COVER N. 295 - FRANCE

Postmark: Le Carré d'Encre - Paris 10.08.23

Posted on the 10th August; Received on the 14th August 2023

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I'm finally back from my thirteen days of solo walking the Portuguese Coastal Route of the Way of Saint James, between Porto in the North of Portugal and Santiago de Compostela, Galiza.

Days of intense physical exertion but also of pleasant contemplation of the many beautiful places I went through, both along the coast and the hinterland, sometimes seeing things I've never seen before, be it atmospheric phenomena or animal or plant species. All in all, a journey to be well remembered and the final realisation of a wish that had been inhabiting my own self for more than three decades.

But more of that in due time (I've kept a cover log of the trip, and in the future I'll write a blog entry dedicated to it).  For the time being let me try to reduce the little mountain of covers that I have accumulated since my summer vacation an which I still haven't registered on my blog.

so, without further ado:

The beautiful "Trésors de Notre Dame" series once again takes the spotlight on this beautiful cover, sent from the French Capital. Thank you so much Roland, what not to love about the beautiful souvenir sheet and its seafaring companion? 

Given that this is the second cover I got with this beautiful sheet, I'll recommend visiting post for Cover #285,

As stated on that particular post, so far four of these beautiful souvenir sheets have been issued and I am lucky to examples of all four thanks to the generosity of French fellow collectors.

The 2020 issue can be seen here

the 2021 issue can be seen here.

the  2022 issue can be seen here  or here.

As for "la Tortue luth" (Dermochelys coriacea), the Leatherback sea turtle, on the 0,41 € stamp, it is part of a four stamp set, issued on 05JUN2002, dedicated to marine life.

The leatherback sea turtle is the largest of all turtles, weighing up to 500 kg, and its distinctive feature, from where she got its name, is the fact that, contrary to their cousins, they don't have a scaly, bony shell but a flexible leathery one. With a rather global distribution, the leatherneck is listed as Vulnerable, in what concerns its IUCN conservation status.

One night in Mexico, on the Yucatan peninsula, I had the pleasure of watching new born leatherneck and loggerhead turtles find their way from the hatching enclosure where the eggs had been kept by conservationists to the Gulf of Mexico waters,,,, I wonder if the little leatherneck I helped along is still swimming somewhere.... I hope so, at least; it is said that they can live up to 100 years...

The Postmark tells us that the letter was mailed from Le Carré d'Encre, which I understand is a special boutique  of La Poste, dedicated to philately and writing, located in Paris.

Service intermission....☺

Expect no updates for the next 15 days or so...

COVER N. 294 - UKRAINE

Postmark: Kyiv 134 Ukraina 17.07.23

Posted on the 17th July; Received on the 13th August 2023

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Another cover from martirised Ukraine. It is no small wonder that on times like this, under the constant threat of bombings and all the other obnoxiousness that war is so prodigal in producing, people still find ways to cling to some sort of normality. Hobbies can help, I presume; anything that might distract the mind from the horrors that are actually felt, not just witnessed for brief moments on the news on TV, might help but I guess there is no escaping reality, which is always there to make its abhorrent presence be felt, just like yesterday, at a peaceful market, of all places...., in Kostantinovka. How can such an order be given? How can a human being hit the fire button for such an hideous crime?

War dehumanises people, and the wounds will take ages to heel, if ever.....

Where have all the flowers gone....?

Thanks a lot Basil, I most sincerely wish you can go back to enjoying your hobby in peace as soon as possible.

Mир; Mir; Peace and Victory reads the legend on the frame of the companion stamp to the common design  stamp, by its side, which constitutes the Ukranian 2023 Europa set, issued on 24MAY2023, precisely 15 months after the beginning of the unjustifiable Russian invasion.

On the stamp, a young girl closes her eyes and wishes for those two words to come true, no doubt about it, while a white dove flies by, answering her summons....

Peace, the Highest Value of Humanity, reads the cyrillic legend on the side of both stamps...

On 03JUN2020, Ukrposhta issued two more definitive stamps of the Ukrainian cities coats of arms series. One of them, with an H letter denomination (letter denominations on Ukrainian stamps are a rather complex matter and I cannot find a document explaining what they stand for) and illustrated with the coat of arms of  Stariy Merchik, can be seen on the cover.

Ukraposhta has also been adding quite regularly stamps to a definitive series dedicated to the traditional hand painted Pysanka Easter eggs. The one on the cover, is illustrated with an egg from Hutsulshchyna, and was issued on 21APR2023, with the letter tariff T.

Of note is the fact that for the cover, Basil used  the official  envelope for the Europa 2023 issue.

COVER N. 293 - UN - GENEVA

Postmark: 1211 Genève - Nations Unies 03.08.2023

Posted on the 3rd August; Received on the 13th August 2023

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UN Genève; the one United Nations Postal Administration cover that I was still lacking, after New York and Vienna. Not anymore, thanks to Alex the Phantom! Thank you so much, pal, it's really a great addition to the collection.

Yesterday the 77th Session of the General Assembly of the UN came to a close and the 78th was initiated.... many have been the progresses that this organization has ensured over the years since its inception in 1945, but after 77 sessions, one would think that it is really time for a procedural update, especially in what concerns veto power by the permanent members of the security council. Failing that, there will always be the potential for the repetition of aggression situations promoted or with the participation of one of the "big 5", like the ones we are witnessing today in Ukraine, without such actions being able to be positively counteracted from a binding legislative standpoint. 

I have read there was a little step forward to this end last year, when a decision of the General Assembly was adopted establishing that  any veto, would automatically imply the convening of an General Assembley Plenary Session, wherein the vetoing power would have to explain its position in an open debate, but this does not change much, now, does it....?

The World Federation of United Nations Associations is an NGO founded in 1946, in Luxembourg, which claims to have the mission of  "building a better world by strengthening and improving the United Nations through the engagement of people who share a global mindset and support international cooperation–global citizens".

it's objectives, as stated in its bylaws, are:

 (a) To be a peoples' movement for the United Nations; 

(b) To co-ordinate and further the activities of its Members and to promote the establishment of new United Nations Associations; 

(c) To co-operate, where appropriate, with other organizations whose objects include the support of the United Nations and its development; 

(d) To promote tolerance, understanding, solidarity and co-operation among men, women and children throughout the world without distinction as to race, sex, language, religion or political orientation; 

(e) To contribute to the removal of obstacles to peace, to work for justice, security and disarmament, and to promote the development of peaceful co-existence and co-operation among nations; 

(f) To strive for the recognition of and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the world and for the recognition of the responsibilities and duties which those rights involve for individuals, groups and States;

(g) To promote economic development, enhancement of social progress and better standards of life; 

(h) To promote research, information and education about the goals of the Charter of the United Nations and the work of the United Nations system.

Over the years, on several occasions, the organization has also promoted a  fundraising program "based on the sale of first day covers of UN stamps and lithographs produced by artists and celebrities, such as Picasso, Lou Zheng Jang, Miró, Salvador Dali, Ruben Leyva, Al Hirschfeld and Andy Warhol to promote the ideals of the UN".

The souvenir sheet on the cover was issued to this end on 14NOV1986, with each of  its four stamps denominated in Swiss Francs, replicating a painting  by well known artists: 0,25 CHF - Las palomas - Benigno Gomez; 0,45 CHF - Alexander Calder; 0,50 CHF - Peace Keeping Operations - Juan Miró; 0,70 CHF - Musical Instruments - Ole Hamman.

COVER N. 292 - CÔTE D'IVOIRE

Postmark: Agence Postale de Grand-Bassam 25.07.2023

Posted on the 25th July; Received on the 13th August 2023

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Côte D'Ivoire... although written in French,  the name of this western African country bordering the Atlantic and encircled by Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Fasso and Ghana  is  another reminiscence of the  Portuguese presence along the coast of Africa, dating back to the 15th century, since it is but a direct translation into the language of the colonising power, of the name by which the area was known and referred to by my fellow countrymen: Costa do Marfim.

It is also self-explanatory, since ivory was abundant in the region, due to the vast populations of elephants that once roamed its forests. Not anymore, since ivory, as we all know, was (and still is) a highly coveted commodity, what led to a huge decrease in the numbers of the great pachyderm in its natural habitat in all Africa, from millions to about 450.000, today. 

Thankfully, there are perfectly good substitute materials to produce piano keys....

Eric keeps on surprising me with covers from the most unexpected places.... Thank you so much, Eric, for another tick in the countries list! 

Stamps, Left to right:

- Issued on 17SEP1963 as part of a four stamp set (10; 20; 45; 50 CFA Franc) dedicated to the fauna of Côte d'Ivoire, the 50 Franc depicts a King Colobus (Colobus polykomos), a primate whose distinctive feature is the fact that the thumb is underdeveloped being replaced with a short stump, giving the impression that the hand has but four fingers. It is distributed along an atlantic strip that encompasses Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia  and the Ivory Coast, and the IUCN lists it as an endangered species.

- The Soubré dam, on the river Sassandra, was inaugurated on 2 November, 2017, thus becoming the main electric power production facility in Côte d'Ivoire.

Issued on the date of the dam's commissioning, 02NOV2017, the 250 CFA F stamp is part of a 2 stamp set (100; 250 CFA F) celebrating the event, illustrated with photographs of this important infrastructure.

- The centenary of the death of the inventor of the humble piece of paper that guarantees that a letter will travel from A to B, Sir Rowland Hill (1795-1879), was remembered by Cote d'Ivoire with the emission of a five stamp set (60; 75; 100; 1500; 300 CFA F) in both perforated and imperforated versions, all illustrated with the effigy of the honoured personality, a reproduction of a stamp and the image of a locomotive. The 60 F imperforated stamps on the cover, feature a British one pound stamp with the effigy of Queen Victoria, issued in 1882, and a LNER Class A4 steam locomotive, from 1927.

- On 01SEP2019, the Côte D'Ivoire Postal Administration issued a three stamp set (50; 200 and 500 CFA F) celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Express Mail Service - EMS.

This was a joint issue that had some 30 countries participating in the project, although it is uncertain if all that had committed to issue the stamp, actually did so.

- On the occasion of the Strategic Conference of the Union Postale Universelle held in Geneva in 2015, the Postal Administration of Côte d'Ivoire issued, on 27AUG2015, a two stamp set (250 and 500 CFA F), both identical except for the denomination.

The stamps feature a photo of the restored old Post Office building of Grand-Bassam, which was the capital of the French colony of Côte d'Ivoire between 1893 and 1896, the building itself dating back to this period.

The old town of Grand-Bassam wherein the Post Office is located, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the UN organisation acknowledging its exemplary nature as an old colonial town. Sadly, as in so many places around the globe,  many of the buildings are showing signs of neglect and dire need for restoration.

- On 22NOV2005, the Postal Administration of Côte D'Ivoire issued a set of four stamps (30, 70; 80; 250 CFA F) plus a souvenir sheet (1000 CFA F, with a single stamp equal, but for the denomination, to the 80 Franc stamp), themed on  kings and chiefs of local ethnic groups.  The 80/1000 franc stamp, dedicated to Yacouba, Baoulé and Abron chiefs, closes the nice set of stamps used on the cover.

The postmark informs us that the letter was mailled from the current post-office at Grand-Bassam, since the historic one no longer acts as such.

COVER N. 303 - MALTA

Postmark: Malta Post Ghajnsielem 12.08.23

Posted on the 12th August; Received on the 21st August 2023

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Hot and humid Malta... at least according to my recollection of the Mediterranean archipelago I visited quite a few years ago.  So dense was the air that I felt i was banging my head  into a wall, as soon as I left the controlled environment of the Air Malta 737 I flew in from Lisbon, to breath the first breaths of Maltese air....sweat... all my pores were instantaneously open.... a flood that would drench me for the entire week or so I spent there whenever I left the freshness of the air conditioned hotel room...

I would love to visit again though. There's much to like in Malta, both man-made and natural, but I'll be sure to do it in a lesser aggressive month than July, as last time.... May, may be a good choice... spring is always a good choice.

Phantoms are not prey to such mundane human problems tough and 90+% of humidity in 30+º centigrade do not seem to affect them, so I was not that startled to receive this nice cover from the Ghost that walks, posted from Ghajnsielem, in the island of Gozo, the second largest of the Maltese Archipelago.

Thanks a lot Alex. 

Celebrating the 10th anniversary of Malta's own Comic Con, Malta post issued a three stamp set illustrated by well known comic artists, depicting scenes with comic heroes, in Maltese related environment.

The 0,05€ stamp of this set, on the cover, was designed by local artist and co-founder of Malta Comic Con Fabio Agius, and sets an armored soldier fighting a dragon in the pre-historic ruins of the Hagar Qim temple, on Malta's South West coast.

Malta is well know for its classic buses, which were in later years finally replaced by contemporary, and I believe much more fuel efficient, versions.

Over the years Malta Post has issued several sets dedicated to the theme and the 1€ stamp is part of the  2022 issue, comprising 4 stamps (0,30; 0,51; 0,59; 1 €), which began to circulate on 12FEB2022. 

The stamp shows a Ford Thames in the green Sliema Livery (it seems that according to the city they were based in, the colour of the buses changed, and I do have a distinct remembrance of the buses at the place where I was staying -  Sliema - being green). Aside from green,  I remember seeing red, and yellow (at the very least) buses.

On 28JUL2023, Malta Post issued a very nice 5 stamp set dedicated to Marine Life of the Mediterranean (0.01; 0.10; 0.20; 0.50; 2.50 €).

Two of these are on the cover: 

 - the 0.20 € stamp is illustrated with an image of  a sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus), of which a small resident population still roans the Mediterranean waters;

 - the 0,10 € depicts a  Spinetail Devil Ray - Mobula mobular whose body can reach a width of up to 5 metres, being a species under legal protection in Malta.

all the stamps are cancelled by a very neatly applied postmark from the postal office off  Ghajnsielem, in the island of Gozo.

COVER N. 291 - FRANCE - SAINT PIERRE ET MIQUELON

Postmark: 975 - St. Pierre - St. Pierre et Miquelon 17.07.2023

Posted on the 17th July; Received on the 1st August 2023

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 My country used to be an empire, which stretched over  continents and oceans, reaching as far as what is now East Timor.

Today, and quite rightly so, Portugal is confined within the limits of its natural territorial boundaries, be it in the European Mainland, or in the Autonomous Regions of the Azores and Madeira, both archipelagos having been claimed by Portugal following the arrival of Portuguese navigators to its islands, which were, at the time, totally devoid of population.

Not so with several European countries, though, which for several reasons maintain territories that, on first thought, would look somewhat "out of place", given the geographic distance between them and their father state and/or their colonial nature.

I am not sure if  Saint Pierre and Miquelon were inhabited when the French claimed it, but the small archipelago  lies so close to Newfoundland that on first sight one would think it part of the Canadian Province. That is not the case though and, as far as I know, relations between Canada and France have never been scratched because of this territory, so croissants and baguettes  will continue to be  eaten  and paid in Euros for a long time to come, if not for ever😀.

Thanks a lot, Jeff, for the very nice cover. My friend Mr. Postman must have been wondering why I do receive mail from such unusual places....

 

On 17JUN2023, la Poste issued a souvenir sheet containing a stamp commemorative of the 60th anniversary of the creation by General de Gaulle of the Order of Merit.

For ease of exposition I'll translate the rather lengthy note on the souvenir sheet itself:

The National order of Merit (Ordre National du Mérite) was established on 3 December 1963 by General de Gaulle. Its aim is threefold: to emphasise the dynamism of society and to further individual energies, to serve as a role model and to acknowledge the diversity of French Society. Complementary to the  Legion of Honor (Légion d'Honneur) this universal order can honour French citizens in all activity domains. 

The stamp is illustrated with the decoration and the ribbons of its grades. 

The Postmark indicates that the letter was posted in Saint Pierre.