Flags

1992: Protect the Alps (Design - F Dorner)

All roads lead to the Alps in this flag fest.  The mountain range's outer perimeter is uniquely defined by international treaty.  The Alpine Convention which this stamp celebrates aims to protect the environment and have sustainable development.

1989: Europa - Toys (Design - B Linnemann; Engraver - A Kuhimann|)

Maybe these little soldiers will help. The wooden toys are the late Kay Bojesen's creation and I think these are supposed to be his royal life guards with their Danish flag.  Perhaps his monkeys are more famous but the company that bears his name still creates wooden toys from sustainable sources.

1998: Europa - National Festivals (Design - A Kuhimann)

 

 

A horse and its rosette at a Danish Agricultural Show.  If there are cute rabbits in any of those tents then that would be where I would be heading.

2004: 50 Years of the Åland Flag(Design: Robert Jansson)

How delightful it would be to sail around the Åland Islands on this stamp day.

Old Canadian Postcard

 

Sunday Stamps II theme this week is - Flags - flutter over to See It On A Postcard

 

Large Animals

1954: SAS First Flight Cover

On 15 November 1954 the SAS airline flew the first regular 'polar shortcut' service to Los Angeles and this cover is of the Greenland-Denmark leg.  They produced a dizzying number of different cover designs and stamps for the event.  The polar bear may find the iceberg melting now but in 1954 we had never heard of global warming.

1938-1946: Definitive (Design - Harald Moltke; Engraver - J Britze

The stamp is called 'Wandering Polar Bear' and it was one of the first Greenland letter stamps, the only stamps before this were for parcel post as letter postage was free of charge within Greenland and to Denmark.

1963: Polar Bear (Design - V Bang; Engraver - Cz Slania)

   The Polar Bear is Greenland's symbol and has been on their coat of arms since 1666 but in 1819 it was changed to an upright bear as seen on the stamps.

1970: Greenland Whale (Design - J Rosing; Engraver- Cz Slania)

Head offshore and mighty whales are swimming

2000: Animal Kings (Design - A Helgestad and H Strager)

I love the water pouring off the tail of this sperm whale

1954-1961 Definitives: Wild Animals

Travelling onto land for two powerful animals - the white rhino and african elephant.

1997-2000: Endangered Fauna (3rd Series)

and the endlessly fascinating giraffe at the waterhole. 

illustration from Wild Adventures in Wild Places' by Gordon Stables (1911)

 

Sunday Stamps II theme this week is - Big Animals - roaming at See It On A Postcard

 

Under Southern Skies

2009: Stargazing - Southern Skies

The Southern Pinwheel Galaxy is located in the Hydra (water snake) constellation and the best time to see it is in the Spring which starts next month (in Australia).

1990: Animals of the High Country (Design - D Higgins)

If lucky enough to be in Australia and stargazing who knows perhaps a nocturnal marsupial may glide past and if you are in a eucalyptus forest then it will be this Greater Glider.

1966-1974: Decimal Definitive (Design - Betty Temple-Watts)

The sun is up and so are the cockatoos and this one is a galah - which I think is best said in an Australian accent.

2006: Australian Wildlife (Design - Trevor Marriott)

Meanwhile on the ground, a Tasmanian Devil  and another nocturnal creature, the common wombat.

 

Sit by fresh water and the curious creature that is the platypus may be playing there.

1966: Decimal Definitive (Design - Betty Temple-Watts)

Where next to go to watch the southern skies perhaps a beach,  where the nocturnal and gregarious Australian hermit crabs may be scuttling.  As they grow they need new shells and there is strong competition for the best shells so a fight may break out at any moment. 

The sun has risen

2010: Fish of the Reef (Design - Simone Sakinofsky)

 

take a trip underwater for a blaze of colour

with tropical fish  I was quite taken with the name of one as Spotted Sweetlips.

2011: Cocos Island Boats

Take a boat to sail the Pacific islands or travel much further south - but wrap up

1990: Australia/USSR Joint Issue -  Antarctica (Design - Janet Boschen and Yuri Artsimenev)

its going to be cold. 

 

Sunday Stamps II theme this week is - the Southern Hemisphere - travel to See It On A Postcard

All Yellow

Felix the Rabbit is doing something I would like to try on this FDC - blowing an alpenhorn.

2005: Felix the Rabbit

Felix is a travelling stuffed rabbit who gets lost at the airport and writes letter home to his owner Sophie as he travels the world.  The stories are written by the German author Annette Langen who has a rather topical webpage at the moment called Felix v Corona complete with bravery medals to download and a letter from Felix (in a variety of languages) to be sent.

1980: PTT Services (Design - Karl Tanner)

 

 Here is a letter box for Felix to post his letter before jumping on the postbus to take him to his next destination

1999: 150th Anniversary Swiss Postal Service

as he travels the world

1967: Flags of EFTA countries (abolition of EFTA tariffs) - Design - Rudolf  Mumprecht)

 

I wonder where he will choose next?   

1977: Journey of a Letter (Design - Henri Galeron)

Why not nip over the border to France.

 

 

Sunday Stamps II theme this week is - The Colour Yellow - for all shades See It On A Postcard

Food

1992: Trades (Design - Walter Haettenschweiler; Engraver - Schopfer)

Switzerland issued stamps over a number of years on the theme of occupations, a set of which can be seen with a brief obituary of the illustrator Walter Haettenschweiler (1933-2015) here.  Apart from the many stamps for Swiss Post he is also remembered for the typeface Schmalfette Grotesk.

I'll now get on track for the theme and as the kitchen looks hot so its time to head outside for a picnic

2008 Booklet: Summer Tables (Design - Inga-Karin Eriksson)

or a full feast of alfresco dining on this stamp set. The booklet of stamps has the motto Eat Out - 'Äta ute'.  The stamp on the top left intrigues me, they look like potatoes with dill, is that soup or stew in a pot, mustard dill sauce or pickled gherkins in the bowl.  I know they love their dill in Sweden.  No need to wonder about the indulgent strawberry cake and cheese.  A single sheet stamp completes the set -  

with the sun setting on the day and a crayfish plate with a sprig of dill.  Poor little things, I'll just take whatever is in the glass.  I learn that crayfish parties in Sweden are usually accompanied by beer and shots of snaps/aquavit.  Then I wondered why these were not shot glasses but apparently ice cold snaps is served in a glass with a stem so you don't touch the glass  and the drink stays cold.

Eat Out booklet cover (Design -Norbert Tamas)

Sunday Stamps II theme this week is Food - a fine dish is served at See It On A Postcard