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

_________________________________________________________________________________

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

_________________________________________________________________________________

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

_________________________________________________________________________________

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

_________________________________________________________________________________

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. 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

_________________________________________________________________________________

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

_________________________________________________________________________________

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

_________________________________________________________________________________

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

_________________________________________________________________________________

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

_________________________________________________________________________________

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....

COVER N. 735 - FRANCE

Postmark: Salon Paris Philex 2026 - la nature à Paris - La Poste Paris 11.06.2026

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

_________________________________________________________________________________

NFT stamps... an absolute mystery to me. 

I bought the first Portuguese  NFT stamp and readily made a mess of all the registering process right away, so when I noticed that Eric had kindly sent me  a cover with one of the La Poste NFT stamps issued in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the publication in France of  Le Petit Prince, (pour laquelle que je te remercie enomerment, Eric) I began to get a bit shaky...

Contrary to the Portuguese stamp, though, the 8€ NFT stamp illustrated with an image of the Little Prince flying his own aircraft, has a QR code inscribed on it. Reading the QR code, returns a 3D-ish animation of the image on the stamp, so at least I was able to get to this part, which is a lot more than I was able to do with the Portuguese stamp.

As far as I think I understand, NFT stamps should be "stored" online but this is where I have no idea how to progress in order to create one's own "album". Maybe one day, i'll understand it, even though I think I cannot recuperate my original Portuguese NFT stamp which is living somewhere in a digital limbo....

Anyway, the Petit Prince NFT on the cover is part of a set of four single stamp souvenir sheets (4 x 8€ - NFTimbre 8.1-8.4)) issued on 19MAY2026, celebrating, as above mentioned, the 80th anniversary of the French publication of Le Petit Prince, by Galimard, in 1946. The stamps are illustrated with an image that is essentially a frame from the video accessible through the QR code inscribed on their surface.

The physical stamp was cancelled in the course of the Paris Philex 2026 philatelic show with the First Day Postmark of a Lettre Verte stamp that was issued during the event, on 11JUN2026, as the 2026 Philex CNEP (Chambre syndicale française des Négociants et Experts en Philatélie) issue, dedicated to the theme of the event: La nature à Paris (Nature in Paris).

As I was able to read on the internet, CNEP has been  issuing souvenir sheets with a lettre verte stamp  for each of philatelic shows it organises or participates in, since 1980.

COVER N. 734 - FRANCE

Postmark: Les 80 ans du petit Prince - le Petit Prince - 80 - 1er Jour La Poste Paris 11.06.2026

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

_________________________________________________________________________________

The second "Le Petit Prince" themed cover that Eric sent me was also an FDC, featuring the 2.25€ stamp illustrated with a recreation of Saint-Exupéry's magnificent character.

Un grand Merci, Eric.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is mainly remembered as a writer  and as one of the pioneers of French Intercontinental airmail services, (Africa and later South America) through his collaboration with Aéropostale, the  company founded, with that aim in mind, in  the wake of the first world war, by aircraft  manufacturer (mainly flying-boats and seaplanes) Pierre-Georges Latécoère, as “Société des Lignes Latécoère”, which would  be rebranded in 1927,as “Compagnie Générale Aéropostale”.

The story of Aéropostale is an epic odyssey in itself  and several of its pilots would be forever remembered as examples of tenacity, endurance and  courage, so many were the hurdles, challenges and life threatening situations they had to overcome while carrying mail in their planes over the Andes or the African deserts.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Jean Mermoz, Henri Guillaumet, probably the most famous of all the Aéropostale pilots. They all lived a life devoted to aviation.... so much so that they all died while flying... Saint-Ex over the Mediterranean Sea while on a photo reconnaissance flight in 1943; Mermoz in 1936 over the South Atlantic, while crossing it from Senegal to Brazil and Guillaumet also shot down over the Mediterranean, in 1940.

Saint-Ex's own experience with accidents was instrumental in his writing of the Little Prince, for the plot draws on the situation he went through when crashing in the Sahara desert during what was supposed to be a record flight between Paris and Saigon, in 1935. Hhe and his co-pilot spent 5 days in the desert, with almost nothing to drink, being finally rescued by a Bedouin who happened to be passing close by.

80 years past the publication in France of his most beloved book, on 11JUL2026, La Poste once again decided to honour this man of many talents, with a 2,25 € stamp with a digital recreation of  the little boy who tamed a fox, originally drawn in ink and painted in watercolour, which sits on many a bookshelf across the whole world.

 

POSTCARD N.236 - FRANCE

Postcard sent on the 12th of June; received on the 25th June 2026

Postcard image: Le Petit Prince

_________________________________________________________________________________

Le Petit Prince, the Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s magnum opus... the first book I have the recollection of it being offered me by my father, in its Portuguese translation, of course: O Principezinho.....

And somehow, in the beginning of the current week, I felt that Saint-Ex's famous illustration of a boa digesting an elephant could be a perfect metaphor form my letterbox, for after Mr.Postman's visit, it too became immobile for the rest of the week, while trying to digest the huge load of French First Day Covers I got from Eric, and which I will be, of course, posting here these coming days.

Un gran merci, mon ami. Tu m'as bien apprivoisé....

The Little Prince is the world's most translated book after the Bible, having been published in more than 600 different languages and dialects.

The history of the Little Prince, the only living boy in asteroid B612, who ended up on Earth after  abandoning his little celestial body to escape a pretentious rose and to find a way of keeping baobabs from occupying all its surface, only to be taught by a fox that we are responsible for what we tame (sounds confusing? well, not a bit.) has been read, cherished and loved by generations of people willing to be tamed in all corners of the world  ever since it was first published, in 1943, in both French and English, by  Reynal & Hitchcock, in New York

The first French Publication would  sadly be a posthumous one, for Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's had been banned from publication by the Vichy Regime. Thus, when the book was finally published in France, by Galimard, in 1946, his author had already lost his life, what sadly occurred in April 1943, during a flight in a  F5B,  a reconnaissance version of the American Lockheed P-38 Lightning, over the Mediterranean, not far from Marseille.

The 80 years of the French publication of Le Petit Prince were chosen by La Poste as one of the events and places to be honoured with stamp issues during 2026's Paris Philex  a well established stamp exhibition and competition held annually in Paris.

To this view,  La Poste issued both a 12 x "Lettre Verte" stamps booklet and a single 2,25 € (International 20g) stamp, both illustrated with images inspired by the fabulous original watercolours also authored by Saint-Exupéry, used to illustrate the book.

Two of the "Lettre Verte" stamps, cancelled with the first day postmark dated of 11JUN2026,  can be seen on the Petit Prince themed postcard Eric sent me.

The postmark featuring the portrait of the famous character superimposed on a 80 and the legend les 80 ans du Petit Prince (80 years of the Little Prince) was applied at Philex 2026, I presume.

COVER N. 709 - FRANCE

Postmark: none

Posted on ?;  Received on the 28th April 2026

_________________________________________________________________________________

Well, as we say here, "Christmas is whenever a man wants it to be...".

Merci Daniel. Ta lettre avec les timbres est en transit....

I must be a good and well behaved kid, since I do not believe Santa writes this early in the year to anyone who does not have a service record as pristine as mine 😀.

The prepaid letter envelope the Daniel used was, as far as I could investigate over the internet, issued by la Poste in 1993, as part of a set of three, all featuring Santa, both in the pre-printed stamp and  the cachet.

No cancellation was applied on this envelope, probably due to its prepaid/pre-printed nature.

COVER N. 695 - FRANCE

Postmark: Fête du Timbre Street Art et peintres de rue 69 Oullins-Pierre-Bénite 06.03.2026

Posted on the 6th March;  Received on the 12th March 2026

_________________________________________________________________________________

Street Art... the street as inspiration, model, atelier, canvas, gallery, arts forum, for the joy of the city and its dwellers and visitors.

Graffiti, murals, tags, video projections...

What started as a sidelined movement form the peripheries has now become fully integrated into the mainstream circuit, with some authors becoming well acknowledged and respected names in the selective world of visual arts.

What better example of this than my own President, who left office just a couple of days ago, having chosen a street artist to do his official portrait for the Gallery of the Presidents of the Portuguese Republic... (and what a great portrait it is... and what a nice gesture Vilhs, the artist, had, refusing to be paid and asking that the money be directed to the acquisition of works by other Portuguese emerging artists....)

Cities have fully realised the potential of street art as promotional vehicle and so street art festivals take place in cities all over the planet. 

And so did stamps: street art has become collectible in philatelic terms, with some postal administrations issuing sets thus themed in the recent past. But the best is yet to come, for I suppose that next year, 2027, the theme will get a fair share of new followers, given that it will be the conceptual basis for the EUROPA issues.

Meanwhile, La Poste, it seems,  chose to be one step ahead and elected street art and street painters  as the theme for this year's Fête du Timbre.

Occurring yearly since 1937, La Fête du Timbre simply aims at promoting Philately in its many guises, making it known to the public at large.

The event is organised by the Fédération Française des Associations Philatéliques, in association with Phil@poste (the La Poste body responsible for stamp printing and issuing) and ADPhile (an association whose objective is to foster knowledge dissemination through stamps and philately).

For the occasion, following up on the Arts de Rue general fête du Timbre theme inaugurated last year with two stamps dedicated to street circus, La Poste issued, on 06MAR2026 the single 3,10 € souvenir sheet and 1,52 € stamp on the cover, the former honouring Street art, and the latter paying homage to street painters.

And, once again, Eric suprised me with a beautiful FDC featuring both issues. Un grand Merci, mon ami.

I was rather pleased to learn that the work chosen to illustrate the souvenir sheet was that of an artist with a strong connection with my own country, since he is of Portuguese descent.

In fact Alexandre Monteiro, or Hopare, as he is known, is,  the son of Portuguese parents and at 36 he is already one of the most recognised names of street art in France.

I have to confess I was not familiar with his production, but upon researching his name on the internet, I realised he has at least two works on display in Lisbon: a sculpture and a mural.

From what I could see on the internet, the portrait of a lady on the stamp is quite illustrative of his style and work. 

Also I happened to go to Lisbon today and his sculpture entitled  “Pareidolie”  was very close to where I was going so I made a small detour:

 

The stamp honouring the street painters and urban sketchers bears a nice polychromatic in-taglio printed view of  a pedestrian zone of a city in France, occupied with several painters, going about their business...

The author of this stamp is André Lavergne who was also responsible for the creation of the First Day Postmark, featuring a grafitted "Street Art", a paint spray can and a brush.

  

COVER N. 694 - FRANCE

Postmark: 1926 Paul Bocuse 2018 Premier Jour 69 06.02.2026

Posted on ?;  Received on the 10th March 2026

_________________________________________________________________________________

Art Déco... quoi dire? .. J'adore!

Un grand merci, Eric!

Indeed I love it.

Modernism, in its many forms of expression and supports, has got to be one of the most interesting periods in the history of all the arts. Within the confines of the early expressionism of Van Gogh masterpieces and the clean cut lines of Oscar Niemeyer's architecture, a world of immensely diverse esthetical experimentation continuously swirls, ejecting as if by centrifugal force, a truly prolific shower of beauty that encompasses all the earth continents.

Art Deco is one of modernism’s multi expressions, mostly associated with the inter-wars period, the fabled roaring 20's, which would impact the visual arts, design and architecture alike.

On a very personal basis, I (whose appreciation for the arts is mostly based on personal fruition and self derived conjectures, rather than on education and study)  think one could look at Art Déco almost as a consequential transition from Art Noveau, although in the end, both manifestations of art would strongly diverge in character and aspect. 

In fact, for some reason I cannot express, the evolution of one seems, to me, to lead on to the other, as if pushing the natural flowing and yet sometimes extremely complex surfaces of the former to their inherent limits would make them morph into the angular and geometric shapes of the latter.

Of course the beautiful feminine images of Mucha are quite different from the equally outstanding images of Tamara de Lempika, or even those of our own Almada Negreiros wherefrom cubism and futurism perspire, but art is just that: evolution, revolution, transgression.... and yet, always, a window into the past and a door into the future.

In the light of this simple fact it is of course hard to establish a founding moment for a given artistic movement, but art historians have established the Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels moderns, held in Paris in 1925, as the birth of Art Déco.

Celebrating the centenary of this important occurrence in the history of art, and its evocation through a celebratory exhibition held at the Musée des Artes Decoratives in Paris, La Poste issued on 20OCT2025 the very beautiful 1,39 € stamp on the cover.

The stamp is the result of a partnership between la Poste, the Musée and the École Nationale des Arts Decoratifs, who entrusted  Lisa Derocle Ho-Leong,  one of its graduates, with the task of conceiving the stamp, which presumably reflects the artist's interpretation of items  from the museum collection in the stamps illustration.

Postage for the cover was completed with another quite interesting stamp: a 2028-2024 surcharged “Lettre Verte” Marianne, of the “Marianne L'engagée”series, issued in 2024.

The stamps are cancelled with a First Day Postmark issued for the recent stamp honouring Paul Bocuse, one of the seminal names behind what come to be known as Nouvelle Cuisine. Bocuse, (1926-2018). Being a distinguished Lyonnais it is only natural that La Poste chose to also honour him with a postmark issued on his city, which was a also the  place from where the cover was sent.

This and the fact that the conceptual and esthetical complexities of  Art Déco go perfectly hand in hand with Haute Cuisine,  brings the cover full circle and I am very happy to have it in my collection.

COVER N. 690 - FRANCE

Postmark: Cinéma Eden Théâtre 13-La Ciotat Les Lumières de L'Eden, Premier Jour  La Poste 13.02.2026

Posted on the 13th January;  Received on the 20th February 2026

_________________________________________________________________________________

Le Cinéma..... The moving image, the moving photographs that moved people into theatres so that they could get moved at watching simple factual "snapshots" (or, should I say, "snapmovies")  of day to day life such as  the workers coming out of the factory or the arrival of a train at the train station...

Although not being the first ever made films,  these two cinematographic landmarks,  carefully captured  on their "Cinématographe" contraption by the Lyonese Lumière Brothers would go down in history as probably the most famous of  the  early examples of "movies", since they would also be among the first to be screened in front of an audience.

The immediate success of films meant that suitable auditoriums had to be found for their screening and one such case was the Eden Théâtre of La Ciotat, France.

Inaugurated on 15 June 1889, it would, 10 years later, on 21 March 1899, host  the first paying public  screening of films from the Lumière catalogue, with the above mentioned “Arrivé d’un Train à La Ciotat“ on the session programme.

Today, Eden Thèâtre, which become the property of the Municipality of La Ciotat in 1992,  is still opened to film loving audiences, what makes it the oldest cinema in operation in the world.

On 13FEB2026, La Poste issued the 1,52 € stamp on the cover, celebrating this historic landmark of cinematographic relevance.

And Eric and his sister Annabelle, à qui je dirige mon plus grand et sincère Merci, were overkind and generous in sending me not only the lovely FDC but also the beautiful Carte Postale with the image of the Eden's Façade. 

The stamp bears a head-on view of the Theatre and Cinema buildings, the latter as far as I can make it from the images I consulted on Google earth occupying the South wing of the building.

Unfortunately, the Post Office chose again to add a totally unnecessary and absolutely defacing mechanical cancellation on the stamps. I really have trouble understanding why philatelic mail cannot be treated with the respect it deserves by the postal service. Same happens is Spain, very often...

The Postcard that Annabelle so kindly included bears the illustration of the monumental façade with its pediment showcasing what I believe is the city's coat of arms, a detail which was also used in the design of the celebratory postmark.

COVER N. 686 - FRANCE

Postmark: Nouvel An Chinois Année du Cheval - Paris - 1er jour 06.02.2026

Posted on the 6th February;  Received on the 11th February 2026

_________________________________________________________________________________

My second Year of the Horse cover. This time from France, where La Poste issued its customary very pretty Chinese New Year issue. Un grand Merci, Roland.

The Year of the Horse, or, more specifically, of the Fire Horse, something that occurs every 60 years, will begin on the coming 17th February.

I could go and look for what experts in the Chinese Zodiac expect the year to be, but the sceptic in me will always say that you cannot predict the future, and so you'd better learn from the past, so as not to commit the same mistakes, ever and ever again.

Simple as it might seem, this postulate, nevertheless,  does not seem catch up with human  societies at large, for we keep allowing ourselves to be represented in many cases by lunatics, liars, tormentors, dictators, with the results that we all know... and yet, just like the zodiac, it seems to be cyclic....

Will the circle be unbroken; by and by, Lord, by and by?

there's a better home a-waiting, in the sky, Lord, in the sky...

I wish it were that simple....but what I'd really want would be to everyone to have a better home a-waiting where we are, Lord, where we are!

I would also wish that La Poste would not insist in double cancelling the covers that devoted philatelists so laboriously and carefully prepare to send to their friends... talk about learning with errors from the past....

Will the circle be unbroken...?

COVER N. 682 - FRANCE

Postmark: Bureau Philatélique 06 Nice Marché aux Fleurs 27.01.2026

Posted on the 27th January;  Received on the 2nd Febreuary 2026

_________________________________________________________________________________

Stamps can bring memories forth. I said it here before, I restate it again, thanks to a nice cover from France with a stamp that made me go and take a look at the photographs I took a bit over a year ago at Nice....

Un grand Merci Andrè. Aussi pour les fantastiques timbres aviation. Je les ai adoré!  

I much rather walk along any given coast or shore line in the winter than in the summer. In fact, in the summer I'd rather stay away from the coast, this being one of the most perennial points of contention with my dear wife, who, for nine out of the twelve months of the year, longs for the scorching hot days of the sunny season, since that is the only time when she will allow the ocean to caress her delicate body, while I barely exist by her side, turned into a lifeless lump of sweaty, nearly vegetative, matter...

That's why I was quite happy when we visited Nice, a little more than a year ago, in mid winter. And, just to set the record straight, so did she, since, barring our thermostatic differences, summer or winter, what we really like is to go and see what we have never seen before.

What could be more pleasurable than a late afternoon walk along La Promenade des Anglais, thus concluding a more than full day on the coast that took us to Cannes and Antibes with its Picasso Museum, taking advantage of the sunny and temperate embrace of the Mediterranean?

That's what the calm and inviting illustration on the stamp on the cover seemed to ask me, when I first looked at the envelope that I had just taken out of my letterbox.... ah those blue chairs.... we both sat on them for a while having a sandwich (an omelette sandwich, I remember quite vividly) while the calm waters played the looping minimal symphony of the beach stones rubbing their backs against each other...

The 2025 United Nations Conference on the Oceans, took place in Nice between 9 and 13 June, with the aim of « Accelerating action and mobilizing all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean ».

Not an easy task in a world that still seems to ignore the voice of science, and where a leader that should know much better, proclaims his unabated love for coal, while exerting the oil industry to "drill, baby drill", and exhibiting ferocious cold tempests as proof that global warming is a hoax....

On the occasion of the Conference La Poste issued, on 10JUL2025, the 2.10 € stamp on the cover illustrated with a nice artistic rendition of Nice's waterfront, with the typical blue chairs, a couple of seagulls and two frolicking dolphins in the distance. 

Postage was colpleted with two Marianne stamps. The 0,10 is part of the Marianne of Lamouche issue, and is dated of 01OCT2006, while the 0,05 is part of the Marianne de l’avenir set, issued on 13SEP2023.

Postmark of the Philatelic Bureau of the Post Office, located near the Flower Market, in downtown Nice.

COVER N. 668 - FRANCE

Postmark: Santa Sleigh33500 Libourne

Posted and  Received in December 2025

_________________________________________________________________________________

This year again I wrote Le Père Noël a letter, via the Secrétariat du Père Noël website, and he was kind enough to reply, with his customary friendly letter and a little colouring postcard gift 

The pre-printed stamp bears the image of  one of Santa's reindeers and the equally printed postmark hails from Libourne, the headquarters of the Secrétariat du Père Noël.

Not knowing that I do speak a little French, Le Père Noël chose to write me is friendly letter in English.

I'd be tempted to get my watercolours out for this one.....but I'd rather keep it as it is for the collection.

COVER N. 660 - FRANCE

Postmark: Métiers d'Art Horloger 1er Jour Paris la Poste 06.11.2025

Posted on the 6th November;  Received in November 2025

_________________________________________________________________________________

The lovely Métiers D'Art series had the 2025 issue dedicated to the magicians who trap time in microscopic pulleys and cog-wheels: The Watchmakers. Un grand Merci, Roland!

The beautiful in-taglio printed stamp bears the image of the hands of a watchmaker at work, with several tools of the trade on the desk. Images of the tools and little parts that are used to build a watch also feature in the selvage, as can be seen in the cover.

The 2,10 €  stamp, issued on 06NOV2025 is part of a annual series started in 2016 dedicated to Métiers d'Art (Artistic Crafts).

The First day Postmark was applied in Paris.