Natural Landscapes, Japan FDC

A pair of stamps from the third series of Natural Landscape stamps from Japan issued 5 May 2023. This series is a sheet of ten different designs. The stamp on the left shows washboard rocks on the Susumi-kaigan coast in Shimane prefecture. And on the right, basalt rock formations at the sea caves of Nanayokama near the coastal city of Karatsu in Saga prefecture. The FD postmark shows the Sekinoo Falls in Miyazaki prefecture.

Cycling in Denmark

This Danish cover comes to me from the municipality of Gentofte, in the northern suburbs of Copenhagen. Three "Everyday Cycling" stamps. The set of five was issued on 2 January 2023 in a sheet of ten stamps. There are more bicycles in Copenhagen then cars. Even more bicycles than people. It has been estimated that 9 out of 10 people in Denmark own a bicycle. 

Croatian Butterflies

Looking at the postmark... I can't quite make out where it was postmarked. Some central processing center I guess. The stamps are a butterfly set from 2023. From left to right, Marsh Fritillary, Poplar Admiral and Southern Swallowtail.

Slovenia's Black Lake in the Pohorje

From the outskirts of Ljubljana. The stamp sheet shows an image of the Black Lake in the Pohorje mountains in northeastern Slovenia. Silt at the bottom of the lake formed by decaying vegetation makes the water appear very dark, hence the name "Black Lake".

200 Years of the Post Office in Portugal

A pair of stamps from a set of four commemorating the 200th anniversary of the post office in Portugal. Not the establishment of mail services. CTT was founded in 1520! This is just the anniversary of the first physical post offices in the country, around the same time as the first house to house mail services. Thank you Pedro, for this nice FDC.

G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan FDC

There is a G7 summit being held today at the Grand Prince Hotel in Hiroshima. There are two different first-day postmarks on this cover from Tokyo. The one on the left is printed and the one on the right is hand stamped. The stamps are from a sheet of 10 with 5 different designs. On the left is the Hiroshima memorial cenotaph and on the right is a Camphor tree: the official tree of Hiroshima.

Estonia, Bird of the Year 2023

Chosen by the Estonian Ornithological Society, this year's Estonian bird of the year is the Long Tailed Duck. The cover is from Estonia's second largest city, Tartu. The bird on the envelope is a barn swallow. I believe this envelope was produced for Estonia's 2019 Europa issue which featured this particular bird.

Turrialba, Costa Rica

From the city of Turrialba in the center of Costa Rica. All official MLB baseballs are made at a factory there. The stamp is a Great Green Macaw from the 2017 UPAEP joint issue about sustainable tourism.

Kigoma, Tanzania

From the city of Kigoma on the northeastern shore of Lake Tanganyika. From left to right: a waterbuck from the 2009 Wild Anaimals of Tanzania series, president of China visits Tanzania from the 2011 fifty years of independence series, and Pemba Island from the 2011 tourist attractions series.

Letter Writing Day 2020, Japan

I think it's a letter writing day sheet but I'm not really sure. It was issued on 23 October 2020. Kogota post office is in the town of Misato in Miyagi prefecture. At one time there was a village called Kogota but it was merged into Misato nearly 20 years ago.

Kuroiso, Japan

From Kuroiso: a district in the city of Nasushiobara in the Tochigi Prefecture. The scenery postmark shows the Bansui Bridge in Nasushiobara with the Mount Nasu in the background. The stamps are 2023 philately week stamps that feature artwork from folding screens. 

Algerian Brassware FDC

The two stamps on this cover feature Algerian brassware. On the right is a copper bucket and on the left is a mortar.

 

Butterflies and Beetles from South Korea

A pair of wildlife protection stamps from 1994: Japanese emperor butterfly and Japanese rhinoceros beetle. Sent from the Jongno district in central Seoul.

  

Beernem, Belgium

From the rural municipality of Beernem in West Flanders. The stamp on the left is a 2003 "A heart for the police" stamp. And on the right, a 2013 chocolate stamp. Chocolate sprinkles I believe. The gum and varnish on this stamp are infused with chocolate. Ten years after it was issued and after being stuck to an envelope and mailed across the Atlantic it still has a faint chocolate smell to it. But mostly it just smells like an envelope that was mailed across the Atlantic.