Santiago de Compostela: World Heritage Site

Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia in Spain. and the cathedral is the main attraction in the city.  In 1985 the city's Old Town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Two nice stamps on the verso of the postcard:  the large one shows the National Park of Picos de Europa which forms part of Spain's natural areas, and the other one portrays Ildefons Cerdà, a Catalan urban planner who designed the extension of Barcelona called "Enlargement" or "Eixample".

Muchas gracias José Luis!  :-)

Another Swiss Mail!

 

Here's my first cover from Geuensee, Switzerland.  It was sent on November 10 and arrived on November 27.  Thank you very much Vural!  :)  It's quite nice to see the famous mouse Jimmy Flitz, creation of the renown Swiss novelist and songwriter Roland Zoss, on one of the stamps...

Windmills of France

Another nice cover from France to share with you!  Daniel sent it to me on October 22, and it arrived only on November 29, after traveling around the globe for more than 1 month!  It has 2 beautiful windmill stamps affixed on it with the right one depicting the Moulin de Daudet Fontvieille and the other stamp illustrating the Moulin de Montbrun-Lauragais.  Thanks a lot Daniel!!  :)

As I mentioned above, this cover made a detour to Saudi Arabia by mistake...  It's interesting to note the mention 'Miss sent to Saudi Arabia' made by Saudi Post so as to notify the error.

When the cover arrived at the Office of Exchange, located at the Plaisance Airport, the Mauritius Post notified that the envelope was received with tape which is not visible on the photograph and which was used to consolidate the flap.  The Office of Exchange postmark is not very legible, but I deduce it is dated 26 November 2010

The Successful Flight of the First Manned Shenzhou Spaceship of China

Shenzhou is a spacecraft designed by the People's Republic of China to support its manned spaceflight program.

On October 15, 2003, an indigenous Long March 2F launch vehicle sent China's first manned Shenzhou spaceship into a projected orbit from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi Desert, Inner Mongolia.  To mark this event, the China National Philatelic Corporation issued a commemorative cover.

After orbital entry of the Shenzhou spaceship, china's first astronaut conduced various planned scientific experiments successfully.

After completing various planned experiments, the return module of the Shenzhou spaceship landed safely in a predetermined area in Siziwang Banner (County) of Inner Mongolia in October 2003, and the first astronaut of China returned to the ground in good conditions.

My First Cover from Switzerland

This cover was sent from Lausanne on November 9th last.  Thank you very much David for this nice souvenir from Switzerland! :)  The stamp depicts Gustave Moynier (1826 - 1910) and Henry Dunant (1828 - 1910)

Gustave Moynier was the co-founder of the "International Committee for Relief to the Wounded", which became the International Committee of the Red Cross after 1876.  In 1864 he took over the position of President of the committee from Guillaume Henry Dufour, until his death in 1910.

Henry Dunant on his part was a businessman and social activist.  He recorded his memories in the book A Memory of Solferino which inspired the creation of the International Committee of the Red Cross.  In 1901 he received the first Nobel Peace Prize together with Frédéric Passy.

The Textile Industry of Mauritius

The Mauritius Postal Services issued a set of 4 postage stamps on 10th January 2001 to highlight the contribution of the textile industry in the economic development of Mauritius.

Re1 - Finished Pullover

Mauritius is one of the world leaders in the export of pullovers.  The export market targets mainly to Europe and more recently the USA.  Wool is mainly used for producing pullovers and cardigans.

Rs3 - Computer Aided Machinery

The textile industry of Mauritius has made judicious use of technology to add value to its product and at the same time bring a touch of professionalism to the finished product.

Rs6 - T-Shirt Folding

Although the textile industry is a labour intensive one, yet many of its facets are mechanised.  The T-shirt folding machine shown on the stamp has a capacity of folding 400 T-shirt per hour.

Rs10 - Embroidery Machine

Embroidery on children's clothes and other apparel is a high profile product of the textile industry.  The machine portrayed on the stamp has a capacity of 800 stitches of points per minute.  The number of points required for a T-shirt ranges from 20,000 to 30,000 stitches.

My First Cover from Jersey

Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France.  The UK is constitutionally responsible for the defence of Jersey, which is not part of the European Union.  The capital of Jersey is Saint Helier and its official languages are English and French.

Thanks a lot James who managed to send me this awesome cover from this island! ;-)  Unfortunately, there is no cancellation cachet applied on the stamps, hence I don't know exactly when it was sent., but it arrived on November 25.  The stamps depict the Diana and the St Patrick (III)

Qiuci Grotto Murals

The Beijing Stamp Company issued a folder for a set of 4 stamps, entitled 'Qiuci Grotto Murals'.

The Qiuci Grotto is one of the world's largest greatest ancient grotto complexes devoted to Bhuddist art in terms of conservation, scale and academic value.

Customised French Stamps

Well, the 'stamps' on this cover are really bizarre: no face value, but only the mention: "Lettre Prioritaire 20g"... 0.o   That's what they call "customized stamps" in France.  Personally, I've still not understood how it works -_-   

From right to left:

1. Brie de Meaux, a soft dough crust cheese,

2. Marché International de Rungis, the principal market of Paris and the largest wholesale food market in the world,

3. Basilique de St. Denis, a large abbey church in Saint Denis, a northern suburb of Paris,
4. Château de Versailles, the renowned palace which was home to the monarchs of France.

Thank you Eric ...

Bicentenary of the British Conquest of Mauritius

The Mauritius Post issued today 3rd December 2010 a set of 2 postage stamps on the theme: 'Bicentenary of the British Conquest of Isle de France (1810 - 2010).  This issue fits into the 'Bicentenary of the Battle of Grand-Port' issue of August of this year.

So, after being defeated by the French at Grand-Port, the British decided to conquer Mauritius again.  They landed their troops on the northern coast of the island, between Grand Baie and Poudre d'Or, at noon on the 29th November 1810. 

After a skirmish with some opposing French soldiers in the region of Montagne Longue and elsewhere, the British forces continued their march towards Port Louis.  On learning that other British forces were about to land, Isidore Decaen, Governor and Commander in Chief of Isle de France, delegated his men to negotiate for a cessation of hostilities.

The French acknowledged defeat and the 'Acte de Capitulation' was signed on the early hours of the morning on the 3rd December 1810 in the British camp in the outskirts of the Pamplemousses district.

The Rs7 stamp portrays the onward march of the British towards Port Louis, while the Rs2 stamp shows the 'Acte de Capitulation' signed by the French.  The FDC features a map of Mauritius illustrating the itineraries (dark arrows) of the triumphant march of the British forces.

It should also be noted that an unbelievable flaw occurred while printing the Rs2 stamp.  In fact, the Rs2 should have been Rs21 (which is the local fee for registered mails)...

World Expo Shanghai 2010 in Monaco

David sent me this splendid souvenir sheet from Monte Carlo, Monaco, with the Office des Emissions de Timbres Postes postmark dated 12 November 2010.  The cover arrived 8 days later...

This miniature sheet was issued to mark the World Expo in Shanghai, with the 1,00€ stamp depicting a profile view of Albert II, Prince of Monaco, and the  current ruler of the Principality of Monaco.  The miniature sheet illustrates the different facets of China, with the Sampan boat, the misty mountains of the provinces of China and the famous TV Tower and skyscrapers of Shanghai.

Thank you very much David! :)

Laboudonnais: un château dans la nature

Récemment, le Château de Labourdonnais a rouvert ses portes au public après des mois de rénovations.  Ce château, appartenant à la famille Wiehe et situé au coeur d'un verger centenaire à Mapou, au nord du pays, propose un voyage enchanteur dans l'Histoire et l'art de vivre de l'Ile Maurice du XIXe siècle.  Une expérience touristique unique qui vous fera découvrir les multiples facettes et richesses de l'île. 

La Mauritius Post a ainsi émis, le 30 octobre dernier, une Enveloppe Souvenir avec un timbre de la série Anthurium (2004) pour marquer cet événement.

Le château dans toute sa splendeur

World Statistics Day 2010

On 20 October 2010, the World celebrated the first World Statistics Day to raise awareness of the many achievements of official statistics premised on the core values of service, integrity and professionalism.  In this context, the MPL released a Special Commemorative Cover to mark this event, affixed with 2 stamps of the Dodo series (2007).

In July 1945, the Statistical Bureau was created in Mauritius, on 7 April 1951 the Statistics Act 1951 came into force and in January 2010, Mauritius became the first country to ratify the African Charter of Statistics.

The message of the UN Secretary-General for this auspicious event is as follows:

"Let us make this historic event a success by acknowledging and celebrating the role of statistics in the social and economic development of our societies and by dedicating further efforts and resources to strengthening national statistical capacity."

 Ban Ki-Moon, UN Secretary-General

 Letter to World Leaders, July 2010

Cover from Malaysia

I received this colourful cover on November 16th which was sent from Ipoh, Perak on November 1st.  The yellow stamp on the far right depicts the Sultan of Pahang and was issued on 24 October 2010 with 2 other stamps on the same theme 'Royal Heritage'.

The other stamp illustrates soldiers in action and was issued on 31 July 2010 along with 2 other stamps too on the theme 'Grand Knight of Valour'.  Thank you very much Khor!  :)

110th Birth Anniversary of SSR

The MPL issued a gold postage stamp of denomination Rs100 on September 18th 2010 to mark the 110th Birth anniversary of Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam (1900 - 1985).  This is the first time in Mauritius that the Rs100 denomination is released.

SSR is considered as the most outstanding personality in Mauritius.  Son of an indentured labourer, he became the first Prime Minister of Mauritius (1968 - 1982) after its independence in 1968.  He was also the Governor General (1983 - 1985) a few years before the island attained status of Republic.

The FDC illustrates the statue of Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, located at Port Louis Waterfront.

Christmas in Singapore :)

I was so happy to receive this awesome cover from Singapore on October 29th, with the First Day cancellation on the stamps :)  Singapore Post use to issue sets of postage stamps on the different festivals in Singapore (the Mauritius Post should do it too...) : the Chinese New Year, Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Deepavali and Christmas.  Thank you Terence who sent me this cover with the Christmas stamps.  ^^

Bicentenary of the Battle of Grand Port (1810 - 2010)

By the end of the 18th century, there were frequent skirmishes between the French and the English naval vessels in the Indian Ocean.  After conquering the Seychelles (1794), Rodrigues (1794) and Reunion (1810), the British naval forces set sail to capture Isle de France (Mauritius).

The French could hardly offer any resistance as there were only 4000 soldiers including 2000 reservists on shore...  The battle lasted for 5 days, the peak of the battle being on the night of the 23-24 August 1810 with serious casualties on both sides.  The British forces were defeated.  This battle was the only naval victory of the French over the British, under Napoléon Bonaparte.

The Rs14 stamp depicts the battle scene while the Rs21 one illustrates the Ile de la Passe, a fortified islet which controlled the entrance to the harbour and which the British took possession on the 14th of August 1810.

Shanghai Expo 2010

The Mauritius Post Ltd issued a commemorative stamp of denomination Rs30 on 20 August 2010 to mark the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai (01 May - 31 October).

Mauritius' participation in the Expo was built around the concept Mauritius: a City State, and aimed at showcasing the country's strategic location, its economic vibrancy, modernity, environmental consciousness, harmounious blend of cultures, artistic and cultural heritage and natural beauty.

The Mauritian Pavilion features a verandah house (maison créole), with a map of Mauritius on the floor with various geographical landmarks and symbols representing the different aspects and sectors of the country.

The stamp depicts the Two Pence Blue Post Office Mauritius, famously known as the Blue Penny Stamp, considered as a gem in the world of philately.  The original stamp was issued in 1847, Mauritius thus becoming the 5th country in the world to have issued postage stamps.

The FDC features the logo of the World Expo 2010 which represents the Chinese character 世, which means 'world', modified to represent 3 people together with the 2010 date.

Cover from Taiwan

I received this cover from Taiwan on October 26th,  thank you James :)  The postmark is not very legible so I don't know when it was mailed exactly...  The 2 stamps on the top right of the envelope form part of the third set of 4 postage stamps on Bridges of Taiwan.  This 3rd set features bridges of southern Taiwan and was issued on March 10 2010;  with the Jinde Bridge in Donggan and the Qigu River Bridge in Tainan portrayed here.

The 2 other stamps illustrating the Hydatina amplustre and the Strombus sinuatus form part of the third set of stamps on Seashells of Taiwan (issued on February 26 2009).

Al-Idrissi: Geographer and Cartographer

This stamp pays tribute to the famous Arab geographer and cartographer Al-Idrissi.  He contributed to the enrichment of the maritime history of the Indian Ocean and the world.  The iconic figure of Al-Idrissi or Sharif Al-Idrissi (about 110-1165) celebrated here, is famous for his Book of Roger (1154-1157), the state-of-the-art world atlas in pre-modern times.  This map which shows the sphericity of the Earth, as the cartographer believed the world was round, was a reference in the world of cartography till the 16th century.

The FDC depicts the famous planisphere which Al-Idrissi designed for King Roger II of Sicily in 1154.  It was almost 6 feet in diameter, inscribed on silver and weighing some 450 pounds.  The map portrayed is upside down (South/North) as was customary with the Arabs following Chinese Tradition.

My First Cover from Ausria

Many thanks Florian for this nice first day cover sent from Vienna (Wien in German) which features Maria Theresa of Austria  :) The first day cancellation is nice too...

Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina (1717-1780) was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominations and the last of the House of Habsburg.  She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands and Parma.

Birth Centenary of Renganaden Seeneevassen (1910-2010)

The MPL released on April 11 2010 a special commemorative cover, affixed with 2 stamps of the Indigenous Flowers definitive set, to celebrate the birth centenary of Renganaden Seeneevassen, a famous politician whose father was an immigrant from South India and his mother a Mauritian Tamil lady.

 

In 1935 he left Mauritius to read Law in England  and returned back in 1940 as a barrister.  He joined the Labour Party and became one of its influential leaders.  As a distinguished orator and with exceptional leadership attributes, he passionately argued the case for universal suffrage and against proportional representation, which he believed would divide the country.  His dream was a true Mauritian nation without discrimination of race or creed.

In 1957, as the first Mauritian Minister of Education, he introduced a new Code of Education which for the first time ensured a fair and equitable educational system.  Renganaden Seeneevassen is remembered for his kindness, compassion and selfless determination to improve the conditions of his countrymen.  

He passed away on 5th June 1958, ten years before the independence of Mauritius.

First Cover from Indonesia

Thank you Irene for this 'tasty' cover from Indonesia, with Indonesian Traditional Foods stamps affixed on it.  The stamps represent the Sup Lobster Kelapa Muda (Sulawesi Barat), the Gulai Iga Kemba'ang (Bengkulu) and the Ayam Cincane (Kalimantan Timur) respectively.

24th SADC Summit, Mauritius 2004

Mauritius hosted from 7 to 17 August 2004 the 24th Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).  To mark this event, the MPL issued 2 commemorative stamps of the Rs2 and Rs50 denominations.

The SADC vision is one of a common future, a future in a regional community that will ensure economic well-being, improvement of the standards of living and quality of life, freedom and social justice and peace and security for the people of Southern Africa.

The SADC mission is to promote sustainable and equitable economic growth and socio-economic development through efficient productive systems, deeper cooperation and integration, good governance and durable peace and security, so that the region emerges as a competitive and effective player in international relations and the world economy.

The Honourable Paul Bérenger, Prime Minister of the Republic of Mauritius (2003-2005) assumed the chairmanship of SADC from August 2004 to August 2005.

The stamps show the logo of the SADC, the Cyber Tower at Ebène and I.T. training sessions.

The 13 member states of SADC are:

Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.  SADC headquarters are in Gaborone, Botswana and the working languages are English, French and Portuguese.

Postcard from Xi'an, China

I received this nice postcard from a relative in China on October 11 last.  It was sent from Xi'an, in the Shaanxi Province on September 25.  Well it portrays the garden pavilion of the JianGuo Hotel.