote, so fast has been the advancement of technology, Calligraphy was also the work domain of the Copists, an extinct  profession, I presume.

Copists, as the name implies,  used to do what the photocopier first and then the home printer now enables all of us to do. So they had to be good calligraphers... and I can't help but marvel at those huge handwritten books created by calligraphers and illuminators that we see in museums, palaces and libraries, with all those letters that always look as if drawn, not written...

These days though, irrespective of skill and ability, there is a calligrapher inside us all, thanks to technology, but the sheer beauty of human calligraphy will always outclass the too perfect and emotionless letters that computers generate out of electrons...

On 11JUN2026 La Poste issued the 18th stamp of the Métiers d'Art series started in 2016,. Dedicated to the calligrapher, the 2.25€ stamp is illustrated with  concentric messages in four different scripts.

Unfortunately I can only make out the word Calligraphie on the outer circle. The second circle reads "Exchanger; Beauté; Mémoire; Culture; Unité; the third Paix; Lien; Mot; Écrire, while the centre is occupied by the letter Phi, the symbol of the Golden Ratio, as a reminder of the  precision and exactness but also aesthetics that are inherent to calligraphy.

The Phy and the third circle are printed in gold, a metaphor for preciousness, and value, I’d say.

This was also one of the stamps issued in the course of Paris Philex 2026, and the First day Postmark  exhibits examples of the word "Calligraphe" in two different scripts... 

COVER N. 736 - FRANCE

Postmark: George Sand 1804 - 1876 La Poste Paris 13.06.2026

Posted on the 13th June;  Received on the 25th June 2026

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Another of Eric's Paris Philex 2026 posted FDC's, and again one with strong literary connections. Un grand merci, Eric.

Ask anyone about Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin de Francueil, and I bet that 9 out of 10 (if not 10 out of 10, ) answers (and this would include mine) will be "Don't know..."; "Never heard about her..." "Can't really say I have heard this name ever"...;

Things will take a sharp turn though if you ask the same people (me included) if the name George Sand rings a bell.

Lucille de Francueil (1804-1876), who would reclaim a place in history as George Sand, her literary pseudonym, was a woman far ahead of her time. 

A well established and consecrated writer in her days, she was also an advocate for women's rights,  a socialist and a republican and someone who really did not give much of a damn about what people thought of her life options, be it in the way she dressed, adopting men's clothes, smoking in public or leading a  rather turbulent love life with several well known lovers, like Prosper Merimé, Alfred de Musset or Frederic Chopin, to name the more resonating names.

On the occasion of 150th anniversary of George Sand's passing, la Poste honoured her memory by issuing, on 13JUN2026, a beautiful in-taglio printed 4 €  stamp with her portrait,   in a souvenir sheet with silver printed elements, comprising  3 identical stamps and a quote from her: "Il n'y a qu'un bonheur dans la vie, c'est d'aimer et d'être aimé" (There is but one joy in life: to love and be loved).

The First Day Postmark bears a floral element in the centre, in line with the decorative elements on the souvenir sheet.

Now, I have no recollection of having ever read one of Sand's books..... maybe in my university years, but I really can't recall.... will have to make amends for this....