COVER AND FDC FROM SRI LANKA

 Sri Lanka Post Office issued on October 9th, 2007 a set of 16 Constellation stamps presenting the twelve traditional zodiac constellations plus Centaurus, Ursa Major, Orion and Ophiuchus. The 40.00 LKR stamp shows Ophiuchus, a large constellation located northwest of the center of the Milky Way, best visible in the northern summer and listed by the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy. The stamp represents its commonly image of a man grasping the snake.

The other two definitive stamps are national symbols: the 50.00 LKR State Emblem stamp (issued on November 23, 2007) and the 100.00 LKR golden lion stamp (issued on September 24, 2008). The republican emblem was chosen after the country was declared a Republic on May 22, 1972. In addition to the lion with a sword and the Palapethi open petal design it portrays the Punkalasa, dhammachakka, sun, moon and two sheaves of paddy. The Lion symbol played a significant role in the history of Sri Lanka and represents freedom and hope.

My friend Asela sent me a wonderful FDC and two mint stamps of his country’s issue commemorating the bicentenary of birth of Louis Braille and the World White Cane Day. 2009 was marked by commemorative issues in forty-six countries celebrating the bicentennial of Louis Braille. The Sri Lanka Post Office, in despite the delay, produced a beautiful piece with the bust of Louis Braille and a hand reading braille.

LIGHTHOUSE POSTCARD FROM BELGIUM

The postcard with the inscription “Belgian Coast” presents four lighthouses of that country. Belgium has a North Sea coast about 65 km (40 mi) long, all of it located in the Flemish-speaking province of West Vlaanderen (West Flanders). There are four ports on this coast: Nieuwpoort, Oostende, Blankenberge, and Zeebrugge, and each of the four has its own collection of lighthouses. Knokke-Heist, a seaside resort is located east of Zeebrugge port.

On September 20, 2010 Belgium Post Office issued a set of three stamps called "New life in the brewery “presenting former breweries converted into other activities. The stamp on the postcard shows the support center Telematics (CST) at Marche-en-Famenne. Carmelite monks settled in Marche-en-Famenne in 1473 and started producing a famous beer. The former monastery/brewery is one of the most beautiful buildings of the city and today houses a digital public space which offers computer training and free access to IT. The other two stamps show the center of free time Mena (Rotselaar) and contemporary art center in Brussels.

COVER AND POSTCARD FROM SPAIN

 The Nature Reserves of Spain series issued in 2010 featured the different protected nature parks in Spain with a high ecological and scenic value. There were four issuances during the year in a total of twelve beautiful stamps. Correos de España issued on July 19th, 2010 the second set of three stamps devoted to three nature reserves very different in their geographic characteristics and ecosystems. The first stamp on the cover presents the Picos de Europa National Park, a biosphere reserve that extends over the three northern provinces of Asturias, Cantabria and León. There are many protected animal species like wild boars, roe deer, wolves, foxes and the Cantabrian brown bear (Ursus actos arctos).

The Monfrague National Park in Extremadura is a haven for birdwatchers and nature lovers alike. It consists of over 17,000 hectares of land made up of wide-open expanses of both woodland and dry pastures, as well as numerous rocky areas and oak trees. It is one of the most important ornithological reserves in Spain. The park is most famous for its collection of Black Vultures (Aegypius monachus), of which it houses two hundred pairs and makes Monfrague the world's biggest colony for these birds.

The Isla de Arosa, or Illa de Arousa in Galego, is a substantial island, about 7 km (4 mi) long, on the eastern side of the Ría de Arousa, in the province of Pontevedra ,in Galicia, Spain.  The Punta Caballo Lighthouse was placed on the rocky northwestern tip of the island: the works began in April 1852 and the tower was first lit on October 19th 20, 1853. The 5 m (16 ft) octagonal stone tower is attached to the front of a square 1-story keeper's house. The building, with rectangular form, housed two rooms, one for each lighthouse keeper, and a common kitchen. The rest of covered surface was occupied for a warehouse and an aisle of distribution.

LIGHTHOUSE POSTCARD FROM USA

Once more my friend Alex fill up my collections of stamps, a postal card and a lot of important information.

Biloxi Lighthouse is a 61 ft (18.5 m) white cast iron tower located in the median of Highway 90, at the foot of Porter Street in Biloxi, Mississippi. Built in 1848, it is the second-oldest cast iron lighthouse in the U.S. and became the last standing of the more than ten lighthouses originally built to mark the Mississippi coastline. The keeper's houses were destroyed by Hurricane Camille in 1969. Although the lighthouse survived the Hurricane Katrina, which caused so much devastation in Biloxi and the surrounding Gulf Coast in 2005, its interior brick lining was damaged and required extensive repair. On February 19, 2010, a rededication ceremony was held for a gleaming white Biloxi Lighthouse that had just undergone a $400,000 makeover, during which the tower was rewired, the interior brick lining was rebuilt, new exterior lighting was installed, and the decorative metal fence surrounding the base of the tower was restored.

The U.S. Postal Service released on July 23, 2009 its popular series of Lighthouses stamps presenting five Gulf Coast Lighthouses. On the postcard we see two 44¢ stamps: the 131 ft (40 m) brick Sand Island Light in Alabama and the 82 ft (25 m) hexagonal cast iron tower mounted on the walls of Fort Jefferson, Florida. The 28¢ stamp depicts exactly the white cast iron Biloxi Lighthouse.

FDC FROM NAMIBIA

Because Namibia has one of the world’s most barren and inhospitable coastlines, it was largely ignored by the European nations until relatively recently.Its colonial history began in 1878, when Britain took control of the port of Walvis Bay. The rest of South West Africa became a German colony in 1884. South African troops occupied the German colony in 1915, early in World War I, and South Africa remained in control of the territory for the next 75 years. After a lengthy struggle, Namibia became independent in 1990.

Namibia Post issued on June 18^th, 2010 a beautiful set named “Lighthouses of Namibia” presenting the three active traditional lighthouses in the country. Swakopmund Light built in 1903: the 28 m (92 ft) round tower with a double gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands.  Pelican Point Light built in 1932: the 34 m (112 ft) round cast iron tower painted with black and white horizontal bands. Diaz Point Light built in 1915: the 28 m (92 ft) tower painted with red and white horizontal bands, mounted on a 1-story hexagonal stone base. Thank you, Bruce for the stamps and the FDC. Fantastic!

LIGHTHOUSE POSTCARD FROM SOUTH AFRICA

Slangkop Lighthouse means ‘snakehead lighthouse’ when it is translated directly into English and also is commonly referred to as the Kommetjie lighthouse. This is the tallest cast iron tower on the South African Coast, located near the village of Kommetjie, about 30 km (20 mi) south of Cape Town. The 33 m (108 ft) white round cast iron tower marks a dangerous promontory on the west side of the Cape Peninsula, facing the open Atlantic. It had been the site of numerous shipwrecks over the years, so the lighthouse was first lit on March 4^th, 1919. The station includes several buildings, one of them a modern conference facility and another used as a visitor center and gift shop. The lighthouse is open to guided visits and it is also a popular site for weddings. Kommetjie is also one of the best spots for seabird watching and the Slangkop Lighthouse area falls into the Table Mountain National Park’s Marine Protected area.

The South African Post Office released a series of colourful commemorative stamps to mark the 2010 Fifa World Cup. The stamps were issued on June 11, the opening day of the football event. The stamps are round in shape and depict the official logo, the gold Fifa World Cup trophy and the Jabulani, the official match ball. Thank you, Cecile!

2011 - STAMPS OF BRAZIL - 03

 The Brazilian Post issued on January 21^st, 2011 a stamp to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Father Landell de Moura, the pioneer of radio broadcasting in Brazil. Roberto Landell de Moura was the first person to broadcast the human voice over a distance without using wires. This was the forerunner of what was then called radiotelephony, which is nothing more than what we nowadays know as radio. He was born on January 21, 1861, in Porto Alegre, and was ordained as a priest in Rome in 1886. Besides theology, he also studied physics and chemistry at the Gregorian University, in Rome, Italy, where he started to develop the theory that formed the basis for his different inventions.

Landell carried out his first experiments at the end of the 19th century. At the same time, whilst Landell’s equipment was broadcasting voices, Guglielmo Marconi, the famous Italian inventor was only transmitting signals in Morse code (groups of dots and dashes). Father Landell died anonymously in his home town on 30 June 1928.

The stamp portrays Father Landell de Moura speaking into a “wave transmitting” microphone, one of the devices he invented. In the background, there is a reproduction of the United States patent document of 1904, and a design of the device. In the bottom left hand corner there is an Amplitude Modulated (AM) radio wave, for transmitting the sound of the human voice over long distances without using wires.

LIGHTHOUSE POSTCARD FROM USA

The Huron Islands are a group of eight small, rocky islands in Lake Superior, located about three miles offshore from the mouth of the Huron River. Beginning mid-Nineteenth Century, with the copper boom in the Keweenaw Peninsula, the Huron Islands were a navigational hazard to vessels following the coast to/from Portage River, Michigan.  This area had been the site of numerous shipwrecks over the years.

 Huron Island Lighthouse was built at the highest point on the West Huron Island with its light exhibited for the first time on the night of October 20, 1868. The 39 ft (12 m) square cylindrical granite tower is attached to 1-1/2 story granite keeper's house. The light station was electrified in 1930 and a solar-powered light installed in 1961. The station, listed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1975, has been automated in 1972 and is still an active aid to navigation.

This is the 44–cent Angel with Lute definitive stamp. On October 21, 2010, US Postal Service issued a 44–cent “Angel with Lute” definitive stamp. This stamp features a detail of a fragment of a circa–1480 fresco by Melozzo da Forli (1438–1494), where an angel with a halo strums a lute and glances downward toward the left. The original fresco fragment can be visited at the Room IV of the Vatican Pinacoteca (art museum).

The ninth issuance in the American Treasures stamp series features Boys in a Pasture, an 1874 oil-on-canvas painting by Winslow Homer. The 44-cent commemorative stamp was released on August 12, 2010 and the original painting is part of the Hayden Collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.