Milan, Italy

Three stamps. One showing a Giotto fresco in the Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi entitled "The trial of fire in front of the Sultan". A stamp commemorating the 50th anniversary of the newspaper Avvenire. And a stamp commemorating the bicentenary of the introduction of stamped postal cards in the Kingdom of Sardinia.

Dutch Architecture

Stamps from a sheet issued 17 September 2018. The "New Construction" architecture movement of the early 20th century was all about functional design. On these stamps, the Zonnestraal sanatorium in Hilversum (1928) amd the Glaspaleis department store in Heerlen (1935).

Japan's Syowa Station and the Icebreaker Shirase

A pair of covers from the Japanese Antarctic research program. One form the Syowa Antarctic research station and the other from the Icebreaker Shirase. I received both of these on the same day. Despite the fact that I sent them to different addresses, I suspect they were prepared together and sent back from the same source. The date stamps are the same.

Syowa Station is Japan's permanent Antarctic research station. It's quite large, consisting of several buildings that can accommodate up to 110 people with an overwintering crew of 30.

Syowa is supported by the icebreaker Shirase. The current version of this vessel was put into service in 2009. The cachet on the bottom left of the Shirase cover shows an image of a stone shrine  honouring Shin Fukushima: was a Japanese Antarctic expedition member who died in October 1960.

Lucky Pigs from Switzerland

Pigs are considered lucky in German speaking regions of the world. Hence the issue of this "Glücksschwein" stamp from Switzerland. It's printed on flocked paper which gives it a soft fuzzy texture. Like a pig I guess. It's a cute little stamp.