Canadian Shape

Postcard received from Phillip (Canada). It shows "The eclectic shops & sights of Toronto's Chinatown and Kensigton Market".

On the back, three stamps belonging to the set that Canada Post issued to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the country.

I think that set is really cool (see here the stories behind every stamp). I have been very lucky, because I have got even more of them. For instance, on this cool envelope sent also by Phillip, with special postmarks.

And on this letter sent by Rosemary:

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I added this post to Maria's link Postcards for the Weekend. This week's theme is Touristic multi-view.

From the Mountains

Postcard sent by Micu. Mailed from Hungary, but showing the amazing landscape of the Earth Pyramides in Renon (Italy).

Sunshine Coast (British Columbia, Canada), sent by Rosemary. Six wonderful stamps but any postmark (?).

From the Beach - II

Two postcards sent by Laura (the UK). Above, some bays in Broadstairs, a coastal town in the Thanet district of east Kent, England.

Below: Walkers on the beach at Sandymouth, Cornwall. I love this picture!

From the Beach - I

Wrightsville Beach, North Caroline, the USA

Postcards sent by Helen from Anchored Scraps, and Connie Jean (the USA). I would like to know a bit more about the second...

The backs of both postcards are quite entertaining!

Il Barbiere di Seviglia

Front and back of a big envelope sent by Phillip (the USA), made from a poster. At first sight, I did not notice the stamps...

Spanish Paella

Phillip (the USA), not only sent me a Moroccan tagine to Morocco... He also sent me a Spanish paella to Spain!

This time I could answer with the right postcard...

See all the four postcards he made on Phillip's post.

Sunday Stamps | H(ands)

Today's theme in Sunday Stamps-II, continuing with the alphabet, is H.

I guess hands appear more often on stamps than feet. Actually, I had not realised how many stamps have hands as their central design, until I bumped into this interesting blog.

Below, some of my received stamps. Which one do you like most?

Australia

France

Hungary

The Netherlands

Portugal

Spain

Turkey

The USA

Only a Letter Would Do

«Nowadays, when it came to ways of keeping in touch, she and Rachel where spoiled for choice: they emailed and texted, and they talked on Facebook and Whatsapp. In the last few weeks, they'd even started using a newly launched app called Snapchat, which allowed them to send pictures and brief sages which were only visible for a few seconds before being wiped from the screen forever. But every so often, when one of them had something special to say to the other, only a real, old-fashioned letter would do.»

Jonathan Coe, Number 11

Autumn Harvests

Postcard sent by Heleen (the Netherlands). It is an illustration by Marit Törnqvist, from de book Jij bent de liefste (Hans & Monique Uitgeverij). I don't know the story, and I don't think they are harvesting sunflowers... But the scene made me think of the Autumn, so I added it to Maria's link Postcards for the Weekend, the theme this week being Fall scenes.

A gorgeous postcard sent by Bryon (the USA). I don't know which variety these Washington apples are, so I am not sure they are harvested in Autumn...

Also sent by Bryon. This is a real fall scene! As I read in the Idaho Potato Commission's site: "Harvest begins in early September and can run through most of October. Most of the potatoes are harvested in the last two weeks of September and the first two weeks of October". I didn't know that Idaho potato's were so famous. The sender wrote that the one on the picture can be "a slight exaggeration"... :)

Autumn is also the season of harvesting oranges, at least here, and in my region. This metallic (yes!) postcard was sent by Heleen (the Netherlands); inside a nice reused envelope, with some orange/autumn stamps on and funny postmarks:

I received the next one, made of a label of beer, the same week, along with a letter from Alan (Adanaland). Have a look at the artiststamps! It is odd, but I find the light on this related to the orange peel above...

Last but not least, let me show a beautiful postcard recently sent by Micu (Hungary), showing Lake Balaton, the largest lake in Central Europe. Maybe these are summer pictures. But orange, besides being one of my favourite colours, is usually associated with Autumn...

Total Solar Eclipse

A month ago, on 21 August, a total solar eclipse was visible within a band across the entire contiguous United States. 

The USPS issued a commemorative forever stamp on 20 June. It is the first US stamp that uses thermochromic ink. By rubbing a thumb or finger on the eclipse image, it reveals an underlying image of the full moon. Afterwards, the image reverts back to the eclipse as it cools.

The photograph of the total solar eclipse on the stamp was taken at Jalu, Libya on 29 March 2006 by NASA astrophysicist Fred Espenak (aka Mr Eclipse). The stamp's alternate image is a photo of the full moon taken by Espenak at his observatory in Portal, Arizona in 2010. 

As you can see, they also issued some special postmarks. I have been the happy receiver of two (different)!

This one on an envelope from Phillip, who wrote the address in a really clever way. And included a eclipse-themed card inside:

The other postmark was sent by Bryon, on the back of this postcard. Not easy to read in the dim light during a eclipse!

A Gril Reading, 1877
Frank Duveneck (1848-1919)

Wild Mail

Some wild mail arrived from Phillip (the USA) during the summer. Like this superb special postmark. Don't you love that name?

And an envelope made of a paper bag of the National Geographic Museum in Washington DC:

The back (Phillip's scan)

As on the following envelope, he used some of the stamps of one of my favourite series. I have it almost complete now!

And two interesting postcards inside, reproducing covers of the famous magazine:

I think I can include this letter sent by Laura (the UK) in this post. Or do you think these animals are not wild enough? ;-)