Cover from Canada no. 2

Received today from Burnaby, BC. A great set of three stamps showing "Roadside Attractions", including a 7.3 metre-tall coffee pot in Davidson, Saskatchewan; a giant Happy Rock in Gladstone, Manitoba, and an enormous Atlantic Puffin in Longue-Point-de-Mingan, Quebec, always with a map of Canada showing the location of these sights. The complete set of four stamps was issued on 5 July 2010, and is the second in a series of three. There is also an odd-shaped self-adhesive version of these colourful stamps.

Thank you, Slavko!!

Cover from Spain no. 7

Here is a cover from Spain (unfortunately without cancellations) with 4 nice trumpet stamps issued on 9 April 2010. There were three more musical instruments issued in the same series last year: saxophone, horn and trombone.

Thank you, Juan!

Cover from Russia no. 13

An absolute stunner received a couple of days ago from the city of Tyumen in Russia (Tyumen was the first Russian settlement in Siberia), with the total of 17 stamps...

The first 10.50 ruble self-adhesive stamp is the most recent of them, being issued on 1 December 2010 for the upcoming New Year, and shows a smiling Father Frost. The poodle on the 2-ruble stamp from 2000 has its friends from the same series below (chihuahua - 1 ruble - and toy terrier - 1.50 ruble), accompanied by a shar-pei from 2002 (2 ruble). Back on top we have two horses from a series devoted to native Russian breed (7 November 2007): Orlov trotter and Vladimir breed, followed by a sword and a shield from the collections of the Moscow Kremlin (2006). The paintings show portraits of artists V. L. Borovikovsky and I. I. Shishkin (both 2007). The stamp-on-stamp from 2008 commemorated the 150th anniversary of the first Russian postal stamp. And the stork and the European bison (zubr) were issued in 2007 with the WWF logo.

These two animals are accompanied by a fox a and three hares from the 5th issue of definitive stamps (2008).

Thank you very much, Maria, for this splendid surprise!!

Cover from Belgium no. 4

A great cover received from Kortemark in Belgium (postmarked in Gent), with an interesting and nicely designed stamp commemorating the Belgian presidency of the EU (1/7 - 31/12 2010). It was issued on 1 July 2010, also in a special sheet. Thank you, Gilles!

Cover from Singapore no. 5

A lovely, yummy cover received from Singapore with two fantastic stamps issued on 17 July 2009 showing Singaporean desserts. They are ondeh-ondeh (green glutinous rice balls sprinkled with grated coconut that is seasoned with fine salt on the outside and gula melaka inside as a fill) and ice kacang (sweetened dried beans, small dried fruits, strips of jelly and little droplets of starch in bright colors, preserved sugar palm fruit and seeds, chunks or long slivers of grass jelly are mixed with shaved ice and sugar syrup).

Just great, stamps showing the colours of this world:) Thank you, Daphne!

Cover from Italy no. 17

Received from Giovanni at the end of 2010, with many wishes for 2011. The playful 0.65 eurocent stamp, issued on 29 October 2010, shows a toy train in a winter landscape, and there was another stamp in this Christmas series, with the painting called Adarazione dei Magi by Sandro Botticelli. Giovanni, grazie! E tanti auguri a Te!! In gamba!

Postcard from Thailand no. 4

A great card received from Terdsak from the town of Phetchaburi in central Thailand, capital of the Phetchaburi Province. It shows the Pa Lao-U Waterfalls in the province of Prachuab Khiri Khan, south of Phetchaburi.

The four definitive flag stamps were issued on 12 August 2010 as part of of the national identity set (which was also the topic of this year's UPAEP issues in Latin America). The other stamp shows cassia flower. Thank you very much, Terdsak!

Postcard from Great Britain no. 7

This week I have also received this fabulous card issued by the Royal Mail with the picture of the 1st class stamp dedicated to A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh as illustrated by E. H. Shepard. The same stamp was used for mailing this card. To commemorate this classic of children's literature on 12 October 2010 the Royal Mail issued a set of 6 stamps and a sheet of 4 others. The two 1st class stamps from the set and from the sheet bear the EUROPA logo... and what other book could be chosen for the year of children's literature?

Thank you very much, Catherine!!

Postcard from Russia no. 3

A great postcard received a couple of days ago from Moscow, showing the lower Katun River and the Aya Lake, part of the Golden Mountains of Altai UNESCO World Heritage Site, located largely in the Altai Republic, Russia, and in Kazakhstan (Central Asia). The great thing is that the self-tenant stamps on the right are related to the Altai mountains too, they show (clockwise) Belukha Mount, Lake Teletskoye and the the River Katun. The set was issued on 18 November 2004 in 200,000 copies. The rest of the postage is covered by a stamp with the coat of arms of the city of Yaroslavl (10.5 roubles). Thank you, Julia!!

Postcard from Taiwan

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A great postcard sent on 9 December 2010 from Taiwan, showing a night view of Taipei, with its impressive Taipei 101 skyscraper, constructed in 1999-2004.

And six stamps!! The yellow greeting stamps was issued on 1 December 2010 to welcome the Year of the Rabbit, there is also its 12 Taiwan Dollar cousin. The 1 TWD Dicturus aeneus was issued in 2008 in the Birds of Taiwan II series, the 0.50 TWD Bauhinia variegata (pink flower at the top) is part of Flowers IV definitive series (2010), the 2.50 TWD Rosalia formosa conviva is one of four long-horned beetles from a 2010 series dedicated to them, the 1 TWD Calliandra emarginata is a pretty pink flower from the Flowers II series, and the 3.50 TWD Lantana camara is part of the Flowers I series of definitives.

Thank you Shih for this Taiwan beauty!