POSTCARDS N.249/250 - SRI LANKA

Postcard dated of 19th September; received on the 30th August 2026

Postcard image: Fauna of Minneriya National Park - Sri Lankan Sloth Bear / Sri lankan Jakalllow striped chevrotain

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Ravi kindly sends me another two postcards from the set issued in connection with the Minneriya National Park  stamp issue dated of  26JUN2025.  Bohoma Sthuthi, friend. 

Sri Lankan jakal (Canis aureus naria)

Sri Lankan sloth bear (Melursus ursinus inomatus)

Minneriya National Park occupies an 8.9 thousand hectares area in the centre of the North Central Province of Sri Lanka and before it became a National Park in 1997, it already enjoyed Protected area status as a wildlife sanctuary, since 1938.

According to Wikipedia, the park is home to 24 species of mammals, 160 species of birds, 9 species of amphibians, 25 species of reptiles, 26 species of fish, and 75 species of butterflies

On 26JUN2025 Sri Lanka Post issues a very beautiful set of 10 stamps, all of the same denomination (50 Rupees) dedicated to the wild fauna of  Minneriya National Park (cf. covers #614/5/6)  and I presume postcards of all the animals depicted in the stamps were also issued with a view to the creation of maxicards.

The cards were thus mailed with the corresponding stamps:

- Sri Lankan Jackal (Canis aureus naria),

The Sri Lankan Jackal can be found all across the country, the canid being a sub-species of the common jackal, which in turn can be found from  Africa to Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia. 

- Sri Lankan sloth bear (Melursus ursinus inornatus) 

This type of bear native to the dry forests of Sri Lanka is an highly threatened species, classified by IUCN as endangered. Its total population may not exceed 500 individuals.

Like the elephant, the loss of habitat due to land claim for cultivation purposes has strained the relation with local populations.

Postage on both cards was completed with a 20 rupee stamp with a image of a Pale Ceylon line blue, (Nacaduba sinhala), a butterfly of the Lycaenidae family, endemic to Sri Lanka. 

This stamp is part of the 12 stamp issue dated of 01DEC2022, themed on Butterflies of Sri Lanka, that Ravi had also sent me and was the subject of posts regarding covers # 343/4/5.

The postcards were sent from the Cinnamon Gardens Post Office at Colombo, whose beautiful building dates of 1905.

COVER N. 771 - DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

Postmark: Guichet C La Poste RDC Perception Principale Kin 1 27.08.2026

Posted on 27th August;  Received on the 28th September 2026

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What a surprise..... 

Un  énorme MERCI, cher Roland pour ce pli qui m'a tellement plu. 

Another tick in the origins list thanks to you. I said it before, I'll say it now again, If this blog has any interest to visitors around the world is because I have been lucky to be most generously helped by some friends who make sure I get some rather interesting covers to post here. 

Vous êtes sûrement l'une de ces généreuses âmes.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo, the largest country is sub-Saharan Africa, as a State is as old as I, even if contrary to myself it has changed name a few times along the way.

Becoming Independent from Belgium in 1960 as The Republique du Congo" it would be renamed "Republique Démocratique du Congo", following a referendum held in 1964, only to be renamed again Republique du Zaire in 1971 following the 1965 coup led by Mobutu Sese Seko, a corrupt dictator if ever there was one.....

In 1997, the country would recover its "Republique Démocratique du Congo" designation following what became known as the first Congo War, when Rwandan and Ugandan armies led By Joseph Kabila overthrew the Mobutu's regime.

This would end the renaming succession of the country, but not the state of political and social unrest that survives up to our days in what is one of the world's richest countries in natural resources and yet one of the poorest and least developed... unfortunately, a rather common paradox....

The stamp on the cover was originally issued on 08OCT1990, with a face value of 120 Zaires (the Zaire being the country's official currency from 1967 till 1997). 

It is part of a fine set of four stamps (40; 60; 100; 120 Zaires) illustrated with images of local tourist sites, as the Vulcan of Nyara Congo depicted on it.

Of note is the fact that the original issue stamps still had Zaire printed on them, both in a large characters as country identifier, and in the legend "Sites Touristiques du Zaire".

These words as well as the original face value were at some point in time  obliterated in black   and a new RDC 5000Fc overprint and surcharge in red was applied, as can be seen in the example on the cover.

Postmark from the main post office at Kinshasa (at least I suppose that is what the "KIN" stands for), the capital.

 My National Covers

Every now and then I have the opportunity to add what I call a "National Cover" to my collection.

These are nothing fancy. In fact they are but covers that I print  at home with the flag and coat of arms of a specific country and which I then either send to a fellow collector who is willing to help or give to friends or family or take my own self whenever travelling abroad, in the hope that these might find a way to a local post office to get a stamp and a postmark.

I will be adding these to a new "My National Covers" section in this blog.

If you don't see your country here and are willing to help me add your own country's national cover to my collection, please email me at pnsoares1@gmail.com. 

You'll get a cover from Portugal (if you want I'll be happy to print a Portuguese National Cover just like the ones I print for myself, although in a somewhat larger envelope) and a printed envelope with the relevant symbols printed, so that you can then return it to me.

Thanks a lot.

Note: Whenever possible I will try to transcribe the flag and coat of arms information from the relevant national site. Failing that I'll transcribe from Wikipedia.

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Canada

The Flag

The National Flag of Canada was adopted on January 28, 1965, by proclamation of Queen Elizabeth II. On February 15 of that same year, the new National Flag of Canada was raised for the first time on Parliament Hill.

Every year, on February 15, the entire country celebrates National Flag of Canada Day to highlight this anniversary.

The National Flag of Canada is a red flag, twice as long as it is wide (proportion 2:1, or 64 units in length and 32 units in width or depth, as shown in the accompanying diagram). In its centre is a white square the width of the Flag, with a single stylized 11-point red maple leaf in the centre. The flag is horizontally symmetric.

The maple leaf is one of the most recognizable symbols of Canada, and has been used to represent Canadian identity since the 19th century. 

Red and white are colours that have historically been used by many nations, including those that contributed to the founding of Canada. Many Canadians have come to embrace these colours as representative of natural features prominent in some parts of our country: the white of winter snows, and the red of autumnal maple leaves.

Source: Official symbols of Canada - Canada.ca

The Coat of Arms

The Coat of Arms of Canada, called the Arms of Canada or the Royal Arms of Canada, were adopted by proclamation of King George V in 1921.

The Coat of Arms of Canada display the royal emblems of England, Scotland, Ireland, and France, while also featuring distinctly Canadian symbols.

The Royal Crown that sits atop the Coat of Arms indicates that these are the Arms of His Majesty the King in Right of Canada.

Canada’s motto is A Mari Usque Ad Mare, which translates to “From Sea to Sea”.

In 1994, a circular, red ribbon was added to the Arms, displaying the motto of the Order of Canada: Desiderantes Meliorem Patriam (meaning “They desire a better country”).

Source:  Official symbols of Canada - Canada.ca

The Stamps

The two "Permanent" stamps featuring flowers are the 2024 issue of the ongoing "Flowers" series. They depict :

- Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) - a species of milkweed native to eastern and southwestern North America. It is commonly known as butterfly weed because of the butterflies that are attracted to the plant by its color and its copious production of nectar. (source: wikipedia)

- Spotted Beebalm (Monarda punctata) - a herbaceous plant in the mint family, Lamiaceae, that is native to eastern Canada, the eastern United States and northeastern Mexico. (source: wikipedia)

- The "Permanent" stamp illustrated with the portrait of  Chloe Cooley was issued on 30JAN2023, being that year's issue of the Black History Month series.

Chloe Cooley was a young black woman held as a slave in Fort Erie and Queenston, Upper Canada, in the late 18th-century, as the area was being settled by Loyalists from the United States. Her owner forced her into a boat to sell her in 1793 across the Niagara River in the United States.

This incident was observed by several witnesses, who petitioned the Executive Council of Upper Canada. Although charges were dropped against Cooley's owner, the incident is believed to have led to passage of the Act Against Slavery, 1793, in Upper Canada. It prevented slaves from being imported into the province and provided for gradual abolition of slavery within a generation among those held there. (source: wikipedia)

The Postmark

The stamps were cancelled at the main  Post Office of Quebec City with a pictorial cancel evoking the establishment in 1608 of the colonial outpost of Québec as the administrative seat for New France, the name having been  chosen by French explorer Samuel de Champlain.

I had the pleasure of requesting the use of the commemorative cancel in person, at Quebec's Post Office.

 
My National Covers

Every now and then I have the opportunity to add what I call a "National Cover" to my collection.

These are nothing fancy. In fact they are but covers that I print  at home with the flag and coat of arms of a specific country and which I then either send to a fellow collector who is willing to help or give to friends or family or take my own self whenever travelling abroad, in the hope that these might find a way to a local post office to get a stamp and a postmark.

I will be adding these to a new "My National Covers" section in this blog.

If you don't see your country here and are willing to help me add your own country's national cover to my collection, please email me at pnsoares1@gmail.com. 

You'll get a cover from Portugal (if you want I'll be happy to print a Portuguese National Cover just like the ones I print for myself, although in a somewhat larger envelope) and a printed envelope with the relevant symbols printed, so that you can then return it to me.

Thanks a lot.

Note: Whenever possible I will try to transcribe the flag and coat of arms information from the relevant national site. Failing that I'll transcribe from Wikipedia.

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Russian Federation / Российская Федерация

The Flag

The existing three-color Russian national flag was adopted by the Order of President Boris Yeltsin of December 11, 1993, replacing it's Soviet-time red predecessor. According to the Constitution, "The national flag of the Russian Federation consists of three equal horizontal stripes - white, blue and red."

This is the third time this three-color flag becomes the national symbol. The first to use it was Peter the Great, who on January 20, 1705 ordered to hoist this flag as a trade one on all Russian ships on Moscow, Volga and Dvina rivers. In those times the lower red stripe symbolized the Earth, the blue stripe - the sky, and the upper white stripe meant the world of God. At the same time, according to the Russian tradition, white color meant nobility, blue - honesty, red - courage and love.

Source: The official state symbols

The State Seal

As a state symbol two-headed eagle first appeared in Russia, those times Moscovia, in the XV-th century. It came from Visantium with Sophia Paleolog, member of the last Visantium Emperor dynasty, who became the wife of Ivan III, the Great Duke of Moscow.

Two-headed eagle remained the symbol of Russian Monarchy and Russian State for more than four hundred years, till the October Revolution of 1917, and regained it's status in 1993 according to the order of President Boris Yeltsin of November 30, 1993.

There are different interpretations of this symbol. The most common version says that two heads of the eagle symbolize that Russia consists of two part - European and Asian, and they are of equal importance for the country.

Source:  The official state symbols

The Stamps

The Stamps with the Russian Federation Flag (33 Rubles) and State Seal (76 Rubles) were issued on 27FEB2026.

The Postmark

The stamps were cancelled with the First Day Postmark for the 2026 Cities of the Golden Ring of Russia, dated of  27MAR2026.

The issue comprises one single stamp with a face value of 65 Ruble, dedicated to the city of Sergiyev Posad, which is the administrative center of the Sergiyevo-Posadsky District in the Moscow Oblast.

My thanks to Vadim for helping me out in adding this cover to my collection.

COVER N. 770 - INDONESIA

Postmark: Malang 06.08.2026

Posted on 6th August;  Received on the 23rd September 2026

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Lately my friend Mr. Postman has been slightly absent from his usual visit to my door, so I was more than pleased to notice that he did call in today, the first day of Autumn, my second most beloved season.  

Let me thus commemorate the end of (well at least in theory, because we're still running in the high 30s Centigrade in some places here....) summer (my most unloved season) with an Indonesian treat.

Not that fast a journey, for it took one and a half months to get to my mailbox, but, then again, Indonesia is not that near and  it did make it through, which is  what really matters.  Terima kasih banyak, Irene, for your lovely cover.

The souvenir sheet with two 2500 rupiah stamps, one illustrated with a Licuala arbuscula, a rare palm species endemic to Indonesia, and the other with a golden-fronted bowerbird (Amblyornis flavifrons), a 24 cm long bowerbird also endemic to Indonesia was issued on 05NOV2006.

Of note is the fact that although this bird had been described by Rothschild in 1895, it was only first photographed in the wild in December 2005.

Also of note is the fact that both these stamps were also issued in conjunction with another two in a  block of four, although with a face value of 1500 Rupiah.

The smaller stamps are part of the second "Waterfowl" issue of 1998, dated of 01DEC1998, comprising 8 stamps. 

The 500 rupiah stamps features a Pacific Black Duck (Anas superciliosa), "a dabbling duck found in much of Indonesia, New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, and many islands in the southwestern Pacific, reaching to the Caroline Islands in the north and French Polynesia in the east". (cf wikipedia).

The 2500 rupiah is illustrated with a Wandering Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna arcuata) "a species of whistling duck. They inhabit tropical and subtropical Australia, the Philippines, Borneo, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, and the Pacific Islands". (cf. wikipedia)

Postmark from Malang, East java.

COVER N. 769 - FRANCE - UNESCO

Postmark: 1946-80-2026 UNESCO 1er Jour  la Poste  Paris  04.09.2026

Posted on 4th September;  Received on the 9th September 2026

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Encore un enorme Merci, Pierre, pour ce jolie pli de l'UNESCO, on an oficial envelope of the organisation!

As quoted from its official internet site "UNESCO is the United Nations organization that promotes cooperation in education, science, culture and communication to foster peace worldwide."

Also quoting from the "About UNESCO" section of its press releases:

"With 194 Member States, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization contributes to peace and security by leading multilateral cooperation on education, science, culture, communication and information. Headquartered in Paris, UNESCO has offices in 54 countries and employs over 2300 people. UNESCO oversees more than 2000 World Heritage sites, Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks; networks of Creative, Learning, Inclusive and Sustainable Cities; and over 13 000 associated schools, university chairs, training and research institutions, with a global network of 200 National Commissions.

The note ends with a quote from the Organisation Constitution:

“Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed” 

Sadly, it seems that there are minds that are totally impervious to such a  type of benign construction....

Given that UNESCO headquarters are located in France, The French Postal Operator, La Poste, is tasked with issuing Service Stamps for the organisation.

The latest issue of these is dated of 04SEP2026 and commemorates the 80th anniversary of the organisation, which was born in 145 but would only be formally instituted in 1946 when a 20th UN State ratified its constitution.

The 2.25 € stamp is illustrated with a depiction of the UNESCO Headquarters building in white over a UN Blue background.

Further to the legend 1946-80-2026, the hashtags #Pourlespeuples and #Fortehpeople are included under the logo of the organisation.

The First Day Postmark repeats the legend on top of the organisation logo: a classic temple, with the worlds UNESCO as columns.

COVER N. 768 - TAIWAN

Postmark: TAIWAN R.O.C. 04.08.2026

Posted on the 4th August September;  Received on the 15th September 2026

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Quite happy to receive this nice cover from another infrequent passenger in this blog: Taiwan. 

非常感謝 Su Wu!

- Taoyuan International Airport, the main airport infrastructure of Taiwan, is located in Dayuan, Taoyuan, approximately 40 km west of Taipei, the Capital. 

Opened up to traffic in 1979,  the airport was  initially designated as  Chiang Kai-shek International Airport but it would change its name to the current designation in 2006.

In 2025, TPE (IATA's code for Taoyuan International) processed approximately 47.8 million passengers and it serves as main base and hub for  China Airlines, EVA Air, and STARLUX Airlines.

The two stamps - 2 and 10 Taiwanese new Dollar - illustrated with the image of terminal 1, the former, and the Control tower, the latter,  with what looks to be a departing 747 climbing in the sky, were issued on 31DEC1978.

- Chiang Kai-Shek (1887 -1975) was the first President of Taiwan, a state issued out of the Chinese Civil War between the Kuomitang forces led by him and the forces of the Chinese Communist Party led by  Mao Zedong.

Having lost the war  Chiang Kai-Shek retreated to the Island of Formosa where he would,  so to speak, reclaim the right to the existence of the former Republic of China, which he would lead  till his death.

Meanwhile, the former Republic of China would become The People's Republic of China, which to this claims territorial and administrative authority over Taiwan. 

The 5 Taiwanese New Dollar stamp illustrated with his portrait and a group of people saluting the Taiwanese flag in the background is part of a set of four (2; 5; 8; 10 NTD) issued on 31OCT1986, in anticipation of the celebrations of the centenary of his birth.

COVER N. 767 - AUSTRIA

Postmark: Bregenzer Festspiele 6900 Bregenz 19.08.2026

Posted on the19th August September;  Received on the 14th September 2026

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Vielen Dank Günter for a lovely cover from Austria.

I think I have already mentioned in these posts of mine  a 33rpm, a Long Play, or an LP, as we used to call the object that is now a must for all the "dedicated followers of fashion" out there, expertly referred to as "a  vinyl", (come on, show us some class.... calling an LP “a vinyl is just as uncouth   as calling a condom "a latex"...) put out by Reader's Digest in the 70s, that was one of my introductions to Classical Music.

Nested amidst the 1st movement of Beethoven's Pastoral symphony, Purcell's Funeral March for Queen Mary in the then totally surprising version of Wendy Carlos (who, at the time, still signed his works as Walter Carlos), Mozart's Andante from the Elvira Madigan piano concerto, one  of Brahms' Hungarian dances and other all time favourites of western classical music, was a track that I couldn’t stop playing again and again.

It started with a low pedal note coming out of the pipe of an  organ which caused so much tension that it alone was enough to put you on alert; then came first a simple soft trumpet phrase, expressing uncertainty, almost fear, doubt, to which the metallic, sharp, cutting cry of the full brass fanfare responded, adding to the mystery and slowly pushing that tension up, guided by the brutal command of the timpani,  like a merciless hortator setting the rhythm  of the rowers in a roman trireme. Finally  that absolutely emotionally devastating climax, drowned in a last monumental clash of the cymbals.

No matter how many times I hear it, the intro section of Also Sprach Zaratustra, written by Richard Strauss (1864 - 1949) in 1896, will always make the hairs on my arms jump to attention.

I was  ten years old when I first heard it. Not in a record but in the opening sequence of Kubrick’s 2001 A Space Odyssey. I was underage but I managed to enter the theatre.... after watching the film and almost throwing up during the stargate sequence, totally overwhelmed that I was by the tunnel of colours and the disturbing soundtrack,  I would not sleep for the next three nights.... 

How was I here?

Where would I go from here?

What was I to do here?

Is there a reason for it all?

I still don't know the answers. The monolith still crosses my path, with every forward step I take...

Still, on that last night, I made a decision. I solved my questions with religion and God. 

To this day; more than half a century later.

I owe it to Kubrick.

I owe it to Strauss.

Stamps:

- The 0.62 Euro stamp illustrated with the photo portrait of the Austrian Composer  Richard Strauss was issued on the precise date of  the 150th anniversary of his birth, 11JUN2014.

The composer and conductor is considered one of the central pivots in western classical music, for the transition between the romantic and the modernist eras.

Strauss body of work contains several operas and tone poems, as well as lieder and symphonies.

- Loyalty Bonus Stamps are stamps issued annually, since 2008, by the Austrian Post which are only available to registered stamp subscribers. To this date they have been illustrated with lovely depictions of  flower species.

Günter was extremely kind in using two of these on the cover, that of 2015, dated of 07MAR2015, illustrated with the European pasqueflower (Pulsatilla vulgaris) and that of 2016, issued on 05MAR2016, featuring the Orange Lily (Lilium bulbiferum).

The stamps are cancelled with a commemorative postmark celebrating the 80th edition of the Bregenzer Festspiele,  a performing arts festival which has been held since 1946, every July and August in Bregenz, on the shore of  Lake Constance.

COVER N. 766 - FRANCE - EUROPEAN COUNCIL

Postmark: Conseil de l'Europe - 25e anniversaire du cadre européen commun de référence pour les langues -  Bonjour Hello - 1er Jour  la Poste  67 Strasbourg  04.09.2026

Posted on 4th September;  Received on the 9th September 2026

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Un gros Merci, Pierre, pour ce jolie pli du Conseil de l'Europe!

The French Postal Operator, la Poste is responsible for issuing service stamps for The European Council (and also for UNESCO).

Piere sent me a cover using an official European Parliament envelope of the last such issue, dated of 04SEP2026, the event which it honours being the 25th anniversary of the CECR -  Cadre Européen Commun de Référence pour les Langues (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).

This nowadays widely used system of classification for one's expertise in a given laguage established six Common Reference Levels (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2) for  the evaluation of competences of any given speaker.

The 2,25 € stamp is illustrated with a word cloud which contains the translation of the word "Bonjour" as a greeting form  into several European languages. The Logo of the European Council can be seen in the lower right corner of the illustration.

The First Day Postmark was issued at Strasbourg, the seat of the European Parliament, probably because the E.C. service stamps are issued by the French Postal operator, while the  European Council has it seat in Brussels, Belgium.

POSTCARD N.248 - U.S.A.

Postcrossing Postcard sent on 30 July; received on the  7th September 2026

Postcard image: Hoover Dam and Colorado River Bridge

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Thanks a lot Bobby, for this great card of the Hoover dam and the Colorado river bridge. Also thanks for the great selection of stamps.

Drones have given wings to photographers. Whereas in the past one had to enrol the service of an helicopter to shoot an image as the one on the postcard, today everyone can get it, provided, of course, they know how to handle the technicalities of the small devices that we all have seen buzzing around one's hears, particularly at tourist places. 

Now don't get me wrong. I have nothing against the conscientious use of drones (of the photo type) and  more than once I have given a thought about buying one. Still, there are so many restrictions to their use that my desire has lost momentum.... but who knows.... maybe Santa...? hear that, Mr Klaus?

The thing is that there is always an element of surprise in a drone photo, no matter how many we have already seen. Terrestrians that we are, we are used to looking at the world from the height of our eyes, so  we can't grasp a lot of what's going on above that plane. Drones don't have this limitation and as such they allow us to look at the world from a totally different perspective. Nice.

If only drones could only be used for photo and video and other peaceful applications....

Hoover Dam was built  between 1931 and 1936, on the Colorado River, about halfway on its course through Nevada and Arizona. The artificial lake it created is called Lake Mead, being the  largest reservoir in the USA. 

Besides being a famous tourist attraction, Hoover dam, at the time of construction, the largest concrete structure in the world, is also used for the production of hydroelectric power.

- In 1956, Adolph Ochs (1858 – 1935), bought, mostly with borrowed money, for the hefty sum of 75.000 USD, the New York Times newspaper, which had been established in 1851 as the New York Daily Times.

His only daughter,  Iphigene Ochs Sulzberger, would eventually marry Arthur Hays Sulzberger and, to this day, the prestigious Newspaper, has been in the hands of the descendants of the Ochs-Sulzberger family.

On 18SEP1976, USPS honoured the memory of Adolph Ochs by issuing the 13 cent stamp on the card.

- Lindbergh's solo flight over the Atlantic is one of those feats that will forever be remembered as a mark of human achievement and commitment.

To accomplish this feat, Charles Lindbergh flew on the Spirit of St. Louis, a custom built Ryan aircraft, with a fully enclosed cabin with two tiny side windows (forward vision provided by a periscope...) -  designated Ryan NYP (which stood for New York to Paris) .

On his transatlantic flight, Lucky Lindy, as he was also know, the moniker stemming from his air mail flying times, during which he survived two crashes by parachuting from the aircraft he was flying,  landed at le Bourget, Paris 33 hours and 30 minutes, after leaving Roosevelt Field in new York, on May 20-21 1937.

On 20MAY1977, celebrating the  50th anniversary of the flight, USPS issued the 13 cent stamp on the cover, illustrated with a beautiful image of the Spirit of Saint Louis, flying low above the waves  in the moonlight, a scene vividly described in Lindbergh’s book “The Spirit of Saint Louis” and also taken to a film of the same name, starred by James Stewart.

- Juan Ponce de Léon (1460-1521) was a 16th century Spanish explorer and conqueror, who accompanied Cristopher Collón in his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. He was also the first European explorer (and later governor)  of Puerto Rico... you lovely Island, Island of tropical breezes.... (I can't help it, I love West Side Story...), and the culprit for naming the peninsula that delimitates the Eastern Side of The Gulf of MEXICO, as Florida, a land that he would also be the first to map, on its Atlantic side.

On 12OCT1982, on the occasion of  ESPAMER '82, an international philatelic exhibition held in San Juan de Puerto Rico, USPS issued the 20 cent stamp on the postcard, illustrated with his portrait superimposed over the map with Florida and Puerto Rico in the background.

- The self-adhesive "Forever/USA" definitive stamp with the legend Freedom was issued on 10APR2023.

- The 7 cent air mail stamp illustrated with the top plane view of what looks like a Boeing 707 is the oldest vintage on this card, having been issued on 31JUL1958, what makes it older than myself.

- The 18-cent commemorative stamp highlighting the  Savings and Loans industry was issued on may 8, 1981. Ironically, I read that the 80's were fatal for the Savings and Loans Associations due to a sharp increase in interest rates that ruined their business model, given that the revenue from old long term  fixed rate loans could not offset the cost of the new deposit rates... 

- The Thunderbirds or The United States Air Force Demonstration Squadron, established in 1953, is one of the oldest air force aerobatic teams in the world, a title resting on its French counterpart, “La Patrouille de France”.

Based at Nellis Air Force Base, in the state of Nevada, the squadron currently flies the F-16 Fighting Falcon, a far cry from the original F-84G Thunderjets with which the squadron performed at  its inception.

The United States Department of the Air Force was established in 1947. To celebrate its 50th anniversary, USPS issued, on 18SEP1997, the  32 cent stamp on the postcard, illustrated with a photo of  a four  aircraft section of the usual six F-16s complement that the Thunderbirds use in their display routines.

Further to the clearly visible Mechanical  Freedom 250 Postmark, the stamps were cancelled with a red circular manual postmark also dated of 30.07.2026, the part of which that I can see reads "Last Las Vegas Station".

COVER N. 765 - RUSSIA

Postmark: ? 16.07.2026 (?)

Posted on 16th July (?);  Received on the 7th September 2026

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Alex sends me a nice 2023 First Day Cover. большое спасибо, Alex.

Integrated in the Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments UNESCO World Heritage Site, Oreshek Fortress is located in Orekhovy Island, where the River Neva meets Ladoga lake, right in front of the town of Shlisselburg, a mere 40 km, as the bird flies from the centre of Saint Petersburg.

The fortress was built in 1323 and on several occasions was disputed and occupied by Sweden until it was finally taken by Peter the Great in 1702.

During World War II, the fortress was heavily damaged by German shelling, and according to Wikipedia, reconstruction is still taken place today.

Celebrating the 700 anniversary of the fortress, Russmarka issued on 24AUG2023 the beautiful single 100 ruble stamp souvenir sheet on the cover, illustrated with an image of the fortification at the golden hour. What I presume to be a tourist ferry can also be seen docked in a pier adjacent to the entrance to the complex. On a ribbon on top of the image there's a legend which I believe reads "Oreshek Fortress 700 Years."

Unfortunately the first day postmark is almost illegible due to lack of contrast with the surface unto which it was applied, by I believe it features the same legend.

The logo for the celebration of the anniversary is also printed on the left of the FDC.

To post the FDC, Alex used a 25 ruble stamp part of a set of  three of identical face value issued on 04JUN1993. The set is dedicated to the Novgorod Kremlin, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, and this particular stamp features an illustration of the St. Sophia's Cathedral Bebelfry. 

POSTCARD N.247 - U.S.A.

Postcrossing Postcard sent on 24 July; received on the  24th August 2026

Postcard image: The "Tridge" at Midland, Michigan

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Audrey sent me a postcard illustrated with a photo of quite an unusual concept: a three armed bridge, or as it seems to be locally known, a "Tridge". Many thanks Audrey, I quite liked it.

I was rather intrigued by the concept, although I remember having seen at least another three armed bridge before - Tromostovje or the Triple Bridge -  in Ljubljana, Slovenia,  so I turned to Google Earth to get a better notion of the emplacement of this curious infrastructure.

Turns out that the Tridge sits at the confluence of two rivers - the Tittabawassee and its tributary, the Chippewa - so that one of the arms links the "peninsula" delimitated by the two rivers running on each side of it to the other arm that crosses the already “unified” Tittabawassee.

The pedestrian wooden bridge opened to the public in 1981, each of its arms having a length of 55 metres.

To post the card, Audrey used a "Forever Global" self-adhesive stamp issued on 24Jan2025, illustrated with a 1794 Compass Rose that was drawn in 1794 by "...Lucia Wadsworth — the aunt of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow — in her school geography notebook...", according to Wikipedia.

The mechanical postmark was applied at USPS Michigan Metroplex Processing and Distribution Centre, in Pontiac, and it carries the logo of Freedom 250, the PPP established by the American Administration to run the celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States.

COVER N. 764 - BULGARIA

Postmark: ? 26.08.2026

Posted on 26th August;  Received on the 7th September 2026

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My Friend, The Flying Dutchman, sent me a nice cover from Bulgaria. Muito Obrigado, Eric. Um grande Abraço!

As it is well known, 2026 marks the 70th anniversary of the first CEPT/EUROPA stamps, the occasion having been celebrated by PostEurope with a common design stamp issue, chosen through a contest open to its members.

20 years ago, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary, 2006, the path chosen what the more traditional (and to me more appealing) subordination of the issues to a common theme, not a common design, which, for that particular year, was "Integration through the Eyes of Young People".

Further to issuing the 2006 EUROPA set, Bulgaria, a member of CEPT since 1990, chose to mark the 50th anniversary of the organisation in advance, with the two stamp set (0,45 + 0,80 Lev) on the cover,  which began to circulate on 28MAY2005.

The stylised human images on the stamps can easily relate to both the role of PostEurope as a vehicle to foster cooperation between postal administrations and also to the 2026 common theme, "Integration",  as stated above.

Unfortunately, the postmark is not legible, but the Postal Code 1408 indicates that it was issued in Sofia, Bulgaria's Capital.

POSTCARD N.246 - SPAIN

Postcard dated of 19 August; received on the  27th August 2026

Postcard image: Sant Mateu (Castellon) - Ermita de la Mare de Deu dels Angels

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Eva sends me a postcard with a view of  the Ermita de la Mare de Deu dels Angels (Hermitage of Our Lady of the Angels), in Sant Mateu, province of Castellón. Moltes Graciès, Eva. It is always a pleasure to get to know new places and landmarks in our Peninsula.

To say that traditional touristic postcards can be windows to the world  around us, echoes of a lapalissade, still I think it is worth mentioning it for the humble photo on a 10x15 rectangle has done a lot to preserve the memory of places, locals, buildings, infrastructures... you name it.

In the days before cameras in telephones and instant messaging, they were the physical counterpart to what we now do “matterlessly” through whatsapp or any email app.

And  they were ubiquitous. At every village or town, or city, in every quiosk, newsstand, stationery store, side by side with the newspaper racks, there would be a rotating postcard display stand, with images of the local landmarks, or local views,  humble as they might be.

It is in their physical nature that lays their utmost importance.

Some time ago I was visiting an exhibition in the museum of the city where I live. Part of it was dedicated to the evolution of a small fishing village that integrates the city's municipal area, which I know quite well, as it stands today.

A century ago, it was quite different, of course, and yet, I could see how it evolved into what it is today, thanks to several postcards, issued in the course of that same century, that provided the perfect registry of the changes that the village went through.

Yes, today it is so easy: you take a photo, you send it right away, but..........

no one puts the message in a shoebox anymore, no one cares about it, once it is sent and received, no one files it, classifies it, cares for it, collects it....

In a hundred years time, paradoxically, I wouldn't be surprised if  it may prove to more difficult to organise an exhibition documenting the evolution through time of a specific place (if that place is not a major city or landmark) than in the days of the paper backed photography...

That's why postcards are also important. Cheap yet affective time capsules, they are... 

There should be an international Postcard resurgence movement.. Eva (and I) and many others contribute to it.. hope it grows :-)

Wikipedia tells me that the Ermida de Sant Mateu sits atop the mountain of the same name in the Vale d'Angel mountain range, in the Province of Castellon, in the Valencian Community.

The story of this church goes back to the final years of the 16th century when Sebastian, a Portuguese hermit living in the then existing  hermitage dedicated to Saint Anthony the Abbot and Saint Paul the Hermit is said to have seen in his dreams an image of the Virgin appear and disappear under the altar table.

After securing permission from the ecclesiastical authorities, Sebastian and a group of believers who were aware of his dream, found the image and placed it on the altar. The existing hermitage was from then on expanded to become what is now the Sant Mateu Hermitage.

Today, the Hermitage is  the destination of an annual pilgrimage that happens on the second Saturday after Easter, originating in the Archpriest Church of Sant Mateu, in the town of the same name, two to three kilometres away

Stamps (left to right) 

- Felipe VI became the King of Spain on 19 June 2014. The first definitive series featuring his portrait was issued on 19JAN2015, and the 0,04 € stamp on the cover is part of that issue which comprised 6 values (0,01; 0,04; 0,10; 1;L 2; 5 €), the stamps being all equal but printed in different colours.

- The United Nations Assembly General of 2011 proclaimed the 30th July as the International Friendship Day.

This fact notwithstanding, this day  is also unofficially celebrated in Spain and in some of the Spanish speaking countries of Latin America and in Brazil slightly earlier, on the 20th July, the day when Neil Armstrong first set a human foot on the moon.

This year, to highlight the date, Correos de España issued on  20JUL2026, the 1€ self-adhesive stamp on the postcard, illustrated  with  a suggestive and self-explaining image and the legend Dia de la Amistad (Frierndship Day).   

The Tariff A (domestic, 20g) stamp illustrated with two ladies (one presumably older than the other, as indicated by her gray hair) hugging each other and the legend Soledad no Deseada (Undesired Solitude), was issued on 28APR2026 as is part of a series designated Salud y Bienestar (Health and Wellbeing). It aims at raising awareness for one of the silent epidemics of current times: unwanted loneliness.

The mechanical Postmark is illegible as to the place of application

COVER N. 761 - SPAIN

Postmark: Base Antártica Española Juan Carlos IIsla Livingston Correos 20.03.2026

Posted on 20 March;  Received on the 18th August 2026

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Another uncommon visitor to my mailbox, again thanks to the help of the restless wanderer, my Phantom friend. Danke sehr, Alex!

You'd expect mail coming from the Antarctic to travel through stormy weather.... what I would not expect was to have it delivered totally unscathed to my letterbox only to get it soaked by some rainwater from a summer tempest in my letterbox, while I was away from home for a few days :-( Luckily it only affected the bottom third of the envelope, so the beautiful blue cachet and black postmark were not smudged.

The Base Antártica Juan Carlos I is one of the two research stations that Spain maintains in the South Shetland Islands, one of the emerging bodies of land delimiting the infamous Drake Passage that links the Pacific to the Atlantic in the southern latitudes, the other being, of course, the no less  renowned Chilean Cape Horn. (The other Spanish base is  Base Antártica Gabriel de Castilla, in Deception Island).

Located in the  Hurd Peninsula, in Livingston Island, it was established in 1988, being given the name of the then Head of the Spanish state, King Juan Carlos I, and it is seasonally occupied, from November to March.

In can accomodate up to 50 people, its staff being functionally divided mostly into researchers and logistics personnel. The research therein conducted is carried out in the fields of:

Glaciology and Permafrost: Monitoring glacier mass balance, ice dynamics, and the degradation of permanently frozen ground to understand climate change impacts. 

Atmospheric Studies and Meteorology: Collecting continuous climate data, tracking aerosol movements, measuring ultraviolet radiation, and monitoring the ozone layer. 

Geomagnetism and Ionosphere Physics: Studying the Earth’s magnetic field and upper atmosphere variations, which are critical for satellite communications and global navigation systems. 

Biology and Ecology: Investigating polar ecosystems, including lichen physiology, vegetation adaptations to extreme cold, and the impacts of human footprints on local fauna. 

Geology and Geophysics: Analyzing the structural evolution of the South Shetland Islands, local volcanic activity, and tectonic movements.

Physical Oceanography: Examining marine currents, sea temperatures, and coastal salinity variations in coordination with the Spanish research vessel Hespérides.   

The stamp used on the cover is the Spanish Europa Issue of 2022, on the common theme of Myths and Legends.

It was issued on Europe's day 2022 - 09MAY2022 - and it is illustrated with an image evocative of Sa Dragonera island, located southwest of  Mallorca Island in the ballearic Archipelago.

The Island itself has the shape of a dragon , and legend has it that the island was home to one such mythical beast that protected Mallorca from undeserved invaders.

The pictorial postmark of the base is illustrated with the base's logo image, which I think is a skua, but I am not sure about this. 

COVER N. 763 - DJIBOUTI

Postmark: Djibouti Principal Rep. Djibouti 13.08.2026

Posted on 13th August;  Received on the 18th August 2026

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Nothing short of amazing. Nochmals danke sehr, Alex! 

Thanks to you I am able to tick another box in the countries list, something which fills me up with joy every time it happens. 

Also I would never think that a letter from Djibouti to Portugal would travel so fast. Excellent!

We don't hear much about Djibouti and I confess that excepting the fact of it being an eastern Africa country located in the horn of Africa, I knew nothing about it. So, I turned to the usual sources to find out that it was a former French colony up until 1977, the year when the Republic of Djibouti was officially established, and that it shares borders with Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia, its shores being at the confluence of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

I also learned that Djibouti has been led by the same party since its independence and the adoption of a constitution, which only occurred 15 years after the separation from France, in 1992, which consagrates multipartidarism and that  the current President was recently elected for a sixth term by 97.8% of the votes...

Djibouti ranks as 152 in the list of 195 countries and territories  included in the "Freedom in the World" Index of the European Commission. 

For postage, Alex used two stamps of a mini-sheet of 6 x 120 Djiboutian franc issued on 28APR2000 themed on trains.

The trains in the illustrations are the French TGV (left) and the Italian ETR 450 (right).

Postmark from the central Post Office at Djibouti city, the capital.