HONG-KONG - Cover from Kawlonn, Hong-Kong to Braga, Portugal

First Day Cover with stamp of 2$40 from the ‘Hong Kong's Participation in Expo 2010 Shanghai China’ stamps issue posted on April, 27 2010.
(Special thanks to my friend Brian Kam

"Hong Kong's Participation in Expo 2010 Shanghai China" Special Stamps
Date of Issue: 27 April 2010

A set of special stamps is issued to commemorate Hong Kong's participation in Expo 2010 Shanghai China (Shanghai Expo) under the theme "Better City, Better Life". The event will be held at the waterfront on both sides of the Huangpu River in Shanghai from 1 May to 31 October 2010. It offers a great opportunity for Hong Kong to showcase to the world its local and global connectivity, infinite creativity and extraordinary charm as an international metropolis.

Hong Kong will participate in Shanghai Expo in four areas: constructing and operating a stand-alone Hong Kong Pavilion under the theme "Hong Kong - Potential Unlimited"; taking part in the Urban Best Practices Area Exhibition under the theme "Smart Card‧Smart City‧Smart Life"; taking part in Expo Shanghai Online to provide netizens with a realistic, virtual experience of Hong Kong's participation in Shanghai Expo; and organising events and activities before and during the Expo period to promote Hong Kong's innovation and creativity in cultural and other different fields.

In a modern, stylish design, this set of four stamps features an ingenious integration of our harbour view with images of a dragon dance, a green leaf, Tsing Ma Bridge and a smart card to highlight our uniqueness as a cosmopolitan city of pluralistic culture, quality life and sustainable development. This perfectly complements the theme of Shanghai Expo.

$1.40 - Dragon Dance
A traditional festive performance, the dragon dance is a distinct heritage of Chinese society. It is an icon of living cultural traditions in Hong Kong, a dynamic city where East meets West, and old merges with new.

$2.40 - Green Leaf
A symbol of beautiful nature, the green leaf represents an essential element of a vibrant eco-city - the harmonious coexistence of modern architecture and natural environment.

$3 - Tsing Ma Bridge
A magnificent landmark, this infrastructure interconnects with the Hong Kong International Airport and other major trunk roads to form an extensive transport network, securing closer links with Mainland cities and other parts of the world.

$5 - Smart Card
An exemplary technological innovation that brings breakthroughs to our city life, the smart card testifies to our commitment to developing innovation and technology for a better future with enhanced efficiency and quality of life. A strong sense of vitality is conveyed through the smooth and lively patterns in delightfully bright colours. The emblem of Shanghai Expo and the appearance of the Hong Kong Pavilion in the lower corners symbolise Hong Kong's participation in a spectacular event that will capture the world's imagination. (Extract from the Hong-Kong Post announcing bulletin)

SINGAPORE – Cover from Singapore to Braga, Portugal,

Cover with four stamps from the 2006’s Singapore-Japan joint issue: flowers posted on July, 8 2010.
(A very special thanks to my friend Terence Wong)

40th anniversary of the diplomatic relationship and international letter writing week on Japan - Flowers.
Six identical stamps. Flowers, Singaporean orchids: A, Vanda Mimi Palmer and B, Renanthera Singaporeans, C, Vanda Miss Joaquim (Singapore National flower) and D, Mokara Lion's Gold; paintings Flowers and birds of the Four Seasons Drawing on a Folding Screen by Hoitsu Sakai, E, summer with hollyhocks and heron, F, summer with iris and moorhens. Japanese stamps are only available in a miniature sheet in which stamps A and B as well as C and D are se-tenant. Multicolored and hot stamp technique (gold foil for Singapore).

With the letter I received the then set of 10 stamps and the FDC of the Sing post 26 of May 2010 'Known 10 Trees' stamps issue featuring various essential trees of Singapore. The ten trees of Singapore are Rain Tree, Angsana, Yellow Flame, Senegal Mahogany, Broad-leafed Mahogany, Tembusu, Sea Apple, Saga, Trumpet Tree and Sea Almond.

(The stamps)

(The FDC)

(The brochure)

TURKEY - Cover from Ízmír, Turkey to Braga, Portugal

Cover with Turkish EUROPA 2009 stamps posted on May, 30 2010.
(Special thanks to my friend Bulent Oktem)

EUROPA 2009 - Astronomy stamps issue: 2 motives, one value at 80 Kurus¸ (right stamp) features the Cacabey Astronomy Medresse (located in the center of Kõrsehir and was built in H. 671 / C.1272-1273) set against an image of a galaxy; while the second stamp, valued at 1 Lira (left stamp) depicts famous astronomer Ali Kus¸çu (1403-1474) working on a document and surrounded by images that include Earth, the Moon...

Welcome the 9000th Visitors

Aqui ficam as melhores saudações Filatélicas, para os visitantes de todo o mundo, que diariamente visitam o meu blog.

(English version)

Here are the best Philatelic greetings to visitors from all over the world who daily visit my blog.

CHINA – Cover from Souzhou, Jiangsu Province, China to Braga, Portugal

Cover with three definitive stamps from the issue Birds of 2002, posted on July, 5 2010.
(Special thanks to my friend Victor Coelho)


Suzhou (simplified Chinese: 苏州; traditional Chinese: 蘇州; pinyin: Sūzhōu; Suzhou dialect: [səu tsøʏ]; ancient name: 吳). Suzhou is a city on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Lake Taihu in the province of Jiangsu, China. The city is renowned for its beautiful stone bridges, pagodas, and meticulously designed gardens which have contributed to its status as a great tourist attraction. Since the Song Dynasty (960-1279), Suzhou has also been an important centre for China's silk industry and continues to hold that prominent position today. The city is part of the Yangtze River Delta region.
The name of the city have been previously transliterated in English in various ways, including Su-chou (Wade-Giles system), Suchow, and Soochow. It is occasionally nicknamed the "Venice of the East" or "Venice of China"

(Source: Wikipedia – Souzhou, Jiangsu Province- China)

CZECH REPUBLIC – FDC from Vodochody, Czech Republic to Braga, Portugal

FDC with stamp from the issue ‘Beauties of our Country: Klatovy’ issued on 16 of June of 2010, posted on July, 26 2010.
Two definitive stamps in the back of the cover.
(Special thanks to my friend Jirí Gýra)

Beauties of our Country: Klatovy
Klatovy is a town on the Drnový brook, nestled on a gentle hillside surrounded by forest hills. The entrance gate to the West Šumava Mountains used to be a tiny village on the ancient trade road leading from Bavaria to Bohemia. A town was established in the location in 1262-1273 by King Přemysl Otakar II. In the 15th century it was a Hussite fortress, heavily suffering in the 17th century during the Thirty Years' War. In the mid-17th century, the town started flourishing under the auspices of the Jesuit order, builder of the main town church and the Jesuit College. In the mid-18th century Klatovy already became a regional capital. The town centre is a mixture of modern architecture with historical buildings, featuring different styles from gothic, through renaissance, up to baroque and empire. The symbol of the town is the renaissance Town Hall with the late gothic Black Tower, offering a beautiful view of the town and the remote Šumava hilltops. The five-floor tower with 226 steps is 81.6m high. The Jesuit baroque pharmacy, White Unicorn, with the original 1773 equipment, protected as one of the UNESCO scientific and technical monuments, is another major sight on the main Klatovy square. Other historic sights include the Town Hall, part of the town fortifications, the White Tower of the gothic Virgin Mary's Birth church, the catacombs and mummies under the Jesuit church of the Immaculate Conception and St. Ignatius. The catacombs received the first bodies in the early 1670s. The sophisticated ventilation system maintains an optimum temperature for preserving the mummies. The visitors can see thirty mummified bodies in coffins with glass lids. The Jewish cemetery and synagogue in the north of the town are presently used for purposes other than religious. Klatovy is also famous for its carnations whose tradition of growing dates back to 1813.

Date of Issue: 16. 06. 2010
Face value: 12 CZK Dimensions: 26 x 40 mm
Stamps per Sheet: 8
Number in set: 2
Stamp designer: Jan Maget
Stamp engraver: Bohumil Šneider
Printer: Česká Pošta
Print technology: recess print from flat plates

Inside the envelope two Czech Republic EUROPA mint stamps from 2009 and 2010.

EUROPA 2009 - ASTRONOMY - THE 400TH ANNIVERSARY OF KEPLER'S LAWS: :ASTRONOMIA NOVA
The Association of European Public Postal Operators PostEurop declared "Astronomy" as this year's common theme for the postage stamp issue EUROPA. At the initiative of professional astronomers associated in the International Astronomical Union the year 2009 was proclaimed by the UNESCO as the International Year of Astronomy under the auspices of the UN. This event is closely related to the 400th anniversary of use of astronomical telescope by Galileo Galilei. At an international conference the Czech Republic will commemorate also the 400th anniversary of publication of a Kepler's major work Astronomia Nova. The astronomer, mathematician, physicist and astrologer, Johannes Kepler (1571-1630), was a man of significance not only for the Czech environment. In 1600 he came to Prague already as a convinced follower of Koperník's system. At the Emperor Rudolf II's court he became a colleague of Tycho Brahe and after the latter's death (1601) he took the position of the emperor's mathematician and astronomer. Kepler who was convinced of a harmonious structure of the world believed that the grouping of planets into specific geometrical figures has an extraordinary impact on the world events. On basis of data obtained by Brahe he calculated the elliptic orbit of the planet Mars and formulated the first two of his famous laws which regulate the motion of planets. The results were published in 1609 in his work Astronomia Nova. In 1612 Kepler left Prague for Linz where in 1618 he formulated his third law on planetary circulation. J. Kepler belongs to the major astronomers of the 17th century. He dealt with geometry, observed the explosion of a supernova, improved and constructed astronomical telescope. He as the first man actually calculated the so-called Bethlehem star. He found that it was the three-times repeated conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn in Pisces in 7 BC that was the "star of Bethlehem". Such unique phenomenon which as a matter of course could not escape general curiosity gave birth to the "comet".

(Source Češka Pošta)

EUROPA 2010: Children's Book - Karel Čapek - Dášeňka
This year's central theme for the annual EUROPA issue, announced by the Association of European Public Postal Operators PostEurop, is Children's Book. Dášeňka aneb život štěněte (Dashenka, or the Life of a Puppy) by Karel Čapek is one of the best known and most popular Czech books, not only with children. Karel Čapek was born in Malé Svatoňovice. His brother, Josef Čapek, was a famous writer, painter and photographer. Dashenka is an example of their frequent cooperation. After his studies, Karel worked as a tutor to the son of Count Lažanský, but soon took the position of a journalist, editing several newspapers: Národní listy, Nebojsa, Lidové noviny. He left the latter in 1921 as a protest against the sacking of his brother Josef by the paper's board. For the next two years he was a dramaturg at the Vinohradské Theatre. He was the first president of the Czech PEN Club in 1925-1933. He married his long-time friend, Olga Scheinpflugová, almost at the end of his life. After 1938 he became the target of political attacks. He spent the last years of his life in Stará Huť by Dobříš where he is still commemorated by a monument. He died of pneumonia, several months before his planned arrest by the Gestapo. Dashenka, or the Life of a Puppy is a book more than 70 years old. Iris, Dashenka's mother, was a wire-haired terrier living with Čapek. The book describes Dashenka's birth and early life until the day when she is carried away by her new owners, and a number of other stories (Stories for Dashenka, On Dogs' Habits, On People, etc.). The stories are accompanied by photographs of Dashenka, made by Josef Čapek. Karel Čapek wrote a large number of books, the major including War with the Newts, R.U.R., The White Disease, Krakatit, etc.

(Source Češka Pošta)

LITHUANIA - Cover from Trakai, Lithuania to Braga, Portugal

(Trakai Island Caste postcard)

Cover with 2010 100th Anniversary of Vladas Mikénas stamp and three stamps from the 2009 definitive issue posted on July, 19 2010.
(Special thanks to my friend Yu Kitaev)

100TH ANNIVERSARY OF VLADAS MIKĖNAS

The outstanding Lithuanian chess player Vladas Mikėnas was born in Tallinn (Estonia) in 1910. In 1931, he settled in Lithuania and took part in the first Championship of the Baltic Countries held in Klaipėda. In 1932, the book Šachmatų vadovėlis (Chess Manual) written by V. Mikėnas was published; it was the first book on chess published in the Lithuanian language. In the years 1931–1939, he represented Lithuania in five Chess Olympiads, always at the first board. In 1950, he established the Chess and Draught Club of Lithuania and occupied the position of the director until 1970. In the years 1950–1990, he led chess sections in various periodicals.
V. Mikėnas was the first Lithuanian chess player awarded the International Master title by the World Chess Federation (FIDE) in 1950; in 1987, FIDE awarded him the Honorary Grandmaster title. In 1983, he won the European Team Correspondence Chess tournament. In the period 1983–1985, he was the chief arbiter of the World Chess Championship.
V. Mikėnas belonged to chess players who were playfully called “killers of champions”. This outstanding player has won against A. Alekhine, M. Botvinnik, V. Smyslov, M. Tal (world champions) and D. Bronstein, P. Keres, S. Flohr, E. Bogoljubov, M. Vidmar, G. Stahlberg, G. Maroczy. The best ELO rating of V. Mikėnas is 2669.
Mikenas System was named after Vladas Mikėnas. It is also called the Flohr-Mikenas System.

Issue date: 2010 04 17
Artist R. Tumasonis.
Offset. Art paper. Stamp – 34,5x30 mm. Perf.14.
Sheet of 50 stamps (5x10). The upper margin of a sheet is with inscription.
Face value:2 Lt.
Edition: 300 000.
Printed in "Österreichische Staatsdruckerei GmbH" printing-house in Austria (Vienna).

Definitive postage stamp’s issue of 2009 “WOODEN SACRAL ARCHITECTURE OF LITHUANIA AND WOODEN CHURCH BELFRIES”

Issue date: 2009 02 21
Artist G. Pempė (Nr. 518, 519, 522) and K. Katkus (Nr. 520, 521)
Art paper. Stamp 24x24 mm. Self-adhesive stamps.

10 ct – The Church of Degučiai. 1757.
20 ct – The Church of Inturkė. 1855.
50 ct – Belfry of Tryškiai Church. XVIII a.
1Lt – Belfry of Šaukėnai Church. XVIII a.
1,35 Lt – The Church of Šiaudinė. 1775.

Edition: 1,50 million, 1,50 million, 0,50 million, 2,00 million, 2,00 million.
Printed in „Österreichische Staatsdruckerei GmbH“. Printing-house Austria, Viena.

(Source: Lietuvos Paštas)

CROATIA - Cover from Nedelišće, Croatia to Braga, Portugal

(2008 issue)

(2010 issue)

Registered cover with stamps from the 2008 and 2010 Croatian Ethnographic Heritage issues posted on July, 17 2010.
(Special thanks to my friend Tomislav)

POLAND – FDC from Nowy Sacz, Poland to Braga, Portugal.

Registered First Day Cover posted on July, 15 2010.
(Special thanks to my friend Andrzej)

600 YEARS OF GRUNWALD BATTLE
The Battle of Grunwald was the decisive battle of the Great War 1409-1411 ranged by the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland against the knights of the Teutonic Order. It took place on July 15, 1410 near Grunwald and Tannenberg on the territory of the Order (now a province in Poland).

author: Marzanna Dąbrowska
number of stamps: 1 in block
denomination: PLN 8,30
print run: 400.000
printing technique: rotogravure
stamp size: 60 x 43 mm
block size: 116 x 82 mm
paper: fluorescent
circulation date: 15 July 2010

HONG-KONG - Cover from Kawlonn, Hong-Kong to Braga, Portugal

First Day Cover with stamp of the ‘Characteristic Streets’ stamps issue posted on June, 24 2010.
(Special thanks to my friend Brian Kam)

The set of special stamps features six characteristic streets in Hong Kong, namely Pottinger Street, Nathan Road, Hollywood Road, Temple Street, Des Voeux Road West and Stanley Market. To Hong Kong people the snapshots on the stamps would convey a sense of nostalgia. (Extract from the Hong-Kong Post announcing bulletin)

CHINA – Postcard from Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China to Braga, Portugal.

Postcard posted on July, 7 2010.

(Special thanks to my friend Ms. Chai from Malaysia)

Tiger Hill (Chinese: 虎丘; pinyin: Hŭqiū) is a hill in Suzhou, in China. It is a popular tourist destination and is known for its natural beauty as well as historical sites. The hill is so named because it is said to look like a crouching tiger. Another legend states that a white tiger appeared on the hill to guard it following the burial of King Helü. The hill is sometimes referred to in parallel with "Lion Mountain", another hill near Suzhou which clearly resembles a sitting lion.

The hill has been a tourist destination for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, as is evident from the poetry and calligraphy carved into rocks on the hill.
(Source Wikipedia – Suzhou, Tiger Hill)

Definitive stamps - Chinese Birds (1st set)

Technical Details:

Values in set: 3

Denomination: 180 yuan

Date of issue: 1st February 2002

Designer Huang Huaqiang

Size of stamp: 27 * 38 mm

Perforation: 115 * 13

Sheet composition: 30

Printing process: photogravure

Printer: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing House

Protecting the common homeland of mankind

Technical details:
Values in set: 4
Date of issue: April 1, 2003
Denomination: 265 fen
Designer: Zhang Sen, Yang Bo Size of stamps: 25*20mm
Perforation: 13*13.5
Sheet composition: 40(10*4)
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

Definitive stamps - Chinese Birds (2nd set)

Technical Details:

Values in set: 2

Denomination: 180 yuan

Date of issue: 15 November 2006

Designer Huang Huaqiang

Size of stamp: 27 * 38 mm

Perforation: 13.5

Sheet composition: 30

Printing process: photogravure

Printer: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing House