More from Switzerland

Another cover from Rüschlikon. From left to right, a 1987 stamp commemorating the 50th anniversary of "stamp day", a 2016 Christmas stamp, and a 2021 domino tile stamp that has die-cut holes representing the white divots in the domino surface: the white dots you see on the stamp are the envelope beneath it.

400th Anniversary of the French Navy, St Pierre et Miquelon FDC

The French Navy celebrates it's 400th anniversary this year. This first-day postmarked souvenir sheet from Saint Pierre et Miquelon commemorates the anniversary and depicts the FS Fulmar as it cruises past an iceberg. The Fulmar was converted into a patrol vessel in 1997 and has been used by the French Navy to patrol the waters around Saint Pierre et Miquelon. Occasionally it participates in multi-national search and rescue missions and Arctic security patrols in the Arctic waters around Greenland and Canada.

Wacken Open Air 35th Anniversary

The largest outdoor heavy metal festival in the world comes to the German town of Wacken for one weekend every year. This year was the 35th anniversary of "Wacken Open Air". There's a little more detail in the postmark this year. A slight redesign. Othewise it's the same postmark from last year. The stamp pair from 2022 shows an aerial view of the Sylvenstein Reservoir in Bavaria.

From the Western Shores of Lake Zürich

A cover from the town of Rüschlikon on the western shore of Lake Zürich. On the right is a 2022 stamp commemorating Swiss humanitarian and peace activist Gertrud Kurz. Next to that is a 2022 festive greetings stamp. The two stamps on the left are low-value stamps. The stamp with the 10 rappen coin on it is from a 2022 set. Apparently it is the oldest coin design still in circulation. And the other odd looking stamp on the left is from a 2023 five stamp definitive issue called "confetti".

The Wooden Pauper in Soini, Finland

The stamps on this cover from Helsinki are from a 2016 booklet of six that commemorate wooden paupers and the churches that maintain them. Wooden paupers are carved wooden statues containing a collection box for collecting donations for the less fortunate. They were commonly seen outside Lutheran churches in Finland between the 17th and 19th centuries. Of the 145 surviving statues, only the one at the church in Soini is a woman and it's shown on the stamp on the left.

The Ecology of Greenland's Karupelv Valley

Every year a team from GREA (Groupe de Recherche en Ecologie Arctique) travels to the Karupelv Valley in East Greenland to monitor the area's ecology. This year was their 38th expedition to East Greenland. For several years they have been tracking the lemming population. Some snowy owls were also tagged. Big thank you to Roland Montagne for donating to the group and having me included on their cover mailing list. Covers from GREA always include an information page detailing the activities recent expedition.

This cover was postmarked in Tasiilaq on Greenland's eastern coast, 750km southwest of Karupelv valley. The stamp on the left was issued for the 2026 Boston stamp exhibition and it commemorates Thor Solberg's 1935 flight from the US to Norway via Newfoundland, Greenland and Iceland. And the 2026 stamp on the right is one of a pair featuring native plants. The plant illustrated on this stamp is an Arctic Felwort.

Czech Stamps with a Canadian Connection

This is from the Czech town of Břeclav. The stamp on the left from 2015 features Bob and Bobek playing hockey. They were characters from a popular childrens TV series but were made IIHF mascots when Czechia hosted the IIHF World Championship in 2015. The Canadian team won that championship. And the stamp on the right celebrates the 2010 Winter Olympics held in Vancouver, Canada. Czech speed skater Martina Sáblíková won a pair of gold medals at those games.

There are other things happening on this cover. The buildings to the left of the stamps depict Břeclav castle. The line drawing bottom left is the Mariánský most (a cable-stayed bridge) that crosses the Elbe river in Ústí nad Labem. And the little guy top left is a long-legged elf, also from Ústí nad Labem. Dlouhonohých skřítků is a geocaching game created by, I believe, the Ústí nad Labem tourist office. And I'm guessing the handstamp is something you get as part of following or completing a trail or rally related to that.

Small collection of stamps from France

A well organized assortment of stamps on this cover from France, postmarked at the handstamp center in Boulazac. From bottom left to right: nature series stamp depicting the Guadeloupe National Park (1997), the Belfry of Evreux in Évreux, Normandy (2008), the Chateauu de Pompadour in d'Armnac-Pompadour (1999), Place de la Bourse in Bordeaux (2009), Chateau de Chinon (1993) and the Dieppe International Kite Festival (1999).

Morden, Manitoba

My dear mother sent this to me during a recent excursion through Southern Manitoba. Morden is a farming community of about 10000. Corn is the major crop in that part of the Canadian prairies. They also grow a few varietes of cold-hardy apples. And they once had dinosaurs. Morden's Canadian Fossil Discovery Center has on display a collection of fossilized marine animals, including a 13m mosasaur named Bruce. A large part of North America was covered by an inland sea in pre-historic times. It left us with lots of fossils and lots of phosphate.

Wildlife and Traditional Housing in Burundi

The imperf rotated pair on the right are from a 2010 souvenir sheet showing traditional houses. It was issued along with a set of six that showed traditional headdresses. The other two stamps, the green pidgeon and hippo, were produced by Stamperija in 2026. Good to see that Stamperija can occasionally put out stamps that are thematically linked to the issuing country.

Laura Secord's Homestead in Queenston, Ontario

I've driven past Queenston a number of times and always assumed it was just part of nearby Niagara Falls. It's just a sleepy block of homes and a park on the Niagara River Parkway, across the Niagara River from Lewiston, New York. But nestled in the middle of town is the preserved homestead of Laura Secord. The mother of seven was famous for having walked 32 kms out of American-held territory during the War of 1812, to warn British forces of a surprise attack she had overheard the American soldiers discussing. Most Canadians associate her with the chocolate company named in her honor. 

25th Anniversary of the Åland Photography Museum

Åland is home to one of Europe's largest collections of photography equipment and the souvenir sheet on this cover commemorates the 25th anniversary of the museum that holds that collection. I'm pretty sure the character in the middle of the stamp is Olle Strömberg who founded the museum in 2001 with his wife Benita. She's on the sheet too. In the framed photo on the left. The "Camping" postmark is a seasonal thing, available from Åland Post between May and August. Camping is very popular in Åland as it is in all Scandinavian countries.

Portugal's Coastal Fortresses and Electric Trains

A pair of 2025 stamps from a set showing coastal castles and fortresses in Portugal. On the left is the 15th century Fort of Sagres near Vila do Bispo, way down in the south-west corner of the Algarve. And on the right is the 15th century Caminha parish church, way up in in the north-west corner of Portugal's northern district of Viana do Castelo. The postmark commemorates the 60th anniversary of electric train service along the 8km segment of track between Porto's Campanhã station and Ermesinde.

Figures of the American Revolution, USA FDC

Frist-day postmarked stamps featuring Abigail Adams and Benjamin Franklin from a sheet of 25 commemorating the America Revolution and those who played a role in it. And on the right is a 1982 South Dakota state bird and flower commemorative which features a ring necked pheasant and American pasqueflower.

Small Collection of Stamps from Myanmar

On this tidy cover from Myanmar's capital Yangon, from left to right:

• a 2024 stamp commemorating the 150th Anniversary of the Universal Postal Union
• a pair of 2025 butterfly stamps with a common yellow swallowtail on bottom, and a red lacewing on top
• a 2024 stamp commemorating the 100th anniversary of engineering education in Myanmar
• a 2024 ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) joint issue featuring general post offices. On the Myanmar stamp is the Naypyidaw Central Post Office building.

120th Anniversary of the Hunan First Normal University, China

This is a 2023 pre-stamped commemorative envelope, commemorating the 120th anniversary of the First Normal University in Changsha, in the Chinese province of Hunan. This was the university where Mao Zedong studied and briefly taught. The stamp in the middle is a definitive from 2024 and part of the "Beautiful China" series. The image on the stamp is from the Wusute Yadan geological park which features several wind and water eroded rock formations that peak above the turquoise blue salt waters of Dongtai Ji Nai'er Lake.

Macao 2026 Specialized World Stamp Exhibition

On this cover from Macau is a 2017 souvenir sheet from a set designed by artist Lei Tak Seng which showcases the Lotus flower. The postmark commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Fédération Internationale de Philatélie which coincided with the Macao 2026 Specialized World Stamp Exhibition (MACAO 2026). 

Road Safety in Hong Kong

Two stamps from a cute set of four issued by Hong Kong Post in May of 2026 on the theme of "Road Safety". They are on the official first-day envelope but not first-day postmarked. The image in the postmark is that of the new Hong Kong Post headquarters where the postmark was applied. And below that is a handstamp for the Macau 2026 specialize stamp expo held at the end of June in 2026.

100th Anniversary of the Rax Cable Car. Austria.

The postmark on this cover from Austria commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Rax cable car. I believe it is the first-day postmark for a stamp that commemorates the occasion as well. The cable car takes passengers up the Rax mountain range in eight minutes to a height of 1600m above sea level.

The stamps from left to right are: 

• A 2017 stamp from the Austrian Inventions series that commemorates the typewriters invented by Peter Mitterhofer. He built several advanced prototypes between 1864 and 1869 that were never produced commercially.
• A 2018 stamp from the Classic Costume series. This one features Thayataler Trachten: traditional folkdress from the Thaya region.
• And finally, a 2018 stamps that addresses generational issues. It's a graphical representation of co-existence, with young and old occupying the same space.

First Flight Across the South Atlantic from Portugal to Brazil

On this Brazilian cover from Palmeira dos Índios are a set of stamps from 2022 that commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first flight across the South Atlantic Ocean. In 1922 Portuguese aviators Gago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral used three different float planes to hop to the Brazilian coast from Lisbon via the Canary Islands, Cape Verde and Fernando de Noronha.

70 Years of EUROPA Stamps, Germany FDC

On this cover is a first-day postmarked 2026 Europa stamp from Germany. This year the EUROPA theme marks the 70th anniversary of the EUROPA stamp and each participating country has issued stamps with a common design representing the perforations along the edges of a stamp. The larger line of "dots" running diagonally across the stamp are actually cut through the stamp, perforating it.

Pet Dogs in Taiwan

The pair of stamps on this cover from Taiwan are from a 2025 set of ten featuring dogs and cats. On the right is a Shetland Sheepdog and on the left is a Shiba Inu.

Hobbit Holes in New Zealand

I received this postcard from my daughter who was travelling though New Zealand earlier this month. She had time to drop by Matamata to see the movie sets where they filmed scenes from "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit". It's a very popular tourist stop between Auckland and Rotorua.

The postcard came with this stamp that I found unfamiliar. It's from a private New Zealand mail carrier called The New Zealand Document Exchange or DX Mail. She dropped this off at a New Zealand Post  postbox in Christchurch but it ended up with a postmark implying it went through a bulk carrier in Wellington.

She also brought back these recent FDCs with illustrated artwork featuring common plants that are foraged around New Zealand: Kawakawa, Bladder Kelp, Watercress and Fennel. Beautiful stamps. 

Summer Greetings from Shizuoka, Japan

Stamps from the annual Summer Greetings series from Japan Post. Soft-serve ice cream on the right and warabi mochi on the left. These are from a sheet of ten 85 yen stamps that all feature popular summer snack foods. The other sheet in the set has ten 110 yen stamps featuring fruit items that are popular in the summer, like the pineapple pictured in the first-day postmark.

Eureka Weather Station, Canada

It's been a while since I've received mail from Eureka: the Canadian weather station on Ellesmere Island. The postmark has been refreshed a little since then. And I guess Canada Post felt the stamp was too colourful for this cover so they decided to spoil it for me. Good job.

The Eureka research and weather station is quite far north, but not the most northern research station. That would be the Canadian military and research station of Alert which is about 400km north of Eureka, on the north tip of Ellesmere island. But Alert doesn't have a post office.

Summer Festivals in the Touhoku Region, Japan

The stamps on this cover from Shizuoka are from 1999 and feature two summer festivals held annually in Japan's Touhoku region. The Sendai Tanabata Festival is on the left and the Soma Nomaoi Festival is on the right. Sendai's Tanabata Festival is one of Japan's largest star festivals that celebrates the reuniting of two celestial lovers: Orihime and Hikoboshi. The city's streets are decorated with large paper ornaments (kazari) with long colourful streamers. Soma's Nomaoi Festival is an annual event in which hundreds of horseback riders dressed as samurai compete in traditional events and battles. It has been an annual tradition for over 1000 years.

80th Anniversary of the United Nations, Tunisia

A cover commemorating the 80th anniversary of the United Nations from the Ennasr district of Ariana, north of Tunis. The stamp was issued by La Poste Tunisienne in 2025.

A small collection of stamps from India

From Chakkarapalli, in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. A small assortment of stamps. Top right is a 2004 Olympic Games stamp. Top middle are a pair of stamps from 2011 commemorating the 10th presidential naval fleet review, with a MiG-29K on the right and the Presidents yacht on the left. Interesting combination. Far left is a 2026 commemorative the honors the shadow puppetry art known as Ravanchhaya. I like that one. And the final stamp honors those who dealt with controlling COVID in 2020.

Street Painters in France

On this cover from France are a pair of recent stamps. The 2026 stamp on the left features street painters, like the ones you would see in tourist areas in Paris. And the stamp on the right is from a 2025 booklet features images of the oceans. I believe the island on this stamp is part of the Glénan Islands.

Mailed in the envelope was this lovely old philatelic souvenir card from 1973. The first-day postmarked stamp commemorates the 46th annual National Philately Congress that was held in Toulouse that year. The image on the card is one of those silk prints that was popular or philatelic items back in the day. It's an image of the tower of the Toulouse capital buildings. Built in 1525, the structure has been the location of the city's tourist office since 1948.

Spanish Architecture

Here's a cover from Vigo on the north-east coast of Spain. On the left are a pair of stamps from a 2007 set showing Spanish architecture with the Market of Santa Caterina in Barcelona on the left and Terminal T4 at Barajas Airport in Madrid on the right. Top-right is a stamp from a 2002 showing Castillo de los Priores in Calatorao, Zaragoza. And below that is a 2002 stamp commemorating the founding of the city of Tudela in 1200.

Animal Illustrations by Kuwagata Keisai, Japan

The stamps on this cover from Osaka are from a 2019 set that features illustrations by ukiyo-e artist Kuwagata Keisai that are part of his 1797 "Abbreviated Drawing Styles for Birds and Animals" collection. On the right is an owl and on the left, a quail.

125th anniversary of the Natural History Museum in Belgrade, Serbia

On this cover from Sremski Karlovci, Serbia, is a set of four stamps from 2020 that commemorate the 125th anniversary of the Natural History Museum in Belgrade. Clockwise from top-right:

• The last bear of Jastrebac mountain, shot in 1885 by King Milan I Obrenović
• Jarandolite, a rare calcium borate mineral, found by geologist Dobrica Stojanović and described in 1992
• This one is a lable: a rare fungus, Myriostoma coliforme, commonly known as the saltshaker earthstar or pepper pot.
• A fossilized skull of an extinct crooked horned antelope
• Rtanjska metvica (a type of mint) that is critically endangered and endemic to Mt. Rtanj in Serbia

Artemis II Launch Cover

This is the Artemis II commemorative launch postmark that was (and I believe still is) available from the USPS. I got this one from the Cape Canaveral "Astronaut Blvd" post office and had it datestamped April 1: launch day. I previously received a cover with the Artemis II Mission Control postmark which also turned out well.

Algerian Traditional Dishes, FDC

On this cover are a pair of recent stamps from a set of four that feature traditional Algerian cusine. On the left is tikourbabine which is a stew combining semolina dumplings, vegetables and chickpeas in a spiced broth. And on the right is a tomato based soup and hand-made pasta dish known called chorba mkatfa.

Small Collection of stamps from Chile

A little group of individual stamps on this cover from Concepcion in central Chile. Clockwise from top-left: 

• a 2015 stamp commemorating the 120th anniversary of the State Defense Council, 
• a 2023 UPAEP stamp. The theme in 2023 was "philately and the postage stamp"
• a 2011 stamp commemorating the 200th anniversary of the the Chilean National Congress
• a 2011 stamp commemorating the 200th anniversary of the Chilean state-owned firearms and munitions manufacturer FAMAE. I was expecting more guns on that stamp. It wasn't instantly apparent from the imagery what it was about.

Valentine's Day Greetings from the Philippines

On this cover from the city of Taguig are 2026 Valentine's Day stamps features popular Valentine's Day flowers, with Alstroemerea on the left and Lilies on the right. The postmark comes from the post office at Market! Market! Mall. It appears to be a shopping mall complex that blends traditional and modern shopping experiences with a large indoor flea market area and an area for food stalls right next door. It's the kind of place I'd be spending a chunk of time in if I were to ever visit Taguig.

Fifty Years of Achievements in Space, United Nations Geneva

From the Geneva office. The two stamps are from a 2007 set of three and a souvenir sheet, with three different issues across the three UN offices. They commemorate 50 years of achievements in space, declaring space for humanity.

Brazil - Romania Joint Issue from 2015

The pair of Brazilian stamps at the top is from 2015 and is a joint issue between Brazil and Romania. Each stamp features a sculpture of the biblical character "Eve" with Brazilian Victor Brecheret's interpretation on the left and Romanian Gheorghe Leonida's interpretation on the right. Below that is a 2002 stamp from a souvenir sheet that brings attention to the environmental protection area for the Southern Right Whale. Unlike their northern Atlantic cousins, the southern right whales are not endangered. 

Artemis II Mission Control

During the recent Artemis II moon mission a couple of commemorative postmarks were made available from the USPS. I got this one from the Hadley Street Post Office in Houston, Texas. It shows the Orion capsule Integrity against the moon with the flight controllers back at Houston Mission Control. I had it datestamped April 6: the day Integrity came within 6500km of the lunar surface.

Colorado Statehood 150th Anniversary, USA FDC

First-day postmarked USPS stamps commemorating the 150th anniversary of the state of Colorado. First thing I think about when I think of Colorado is the Rocky Mountains. And John Denver for some reason. Probably because of his song about the Rocky Mountains. He used to live in Colorado, but not in Denver. That's pretty much everything I know about Colorado. I guess now I can add that I know it's been a state for 150 years.

World Veterinary Association Congress 2026, Japan FDC

The 41st World Veterinary Association Congress was held in Tokyo between the 21st and 24th of April of 2026. The World Veterinary Association mission is to provide global leadership for the veterinary profession and promote animal health and welfare. Their first congress was held in 1863.

50th Anniversary of East German Antarctic Research at Georg Forester

Recent "stamp of the month" postmark produced by Deutsche Post to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the commissioning of the East German Antarctic Research Base Georg Forester on 21 April 1976.

Port-aux-Français on Kerguelen Island

From the French research station of Port-aux-Français on Kerguelen Island in the South Indian Ocean. Throughout the year, 50 to 120 people live and work here: scientists, engineers and military personnel. The 2025 TAAF stamp shows the L'Astrolabe approaching Adélie Land in Antarctica to supply Dumont d'Urville Station.

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.