Small Collection of Stamps from Norway

The pair of stamps at the top from 2023 are from a set showcasing the scenic beauty of Noway. Lower left is a stamp from a 2024 set that commemorated the Norwegian town of Bodø being recognized as the European Capital of Culture in 2024. And lower right is a stamp from a 2014 set promoting tourism in Norway and Viking Culture.

Algeria and the UN

A first-day cover from Algeria commemorating the 80th anniversary of the United Nations and Algerian Diplomacy Day. The UN was founded on 24 October 1945. Algeria was admitted to the UN on 8 October 1962: 3 months after gaining independence.

30 Years of Diplomatic Relations between China and Monaco

This colourful cover is from Suzhou, China. The 2025 flower stamps are a joint issue with Monaco commemorating 30 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The stamps on the left depict Boat Orchids  (Cymbidium) which is an orchid that grows in China. It is the worlds oldest horticultural orchid. And the stamps on the right depict Canterbury Bells (Campanula medium) which is the floral emblem of Monaco.

The World's Largest Mushrooms in Vilna, Alberta

Vilna is a village in central Alberta that is named after the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, and for the Ukrainian word for "free" (вільна). Wild mushrooms do grow in the area and hunting for them is a local tradition. But the large mushrooms in the postmark are actually 6m tall sculptures of Tricholoma uspale mushrooms in Vilna's mushroom park.

Raising Awareness During The Algerian Revolution

On this first-day cover from Algeria is a 2025 souvenir sheet commemorating the importance of mobilization and awareness-raising during the Algerian revolution. During the revolution from 1954 to 1962, the leaders of the Algerian National Liberation Front had to travel the country to promote their ideas and mobilize the people. It's how things had to be done before advanced cellular networks and social media.

Indonesia's Youth Pledge Day

From the Indonesian town of Purworejo in the province of Central Java. The stamps from 2023 commemorate the 95th anniversary of Youth Pledge Day. It's a nationalist celebration that was started in 1928 at a youth conference when a declaration of national unity was made: one motherland, one nation, and one language. It was part of a larger push for independence from Dutch rule, which was achieved at the end of the Indonesian National Revolution in 1949.

Vintage Automobiles of Spain

This was sent from Seville, from the outer barrio of La Negrilla. The souvenir sheet is from 2012 and features vintage automobiles that were popular in Spain at one time. I visited Seville once in the 90's. I don't think we spent much more than 24 hours there but I remember it quite well. It was very lively and colourful. Perhaps because there was a festival going on, but I like to believe that's the way it always is there.

The Founding of Quebec City in 1608

A nice postmark from Quebec City commemorating the founding of the city in 1608 by French explorer Samuel de Champlain. The stamp is a 2025 Truth and Reconciliation stamp featuring the right side of the  Brentwood Box commissioned by the Truth and Reconciliation commission in 2009. 

The 34th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference in Åland

This cover is from the Åland capital of Marihamn. The 2025 stamp on the right is an abstract map of the Baltic region, with the countries around the Baltic Sea Represented by the colours of their flags, showing Åland’s location between Sweden and Finland. The stamp was issued to coincide with the 34th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC) held in August of 2025 in Mariehamn. The stamp on the left from 2005 depicts the Schooner "Linden" in the summer.

Underwater Flora and Fauna of Italy

From the Italian city of Modena, a pair of 2024 Europa stamps. The 2024 Europa theme was underwater flora and fauna. Italy has close to 8000 km of coastline so I imagine the abundance of marine life depicted on the stamps is somewhat accurate. There is a Jubilee 2025 stamp in the bottom-left corner, obscured slightly by the machine postmark (which missed the Europa stamps that were hit hit by a barcode). I assume that commemorates the Great Jubilee celebrated by the Catholic Church this year. 

Olive Oil in Israel

A nice little cover from Tel-Aviv. The stamp on the left from 2015 commemorates the importance of military railways during the First World War in what is now Israel. And the stamp on the right from 2003 is from a set that commemorated olive oil production. A festival I believe. I don't think the applied postmark is related to the stamp.

Gibraltar's Windsor Bridge

On this cover from Gibraltar is the souvenir sheet from the 2023 "Visit Gibraltar" stamp set, showing Gibraltar's Windsor Bridge. It's a pedestrian suspension bridge with an impressive view of the city and the African coast across the strait.

85th Anniversary of the Salvadoran Philatelic Association

Sent to me from San Salvador: the capital city of El Salvador. The stamps, which feature images of philatelic covers from the past, and the blue magnifying glass postmark, commemorate the 85th anniversary of the Salvadoran Philatelic Association: AFISAL.

Italian Food Companies

This was sent to me from the village of Colnago in northern Italy. The stamp on the right from 2023 shows a jar of Santa Rosa fruit preserves, from a set of stamps that commemorates popular Italian food brands. And the stamp on the left from 2025 commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Loacker biscuit company. Tasty.

Wild Flowers of India

Sent from Gujarat's largest city Ahmedabad. The flower stamps on this cover are from a 2013 set of twelve showing wild flowers from various regions around India. The stamp commemorating Mother Teresa bottom left is a 2009 definitive.

Truth and Reconciliation, Canada

This is a first-day cover for the latest stamp issue in an ongoing series meant to raise awareness about the negative impact residential schools have had on the Indigenous Peoples of Canada. The artwork on these stamps shows three sides of the Brentwood box that was commissioned by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 2009. This box was carved from a single piece of red cedar with imagery representing the First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples. It was brought to several national events where those looking to heal spiritually could leave items in the box : photographs, books, memorabilia. Thousands of items were placed in the box. It now resides at the National Center for Truth and Reconciliation in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

National Landscapes, Finland

The stamps on this cover postmarked in Helsinki are from a 2025 set featuring landscape scenes of Finland. The stamp on the right is the hydroelectic dam on the Vuoksi river in Imatra. And on the left is  Helsinki from its south waterfront with the SkyWheel on the right and the cathedral in the distance.

Toyoda Beer 10th Anniversary, Japan

The postmark commemorates the 10th anniversary of the reintroduction of Toyoda Beer by the Ishikawa Brewery Company. It was one of the first beers brewed in Tokyo's Tama region in the 19th century. This new iteration of Toyoda beer is made from 100% locally grown barley.  The stamps are Year of the Tiger stamps from 2022.

The Inauguration of Korea's 21st President

These stamps and first-day postmark from South Korea commemorate the inauguration of Lee Jae Myung as the 21st president of South Korea. The stamps were issued on his 100th day in office on Sept 11. He's officially the 14th elected president but the 21st person to hold the office.

This was the first piece of mail to show up in my mailbox since the end of the national postal strike. It didn't last very long, fortunately. The postal workers union has shifted to rotating strikes in rural areas to highlight what will happen when Canada Post starts cutting services to rural customers. 

Another Canada Post Strike

It hasn't even been a year since the last one. Technically, postal workers here have been on strike for several months but their actions were not having an impact on letter mail. But that changed yesterday after the Canadian government recommended changes to the way Canada Post operates in order to remain solvent. One of the changes is to permit Canada Post to phase out door-to-door delivery. Doing that would mean reducing the workforce and that's a non-starter for the union. So... back to the picket line they go.

The last strike in 2024 was never really resolved. The employees have been working without a collective agreement for nearly two years now. It's hard to imagine when this current strike action will end. The last work stoppage was closer to Christmas and they only returned to work after the government intervened. 

Since it doesn't seem right to post something without including an image or two, here are stamps from the most recent issue featuring mushrooms found in Canada. I like these and I wish Canada Post would put out more flora and fauna stamps. I had a chance to use them on a batch of circuits that I sent out last week which hopefully made it out of the country before the strike action started.

A big one from Brazil

From the Brazilian city of Caxias do Sul. The block at the top from 2001 is a WWF issue showcasing Brazil's endemic parrots. And the block below that also from 2001 features old Brazilian automobiles. The little 2005 definitive on the left depicts a showshiner.

Wacken Open Air 2025

From Germany with a nice "Wacken" postmark. Wacken Open Air (W:O:A) is a large annual heavy metal music festival held in the town of Wacken in northern Germany. It typically averages around 85,000 attendees and 2025 was another sold-out year featuring (I believe) 180 bands. The stamp from 2022 features a fire salamander. It's a semi-postal with the added value going to children's benefits.

More stamps from Israel

This time there are postmarks but I can't quite make them out. The three stamps along the top are from 1999 and show sites along the pilgrimage to Jerusalem: Mary's Well, the River Jordan and the
Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Below those are a 1996 stamp commemorating the Jewish holiday Sukkot and a 1997 stamp featuring the traditional costume of Jewish women in Ethiopia. And on the right is a 1999 stamp commemorating 17th century rabbi and poet Shalem Shabazi.

The Beautiful Biodiversity of the Scattered Islands, Île Europa

This is from Europa Island: the largest of the TAAF Scattered Islands. It is a 28 sqkm atoll that sits in the Mozambique channel between Madagascar and the African coast. The stamps from 2025 showcase the beautiful biodiversity of the Scattered Islands.

The Serbian Spruce

This is from the municipality of Bačka Topola in the Serbian province of Vojvodina. The stamp on the right from 2025 commemorates 150 years since the discovery of the Serbian spruce by Serbian botanist Josif Pančić. This specific tree grows only in a very small region in the Balkins and every single tree is protected. The pair of stamps on the left are definitives with raspberries from 2022 on the left and grapes from 2024 on the right.

More Freshwater Fish from Guyana

These are the other two stamps from a 2005 set showing freshwater fish that I used on a cover from Guyana last year. On the left is a red belly piranha and on the right is a velvet cichlid or oscar.

Australia's Sustainable Future

This is from the Canberra suburb of Hawker. The three stamps on the left are a 2023 set that present "three aspects of environmental sustainability that are key to a sustainable future": renewable energy, biodiversity and Indigenous land management. And the stamp on the right is a rose coneflower from a 2015 set the showcases Australian wildflowers.

Nobeyama Radio Observatory, Japan

In the red postmark is the 45m radio telescope at the Nobeyama Radio Observatory in Minamimaki in Nagano prefecture. The site is open to the public for self-guided tours around the grounds and there is a small museum and interpretive center there also. The stamps are from the 2024 letter writing day issue showing a typewritter on the right and a Gower Bell telephone on the left.

Tribute to the Real Plan, Rio de Janeiro

From left to right on this cover from Rio are a 2003 stamp depicting the Marcantonio Vilaça Cultural Space in Brasília which is the headquarters of Brazil's Tribunal de Contas da União (TCU): their federal audit office, a 2021 Christmas stamp, and a 2024 souvenir sheet commemorating the monetary reforms of 1994 which stabilized Brazil's economy.

Montreal, Canada

On this postmark is the new REM train (Réseau Express Métropolitain): an automated light rail system covering the greater Montreal area. In the background is the city of Montreal. Only one line is currently operational and it passes through Montreal's central train station which is also the location of the Montreal B Post Office that applied this postmark. The stamp commemorates the 1977 raid on Montreal's gay bar Truxx. The resulting public outrage and support led to the first laws in Canada aimed at preventing  discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Small collection of stamps from Israel

No postmark on this one. From left to right is a 2017 stamp commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of the occupation of Jerusalem, a 1991 stamp commemorating the 14th Hapoei games with karate on the top and table tennis underneath, and a 1990 Memorial Day stamp depicting the artillery corps monument in Zikhron Yaaqov. And then there's the triangle shaped stamp in the bottom corner. That is one quarter of a sheet that was issued in 1957 for TABIL: an international stamp exhibition held in Tel Aviv in September of that year.

Wheat Varieties of Algeria, FDC

This pair of stamps from Algeria was issued on the 27th of July, 2025. On the left is Massinissa Durum Wheat, well suited to growing in Eastern Algeria's interior plains. And on the right is Mawuna Soft Wheat, developed in the Algerian province of Guelma to be resist to extreme environmental conditions and diseases.

Luminous Nature from Antwerp, Belgium

The stamp on this cover from Antwerp is from a 2024 sheet of 5 stamps that feature things in nature that glow in the dark. On this stamp it's a firefly. The stamp has spots of glow in the dark ink applied to the back-end of the firefly, the denomination (2) and a blob in the bottom right corner which is part of the wing of an insect in the background image on the stamp sheet.

National Archaeological Discoveries of Latvia, Europa 2025

On this cover from the Latvian capital of Riga is a 2025 EUROPA stamp showing the Razbuki neck ring. It is an incredibly well preserved example of Roman Iron Age jewelry from the 3rd century.

Celestial Bodies in Our Solar System from Florianópolis, Brazil

I've received a few covers from Brazil now with solar system stamps on them and with this one I have now received a complete set. The stamps were issued in 2020 as a sheet of nine. On this cover are the Sun, Venus, Jupiter, Mercury (the one I was missing) and Uranus.
 

Iqaluit, Canada

From Iqaluit: the capital city of the Canadian territory of Nunavut. Situated at the head of Frobisher Bay in the south part of Baffin Island, it is Canada's northern most city. The image in the postmark is an inunnguaq which is a stone marker constructed to resemble a human with legs, arms and a head. These structures have spiritual meaning and are not quite the same as inuksuk which are stone markers without specific human form. Inuksuk are used to mark places or directions.

Sea Life in Japan, FDC

First-day postmarked in Osaka. The two stamps on this cover are from a sheet of 10 issued on 7 July and it is the 9th issue in this annual series that features sea life from the waters around Japan. This year the stamps depict spotted seals.

The Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran, Italy

On this cover from Turin is a 2025 stamp depicting the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran. It is the oldest basilica in the Western world, founded in the year 324. This stamp is one from a set of four that feature the four papal basilicas in the city of Rome.

A small collection of stamps from Sweden

On this cover from Sweden from from bottom left to right:

• A 1980 stamp commemorating Princess Victoria as the new heir to the Swedish throne.
• A 2006 stamp commemorating the 60th birthday day of Sweden's King Charles XVI Gustave.
• A pair of 1995 tourism themed Norden joint issue stamps.
• And a 2002 stamp from a pair commemorating Swedish gastronomy. On this stamp are Charles Emil Hagdahl and Cajsa Warg: each authors of classic Swedish cookbooks.

Beneficial Insects of Brazil

A cover from Porto Alegre, Brazil: the capital of Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul. This block of stamps is from a set of six from 2021 with the artwork in each stamp representing a group of beneficial insects. On these stamps are dung beetles, praying mantis and parasitic wasps.

The Fishing and Leisure Port of El Aouana, Algeria

The stamp on this first-day postmarked cover depicts the multipurpose port of El Aouana in the Algerian coastal province of Jijel. It was designed to diversify the local economy by supporting the local fishing industry and boosting tourism in the region. The port can accommodate 106 fishing vessels of various sizes and 176 leisure craft.

International Day of Play, Germany FDC

The stamp on this cover, that was first-day postmarked in Berlin, commemorates the UN's International Day of Play. The characters in the stamp are Lego minifigures representing children. Playing. 

Karupeluv Valley Ecological Field Project, Greenland

Sent from the southeastern Greenland town of Tasiilaq by Dr. Benoît Sittler (thanks to Roland Montagne) who was project leader for the GREA (Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique) Karupelv Expedition of 2025. The expedition takes place every year in the Karupelv valley in East Greenland to study and monitor the ecology of the area.

Morrisville PA

A little cover from Pennsylvania with a pair of 2019 moon landing anniversary stamps and four of the five 2024 low-value flower stamps. The number of flowers in each stamp is equal to the stamps value.

Algerian Flora and Fauna

The stamp on the left is a red gazelle, last seen in Algeria in 1894 and declared extinct in 1996. The stamp on the right is a sunflower. The cultivation of sunflowers in Algeria for producing vegetable oil has been gaining interest in recent years as Algeria works towards achieving food self-sufficiency.

 

Åland Architecture

On the 2025 SEPAC stamp from Åland Post is the Åland Lyceum: the senior high school in Mariehamn. Built in 1903, the Swedish manor house style stone building was one of the first of this size in Mariehamn. Pictured in the postmark from Eckerö is the Russian era Eckerö Mail and Customs House built in 1828, now used as a postal museum and art gallery.