Stampsland

#616 Bulgaria...Thanks Lilia!

2011-03-30T02:11:00.000-07:00

#615 USA...Thanks Michael!

2011-03-30T02:07:00.000-07:00

#614 Vietnam...Thanks Hoang!

2011-03-30T02:06:00.000-07:00

#613 Australia...Thanks Juris!

2011-03-30T02:05:00.002-07:00

#612 Lithuania...Thanks Vytis!

2011-03-30T02:03:00.000-07:00

#611 Netherlands...Thanks Bartels!

2011-03-30T02:01:00.000-07:00

#610 Korea...Thanks Youngmoo!

2011-03-30T02:00:00.000-07:00

#609 Russia...Thanks Yuri!

2011-03-30T01:59:00.003-07:00

#608 Spain...Thanks Pedro!

2011-03-30T01:59:00.001-07:00

#607 Taiwan...Thanks Alan!

2011-03-30T01:58:00.000-07:00

#606 Kazakhstan...Thanks Serge!

2011-03-30T01:57:00.000-07:00

#605 Denmark...Thanks Thomas!

2011-03-30T01:56:00.002-07:00

#604 USA...Thanks Sue!

2011-03-30T01:56:00.001-07:00

#603 Algeria...Thanks Omar!

2011-03-30T01:55:00.002-07:00

#602 Belgium...Thanks Alex!

2011-03-30T01:55:00.001-07:00

#601 Mauritius...Thanks David!

2011-03-30T01:54:00.001-07:00

#600 France

2011-03-30T01:53:00.002-07:00

#599 Slovenia...Thanks Rok!

2011-03-30T01:53:00.001-07:00

#598 Netherlands...Thanks Vic!

2011-03-30T01:51:00.000-07:00

#597 Ecuador...Thanks Efren!

2011-03-30T01:50:00.002-07:00

#596 Czech Republic...Thanks Josef!

2011-03-30T01:50:00.001-07:00

#595 Slovakia...Thanks Robert!

2011-03-30T01:49:00.001-07:00

#594 Slovakia...Thanks Robert!

2011-03-30T01:48:00.000-07:00

#593 Czech Republic

2011-03-30T01:47:00.000-07:00

#592 Czech Republic...Thanks Robert!

2011-03-30T01:38:00.000-07:00

#591 Pakistan...Thanks Syed!

2011-02-26T22:41:00.001-08:00

#590 Russia...Thanks Vladimir!

2011-02-26T22:40:00.000-08:00

The 15p stamp was issued in 2010 featuring World Cultural Heritage in Russia - Curonian Spit - Dunes and Forest view.

The Curonian Spit is an outstanding example of a landscape of sand dunes that is under constant threat from natural forces (wind and tide). After disastrous human interventions that menaced its survival, the Spit was reclaimed by massive protection and stabilization works begun in the 19th century and still continuing to the present day.

The Spit is a peninsula that separates the Baltic Sea and the Curonian Lagoon in a slightly concave arc for 98 km from the Kaliningrad Peninsula to the town of Klaipeda. The largest settlements in the Lithuanian part are Smiltyne, Pervalka, Juodkrante, Preila and Nida. Dune valleys divide the ridge into separate dune massifs, and capes are generally formed in front of these valleys.

Formation of the Spit began some 5,000 years ago. Mesolithic people whose main source of food was from the sea settled there, working bone and stone brought from the mainland. In the 1st millennium CE West Baltic tribes (Curonians and Prussians) established seasonal settlements there, to collect fish, and perhaps also for ritual purposes. The centre of Kaup is the last unexcavated large proto-urban settlement of the Viking period. The invasion of Prussia by Teutonic Knights in the 13th century was gradually driven out, but armed conflict continued in the region until the 15th century. The Spit had great strategic importance, and in consequence the knights built castles at Memel (1252), Noihauz (1283) and Rossitten (1372). They also settled German farmers around the castles, building roads and clearing woodland for agriculture.
Baltic peoples set up settlements on the Spit and the population increased, however, as their main activities were fishing and beekeeping. In the 16th century a new process of dune formation began and settlements became buried in sand. The works took the form of the construction of a protective bank of sand to prevent further ingress of dunes (a process that took most of the century) and the stabilization of dunes by means of brushwood hurdles, accompanied by reforestation.

The most significant element of the Spit's cultural heritage is represented by the old fishing settlements. The earliest of these were buried in sand when the woodland cover was removed. Those that have survived are all along the coast of the lagoon. At the end of the 19th century more elaborate buildings - lighthouses, churches, schools and villas - began to be erected alongside the simpler vernacular houses. This was partly due to the fact that the Spit became a recreational centre: Juodkrante became famous as a health resort as early as 1840 and Nida, Preila and Pervalka were given official recognition in this category in 1933. In the centre, Nida, the largest settlement on the Spit, has a linear plan based on a single main street that runs parallel to the lagoon and which developed spontaneously in the 19th century.

The most northerly part of the Spit, Smiltyne, was not settled until the mid-19th century, when a health resort was created. It is the point where ferries from Klaipeda on the mainland arrive on the Spit. The surviving buildings of cultural significance are the houses of fishermen built during the 19th century. In their original form they were built from wood and thatched with reeds. A homestead consisted of two or three buildings: a dwelling house, a cattle shed, and a smokehouse for curing fish. These were located to one side of the long narrow plot, leaving space for a kitchen garden and for drying nets. The houses were constructed at right angles to the street. In the 20th century the fishermen's houses were enlarged and new ones built with their long sides to the street. As a result, the appearance of the settlements was radically altered.

Other buildings are the sturdy lighthouse at Pervalka and the neo-Gothic Evangelical Lutheran churches at Juodkrante and Nida, both built in the 1880s. The cemeteries of Nida, Preila, Pervalka and Juodkrante are of interest.

The 8p stamp is from 2007 Native Horse Breeds issue showing Don Breed.

The Russian Don is a breed of horse developed in and named after the steppes region of Russia where the Don River flows. Utilized originally as cavalry horses for the Cossacks, they are currently used for under-saddle work and driving.

#589 France...Thanks Robert!

2011-02-26T22:39:00.000-08:00

The 0.58€ stamp is Frech 2011 Heart stamp created by Maurizio Galante, a famous Paris fashion designer. The stamp is titled "Paint me",giving you the freedom to colorize it at your will. Thus, everyone can manifest creativity and become author of his own stamp.

The 3fr stamp was issued in 1996 celebrating Centenary of Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière in Lyon.

The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière is a minor basilica in Lyon. It was built with private funds between 1872 and 1896 in a dominating position in the city, as a mark of the triumph of Christian values over the socialists of the Lyon commune of 1870, like the similarly-inspired Basilique du Sacré-Cœur, Paris. Its design, by Pierre Bossan, draws from both Romanesque and Byzantine architecture, two non-Gothic models that were unusual choices at the time. It features fine mosaics, superb stained glass,and a crypt of Saint Joseph. The basilica, which offers guided tours and contains a Museum of Sacred Art, receives 1.5 million visitors annually.

The site it occupies was once the Roman forum of Trajan, the forum vetus, thus its name. Perched on top of the Fourvière hill, the basilica looms impressively over the city of Lyon, where it can be seen from many vantage points; not unintentionally, the basilica of Fourvière has become a symbol of the city of Lyon. The basilica has four main towers, and a belltower. It is topped with a gilded statue of the Virgin Mary. At certain times, members of the public may access the basilica's north tower for a spectacular 180-degree view of Lyon and its suburbs.

Notre-Dame de Fourvière was included when the whole historic center of Lyon was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998.

#588 Pakistan...Thanks Shamshad!

2011-02-26T22:38:00.002-08:00

#587 Indonesia...Thanks Juris!

2011-02-26T22:38:00.001-08:00

#586 United Kingdom...Thanks Jackie!

2011-02-26T22:37:00.000-08:00

#585 Russia...Thanks Darbinian!

2011-02-26T22:36:00.000-08:00

The 20R stamp was issued in 2008 celebrating 190 years of Goznak,which is a Unitary enterprise in Russia, responsible for the production of coins and bank notes.

In 1815, after the currency crisis caused by the French invasion of Russia (1812), the government established the so-called Department of State Currency Production (Экспедиция заготовления государственных бумаг) under the authority of the Ministry of Finance; Dmitry Guriev, Minister of Finance, assigned engineer Agustín de Betancourt to design and build the modern, steam-powered currency printshop which was completed in 1818.

#584 Russia...Thanks Olya!

2011-02-26T22:35:00.000-08:00

The 1000r stamp is from 1995 Early Russian Dukes issue depicting Alexander Nevski (1220-63),Duke of Novgorod,Grand Duke of Vladimir,during some of the most trying times in the city's history.

Commonly regarded as the key figure of medieval Rus, Alexander was the grandson of Vsevolod the Big Nest and rose to legendary status on account of his military victories over the German and Swedish invaders while employing collaborationist policies towards the powerful Golden Horde.

#583 Portugal...Thanks Andre!

2011-02-26T22:34:00.002-08:00

These 2 stamps were issued in 2010 commemorating 200 years of the Peninsular War.

The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807 and then in 1808 turned on its ally, Spain. The war lasted until the Sixth Coalition defeated Napoleon in 1814.

Spain's liberation struggle marked one of the first national wars and the emergence of large-scale guerrillas (Guerrilha, in Portuguese), from which the English language borrowed the word. The French occupation destroyed the Spanish administration, which fragmented into quarrelling provincial juntas. In 1810, a reconstituted national government fortified itself in Cádiz and proved unable to recruit, train, or equip effective armies due to being under siege. British and Portuguese forces secured Portugal, using it as a secure position from which to launch campaigns against the French army while Spanish guerrilleros bled the occupiers. Combined, the regular and irregular allied forces prevented Napoleon's marshals from subduing the rebellious Spanish provinces.

The many years of fighting in Spain gradually wore down Napoleon's famous French Army. While the French armies were often victorious in battle, their communications and supplies were severely tested and their units frequently cut off, harassed, or overwhelmed by partisans. The Spanish army, though beaten and driven to the peripheries, could not be stamped out and continued to hound the French relentlessly.

The constant threatening presence of a British force under Arthur Wellesley, which became the most experienced and steady force in the British army, guarded Portugal and campaigned against the French in Spain alongside the reformed Portuguese army. Allied to the British, the demoralised Portuguese army underwent extensive reorganising, retraining and refitting under the command of British General William Carr Beresford, appointed commander-in-chief of the Portuguese forces by the exiled Portuguese Royal family, and fought as part of a combined Anglo-Portuguese army under Wellington.

In 1812, as Napoleon embarked upon an invasion of Russia which ended in disaster, a combined allied army under Arthur Wellesley pushed into Spain and liberated Madrid. Marshal Soult led the exhausted and demoralized French forces in a fighting withdrawal across the Pyrenees and into France over the winter of 1813-14.

War and revolution against Napoleon's occupation led to the Spanish Constitution of 1812, later a cornerstone of European liberalism. The burden of war destroyed the social and economic fabric of Portugal and Spain and ushered in an era of social turbulence, political instability, and economic stagnation. Devastating civil wars between liberal and absolutist factions, led by officers trained in the Peninsular War, persisted in Iberia until 1850. The cumulative crises and disruptions of invasion, revolution, and restoration led to the independence of many of Spain's American colonies and the independence of Brazil from Portugal.

#582 France...Thanks Bernard!

2011-02-26T22:34:00.001-08:00

#581 Portugal...Thanks Samuel!

2011-02-26T22:33:00.000-08:00

The 0.47€ and 0.32€ stamps were issued in 2010 celebrating Centenary of the Republic of Portugal.

The revolution of 1910 was a republican coup d'état that occurred in Portugal on 5 October 1910, which deposed King Manuel II and established the Portuguese First Republic.

Prior to the coup, Prime Minister João Franco stepped down and went into exile. New elections were held, but factionalism prevented the formation of a stable government. On 1 October 1910, a visit by president Hermes da Fonseca of Brazil provided a pretext for extensive republican demonstrations. On 3 October the Army refused to put down a mutiny on Portuguese warships anchored in the estuary of the Tagus River, and instead took up positions around Lisbon. On 4 October, two of the warships began to shell the royal palace, causing Manuel II and the royal family to flee to Britain. On 5 October, a provisional republican government was organized with the writer Teófilo Braga as President.

The revolution and the republic which it spawned were anticlerical and had a "hostile" approach to the issue of church and state separation, like that of the French Revolution, the Spanish Constitution of 1931 and the Mexican Constitution of 1917. As part of the anticlerical revolution, the bishops were driven from their dioceses, the property of clerics was seized by the state, wearing of the cassock was banned, all minor seminaries were closed and all but five major seminaries. A law of 22 February 1918 permitted only two seminaries in the country, but they had not been given their property back. Religious orders were expelled from the country, including 31 orders comprising members in 164 houses (in 1917 some orders were permitted to form again). Religious education was prohibited in both primary and secondary school.

The involvement of mutinous warships in the revolution prefigured a similar involvement in both the October Revolution in 1917 Russia and the fall of the German Monarchy in 1918.

#580 Brazil...Thanks Antonio!

2011-02-26T22:32:00.000-08:00

#579 Netherlands...Thanks Veggel!

2011-02-26T22:31:00.002-08:00

#578 France...Thanks Roger!

2011-02-26T22:31:00.001-08:00

#577 Hong Kong...Thanks Johnson!

2011-02-26T22:29:00.000-08:00

#576 Greece...Thanks Anthony!

2011-02-26T22:28:00.000-08:00

#575 Australia...Thanks Juris!

2011-02-26T22:27:00.000-08:00

#574 Belgium...Thanks Freddy!

2011-02-26T22:26:00.000-08:00

#573 Turkey...Thanks Levent!

2011-02-26T22:24:00.000-08:00

#572 Hungary...Thanks Tamas!

2011-02-11T00:51:00.000-08:00

The 400ft stamp was issued in 2008 celebrating 650th Anniversary of the Hungarian Illuminated Chronicle,which is a medieval illustrated chronicle from the Kingdom of Hungary from the fourteenth century. It represents the international artistic style of the royal courts in the court of Louis I of Hungary.

The 147 pictures of the chronicle are great source of information on medieval Hungarian cultural history, costume, and court life in the 14th century. Many miniatures seen inside this chronicle are painted with gold. The artistic value of the miniatures are quite high, if we compare similar miniatures from Western Europe from the same time. The characters are drawn with detail and with knowledge of anatomy. Even the eyeballs are painted, which can only be checked through microscope. It is a fact that all miniatures showing Attila, the Hun are disrupted or even rubbed out (especially the last, showing Attila's death); this cannot be due to the time as all other miniatures and text are preserved well. The miniatures are using a lot of symbolism, i.e. "primus ingressus" ('first incoming') is with a camel, while the "secundus ingressus" ('second incoming') is with a white horse, probably meaning that entering the Carpathian Basin the first time was not a successful or was a culturally diverted act (as the camel is a "diverted" horse and white horse is the "pure quality"). The text of Latin is without error and is representing a high quality.
For unknown reasons, the chronicle was stored in Vienna, Austria, where it was found in the 19th century; this is why it is also referred as "Vienna Illuminated Chronicle". The manuscript is presently kept in the National Széchényi Library in Budapest (Országos Széchényi Könyvtár, Budapest).

The miniature sheet is from 2008 Our Living Heritage IV illustrating Water buffalo.

#571 Japan...Thanks Maria!

2011-02-11T00:49:00.000-08:00

#570 Mexico...Thanks Jaime!

2011-02-11T00:48:00.001-08:00

#569 France...Thanks Carboni!

2011-02-11T00:39:00.000-08:00

The four 0.50€ stamps are from 2003 European Capitals series showing attractions in Luxembourg: Citadelle Saint-Esprit,Notre Dame Cathedral,Adolphe Bridge and Grand Duke's Palace.

#568 Kazakhstan...Thanks Viktor!

2011-02-11T00:37:00.000-08:00

#567 Greece...Thanks George!

2011-02-11T00:21:00.000-08:00

The 0.05€ stamp is from 2010 New Acropolis Museum issue showing Peplos Kore,circa 530BC.

The Acropolis Museum is an archaeological museum focused on the findings of the archaeological site of the Acropolis of Athens. The museum was built to house every artifact found on the rock and on its feet, from the Greek Bronze Age to Roman and Byzantine Greece. It also lies on the archaeological site of Makrygianni and the ruins of a part of Roman and early Byzantine Athens.
The museum was founded in 2003, while the Organisation of the Museum was established in 2008. It opened to the public on June 21, 2009. Nearly 4,000 objects are exhibited over an area of 14,000 square metres.The Organisation for the Construction of the new museum is chaired by Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Professor Emeritus of Archaeology, Dimitrios Pandermalis.
Kore (Greek - Κόρη - maiden; plural korai) is the name given to a type of ancient Greek sculpture of the Archaic period.

The 0.01€ stamp is from 2010 Greek Art issue showing a painting by Giannis Gaitis.

#566 Bulgaria...Thanks Lilia!

2011-02-10T23:51:00.000-08:00

The 0.55 Lev stamp on the left was issued in 2007 commemorating 1100 years of death of Boris I of Bulgaria,who was the ruler of First Bulgarian Empire in 852–889.

The early 9th century marked the beginning of a fierce rivalry between the Eastern Orthodox Church in Constantinople and the Catholic Church in Rome. When Charlemagne was proclaimed Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire the Pope broke its political relation with Byzantines and was naturally supported by the Franks. After the Treaty of Verdun in 843 the strong and aggressive Eastern Francia united most of the German people and began to expand towards Slavic populated lands to the east. That expansion was fully supported by Rome which sought ways to extend its influence to the east. As a response Mojmír I managed to unite some Slavic princes and formed Great Moravia in 833. His successor Rastislav fought against the Germans.Both states tried to maintain good relations with Bulgaria on account of its considerable military power.

Boris I was the son and successor of Presian I of Bulgaria. In 852 he sent emissaries to the Eastern Francia to confirm the peace treaty from 845. At the time of his accession he threatened the Byzantine with an invasion but his armies did not attack and received a small area in Strandzha to the south-east. The peace treaty, however, was not signed although both states changed temporary delegation.In 854 the Moravian Prince Rastislav persuaded Boris I to help him against East Francia. According to some sources, some Franks bribed the Bulgarian monarch to attack Louis. The Bulgarian-Slav campaign was a disaster and Louis the German scored a great victory and invaded Bulgaria.In the same time the Croats waged a war against the Bulgarians. Both peoples had coexisted peacefully to that moment which suggests that the Croats were paid by Louis to attack Bulgaria and distract Boris' attention from his alliance with Great Moravia.Kanasubigi Boris could not achieve any success and in the both sides changed gifts and settled peace. As a result of the military actions in 855 the peace between Bulgaria and Eastern Francia was restored and Rastislav was forced to fight against Louis alone. A conflict between the Byzantines and Bulgarians started in 855-856, when Boris was distracted by his conflict with Louis. Philippopolis (Plovdiv), the region of Zagora and the ports around the Gulf of Burgas on the Black Sea were recaptured by the Byzantine army led by Michael III and the caesar Bardas.
After the death of Vlastimir of Serbia c.850 the state was divided between his sons. Boris desired to take the opportunity and restore his positions after the unsuccessful actions against the Croats and invaded Serbia. The main aim was to replace the Byzantine influence over the small Slavic state with Bulgarian one but he was defeated once more: the Serbs captured his son Vladimir-Rasate and twelve great boyars.Boris who was concerned for his son signed peace and gifted the Serbs.

In spite of various reverses, Boris succeeded in maintaining the territorial integrity of his realm.

For a variety of reasons, Boris became interested in converting to Christianity and undertook to do that at the hands of western clergymen to be supplied by Louis the German in 863. However, late in the same year, the Byzantine Empire invaded Bulgaria during a period of famine and natural disasters. Taken by surprise, Boris was forced to sue for peace and agreed to convert to Christianity according to the eastern rites in exchange for peace and territorial concessions in Thrace (he regained the region of Zagora recently recovered by the Byzantines). At the beginning of 864 Boris was secretly baptized at Pliska by an embassy of Byzantine clergymen, together with his family and select members of the Bulgarian nobility.With Emperor Michael III as his godfather, Boris also adopted the Christian name Michael.However, a document was discovered in Albania by the Austrian archaeologist Camillo Praschniker during WWI, in Byllis, (or Ballsh in modern Albania) that says: (evaftiste o arhon Bulgarias Boris o metonomastheis Mihail sin to ek Theu dhedhomeno av to ethnei tous s t o d) "...was baptized the archon of Bulgaria, Boris, called Mihal together with his people given to him by God, Year 6374" (=866 AD). Boris' conversion inspired a reaction by his pagan subjects, including many important notables. There are a few versions as to why Boris converted to Christianity. Some historians attribute it to the intervention of his sister who had already converted while being at Constantinople. Another story mention a Greek slave in the ruler's court. A more mythological version is the one in which Boris is astonished and frightened by an icon of Judgement day and thus decides to adopt Christianity.

Conversion to Christianity met great opposition in Bulgaria. In the summer of 865 a group of aristocrats (boyars) started an open revolt.Boris ruthlessly suppressed it and executed 52 boyars together with their entire families. Thus the Christianization continued.

At the same time Boris sought further instruction on how to lead a Christian lifestyle and society and how to set up an autocephalous church from the Byzantine Patriarch Photios. Photios' answer proved less than satisfactory, and Boris sought to gain a more favorable settlement from the Papacy.Boris dispatched emissaires with a long list of questions to Pope Nicholas I at Rome in August 866, and obtained 106 detailed answers, detailing the essence of religion, law, politics, customs and personal faith. The pope temporarily glossed over the controversial question of the autocephalous status desired by Boris for his church and sent a large group of missionaries to continue the conversion of Bulgaria in accordance with the western rite. Bulgaria's shift towards the Papacy infuriated Patriarch Photios who wrote an encyclical to the eastern clergy in 867, in which he denounced the practices associated with the western rite and Rome's ecclesiastical intervention in Bulgaria. This occasioned the Photian Schism, which was a major step in the rift between the eastern and western churches.

In Bulgaria the activities of the papal legate Bishop Formosus (later Pope Formosus) met with success, until the pope rejected Boris' request to nominate Formosus archbishop of Bulgaria. The new Pope Adrian II refused Boris' request for a similar nomination of either Formosus or Deacon Marinus (later Pope Marinus I), after which Bulgaria began to shift towards Constantinople once again. At the Fourth Council of Constantinople in 870 the position of the Bulgarian church was reopened by Bulgarian envoys, and the eastern patriarchs adjudicated in favor of Constantinople. This determined the future of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, which was granted the status of an autocephalous archbishopric by the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Later in the 870s the Patriarch of Constantinople surrendered Bulgaria to the Papacy, but this concession was purely nominal, as it did not affect the actual position of Bulgaria's autocephalous church.

In 886 Boris' governor of Belgrade welcomed the disciples of Saint Cyril and Saint Methodius, who were exiled from Great Moravia into Bulgaria and sent them on to Boris in Pliska. Two of these disciples, Clement of Ohrid and Naum of Preslav who were of noble Bulgarian origin, set up educational centers in Pliska and in Ohrid to further the development of Slavonic letters and liturgy. The alphabet that was originally developed by Cyril and Methodius is known as the Glagolitic alphabet. In Bulgaria Clement of Ohrid and Naum of Preslav however created (or rather compiled) a new alphabet which was called Cyrillic and was declared the official alphabet. The Slavic language also was declared as official in 893. In the following centuries this alphabet was adopted by other Slavic peoples. The introduction of Slavic liturgy paralleled Boris' continued development of churches and monasteries throughout his realm.

In 889 Boris abdicated the throne and became a monk. His son and successor Vladimir attempted a pagan reaction, which brought Boris out of retirement in 893. Vladimir was defeated and blinded, and Boris placed his third son, Simeon I of Bulgaria on the throne, threatening him with the same fate if he too apostatized. Boris returned to his monastery, emerging once again in c. 895 to help Simeon fight the Magyars, who had invaded Bulgaria in alliance with the Byzantines. After the passing of this crisis, Boris resumed monastic life and died in 907. The location of his retreat, where perhaps he was enterred, is not certain; it may be near Preslav but also in Pliska or in a monastery near Varna or Ravda.

St. Boris Peak on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica is named for Boris I of Bulgaria.

The 0.55 Lev stamp on the right is 2007 Christmas issue of Bulgaria.

#565 Georgia...Thanks Khatuna!

2011-02-10T23:14:00.000-08:00

The 100d stamp on this cover was issued in 2005 commemorating 100th anniversary of Tbilisi Funikular,which was opened near 1905. The 500m long funikular wass designed by Blushe (France) & Shimkevich with a 65% gradient.However it's closed after crash 21 June 2000.

The 150c stamp next was issued in 1994 honoring Niko Nikoladze (1843–1928),who was a notable Georgian publicist, pro-Western enlightener, and public figure primarily known for his contributions to the development of Georgian liberal journalism and his involvement in various economic and social projects of that time.

The two 15c stamps are from 1995 Prehistoric Animals issue and the 0.6 Gel and 0.4 Gel stamps are from 2010 Red Book of Georgia issue illustrating Caucasian Grouse and Grey Partridge.

#564 Tunisia

2011-02-10T00:14:00.000-08:00

The 0.60 TND stamp on the right is from 2010 Organic Farming in Tunisia issue illustrating Tomatoes.

#563 Sri Lanka...Thanks Ravindra!

2011-02-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

These 4 stamps were issued in September,2010 showing bio-diversity in Horton Plain National Park of Sri Lanka.

Horton Plains National Park is in the highlands of the Sri Lanks belonging to central province. This is the highest plateau in the country. This was declared as a National Park in 1988. The park area is 3160 hectare.

The second & third highest mountains of the country namely Kirigalpotta & Thotupola respectively are found within the borders of the park. Park receives rainfall from both northeast & southwest monsoons as well as inter-monsoonal rains. Frequently occurring mist and clouds are one main source of precipitation. With annual precipitation of about 5000mm Horton Plains is the most important catchments area of the country. Three major rivers of the country start from this area namely Kelani, Walawe & the Mahaweli the longest river of the country. There is a slight dry period between January to March. Due to altitude the area is comparatively cold. Mean annual temperature is around 15C and during colder months it will go down further where it is cold enough to create ground frost.

Park consists of montane cloud forests embedded in wet montane grasslands. Horton Plains has rich biodiversity. Most of the fauna and flora found in the park are endemic and furthermore some of them are confined to highlands of the island.

Forests are dominated by Calophyllum sp. & Syzygium sp. Giant tree fern Cyathea sp. and colourful Rhododrendron are among the main attractions. Park is also famous for beautiful flowers of endemic Nellu (Strobilanthes sp.), Bovitiya (Osbeckia sp.), Binara (Exacum trinervium) and many other orchid species. Endemic dwarf Bamboo (Arundinaria densifolia) dominates the edges of the river while Chrysopogon zeylanicum and Garnotia mutica dominate the grasslands.

Though this was one of the best elephant habitats in the country they are locally extinct due to poaching & sports hunting occurred during the British colonial era. Leopard and Sambhur & wild boar are the most common large mammals in Horton Plains. Endemic Bear Monkey, Rusty- Spotted and Fishing cats, Otter, Black napped hare and Giant Squirrel are among other mammals. Many species of endemic & threatened rats & shrews are also found in the park. Diversity & endemicity of reptiles (Lizards) and amphibians are remarkably high.

Though this is cold highland plateau the bird diversity is very high. More than 70% of Sri Lanka’s endemic birds are found here.

#562 Germany...Thanks Rainer!

2011-02-09T23:07:00.000-08:00

The 55c stamp was issued in 2007 commemorating 100th birthday of Paul Klinger,who was a German actor and the German voice of David Niven and Cary Grant.

#561 Malta...Thanks Pamela!

2011-01-31T04:35:00.002-08:00

#560 Sweden...Thanks Karl!

2011-01-31T04:35:00.001-08:00

#559 Malaysia...Thanks Imam!

2011-01-31T04:34:00.000-08:00

#558 Netherlands...Thanks Ton!

2011-01-31T04:33:00.002-08:00

The m/s on the left is from 1997 Nature and Environment issue illustrating Sheep.

The m/s in the middle is from 1994 Wild Flowers issue showing Fire Lily (Lilium bulbiferum),which is a lily native to Europe

#557 Mauritius...Thanks David!

2011-01-31T04:33:00.001-08:00

The 60c stamp was issued in 1997 celebrating 150th Anniv. of First Postage Stamp of Mauritius.

The RS10 and RS15 stamps were issued in 2009 depicting Extinct Mauritian Giant Tortoises.

Cylindraspis is a genus of recently extinct giant tortoises. All of its species lived in the Mascarene Islands (Mauritius, Rodrigues and Réunion) in the Indian Ocean and all are now extinct due to hunting and introduction of non-native predators. These giant tortoises were very large and slow, thus making them easy game. The Mascarenes were colonised in 1663. Most species of this genus were already driven to extinction by 1795 and the last individuals were reputed to have died around 1840

#556 Mexico...Thanks Ernesto!

2011-01-30T17:35:00.001-08:00

#555 Mexico...Thanks Ernesto!

2011-01-30T17:33:00.000-08:00

#554 Costa Rica...Thanks Federico!

2011-01-30T17:24:00.000-08:00

The two stamps above are from 2008 Whales and Dolphins issue showing Humpback Whale and Guyana Dolphin.

The other 2 stamps were issued in 2002 commemorating Centenary of Pan-American Health Organization.

#553 Denmark...Thanks Ole!

2011-01-30T17:08:00.000-08:00

The 4.4k stamp is from 1989 Europa issue of Children Toys showing Wooden Soldiers by Kay Bojessen.

The 5.5k stamp was issued in 2010 featuring Pladecover: Gasolin' 3.

Gasolin' 3 was the third album from Danish rock band Gasolin', released in November 1973.

Gasolin' was a Danish rock band from Christianshavn in Copenhagen formed by Kim Larsen, Franz Beckerlee and Wili Jønsson in 1969.From 1972 to 1978, Gasolin' was the most popular rock band in Denmark. With producer Roy Thomas Baker, they released classics such as Gasolin' 3, Gas 5 and Efter endnu en dag. Their albums sound as fresh and innovative now as they did then. In that respect Gasolin' may be considered as the Danish Beatles. Each album was a landmark and like The Beatles, they broke up at the pinnacle of their success. The reasons for the split-up was the failure to break the international market and personal differences.

#552 Latvia...Thanks Juris!

2011-01-30T17:07:00.000-08:00

#551 Brazil...Thanks Vitor & Rose!

2011-01-30T17:02:00.000-08:00

The R$1.05 stamp was issued in 2010 celebrating Centenary of Sport Club Corinthians Paulista,which is a Brazilian sports club based in São Paulo, Brazil known mostly for its association football team.

Corinthians was founded in 1910 by a group of labourers—mainly of Portuguese, Italian and Spanish descent—hoping to create a popular club in the city of São Paulo to play against the elite clubs that already existed. They are named after the English amateur team Corinthian F.C., which had played a number of exhibition matches during a tour of Brazil.

The football team, having won the first edition of the FIFA Club World Championship, the Brazilian Série A four times, the Brazilian Cup three times, a record the São Paulo State Championship 26 times (five of them unbeaten), and a number of other titles. Corinthians fans are widely known as "Fiel", Portuguese for "faithful" or "loyal".

Corinthians is the most popular football team in São Paulo with about 30 million fans, surpassed only in Brazil by Flamengo who have the most number of fans.

#550 Pakistan...Thanks Ehtasham!

2011-01-30T16:37:00.000-08:00

#549 Kazakhstan...Thanks Serge!

2011-01-20T19:33:00.000-08:00

The 0.50k stamp on the left is the first stamp issued by Kazakhstan in 1992,showing famous "Golden Man".

Situated in what was at the time eastern Scythia, just north of Sogdiana, the burial contained a skeleton of uncertain sex, in all probability an 18-year-old Saka (Scythian) prince or princess, interred with warrior's equipment, variously dubbed "golden man" or "golden princess", and with rich funerary goods, including 4,000 gold ornaments.

The "golden man" was adopted as one of the symbols of modern Kazakhstan. A likeness of the "golden man" crowns the Independence Monument on the central square of Almaty.

#548 Portugal...Thanks Luis!

2011-01-20T18:46:00.002-08:00

The 0.68€ stamp on the left is from 2010 Public Elevators of Portugal issue depicting "Santuario do Bom Jesus do Monte" Elevator in Braga.

The city is also known as the "Portuguese Rome" for its concentration of religious architecture. Braga is located in the North of Portugal, the more developed territory. This town is the commercial and business center of the region.

In Portugal, Braga's population is considered the most conservative, and by some the most pious, by others the most fanatic. The city is one of the most beautiful cities in Portugal.

Not far from the city center there are three important sanctuaries: "Bom Jesus","Sameiro" and "Santa Marta da Falperra".

The 0.32€ stamp is from 2010 Circus Chapito issue. I found some information here.(in Portugese)

The se-tenant stamps on the right was issued in 2010 celebrating 50 years of Hydrographic Institute.

#547 Taiwan...Thanks Alan!

2011-01-20T18:46:00.001-08:00

#546 Singapore...Thanks Ng Tek Sin!

2011-01-20T18:34:00.000-08:00

The 5c stamp on the cover is from 2007 Birds issue showing Crimson Sunbird,which is the national bird of Singapore.

The Crimson Sunbird (Aethopyga siparaja) is a sunbird belonging to a group of very small Old World passerine birds which feed largely on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. Flight is fast and direct on their short wings. Most species can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird, but usually perch to feed most of the time.

Crimson Sunbird is a resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from India to Indonesia and the Philippines. Two eggs or three eggs are laid in a suspended nest in a tree. This species is found in forest and cultivation.

Crimson Sunbirds are tiny, only 11cm long. They have medium-length thin down-curved bills and brush-tipped tubular tongues, both adaptations to their nectar feeding.

The adult male has a crimson breast and maroon back. The rump is yellow and the belly is olive. The female has an olive-green back, yellowish breast and white tips to the outer tail feathers.

#545 China...Thanks Zhang!

2011-01-20T18:25:00.000-08:00

The 1.20 yuan stamp is from 2007 China-Indonesia joint issue illustrating Lion Dance.

Lion dance (simplified Chinese: 舞狮; traditional Chinese: 舞獅; pinyin: wǔshī) is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture, in which performers mimic a lion's movements in a lion costume. The lion dance is often mistaken as dragon dance. An easy way to tell the difference is that a lion is operated by two people, while a dragon needs many people. Also, in a lion dance, the performers' faces are covered, since they are inside the lion. In a dragon dance, the performers can be seen since the dragon is held upon poles. Basic lion dance fundamental movements can be found in most Chinese martial arts.

#544 Latvia...Thanks Juris!

2011-01-20T18:24:00.000-08:00

#543 Denmark...Thanks Poul!

2011-01-20T17:14:00.000-08:00

The 2.80k stamp on the cover is from 1980 Nordic Sister Towns issue showing Aalborg Harbour.
Aalborg is a Danish industrial and university city in North Jutland. The city of Aalborg is the fourth largest city in Denmark in terms of population.

Aalborg maintains cultural, economic and educational ties with 27 cities around the globe.Thus, Aalborg has the most twin cities in Denmark. Every four years Aalborg gathers youth from the majority of its twin cities for a week of sports games, known as Ungdomslegene (The Youth Games).There are 4 city names shown on this stamp:
Karlskoga, Sweden
Fredrikstad, Norway
Húsavík, Iceland
Riihimäki, Finland

The 3.00k stamp was issued in 1987 commemorating Ribe Cathedral redecoration from 1982-1987,by Carl-Henning Petersen,showing fresco in the cathedral.Carl-Henning Petersen was a Danish painter and a key member of the COBRA movement. He was known as the "Scandinavian Chagall", and was one of the leading Danish artists of the second half of the 20th century.

The 2.70k stamp was issued in 1984 commemorating 300th birth anniversary of Ludvig Holberg.

Ludvig Holberg (1684–1754) was a writer, essayist, philosopher, historian and playwright born in Bergen, Norway, during the time of the Dano-Norwegian double monarchy, who spent most of his adult life in Denmark. He was influenced by Humanism, the Enlightenment and the Baroque. Holberg is considered the founder of modern Danish and Norwegian literature,and is best known for the comedies he wrote in 1722–1723 for the theatre in Lille Grønnegade in Copenhagen. Holberg's works about natural and common law were widely read by many Danish law students over two hundred years, from 1736 to 1936.

#542 Myanmar...Thanks Thitar!

2011-01-20T16:53:00.000-08:00

This stamp was issued on Jan.04,2011 celebrating the 63rd Independence Day of Myanmar.

The British controlled the country from 1826 until 1948, when it was granted independence. The country’s name was changed from Burma to the Union of Myanmar in 1989 to reflect that the population is made up not just of the Burmese but of many other ethnic groups as well.

#541 Russia...Thanks Vladimir!

2011-01-16T23:32:00.000-08:00

#540 Norway

2011-01-16T23:22:00.000-08:00

The nice s/s is the 2010 Norwegian The North by the Sea - Life at the Coast issue whose subject is the processing of stockfish.

This preservation method, which has been making a distinctive contribution to Norway’s food culture for generations, is one of the oldest ways of preserving food that we know of. The Vikings took stockfish with them on their raids and used it to barter for commodities they took home with them.

This ancient way of preserving fish requires only a low temperature and cool winds, but not so cold that the fish freezes. It is this balance that makes the climate in North Norway ideal for stockfish production. Although about 70per cent of the water content is lost during drying, the nutritional value is retained. Stockfish is thus a healthy food, rich in proteins, iron, calcium and vitamin B.

Before they are hung up to dry, the fish are split along the spine and tied together two and two at the tail. After some months on the drying rack, they are taken indoors to mature in an airy environment for another 2-3 months. All that is left to do then is to press them together and pack them for sale and export. The bulk is exported to Italy and Africa. In Norway, stockfish is mostly used to make lutefisk (cod cured in lye), while Italians use it in a variety of dishes.

As far back as sources go stockfish has been part of Norway’s trading history. Stockfish was a dominant export product for many hundreds of years and vital to settlement and development in the north. Today Norway tops the international stockfish market and stockfish from Lofoten is the most sought after. The climate in Lofoten is perfect for stockfish production and Tørrfisk fra Lofoten (Stockfish from Lofoten) is a protected designation of origin, placing it in the same class as Champagne and Parma Ham.

#539 Monaco...Thanks David!

2011-01-16T23:09:00.000-08:00

The 0.87€ stamp was issued in 2007 commemorating the Centenary of the channel crossing by Louis Blériot.

Louis Blériot (1872–1936) was a French aviator, inventor and engineer. In 1909 he completed the first flight across a large body of water in a heavier-than-air craft, when he crossed the English Channel. For this achievement, he received a prize of GB£1000. He also is credited as the first person to make a working monoplane.Blériot was a pioneer of the sport of air racing.

#538 Austria...Thanks Stefan!

2011-01-16T22:43:00.002-08:00

The 55c stamp on the first row was issued in 2007 for the movie Shrek III and the next 55c stamp was issued in 2005 for Madagascar,both of which are among the most popular cartoon movies.

The 55c stamp on the second row was issued in 2010 celebrating 50th Anniversary of the Founding of the Diocese of Eisenstadt.

The 15th of August 1960 was a significant date for Burgenland, for it was on this day that the then Pope, John XXIII, created the Diocese of Eisenstadt with his Bull “Magna quae”. However, this important step had been preceded by a long a varied history. Up to the end of the First World War, the area now covered by the Diocese was part of Hungary and administered by the Diocese of Györ and Szombathely.

#537 Germany...Thanks Igor!

2011-01-16T22:43:00.001-08:00

#536 Poland...Thanks Piotr!

2011-01-16T19:37:00.000-08:00

The 3zt stamp is from 2010/09 Minerals of Poland issue showing chrysoprase.

Chrysoprase is a gemstone variety of chalcedony (a cryptocrystalline form of silica) that contains small quantities of nickel. Its color is normally apple-green, but varies to deep green. The darker varieties of chrysoprase are also referred to as prase.

The best known sources of chrysoprase are Queensland, Western Australia, Germany, Poland, Russia, Arizona, California, and Brazil. The chrysoprase and Ni silicate ore deposit in Szklary, Lower Silesia, Poland, was probably the biggest European chrysoprase occurrence and possibly also the biggest in the world.

#535 France...Thanks Fiquet!

2011-01-16T19:32:00.000-08:00

This stamp shows a famous aircraft in World War I:Breguet 14.

The Breguet 14 was a French biplane bomber and reconnaissance aircraft of World War I. It was built in very large numbers and production continued for many years after the end of the war. Apart from its widespread usage, it was noteworthy for becoming the first aircraft in mass production to use large amounts of metal rather than wood in its structure. This allowed the airframe to be lighter than a wooden airframe of the same strength, in turn making the aircraft very fast and agile for its size, able to outrun many of the fighters of the day. Its strong construction was able to sustain much damage, it was easy to handle and had good performance. The Breguet 14 is often considered one of the best aircraft of the war.

#534 Brazil...Thanks Daniel!

2011-01-16T19:28:00.000-08:00

#533 Costa Rica...Thanks Federico!

2011-01-09T16:56:00.000-08:00

The 225c stamp was issued in 2009 for Diplomatic Relations with Switzerland.

The two 135c stamp is 2009 UPAEP:Traditional Games issue illustrating Bolinchas and Papalotes (kites).

You could view the play of Bolinchas at here.

#532 Romania...Thanks Calin!

2011-01-09T16:41:00.000-08:00

The 40 Bani stamp is from 2007 Wild Ducks and Geese issue illustrating Lesser White-fronted Goose.

The Lesser White-fronted Goose (Anser erythropus) is a goose closely related to the larger White-fronted Goose (A. albifrons).It breeds in northernmost Asia, but it is a scarce breeder in Europe.

The Lesser White-fronted Goose winters further south in Europe and is a rare winter vagrant to Great Britain.

The two white-fronted goose species differ little other than in size (the Lesser, at 53–66 cm length and with a 120–135 cm wingspan, is not much bigger than a Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) but both may be readily distinguished from the Greylag Goose by their bright orange legs and their mouse-coloured upper wing-coverts. The Greylag Goose has the bill and legs flesh-coloured, and the upper wing-coverts of a bluish-grey.

Both white-front species have a very conspicuous white face and broad black bars which cross the belly.

Adult Lesser White-fronted Geese, as well as being smaller than White-fronted Geese, have an obvious yellow eye-ring, and the white facial blaze goes up to the crown.

Lesser White-fronted Goose is considered an endangered species, but there are programmes to reintroduce animals into the wild to strengthen the population. Additionally it is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.

The 2.7L stamp is from 2007 Romanian Wild Orchids issue depicting Violet Limodore (Limodorum abortivum),which is a species of myco-heterotrophic, achlorophyllous orchid and the only member of genus Limodorum. It is native to Europe, especially the Mediterranean area.

#531 Austria...Thanks Florian!

2011-01-07T01:27:00.000-08:00

#530 Norway...Thanks Jan!

2011-01-07T01:01:00.000-08:00

#529 Slovakia...Thanks Robert!

2010-12-31T06:38:00.001-08:00

These two stamps are Slovak 2010 Art series showing Gothic Mural Painting and Gothic Madonna from Ľubica.

Gothic Mural Painting
The history of Cathedral church of St. Martin bishop in Spišská Kapitula (Spiš Canonry) dates back to the 13th century. Its contemporary appearance is the result of several reconstructions. The original Roman period is represented by the space in the western part – pillars with berry head capitals under gallery, two preserved portals and the lion statue from the original Western portal. Radical reconstructions in the second third of the 15th century turned the church into a hall three-nave basilica with high spaces with star and tracery vaults. Building up a mortuary chapel of the Zápolya family to the southern side of the church nave completed the reconstruction.
The wall painting of Karl Robert Coronation represents the remains of the decoration dating back to the period before the Gothic reconstruction in the 15th century. The motif of the painting under the northern portal is a ceremonial scene which is dominated by the Mother of God with Jesus on her knees. Her throne, Jesus’ white robe and the ornaments of the whole painting relate to the Byzantine art mediated by Italian paintings at the turn of the 13th and 14th century. By blessing gestures, Mary and Jesus are turning to the king wearing a crown on his head. Behind the king, separated by the shield with red and white beams and with Anjou family lilies, a Spiš castellan Frantisek Thomas Semsay is kneeling.
To the right of the Mary Enthroned, two church dignitaries are depicted – an Esztergom archbishop Thomas with another crown in his hands and a Spiš provost Henrik who is behind him. The scene represents hierarchical vision of the reign derived from the Christ and guaranteed by the local authorities. Considering thoroughly highlighted details of the clothes and insignia it can be assumed that the painter comes from courtly environment.
The last complex reconstruction (Ladislav Szekély 2005) proved secondary of the historical signs and also the dating on one of them. Considering the iconography, the painting could have been created shortly after Karl Robert from Anjou was coronated the Hungarian king by the Esztergom archbishop for the last time in 1310.

Gothic Madonna from Ľubica

The Parish church of Assumption of Virgin Mary in Ľubica is the largest church from the group of so-called double-nave Spiš churches and its architecture integrates several reconstructions. After the second half of the 14th century the nave of the older church was vaulted with a cross vault on three slender columns. From the era of the older, still gothic period, two portals but especially one of few preserved round windows of Slovak Gothic – rosette are worth mentioning. The church interior underwent fundamental alterations in the 17th and 18th century. After 1764, the walls and the vault were decorated with rococo ornaments. Baldachin altar in sanctuary (1680) is older and was created by baroque sculptor Olaf Engelholm from Levoča. A niche of the older still gothic altar with the statue of the Virgin Mary from the beginning of the 16th century is also integrated in this monumental work.
Madonna, wearing bright gold cloak, accompanied with little statues of four saints on the sides represents the type of so-called Apocalyptic Mary standing on the half moon with two angels by her feet. The moon represents the devil that was humiliated by the Mother God. Both angels raising her cloak serve the purpose of sending the message face to face to the spectators. The method of the coat shaping but mainly the facial features of the Virgin Mary and the angels reveal the origin of the statue as well as the whole original gothic altar in the workshop of Master Paul of Levoča.
The preservation of the older statue, even the whole cabinet of the gothic retable in the new baroque altar in Ľubica is not such a big exception. In the 17th century similar phenomenon is observed in the baroque altar of the Minorities church in Levoča that is also the work of Olaf Engelholm. Gothic Madonna could be found in the baroque altar of the Parish church in Podolínec. In 1696, the whole gothic cabinet with eight original statues was integrated into the altar in the Parish church in Prešov. Such a historicism surely relates to the former recatholization atmosphere and its effort to emphasize religious and cultural tradition continuity of the period before the reformation. Artistic monuments became significant argumentative means in religion disputes in the 17th century.

#528 Slovakia...Thanks Robert!

2010-12-31T06:35:00.000-08:00

The 0.70€ stamp was issued on 03.12.2010 for the Postage Stamp Day honoring Karol Ondreička.

Karol Ondreička (1944 – 2003) a painter, a graphic, an illustrator, a postage stamp creator, a significant artist and a teacher, professor at Academy of Fine Arts and Design and at Faculty of Education of Comenius University in Bratislava. In 1989 – 1990 he was the Chancellor of the Academy of Fine Arts and Design. As the first pupil and member of the artistically strong Brunovský’s graphic school, in his artistic creation, Ondreička continued with the activity of Professor Albin Brunovský. His works are specific for rich imagination, marked drawing skills, redrawing of the details and using classical graphic techniques.

The 0.40€ stamp in the middle is the 2010 Christmas issue showing the Initial with the Birth of Christ from Bratislava Mass-book.

Liturgical manuscript of the Bratislava missal I from the beginning of the 14th century is preserved in several fragments. It can be found in the Bratislava Archive, in the Town Museum in Bratislava and in the St. Adalbert Association in Trnava. Originally having 366 sheets, nowadays there are 303 altogether. There are painted figural illuminations mainly as initials with biblical motifs on some of these parchment sheets of the Codex. One of these paintings, on the parchments sheets in the Town Museum, is the Nativity initial. The scene is placed in the shape of letter P.

The 0.40€ stamp:Fight Against HIV on the right was issued on 01.12.2010.

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a virus that causes AIDS disease. It completely disrupts and destroys the human immunity. It is not a commonly contagious virus. We do not get infected by touch or by common social contact. Infection may occur by transfer of bodily fluids, blood or during sexual intercourse; moreover, by using the same needle among drug addicts. To find out whether a person is infected can be recognized by medical examination after three months, sometimes after six months. The period during which a person is a virus carrier and by the time the symptoms appear could last for years. During this period the afflicted person can unconsciously spread the virus. How to prevent spreading the virus? It is important to inform people how we can become HIV positive and how important it is to have safe sex with a stranger and not to switch partners. Drugs are addictive substances. Drug addiction frequently blocks our sober consideration of risks of the infection. One of the very sensitive routes of the infection is the transmission of the virus from mother to her baby during pregnancy or breast feeding. In the past, blood transfusion was also considered one of the feared contagious routes; however, nowadays there are sufficient medical examinations to prevent the infection.

What should one do when meeting a person infected by HIV virus either by his own fault or by other´s fault? When we realize what he realizes at any time he could get seriously ill, he must be careful and not to take unnecessary risks, his health is weakened.what is important for such a person? The important thing is to have somebody by his side and not to have people turn against him for him not to have to fight against scorn. A lot of people just then realize the value of life, the value of attitudes of people around them and their own value.

We can fight against HIV virus, we can resist it. Yet, it is not possible to cure it. Therefore, it is very important to talk about it in families, to inform about it in media and to speak about it mainly with young people.

#527 Indonesia...Thanks Nella!

2010-12-30T16:33:00.000-08:00

These two stamps are from 200 Years of the Great Post Road issued in 2008.

The Great Post Road is the road stretched from west to east at northern part of Java from Anyer to Panarukan along 1,000km. Initiated by Governor-General Herman Willem Daendels, this road is passing through Serang, Tangerang, Jakarta, Bogor, Sukabumi, Cianjur, Bandung, Sumedang, Cirebon, Brebes, Tegal Pemalang, Pekalongan, Kendal, Semarang, Demak, Kudus, Rembang, Tuban, Gresik, Surabaya, Sidoarjo, Pasuruan, Probolinggo dan Situbondo.

Daendels was a marshal appointed as governor general of East Indies by Lodewijk Napoleon who ruling Holland at that time. The ultimate aim was handling military preparation in anticipating British Navy attack that had blockaded Java Island. Daendels landed in Anyer in 1808 after routing a long trip from Cadiz in southern Spain, Canary Islands and then departing from New York using American vessel.

Daendels's most important military project in defending Java from British attack was constructing a highway connecting west and east corner of this island. The road was built by means of obliging indigenous rulers to mobilize people along the route to work it by force. This road had sacrificed thousands life in nearly a year of its building process. Later, the road was renowned as the Great Post Road (De Groote Postweg) since Daendels also set off post and telegraph services at the moment of the making.

Since its operation in 1809, the road formerly intended for military purpose had become a main transportation infrastructure in Java Island. This highway had witnessed traffice of commodities conveyed over it since colonial era till now. The road has played an important role as one of crucial veins of Indonesian economy today.

#526 Latvia...Thanks Oleg!

2010-12-30T16:32:00.000-08:00

#525 Ukraine...Thanks Sulyma!

2010-12-30T16:31:00.000-08:00

#524 Argentina...Thanks Tomas!

2010-12-26T19:23:00.000-08:00

The two $1 stamps are from 2009 Buildings Endowed With Historical Value issue showing facade and the Golden Hall of French Embassy:Ortiz Basualdo Palace built in 1918.

Designed in 1912 by French architect Paul Pater, who is also behind the Tigre Club building, the construction of the palace was extended by several years. In 1925, during the presidency of Marcelo T. Alvear, where both the district and the country were in their heyday, served as official residence of the Prince of Wales, who allegedly showed his admiration for the refined comfort and grandeur of the building. But France, who eventually would take final possession of the palace in 1939 to transform their embassy in Buenos Aires.

#523 Latvia...Thanks Juris!

2010-12-26T19:22:00.000-08:00

#522 Norway...Thanks Sverre!

2010-12-26T19:14:00.000-08:00

The 2.70k stamp on the left is from 1987 Europa:Modern Architecture showing wood house of Norway.

The 3k stamp was issued in 1982 celebrating 25th anniv. of Reign of King Olav V depicting Consecration Ceremony in Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim.

Olav V (1903–1991) was the king of Norway from 1957 until his death.

A member of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, Olav was born in the United Kingdom as the son of Prince Carl of Denmark and Princess Maud of the United Kingdom and given the names Alexander Edward Christian Frederik. He became Crown Prince and only heir to the throne of Norway when his father was elected king in 1905. He was the first heir to the Norwegian throne to be brought up in Norway since Olav IV, and his parents made sure he was given as Norwegian an upbringing as possible. In preparation for his royal duties, he attended both civilian and military schools. In 1929, he married his first and second cousin Princess Märtha of Sweden. During World War II his leadership was much appreciated and he was appointed Norwegian Chief of Defence in 1944. Succeeding to the throne in 1957, he enjoyed a very high level of popularity and respect throughout his reign, in which he was able to balance regality and approachability. Upon his death in 1991, the Norwegian public displayed a great demonstration of mourning. At his death, he was the last surviving grandchild of Edward VII of the United Kingdom and Alexandra of Denmark.

#521 Spain...Thanks Ricardo!

2010-12-26T19:01:00.000-08:00

#520 India...Thanks Yogesh

2010-12-26T18:44:00.000-08:00

This special cover is a tribute to a great astronomer Raja Sawai Jai Singh,the founder of city of Jaipur & creator of world renowned heritage of "Jantar Mantar-Jaipur".

The Jantar Mantar, in Jaipur, is an astronomical observation site built in the early 18th century. It includes a set of some 20 main fixed instruments. They are monumental examples in masonry of known instruments but which in many cases have specific characteristics of their own. Designed for the observation of astronomical positions with the naked eye, they embody several architectural and instrumental innovations. This is the most significant, most comprehensive, and the best preserved of India's historic observatories. It is an expression of the astronomical skills and cosmological concepts of the court of a scholarly prince at the end of the Mughal period.

The 5 INR stamp on the right corner was issued in 2009 showing St.Anne Church,that is a religious monument located in Santana, Goa, India. It is an example of baroque architecture and it is by far the most exquisite and the largest surviving monument of its kind in all of Asia.

#519 India...Thanks Kasinath!

2010-12-23T18:08:00.000-08:00

#518 Sweden...Thanks Karl!

2010-12-23T17:46:00.000-08:00

The 1Kr stamp was issued in 2008 showing foliage and berries of Common Juniper.

Juniperus communis, the Common Juniper, is a species in the genus Juniperus, in the family Cupressaceae. It has the largest range of any woody plant, throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere from the Arctic south in mountains to around 30°N latitude in North America, Europe and Asia.

Juniperus communis is a shrub or small tree, very variable and often a low spreading shrub, but occasionally reaching 10 m tall. Common Juniper has needle-like leaves in whorls of three; the leaves are green, with a single white stomatal band on the inner surface. It is dioecious, with male and female cones on separate plants, which are wind pollinated.

The 2KR stamp is from 2003 Regional Houses issue showing house from Närke which is a traditional Swedish province in middle Sweden.

The pair of cat stamps was issued in 1994 showing European shorthair and Abyssinian cat.

The European shorthair is a breed of short-haired cat originating in Ancient Rome.It's a recently recognised breed established to resemble the look of naturally occurring cats that have lived in European villages and cities for ages first bred in Rome to control rodents and spread through Europe. Many people incorrectly refer to any stray cat as a European Shorthair.

The Abyssinian is a breed of domesticated cat with a distinctive ticked coat. There are many stories about its origins, often revolving around Egypt, but the actual origins are uncertain. The Abyssinian has become one of the most popular breeds of shorthair cat in the USA.

#517 Algeria...Thanks Omar!

2010-12-23T16:47:00.000-08:00

This beautiful Craft of Algeria FDC was issued on 28.11.2010.

15 DA stamp:Candle holder

It is a pottery candle holder from the region of Kabylia, made from clay. The form is largely inspired by a former candle Berbers with the introduction of modern touches, the decoration is made of sober reason faithful to the Berbers specificity of the region.This candle holder with three candles and two eggs holder, is particularly used in some villages by new kalyles married during the wedding night.

20 DA:Quanoun (a musical instrument)

The quanoun is a musical instrument made of wood-based and includes sculptures and decoration.
The traditional Maghrebi quanoun includes 17 maqamat for 51 cordes.Utilised also in the Middle East, it occupies an important place among the instruments to the traditional Arabic art music.
During the play, the player places the quanoun horizontally in front of him or on his bent knees, or on a solo table.On appreciates quanoun when accompanying the singer prelude.

30 DA:Tuareg Leather Box

Tuareg cabinet is covered with natural leather carved with geometric patterns that reflect the artof Tuareg who are a Berber nomadic pastoralist people.The sides are reinforced with brass rings and chopped red.The box is also decorated with Tuareg silver motifs, coral and ebony wood. It is a reflection of work done by craftsmen possessing finesse and dexterity.It is generally used by the Tuareg girl to keep precious items for her trousseau.