A short break

This blog will be on hiatus for the next several weeks because I am going on holiday to France. I have collected lots of new material, so as soon as I get home I will start publishing again:-)

Cover from Switzeland no. 2

Yet another EUROPA Astronomy stamp:-), this time from Switzerland, sent on the date of issue (8 May 2009) from Bern, on the envelope of the first day of issue. The stamp of 1 CHF shows the chart of the inner solar system and there an asteroid no. 113390 named Helvetia, discovered in Winterthur in 2002. The postage is complemented by a sticker of 0.20 CHF.

Thank you, Sara:-)

Postcard from Ukraine no. 2

A lovely autumnal postcard from Kyiv, Ukraine, showing the puppet theatre and Aqua-informational center (whatever that is;-). It was sent on 8 May 2009 and received 4 days later. The beautiful 3.75 UAH stamp (astronomy IS a great topic for stamps) shows a meridian circle on the background of a star chart. The meridian circle, or transit circle, is "an instrument for observing the time of stars passing the meridian, at the same time measuring its angular distance from the zenith." (Wikipedia) The stamp (along with its self-tenant cousin with Galileo Galilei) was issued on 17 April 2009 in 95,000 copies.

The two smaller stamps show a penny whistle from the seventh release of definitive postage stamps, issued on 16 March 2007.

Thank you, Irina.

EUROPA cover from Finland no. 3

This is a fantasy cover from Liisa from Finland, (thank you!!!), bearing the two brand new EUROPA astronomy stamps, issued on 6 May 2009, and sent on the same day. Breathtaking views of the Moon and Saturn above a calm Finnish (?) landscape. These stamps caught my attention the very day I saw them and are to be treasured.

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

Cover from Spain no. 3

Recived today after a week of travelling from Galicia, very nice cover with this year's Spanish EUROPA stamp. It was issued on 23 April 2009 in 550,000 copies and shows a composition of the Moon and galaxies, a topic which will recur in other astronomy stamps throughout the year. Gracias, José Luis!

Postcard from the Philippines no. 2

A postcard showing a tranquil view of some of the islands in the Hundred Islands National Park, in the province of Pangasinan in northern Philippines.

The 6 peso stamp from 2005 is dedicated to the United Nations Millenium Development Goals contained in the Millennium Declaration adopted by 189 nations during the UN Millennium Summit in September 2000. They are:
* Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
* Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
* Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
* Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
* Goal 5: Improve maternal health
* Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
* Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
* Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for Development

The bird definitives of 1 and 5 pesos are from 2007 and form part of a big series showing typical and endangered species in the Philippines.

The card was sent on 18 November 2008 from Puerto Pricesa City and reached me on 1 December 2008. Thank you, Jan!

Cover from the USA no. 3

An interesting cover from Plano, Texas, sent on 21 March 2009 and received 6 days later. Apart from the Lunar New Year stamp, which I commented upon in an earlier post, it bears a nice photographic stamp with a dogsled (commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Alaska statehood, issued on 3 January 2009) and a 10c stamp issued on 17 June 1975 in a series celebrating the US Bicentennial (part of the painting "the Battle of Bunker Hill" by John Trumbull). Thank you very much, Peter!

Postcard from Serbia no. 3

My second postcard showing the National Museum and the monument to Prince Michael Obrenovič (1823–68), this time with a nice flock of pigeons:-) It was sent on 29 April 2009 and received on 7 May. The two large stamps are taken from a set of 8 stamps and a coupon issued on 27 March 2009 and dedicated to some of the greatest actors of the Serbian theatre. The stamps here feature Stevo Žigon (1926-2005) and Slobodan Perovič (1926-1978), the coupon all the actors in their typical roles. Thank you, Maša!

Mapcard from France

A mapcard of the westernmost French department of Finistère (29) showing views of the principal places of interest like Brest and the capital (prefecture) Quimper. Of geographic interest is also the great stamp (by Martin Morck) showing the "Palais de papes" in Avignon, the biggest Gothic palace in all of Europe, where several popes and antipopes lived from the early 14th to early 15th centuries. The stamp was issued on 9 March 2009 and has the nominal value of 0.70 euro for sending light mail to EU countries. The card was sent on 4 May 2009 from Le Relecq-Kerhuon in Finistère. Thank you, Michele.