German Antarctic Research Station Georg Forester

On this cover is a first-day postmarked 2026 stamp from Germany commemorating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the East-German Antarctic Research Station Georg Forester. The base ceased operation in 1993 and was dismantled in 1996.

Here's a 1988 cover commemorating the second East-German Antarctic Expedition. The stamp from 1988 shows a rendering of the the station. And in the postmark is a portrait of Georg Forester, for whom the base was named. He was one of the first Germans to set foot on Antarctic lands when he visited the island of South Georgia in 1775.

The Fibula of Dorestad

The Europa 2025 theme was "National Archaeological Discoveries" and the stamp issued by Post NL for the Netherlands features the Fibula of Dorestad. The guilded broach was found inside a well in 1969 in the town of Wijk bij Duurstede. It was likely hidden there during Viking raids of 850AD in what was then the trading post of Dorestad.

The South Sandwich Islands

From the British Antarctic Survey 's King Edward Point research station on the island of South Georgia in the South Atlantic. The stamps, showing a snow petrel and Cook Island, were from a 2021 set of six showing landscapes and fauna from the South Sandwich Islands. It was the first in an annual series of four. The South Sandwich Islands are a chain of 11 volcanic islands 700km southeast of South Georgia.

Pordenone, Italy

The 2025 stamp on the right commemorates the 50th anniversary of Gardaland: the 8th most visited theme park in Europe. It's in Castelnuovo del Garda, not too far from Verona. And the 2025 stamp on the left commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Fiamme Gialle Ski Club. This is the ski club of the Italian Financial Police.

Switzerland's Kleine Emme River

Definitives on this one from Riva San Vitale in Switzerland. The stamp on the right is from a 2023 set of eight stamps showing river landscapes found in Switzerland. On this stamp is the Kleine Emme river near Lucerne. Beside that is a 1982 definitive depicting the Zodiac sign Aquarius and Bern's Old Town. And on the left is a 2022 coin definitive with a 10 centime coin on it.

Fujiyoshida Cherry Blossoms, Japan

I was reading about this place in Japan that had cancelled their cherry blossom festival because of over tourism. There is viewing platform in a park that offers this amazing view of Mt Fuji and in the spring when the cherry blossoms are out it is an extremely popular destination. 

There is a post office in Fujiyoshida with a landscape postmark that depicts this view. It's an older postmark but apparently it's still in use. I found this old Fuji postcard so I stamped it and sent if off to the post office in Fujiyoshida to see what came back. 

A big one from Pakistan

This envelope is quite large actually, and has stamps on the front and back. Postmarked at the philatelic bureau in Rawalpindi. Twin to neighboring Islamabad. The 2025 souvenir sheet on the right commemorates international women's day. At the top is a 2025 stamp commemorating the five year economic plans launched in 2024 known as URAAN. And on the left is 2026 stamp that commemorates the 25th anniversary of the PARCO Mid-Country Oil Refinery.

More on the back. At the top is a pair of 2025 stamps commemorating the 75 anniversary of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Bottom left is a 2014 stamp commemorating the 2013 100th anniversary of Pakistan's paramilitary police force: the Frontier Constabulary. And bottom right is a 2 rupee Jinnah definitive.

Algerian Flora and Fauna

Here's a recent souvenir sheet from Algérie Poste featuring local flora and fauna. On the top are stamps depicting green mint and wild thyme. And on the bottom are the African golden wolf and the cat-like  and elusive genet.

Norway's Thor Heyerdahl

Here is set of stamps issued in 2014 to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of Norwegian adventurer Thor Heyerdahl. The raft in the stamp on the left was used in his 1947 Kon-Tiki expedition to sail (drift) from Peru to Easter Island. And the one of the right is the Ra II which he used to sail from Africa to Barbados in 1970. His theories on migration are controversial and perhaps somewhat racist. But he did prove it would have been possible for ancient peoples to cross vast oceans using the limited tools and technology they had available at the time. 

More Than Meets The Eye!

Nothing really special here. Machine cancel from Florida. However, the cover does have an imperf stamp pair on it. Or more correctly, a pair that lacks die-cuts, because all US stamps are self-adhesive. This was a 2021 stamp issue that contains a hidden message in the design that isn't all that hard to figure out. USPS sells sheets or plates of stamps without die-cuts at face value but only in limited quantities. They tend to sell out fast and usually end up on the resale market.

Two Birds and a Helicopter from Mauritius

Perfectly postmarked at the Tribecca Mall in Trianon, in the Plaines Wilhems District near the center of the tropical paradise known as Mauritius. On the left is a Rodrigues Parrot stamp from the 2025 Extinct Species 3 definitive set. In the middle is a 2013 stamp showing a Mascarene Swallow. And the stamp on the right is from a 2024 set commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Mauritius Police Helicopter Squadron.

Les cabanes à sucre

The Canadian province of Quebec produces over 70% of the world's maple syrup. Sugar shacks and the maple syrup they produce are an important part of Québécois culture in Canada. During the spring when the maple sap flows, these shacks become popular meeting places for enjoying traditional food and activities. Canada Post recently issued these stamps, in the shape of maple syrup tins, to honor the sugar shack tradition.