Skien, Norway

Lots of stamps on this cover from Skien. Starting at the top right and going clockwise:

• 1990: The Second battle of Narvik in 1940
• 1981: Railway Ferry MF "Storegut" (1956)
• 1989: Birth centenary of author Arnulf Øverland
• 1990: Christmas - Children's Drawings
• 1985: 350th anniversary of Fort Kongstens
• 2020: Norwegian Jazz singer Radka Toneff's induction into the Rockheim Hall of Fame.

Beirut, Lebanon

This registered cover from Beirut was not prepared for philatelic purposes which explains why the stamps are sideways I guess. The 2021 stamp on the right (and left) commemorates Wadi`a Sabra, the composer of Lebanon's National Anthem. The 2021 stamp center right commemorates the writer of Lebanon's National Anthem, Rashid Nakhla. And the stamp center left from 2011 shows a view of the Horsh Ehden Nature Reserve. 

Newbrook Observatory, Canada

From the hamlet of Newbrook in northern Alberta, Canada. The Newbrook Observatory was operational from 1952 to 1957. It was a small observatory with camera equipment for observing meteors. Art Griffen, the observatory's chief scientist, was the first North American to photograph the Soviet satellite Sputnik 1,  one week after its launch. The observatory was permanently closed in 1970 but has been preserved and is recognized by the province as a place of historical significance.

Yabuki, Japan

I've never seen a postmark like this from Japan although I'm hardly an expert on Japan Post postmarks. It appears to be rolled on. The stamps on this cover from the town of Yabuki in Fukushima Prefecture feature paintings by Japanese painter Torii Kotondo. The stamps were issued in 1988 as part of the "Philatelic Week" series: a long running series that promotes Japanese art and culture.

Legend of Nazaré, Portugal

Europa 2022 from Portugal. In 1182, Dom Fuas Roupinho was hunting one day and caught sight of a deer. He gave chase but the dear was really the devil in disguise. It attempted to lead him over a cliff to certain death. Roupinho knew there was a small grotto nearby where a statue of Mary was venerated, so sensing danger he prayed for intervention and his horse stopped just before going over the edge.

What I found just as interesting as the story was the statue itself. It still exists and resides in a chapel in the town of Nazaré, named after the statue which was originally in Nazareth prior to the 5th century.

Thank You for this cover Pedro! And I am very impressed with the perfect placement of this sheet at the edges of the envelope.

Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends FDC, Germany

2022 Europa stamp form Germany. The theme this year is stories and myths. This particular stamps does not refer to a specific story however the theme of the stamp: a three headed dragon fighting a knight, is a representation of stories and myths from days long past.

German Steam Icebreaker Stettin

This was posted from the aboard the steam ship Stettin (schiffspost). This Icebreaker was built in 1933 for the city of Stettin, Germany (now Szczecin, Poland). It was removed from service in 1981 and has since been turned into an operational museum ship operating out of Hamburg.

Thornbury, Ontario. Canada

Thornbury is a village in Ontario on Lake Huron's Georgian Bay. It was amalgamated in 2001 with the surrounding township to form the Town of The Blue Mountains. The name comes from the nearby and very popular Blue Mountain ski resort. Blue Mountain Pottery was a well known pottery company in the region.

Naucalpan de Juárez, Mexico

A few stamps on this little cover from Naucalpan. On the right, a 1977 stamp commemorating the centenary of the Central Meteorological Observatory. And top left, a 1979 stamp commemorating the centenary of Mexico's entrance into the UPU. The stamp below that from 2021 commemorates the 200th anniversary of the Mexican Navy. And finally the pair of stamps on the left are 2021 popular culture definitives showing a horn comb from the Museo de Arte Popular.