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.

The Return of Okinawa, 50th Anniversary FDC Japan

From Yokohama, Japan. The stamps are from a set of five marking the 50th anniversary of the return of Okinawa to Japanese control. The stamp on the left represents the culture and entertainment of Okinawa and the stamp on the right represents its history. The US occupied the islands after the end of the Second World War and maintained control of them until 15 May 1972.

Hong Kong

From the Hong Kong town of Ma On Shan. The stamp on the left shows the small island Po Pin Chau on the eastern edge of Hong Kong. And the two on the right are 2022 stamps from a set commemorating the third anniversary of the ambitious Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Outline Development Plan. The goal is to integrate these cities around the bay into one large business hub. The area already accounts from something like 12% of China's GDP and 37% of the country's exports.

From Somewhere in Greece

I know it's from somewhere near Athens but I can't make out the postmark to know exactly. The stamp on the left is a Dusky Grouper from 2012 and on the right is an anti-bullying stamp from 2020. I believe this one specifically deals with social isolation.

Ernest Shackleton Postmark

From Germany. The postmark commemorates Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton. Shackleton died of a heart attack on 5 January 1922 in South Georgia at the start of the Shackleton–Rowett Expedition. The stamp on this cover was issued in 2001 and shows an image of the RV Polarstern: Germany's polar research vessel.

 

Polar Lights FDC, Germany

FDC postmark on a Polar Lights stamp from Germany. Specifically the Northern Lights over Lofoten, Norway. It is the latest stamp in a series that feature celestial events. The 5c definitives on the left are waterlilies but if you look closely you'll notice the flowers are actually made of letters and pencils. Smart. All are 2022 stamps with new matrix codes.