My world of stamps

Discover Romania - Transylvania

2013-06-23T00:34:00.000-07:00

Surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains, Transylvania- Terra Ultrasilvana or “the land beyond the forests” - is the territory where the Dacian state, ruled by King Burebista, experienced the most prosperous period in the history of the Geto-Dacians and, at the same time, by its organisation and expansion, it laid the foundation of the future Romanian territories.

Issued 15. March 2013 the stamps show as follows:

Fortified Church from Viscri (Brasov County)

turistderomania.ro

Guest House from Valea Zalanului (Covasna County)

Landscape from Hosman (Sibiu County)

Saint Mihail Church from Cluj-Napoca (Cluj County)

Thanks to Viridian who is keeping up the good job with Sunday Stamps. I am glad I could take part this time too. Do you want to see more churches and castles? Take a look at her Blog.

Live healthy

2013-06-23T00:17:00.001-07:00

Romfilatelia introduces into circulation the postage stamps issueLive healthy!, thus adding a new set of stamps to the topic initiated in 2012, which suggestively illustrates the natural resources that should lie at the basis of a healthy nutrition, such as: honey, walnuts, peanuts, wild berries (raspberries, blueberries and blackberries) and cinnamon.

Looks pretty nice, isn´t it? It is a perfect sheet for food-stamp-lovers. And I love honey too.
I don´t have to do a research for this one, everybody is already familiar with nuts, berries and cinnamon.
Issued 13.06.2013

Chocolate postage stamps

2013-05-24T00:57:00.000-07:00

Belgium has released a set of special stamps that smell and taste like chocolate!
Bpost, the Belgian post office, has printed more than 500,000 delicious, lip-smacking stamps to celebrate the country's famous chocolatiers. The delectable stamps are printed on special paper "imbued with the aroma of cocoa" and coated in a special coat that looks and smells like chocolate.

Each stamp features a chocolate treat so you’re given a visual representation of what you’re tasting – it would make me send more letters anyway.

Interesting way of thinking about stamps. I have some similar stamps from Ukraine, they smell like fruits. But here, they say it also tastes like Chocolate. That could be good for those who are on a diet :) low calories chocolate! I think it´s funny.

The series of five stamps cost €6.20 and they were released on March 25th.

Here is a Video about how they were made.

Children Games 1960

2013-05-11T22:24:00.001-07:00

For today's theme at Viridian´s Sunday Stamps I have chosen some old stamps from Romania.
They represent quite nicely the way children used to play in small villages: skating on frozen lakes, swimming in summer, playing rounders or sleighing.
I find this set a nice one, especially these days when children don´t play that much anymore outside, it´s good to remind their parents that there are much healthier ways to spend the day than watching TV or playing games on computer. It´s up to each of us to teach them something from our childhood.
So here are the stamps:

They are not that accurate as today´s stamps, but let´s don´t forget they were printed in 15 Oktober 1960 :)

What did you used to play as a child?

WOMEN AND INVENTICS

2013-04-26T06:17:00.001-07:00

On the occasion of celebrating the World Intellectual Property Dayon the 26th of April, Romfilatelia introduces into circulation a postage stamps issue dedicated to this event.

Established in 1967, the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), one of the 15 specialised agencies of the United Nations (UN), has as main responsibilities to develop a world wide intellectual property system able to reward creativity, to boost innovation and to contribute to the economic development.

Conveying a special approach to this theme, Romfilatelia illustrates three female personalities and their inventions on the postage stamps, under the name Women and Inventics.

Stefania Maracineanu (1882-1944), famous in the scientific world as the physicist who discover artificial radioactivity in 1924 is illustrated on the postage stamp with the face value of Lei 1.00. Just found a book about her in Google. Take a look.

Josephine Cochrane (1839-1913), born in the USA - State of Illinois, and illustrated on the postage stamp with the face value of Lei 3.30, was the inventor of the dish-washing machine. More about her here.

The postage stamp with the face value of Lei 9.10 illustrates Grace Murray Hopper (1906-1992), pioneer in the field of informatics, who developed the first compiler for a computer programming language and created one of the first modern computer programming languages - COBOL. Read about her.

Great Women, great inventions.

Crowns of the Kings of Romania

2013-03-18T02:21:00.002-07:00

The postage stamps issue “Crowns of the Kings of Romania” reminds to former generations and presents to new ones the symbols of the Romanian royalty on the background of the great events in the history of our people which marked the State Independence and recognition of Romania as a sovereign country and a fundamental piece of the state structure that has still been forming the European community.

We can see on these stamps the Steel Crown of King Carol I, symbol of Independece:

The Crown of Queen Elisabeta

and the Crown of Queen Maria.

See specific details about these here.

Title: Crowns of the Kings of Romania
Date of Issue: 28 February 2013
Country: Romania
Denominations: 3L30, 4L30, 14L50
Source: http://www.romfilatelia.ro

Sunday Stamps: Astronomy

2013-02-21T13:34:00.001-08:00

Just looking around and found this special postcard from Ulrich. So I decided to write this post for Viridian´s Sunday Stamps.

Here the stamp itself, a bit bigger. It´s beautiful.

The Horse-head Nebula is part of our Milky Way. Though the mist in the form of a horse's head is a deep dark cloud that absorbs all light, you can see it with a telescope - a silhouette in front of the glowing Orion Nebula.

And here the whole set:

A special feature is the tenant of the 55-cent stamps of the solar system in a sheet. The sun and the Milky Way combine both brands. The four special stamps were designed by the graphic artist Hans Werner Schmidt. Year of print 2011.

Which one do you prefer?

125 Jahre Schmalspurbahnen im Harz

2012-03-04T04:43:00.002-08:00

Because today Viridian´s theme is means of transportation, I couldn ´t stop myself of presenting a railway stamp. This time from Germany.

The Harz Narrow Gauge Railways (German: Harzer Schmalspurbahnen) or HSB is a network of 1,000 mm gauge railways in the Harz mountains, in central Germany. It connects the principal towns of Wernigerode, Nordhausen and Quedlinburg and several smaller towns in the area with about 140 kilometres of track, much of which is steeply graded and picturesque. The most popular destination on the network is the Brocken, an old Soviet listening post on top of the tallest peak in the Harz mountains, accessed by a spiral railway line, the Brocken Railway. The railway is notable for running a significant number of its trains with steam haulage, mostly employing 1950s vintage 2-10-2 tank locomotives, hauling traditional open-platform bogie carriages. The network is currently operated by the Harzer Schmalspurbahnen GmbH, whose members are chiefly the various local authorities whose territories it serves.
Particularly precious are the historic steam locomotives. So today two Mallets made before 1897 are in use. During the course they pass over almost 400 bridges, water culverts and a tunnel.
Find out more about this anniversary here:
http://www.hsb-wr.de/hsb_barrierefrei/hsb/hsb_e.htm

Title: 125 Jahre Schmalspurbahnen im Harz
Date of Issue: 9 Februar 2012
Country: Germany
Denominations: 0,45 euro
Source: https://philatelie.deutschepost.de

My most unusual stamp

2012-02-26T01:08:00.001-08:00

Lunar New Year - embroidered Year of the Dragon stamp issued by Micronesia.

I never knew a stamp can look like this too. It´s more a self adhesive piece of cloth. Quite weird. What do you think, is this really a stamp?

I have won it by joining the Facebook page of Cyberstamps.

Please visit Viridian´s Suday Stamps for more interesting stories on stamps.

Dog stamps from Germany

2012-02-18T23:15:00.000-08:00

Good morning to you all stamp collectors. Today at Viridian´s Sunday Stamps I have chosen to display my dogs. I don´t really have much on this theme. So here it is:

This fine set of five welfare stamps was issued on 8th February 1996, and is devoted to pedigree dogs. A pedigree is a dog's family tree. It lists the registered names of the dog's parents, grandparents, great-grandparents (etc.) of the dog - most printed pedigrees go to 4 or 5 generations. Other information may or may not be included, such as date of birth, color, registration number, call name, or titles earned. Titles earned are almost always included - Championship, Sire or Dam of Merit, Obedience or Agility titles.

Represented here are

- the Collie (http://www.canismajor.com/dog/collie.html),

- Great St Bernard (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Bernard_(dog)),

- Chow-Chow (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chow_Chow),

- Borzoi (http://www.borzoi.org/about.php),

- and Briard (http://www.briardworldnet.info/)

Love stamps for Valentine´s day

2012-02-11T23:27:00.000-08:00

Today´s theme proposed by Viridian is LOVE stamps. I had to search a little bit, but I found these ones:

Slovenia (28.01.2011) - Love entry in a Journal

Slovenia (30.01.2009) - Kiss

Finland (1999) - Valentine (it´s a set of 2 values, I only have one of them)

Romania (2002) - Valentine´s day (2 stamps, only one I have)

I think the Finland stamps are the most unusual illustration for Love. What do you think?

Flora of Romania (II)

2012-02-10T05:19:00.000-08:00

The postage stamps issue “Flora of Romania II” completes the project achieved by Romfilatelia on an innovative illustrative thematic. The originality of this project consists in joining the image of the flower with the one of the being, from whose appearance the plant receives its popular name.

The eye of a snake

The Alpine Forget-me-not (Eritrichium nanum (L.) Schrad. ex Gaudin Boraginaceae family) is illustrated on the postage stamp with the face value of 0.50 lei. It is a herbaceous plant with small leaves up to 4.5 mm wide, covered with silky white hairs. Its flowers are blue, rarely white, and have a pleasant smell.

Turkey´s bow

The Love-lies-bleeding (Amaranthus caudatus L. – Amaranthaceae family), an annual plant that can reach a height of 2 m is illustrated on the postage stamp with the face value of 0.60 lei. The plant blossoms from July to October. At the beginning, its inflorescences are long and thin and, as the summer passes, they become thick and red. The species originates in South America and, inRomania it is cultivated for ornamental purposes.

the lamb´s tongue

The Starflower (Borago officinalis L. – Boraginaceae family), an annual plant having a high, thick, arborescent stalk, covered by hairs, is illustrated on the postage stamp with the face value of 1.60 lei. It can reach heights of 30-60 cm. Its leaves have round or little denticulate edges. First, the corolla is star-shaped red, then turning blue. The starflower is a melliferous plant, originating from the Mediterranean area, cultivated and turned wild inRomania. The plant is used in human and veterinary medicine.

Crab´s tail

The Silverweed (Potentilla anserina L. – Rosaceae family), a herbaceous plant, 15-50 cm high, is illustrated on the postage stamp with the face value of 2.00 lei. Its flowers are yellow. It can be found in plain areas and at altitudes up to 1,300-1,500 m, in moist, often ruderalised meadows, but also on the banks of lakes and rivers. It blossoms from May through August. The plant is used in human and veterinary medicine.

Title: Flora of Romania (II)
Date of Issue: 19 January 2012
Country: Romania
Denominations: 50B, 60B, 1L60, 2L
Source: http://www.romfilatelia.ro

FOR TRADE

2012-01-31T05:38:00.000-08:00

Here are some stamps for trade:

Flora of Romania (I)

2012-01-26T06:06:00.000-08:00

Flora, a subject highly appreciated by the philately lovers, is approached by Romfilatelia in the postage stamps issue Flora of Romania (I), released in a new illustrative manner, joining the image of the flower and the name of the beings from which their popular name derives.

"the bear´s honey"

The Common Lungwort (Pulmonaria officinalis L. – Boraginaceae family) is illustrated on the postage stamp with the face value of 1.00 lei. It is a perennial plant, spread in our country in deciduous forests, in grasslands and at the border sides of the forests. The strain is 10-30 cm high and the middle stalk leaves are oval-elongated through elliptical. First, the flowers are red and then turn into purple-bluish. The plant blossoms in March through May.

"the rooster´s foot"

The Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus repens L. – Ranunculaceae family), a perennial plant, very common in the moist areas of mountain meadows and in the marshy areas or on the river banks, is illustrated on the postage stamp with the face value of 1.20 lei. Its root is ramified and thick and it looks like a cock spur. The plant is 30-60 cm high and blossoms in May through August and its flowers are yellow. It is also known as a“curing flower”, being used in human and veterinary medicine.

"Lion´s mouth"

The Common Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus L. – Scrophulariaceae family), a plant with flowers in different colours (white, pink, yellow, orange, red or purple), is illustrated on the postage stamp with the face value of 3.30 lei. The name of this perennial plant derives from the resemblance of the flower with a dragon muzzle, which snaps open when pressing on its sides. It originates from the Mediterranean area and blossoms in June through August. The species is cultivated in Romania.

"rabbit´s watercress"

The Common Wood-Sorrel (Oxalis acetosella L. – Oxalidaceae family) is illustrated on the postage stamp with the face value of 3.60 lei. The plant covers the ground in deciduous and coniferous forests, as a light green carpet islanded with white flowers. This plant has curative capacities and is used in the pharmaceutical field (to stimulate digestion and to refortify the body).

"ox-eye"

The China Aster (Callistephus chinensis (L.) Nees – Asteraceae family) is illustrated on the postage stamp with the face value of 4.70 lei. The name of the plant derives from the Greek words “kalós” (beautiful) and “stéphos” (crown). It originates from Eastern India,China and Japan and is very popular inRomania, being cultivated for ornamental purposes.

"swallow´s dress"

The Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis L. – Convolvulaceae family), a cosmopolite plant, is illustrated on the postage stamp with the face value of 7.60 lei. Whether climbing or creeping, its length can reach up to two meters. The leaves have a petiole and the lamina is cordate or hastate. The trumpet-shaped flowers have a 1-2.5 cm diameter and are white or light pink.

Since there is no possibility of ordering stamps directly from Romfilatelia, for those who are living outside Romania, if there is anybody interested in these stamps please let me know. I can help you in getting them at face value + postal charges.

Title: Flora of Romania (I)
Date of Issue: 17 January 2012
Country: Romania
Denominations: 1L, 1,20L, 3,30L, 3,60L, 4,70L , 7,60L
Source: http://www.romfilatelia.ro

Korean Food Series

2012-01-14T23:56:00.000-08:00

I am back today with a post for Viridian´s Blog (to see other posts plaese click on the link you find left Sunday Stamps), with food on stamps. I kind of love this theme, it has became one of my favorites. It´s a different way of learning about a country´s culture. As they say: you are what you eat, isn´t it?

So we have in our menu for today Korean food, as follows: neobiani (broiled beef), bindaetteok (pan-fried ground mung bean), jeongol (casserole), and hwajeon (pan-fried rice cake with flower petals). These traditional food plates demonstrate the cooking skills and unique flavors of Korean ancestors.

Neobiani a favorite dish of royal families in Korea, is the boiled lean meat of short ribs or sirloin, which is considered one of the most delicious and tender cuts of beef. The thinly sliced meat is marinated in a mixture of soybean sauce, powdered sesame, salt, sesame oil, Welsh onion, garlic and other seasonings. The name neobiani is derived from the word neobut, which describes how the beef is sliced into large, thin pieces. Maejeok is a similar food that records reveal existed in ancient times.

Bindaetteok first appeared as bin jatteok in Eumsikdimibang (a cooking encyclopedia) written in the 1670s by Mrs.Jang, the wife of a public officer. The dish was originally prepared by frying a mixture of water-soaked and ground mung bean, pork, bracken, mung bean sprouts, and cabbage kimchi on a cauldron lid. Bindaetteok is among the foods usually served during traditional holidays and on other special occasions.

Jeongol is prepared by pouring beef stock into a casserole pan and arranging vegetables and meat in it. It is boiled in a casserole on top of a burner in the middle of the table, and eaten by those sitting around it. Similar to sinseollo, jeongol is easy to cook and is favored by common people. Jeongol is made in a pot resembling a helmet because the dish dates back to ancient times when soldiers supposedly boiled fish or meat in their own helms during combat because they didn`t have any cookware.

Hwajeon is prepared by kneading glutinous rice flour with hot water, then mixing in flowers or arranging them on top before they are pan-fried. Azaleas are used in spring, on the third day of the third lunar month, yellow roses in summer, and chrysanthemums in autumn, on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. Since flowers are rare during the winter, other ingredients such as jujube are used instead, incorporating different flavors for the different seasonings.

Title: Korean Food Series (5th)
Date of Issue: 15 June 2005
Country: Korea
Denominations: 4 x 220 won
Source: http://www.koreastamp.go.kr/

Germany 2012 New Issues

2012-01-10T01:03:00.000-08:00

Happy New year to everyone!

In this post I will insert images of recent stamp issues from Germany. By clicking on the link below the picture you will be redirected to a short description of the items, similar to what I have done before on this blog. Enjoy!

January 2, 2012 Nationalpark Jasmund

http://douspeakgerman.blogspot.com/2012/01/serie-post-winterferien-in-deutschland.html

http://douspeakgerman.blogspot.com/2012/01/350-geburtstag-matthaus-poppelmann.html

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T04:26:00.000-08:00

I wish all my stamp collecting friends a Happy New Year.

May all your wishes come true and your collections become great!

Cover from Bangladesh

2011-12-12T05:59:00.000-08:00

I received today this wonderful cover from a friend in Bangladesh. You can´t see on it any marking because this picture was made before she sent it :)

To mark the 150th Birth Anniversary of Tagore India, Srilanka and Bangladesh issued commemorative postage stamps on 7 May 2011. On this blog you can see more about Rabindranath Tagore stamps.

The 3 roses were issued on 11th february 2010 and are part of a set of 13 stamps. See them all here:

http://newissue.allaboutstamp.com/images/asia/1/128s.jpg

The other 2 stamps illustrate Coins of Independent Sultans of Bengal (1st series) issued on 21 July 2011.

Not too much info on the Internet about these items :(

Railways from Brasil

2011-09-18T03:40:00.000-07:00

I can´t wait to get these stamps from Timothy :)
So, here it is my post for Viridian´s Sunday Stamps: Brasil 2007, Transportation.

The first stamp 1,40BRL shows a subway train from the Historical Heritage Department Train Museum.

The second one, 1,45 BRL illustrates the "Baroneza" locomotive. The "Baroness" was the first steam locomotive in Brazil and transformed into unique cultural monument by the Institute of National Historical and Artistic Heritage, first circulated in April 30, 1854, attended the Imperial entourage when it opened EF Petropolis a stretch of 14.5 km between Maud and Fragoso, founded by Irenaeus Evangelista de Souza, Viscount and Baron of Maua.

The last one 1,60BRL is The Bonde de Santa Teresa Tram The Santa Teresa Tram is a historic tram line in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, connecting the city centre with the primarily residential, inner-city neighbourhood of Santa Teresa, in the hills immediately southwest of downtown. It is currently maintained mainly as a tourist attraction, and is nowadays considered a heritage tramway system, having been designated a national historic monument in 1988.

Title: Transportation
Date of Issue: July 6, 2007
Country: Brazil

Source: http://www.wnsstamps.ch/en/stamps/BR027.07
Denominations: 1,40 1,45 and 1,60 BRL

South Africa 1983 Locomotives

2011-09-17T10:45:00.000-07:00

I have chosen for today Steam Locomotives from South Africa. These stamps were issued in 1983.

Due to lack of time and because I don´t want anyone to get bored with details, I am only leaving here a link to a comprehensive website, where those interested can find out more about these stamps and South African locomotives in general:
http://steam-locomotives-south-africa.blogspot.com.

Enjoy!

JORDAN TOURISM 2010

2011-09-08T06:40:00.000-07:00

Today I have received some beautiful stamps from Jordan. Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing control of the Dead Sea. Over half of Jordan is covered by the Arabian Desert. However, the western part of Jordan consists of arable land and forests.The capital city is Amman.
My stamps come from Abu Nusair. Yes, there are also railways, as you will see in another post, but I thought to share some other stamps too. The issue consists of 4 variation and a miniature sheet about touristic destinations, more exactly ruins of ancient cities and places. Fascinating.

So let´s see in more detail what we have here:
10 p.stamp shows Ajlun Castle
The marvels of nature and the genius of medieval Arab military architecture have given northern Jordan two of the most important ecological and historical attractions in the Middle East: the sprawling pine forests of the Ajlun-Dibbine area, and the towering Ayyubid castle at Ajlun, which helped defeat the Crusaders eight centuries ago.
Ajlun Castle (Qal'at Ar-Rabad) was built by one of Saladin's generals in 1184 AD to control the iron mines of Ajlun, and to deter the Franks from invading Ajlun. Ajlun Castle dominated the three main routes leading to the Jordan Valley and protected the trade and commercial routes between Jordan and Syria; it became an important link in the defensive chain against the Crusaders, who, unsuccessfully spent decades trying to capture the castle and the nearby village.

20 p.stamp shows Amman
Amman, the modern and ancient capital of Jordan, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the World. The city's modern buildings blend with the remnants of ancient civilizations. The profusion of gleaming white houses, kebab stalls with roasting meat, and tiny cafes where rich Arabian coffee is sipped in the afternoon sunshine, conjure a mood straight from a thousand and one nights.
Recent excavations have uncovered homes and towers believed to have been built during the Stone Age with many references to it in the Bible.
The stamp illustrates some ruins found at the Citadel, I think.

30 p. stamp shows Karak
Karak Castle is a dark maze of stone-vaulted halls and endless passageways. The best preserved are underground and can be reached via a massive door. More imposing than beautiful, the castle is nevertheless an impressive insight into the architectural military genius of the Crusaders.
With some care, you can walk along the crenellated top of the West Front wall and admire the sweeping view. On clear days, you can look across the Dead Sea and see all the way to the Mount of Olives bordering Jerusalem.

40 p. stamps shows Showbak
A lonely reminder of former Crusader glory is Showbak Castle. Once called "Mont Real," Showbak dates from the same turbulent period as Karak. It is perched on the side of a mountain, with a grand sweep of fruit trees below. The castle's exterior is impressive, with a foreboding gate and encircling triple wall. Despite the precautions of its builder, the fortress fell to Saladin only 75 years after it was raised. Inscriptions by his proud successors appear on the castle wall.

50 p. block shows Jerash (Hadrian´s Arch)
Located 48 km north of Amman and nestled in a quiet valley among the mountains of Gilead, is the grandeur of Imperial Rome being one of the largest and most well preserved sites of Roman architecture in the World outside Italy. To this day, its paved and colonnaded streets, soaring hilltop temples, handsome theaters, spacious public squares and plazas, baths, fountains and city walls pierced by towers and gates remain in exceptional condition. Hadrian's Arch was built in 129 AD to mark Emperor Hadrian's visit, this was intended to become the new southern gate of the city. The Crusaders described Jerash as uninhabited, and it remained abandoned until its rediscovery in 1806, when Ulrich Jasper Seetzen, a German traveler, came across and recognized a small part of the ruins. The ancient city was buried in sand, which accounts for its remarkable preservation. It has been gradually revealed through a series of excavations, which started in 1925, and continue to this day.

Title: Tourism Sites
Date of Issue: December 3, 2010
Country: Jordan

Source: http://www.jordanpost.com.jo
Denominations: 10,20,30,40 and 50 piasters

Sri Lanka odd shape Lokomotive

2011-08-19T07:12:00.000-07:00

This post is meant for Viridian´s Sunday Stamps (though it is not Sunday yet) with topic odd shaped stamps. So here we go with my favorite theme, railway stamps:

Viceroy Special Sream Train B1 251

Sri Lanka has issued five stamps this year, including the longest ever stamp of this country, to mark 25 years of service of the Viceroy luxury coal powered steam train. The 123mm long and 30mm wide stamp was issued at the Rambukkana Railway station under the patronage of Post and Telecommunication Minister Jeewan Kumaratunga and Transport Minister Kumara Welgama.

The illustrated stamps are as follows: Viceroy Special Steam Locomotive B8 240, Viceroy Special Locomotive B2 213, Sentinel Camel Steam Rail Car V2 331 and Narrow Gauge Steam Locomotive J1 220.

The MS I have received from a friend, Dr. Pulak Barua (many thanks), represents the Viceroy Luxury steam Train, popular charter operation on tracks in Sri Lanka.

The ‘Viceroy Special’ is a 75 year old locomotive train and the only steam train still in operation in Sri Lanka. The train has two air-conditioned observation saloons furnished in period style, with 64 plush reclining seats and individual adjustable tables and a restaurant car.

The Sri Lankan Railway came into operation during the British Era in the 19th century with the main purpose of transporting commodities, especially tea from the up country plantations. It then expanded to many points in Sri Lanka and passenger transportation. The railway continues to be main transportation way until today.

‘Of the journeys to many parts of the island, passengers experience panoramic picturesque views in their 290 kilometer journey to Badulla. This steam engine ‘Viceroy Special’ was introduced as a unique tourism product 25 years ago to offer the visitors and specially tourists a true experience of a journey of colonial times with a modern and relaxing comfort. ‘Viceroy Special’ is one of the few remain steam locomotives in the world’ said Hemasiri Fernando, the Chariman of JF Tours.
The 'Viceroy Special' has come a long way making a tremendous contribution to Sri Lanka tourism with popular trips to Pinnawala, Kandy, Hill country as well as the west coast to the beach resorts. The steam – hauled train is passenger friendly to stop on request for guests to photograph scenic spots. Some even opt to take a ride in the engine driver’s cabin.

Would be nice to take a ride.
You can watch above a video about the 25th Aniversary, though it is not in English :)
For Viridian´s theme I couldn´t resist and I had to add two nice covers, one with round-shaped stamps from Russia and one with hexagonal shaped stamps from Switzerland:

Title: Sri Lanka Viceroy Special Lokomotive

Date of Issue: February 2011
Country: Sri Lanka

Source: http://www.slpost.gov.lk
Denominations: 4x5 and 45

Romania - Russia Joint Issue: Churches

2011-08-13T09:56:00.000-07:00

After the proclamation of the Independence of Romania on May 9, 1877 and following its official recognition as one of the important powers of the time – events that propelled the Romanian nation among the modern European nations – on October 15, 1878 were established diplomatic relations with Russia. Occasioned by the celebration of 130 years since the enforcement of the diplomatic relations between Romania and the Russian Federation, Romfilatelia released a joint stamp issue in 2008, illustrating monuments included in the UNESCO’s world heritage list.

This sheet I have bought myself some time ago, and recently I have received it´s pair, thanks to Irina.

The stamp with the face value of RON 3.00 presents the image of the Sf. Gheorghe church of the Voronet Monastery.
Built in only 4 and a half months, starting from the spring to the autumn of 1488, the Sf. Gheorghe church of the Voronet Monastery is one of the most valuable establishments built by Stefan cel Mare.The architecture of the monument is a twinship of aboriginal, Gothic, and Byzantine elements. In 1547, the exterior of the church was painted under the close supervision of the Metropolitan Bishop Grigorie Rosca. Grace to the great fresco adornishing the Western façade (Final Judgment), the Voronet Monastery is considered to be the „Sixtin Chapel of the Orient“ whereas the „Voronet Blue“ knows no counterpart anywhere in the world.

See more pictures about it here.

The stamp with the face value of RON 4.30 shows the Sf. Demetrius Cathedral in Vladimir.
Rightfully considered as one of the splendors of the city of Vladimir, the Sf. Dimitrie church was built by Prince Vsevolod III.
The exotic ornaments, the bas reliefs representing lions, centaurs, and white leopards cover the white walls of the church. The sculpted interior decorations cover biblical themes and equally Greek mythology. The central part of the church façade envisages the repeated image of King David associated, during the Middle Ages, with the celebration of beauty and harmony of the world.
More information and pictures here.

Title: Romania-Russia Joint issue: UNESCO Churches
Date of Issue: 23 June 2008

Country: Romania and Russia
Source: http://www.romfilatelia.ro
Denominations: 3, 4L30 and 6x12p sheets

Traditional Festive Food Malaysia

2011-08-13T01:50:00.000-07:00

Sunday Stamps #31 - click the link on the right sidebar to see more entries on Viridian´s blog (you can always find out something interesting here)

Malaysia Post released a stamp issue on August 10, 2010. The stamp issue on topic of traditional festive food consists of a block of 10 stamps (80s each stamp) from stamp sheet, a block of 10 stamps (60s each stamp) from stamp booklet and a miniature sheet (RM3). The design of stamps is in a format of mirror image - only for the drawing of food but the wordings are not mirror image.

Thanks to Tze Liang, I now have this wonderful booklet that I thought nice to share with you.

Malaysia is a country, comprising of various ethnic communities.These communities have their own traditional food prepared during festive season. For stamp collectors and gastronomes alike, the stamp collection and FDC feature culinary treasures served during festivities such as Hari Raya, Chinese New Year, Deepavali and festivals celebrated by the Sabah and Sarawak ethnic groups.One interesting thing that I found out on Ian´s blog is the secret code of these "mirror" stamps. It happens that the stamps depicting Malay, Sarawakian and Sabah food can be merged together to form a complete plate! Check this out here.

Title: Traditional Festive Food
Date of Issue: 10 August 2010
Country: Malaysia
Source:http://www.pos.com.my

Denominations: 10x60sen (booklet), 10x80sen, 3xRM1 (sheet)

TO BEE OR NOT TO BEE

2011-07-24T09:23:00.000-07:00

This post is for Viridian´s Sunday Stamps, Theme: anything you want.

"If bees disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left.” (Albert Einstein)

I thought of writing about these stamps because of my son. He is almost 2 years old, and one of the other days he was looking so fascinated at these small creatures that I was really impressed and looked myself a bit closer. Since immemorial times, bees behaviour has inspired myths, legends, tales, poems and fables. At the same time the bee inspired love and was loved by both gods and human beings.

Bees have a vital role in the pollination (reproduction) of thousands of plants species. For 50 million years since they are present on the Earth, bees have contributed to the evolution of the vegetal kingdom, as it exists today.

minisheet of 4 stamps with illustrated attachment and gold foiling

Coming to all philatelists needs, Romfilatelia introduced into circulation the postage stamps issue “Honey Bees” in January 2010.

The European honey bee (Apis mellifera mellifera) is shown on the stamp having a face value of RON 0.50. This is a bee with a special resistance to winter’s cold and an increased tendency of defense against enemies. It collects a large volume of pollen and lives longer than other bees. It also has the capacity to fly long distances. This bee lives in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, the Great Britain, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, North of Switzerland, North-West of Austria, Belarus, North of Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Russia.

The Italian honey bee (Apis mellifera ligustica) is shown on the stamp having a face value of RON 2.10. This bee spreads through North America, South America and Southern Europe. It is mild and produces honey in considerable amounts. It lives in large colonies needing more food resources to survive the winter.

The Slovenian honey bee (Apis mellifera carnica) is shown on the stamp having a face value of RON 3.10. It is a sub-species of the European honey bee originating from Slovenia but it may be found in Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Romania.

The Caucasian honey bee (Apis mellifera caucasica) is shown on the stamp having a face value of RON 4.30. It is a larger bee than the average; it is mild and hard working. It is usually found in the Caucasus Mountains.

Title: Honey bees

Date of Issue: 22 January 2010

Country: Romania

Source: http://www.romfilatelia.ro
Denominations: 50b, 2L10, 3L10, 4L30