Italy 2008/10/25

Airmail cover from Italy, posted in Bellusco on October 25, 2008.

The left stamp has a face value of 100 lire and commemorates the Italian composer and pianist Franco Alfano.

The right stamp commemorates the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Belgium FDC 2008/10/18

First day cover from Belgium, posted on October 18, 2008. It commemorates the National Shoemuseum in Izegem.

Thomas, thank you for this nice FDC!

China 2008/10/10

Registered cover from PR China. This cover is very unusual because the post officer forgot to cancel the stamps! I know from the sender, that this cover was posted on October 10, 2008.

The 2001 mini-sheet on the front side depicts the Huangguoshu Waterfall.

Huangguoshu Waterfall is the centre of the Huangguoshu scenic area. Located on the Baishui River, it is the largest of its kind in China and one of the most magnificent waterfalls in the world. It is 81 metres wide, with a drop of 74 metres. Like the Milky Way descending from heaven, the Huangguoshu Waterfall rushes into the Xiniu pond. Its roaring sound can be heard several kilometres away. The cave behind the Waterfall is 134 metres long. Still intact inside the cave is an age-old carving of four Chinese characters, meaning “snow reflecting cloud”. Watching sunset from inside the cave offers a mirage-like view.

(http://www.xabusiness.com/china-stamps-2001/2001-13.htm)

The back side has attached three stamps of the 2001 Wudang Mountains series. The stamps are entitled “Nanyan Hall in Autumn”, “Zixiao Temple in Snow”, and “Taizi Slope in Green”. More info can be found here.

In addition there are the five stamps of the 2005 set “Historic sites of Taiwan province”. They are entitled “The North Gate of Taibei Official Residence”, “Temple of Confucius in Tainan”, “Longshan Temple in Lugang”, “Er Kun Sheng Barbette in Tainan”, and “Matsu Temple at Penghu”. More info can be found here.

China FDC 2008/10/18

Registered FDC from China, posted on October 18, 2008.

The top three stamps are a set commemorating the “50th Anniversary of Founding of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region”.

Many thanks to my friend in China for sending me this nice FDC!

Georgia 2008/10/17

Cover from Georgia, posted in Tbilisi on October 17, 2008.

This beautiful cover has eight different stamps attached. The top left stamp has a face value of 30 tetri and shows the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre, which was built in 1851. In 1874 it burnt down completely and was rebuilt in 1896. The second stamp (face value 30 tetri) shows a view on Batumi, the capital of the autonomous republic Adjara located at the Black Sea. The third stamp (face value 20 tetri) in the top row is of a series depicting old precious pectoral crosses. The next stamp shows grapes (Rkhatsiteli); Georgia has some very good wine!

The two stamps in the second row have a face value of 1 lari and 20 tetri resp. The first seems to depict a kind of allegory (?) and the second is an EUROPA stamp.

In the last row there is a stamp of the cross series again (face value 50 tetri), and finally the last stamp (30 tetri) on this beautiful cover depicts the Tbilisi Drama Theatre.

Thank you very much, Khatuna, for this really marvelous cover!

Poland 2008/10/20

Registered cover from Poland, posted in Tuszyn on October 20, 2008.

There are four different stamps on this cover. The two at the left depict some Easter eggs; the top stamps at the right have the inscription “Isfahan – Miasto Dzieci Polskich” (“Esfahan – the City of Polish Children”). They commemorate the Polish refugee children in Iran during World War II.

During the World War II to Iran together with the created in the USSR Gen. W. Anders’ army have come thousands of exiles, including great number of little children, mostly orphans from the former Polish eastern territories. For some 13 000 of them who had not died of emaciation or illnesses that country became for a few years their temporary home and most of all a refuge to survive the war-time. In Esfahan the years 1942-1945 have spent 2590 Polish children below 7, for whom were arranged various educational institutions, such as nurseries and primary schools, and even a sanatorium. By the end of the war the children had been evacuated in groups together with their protectors to many different countries: New Zealand, Lebanon, India, Mexico, Palestine, or British African colonies, from where most of them have never come back again to their homeland.

The vicissitudes of the Polish exiles have been recalled in 2005 by the IPN (Institute of National Remembrance) exhibition “Rescued from the >inhuman land<”. The fates of Polish exiles from the USSR in 1942-1950″, and by the collective book “Esfahan – the City of Polish Children”, published in London. Their stay in Iran is also commemorated on the local cemeteries and commemorative plaques.

(http://www.poczta-polska.pl/znaczki/en/index.php)

The other two stamps depict a cottage (the stamp has the inscription “Dwór w Łopusznej”, which means “Manor in Łopuszna“) and the Silesian Theatre in Katowice, which was built from 1905 to 07.

Czech Republic 2008/06/12

Registered cover from Czech Republic, posted in Hustopeče u Brna on June 12, 2008.

The stamps are of the definitive series depicting the zodiac signs Libra and Aquarius, and of the flower series depicting a cyclamen (“brambořík”) and a rhododendron (“azalka”).

Taiwan 2008/10/20

Cover from Taiwan, posted on October 20, 2008.

This letter consists of a FDC cover commem­­orating the 21^st Asian International Stamp Exhibition in Taipei. The stamps on the front side depict the flowers Spiranthes sinensis and Paphiopedilum sp. The three stamps on the back side show some birds catching fish, some fruit (cherries, lychees?), and the bird Dicrurus aeneus (Bronzed Drongo).

George WU, thank you very much for this beautiful cover!

Slovakia 2008/04/10

Registered cover from Slovakia, posted on April 10, 2008.

The three stamps show the church of Nitra and the monastery (kláštor) Jasov. The 30 SK stamps are part of the series “Beauties of our Homeland” and were issued on June 6, 2007.

Croatia 2008/10/21

Cover from Croatia, posted in Ilača on October 21, 2008.

The left stamp commemorates the Summer Olympics 2008 in Beijing. The right stamp has Braille characters imprinted. The characters are DAN BIJELOG STAPA (if anybody can tell me what this means, please add a comment).