Cover from Aland no. 6

A lovely Christmas greeting from Mariehamn in the Aland Archipelago, with a special postmark from 14/15/2012. Thank you, Liisa!

And all the best in 2013!!! Best wishes for everyone reading this blog. Thank you all:)

Postcard from Aland no. 3

A gorgeous postcard sent from the municipality of Saltvik in the Åland archipelago, Finland, with a fairy-tale snow-covered windmill and a trio of lovely stamps, including a chanterelle, the mushroom featured also on the previous cover from Spain - this Åland one was issued in 2003 along with two other mushrooms. Next to the chanterelle there is a stoat (hermine) from a 2004 series dedicated to animals, and a windmill in Soderby, municipality of Lemland in Åland, on another splendid stamp from the series depicting Åland landscapes and nature (2006).

Thank you, Liisa!!!

Cover from Aland no. 5

A very nice EUROPA stamp from Aland, with an illustration from a book about the Sand Wolf by Asa Lind, Swedish-born author living in the Aland archipelago. The stamp was issued on 19 April and the EUROPA rate shown on it is now 0.85 euro. Print run: 180,000. Thank you, Liisa, again:-)

Cover from Aland no. 4

After the minimalist EUROPA scouting stamp from 2007 Aland issued another very simple but effective stamp in the EUROPA astronomy series in 2009. The dark blue stamp shows just the seven stars of the Big Dipper constellation, only that they are perforated in the form of stars, what a great idea! This cover was posted in Mariehamn on 8 May 2009, the day of the issue, and was, therefore, cancelled by the corresponding special postmark. The value for European destinations is 0.80 EUR, print-run 200,000. Thank you, Liisa, yet again!

Cover from Aland no. 3

Another EUROPA cover sent from Aland, this one on 21 May 2008, using an interesting, minimalist stamp commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Scout movement (issued on 9 May 2008, with print-run of 300,000). I feel the stamp is printed using a special technique but I can't find any more info about it now. The rest of the postage is covered by a smooth snake stamp of 0.05 euro issued on 2 January 2002, in a series with a newt of 0.70 euro. Thank you Liisa again!

Postcard from Åland no. 2

Post no. 200. A postcard showing a map of Finland and a few views of this interesting country, sent on 7 May 2009 from Mariehamn, Åland, and received 4 days later. The stamp with the Europa tariff (0.80 euro) shows a portrait of Ulla-Lena Lundberg, Åland-born writer, next to a depiction of the ship Leo, from the first eponymous book of her trilogy about Åland shipping. The series, issued on 24 March 2009, also includes a stamp featuring Anni Blomqvist and a stamp featuring Valdemar Nyman

Postcard from Aland

Two interesting cars on this great postcard sent from Mariehamn, in the Aland Archipelago off the Finnish coast. The picture of the postcard shows the Mad Cad, created by the artist Larry Fuente, the large photo-stamp a black Ford V8 from 1939. There are four vintage cars in this series issued on 4 March 2005 in a booklet with a print-run of 200,000.

The smaller stamp of 5 eurocent shows a hasselsnok, smooth snake (Coronella austriaca), and was issued on 2 January 2002 (print-run 400,000).

Thank you so much, Liisa!

Cover from Aland no. 2

Received on Friday 16 January 2009 (and sent two days earlier from Mariehamn). Another EUROPA stamps from this small archipelago, and another lovely gastronomy stamp for my collection (yes, in 2005 the theme was gastronomy). The stamp, issued on 29 April 2005, with a print-run of 300,000, shows smoked fish, which I imagine are traditional dish over there. Thank you Liisa:-)

Cover from Aland

A truly great cover from Aland which reached me after 3 days' travel (on 9 June 2008) from Mariehamn in the Aland archipelago. Aland is one of the smallest European postal administrations with a nice sober production of around 15 stamps a year.
This stamp won the poll at the EUROPA stamps blog as the best stamp of 2008 (theme: writing letters). I myself voted for it:-)
My thanks go to my Finnish friend L.