Latvian Ports - Freeport of Riga

Date of Issue: September 02, 2011
Designer: Ģirts Grīva

Received with thanks, this newly issued stamp of Latvia, on envelope from my blog reader/follower, Oleg Skleinov from Riga, Latvia.

The Freeport of Riga is located on the mouth of the River Daugava, in Riga, the Capital and largest city of Latvia. The Daugava River was used for international trade between the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea as early as the 5th century. The Freeport of Riga facilitates cargo and passenger traffic by sea. Sea ferries currently connect Riga to Stockholm and Lübeck, operated respectively by Tallink and DFDS Tor Line. The Latvian-flagged ferries MS Romantika and MS Silja Festival are located in the Riga Passenger Terminal.*

The stamp design shows Freeport of Riga during 18th Century with sail ships and present day scene showing bulk carriers and modern passenger ferry.

Text Source: Wikipedia, www.rop.lv

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TSS Earnslaw - card from New Zealand

Postcard from New Zealand received through postcrossing.com, showing TSS Earnslaw at Queenstown, New Zealand.

The TSS Earnslaw is a 1912 Edwardian vintage twin screw steamer plying the waters of Lake Wakatipu in New Zealand. It is one of the oldest tourist attractions in Central Otago, and the only remaining passenger-carrying coal-fired steamship in the southern hemisphere. As of 2011, the Earnslaw is still in routine operation carrying tourist passengers across Lake Wakatipu from Queenstown to Walter Peak High Country Farm, a tourism operation with farm tours, horse treks, heritage tours, barbecue lunches and evening dining at the historic Colonel's Homestead.

The Earnslaw is the only working coal-fired steamship on the Lloyd's Register.

The Culture 2011 Tall Ships Regatta, Turku, Aug 26 - 28, special postmark

To mark Turku's European Capital of Culture year, Sail Training International (STI) and the City of Turku organized the Culture 2011 Tall Ships Regatta on the Baltic Sea. Members of international non-profit organisation STI comprise international sail training organisations and other instances that maintain vessels and arrange sail training.

An impressive fleet of beautiful sailing ships including the giants of the sea Kruzenshtern (Russia, 113 m), Mir (Russia, 109 m) and Dar Mlodziezy (Poland, 109 m) participated.

The event will be a highlight of the Capital of Culture year. The 2011 event is launched in Klaipeda, Lithuania, where the vessels began their voyage to Turku. The journey from Finland continued to the the final port of the race in Gdynia, Poland.

The Tall Ships Races event has previously been hosted by Turku in 1996, 2003 and 2009, attracting a satisfied audience of hundreds of thousands from around the country.

Text Source: tallships2011.fi

Many thanks to my friend, Edina at MyPhilately.com for arranging this cover to my growing collection of postmarks.

There are two stamps on the envelope. First stamp shows the Training Ship Suomen Joutsen, issued in 1972. The second stamp was issued in 2010.

Centenary of Australasian Antarctic Expedition 1911 - 2011

Date of Issue: August 02, 2011

This is the first in a four-year program of stamps celebrating the centenary of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition (AAE). The series will be made up of five stamps issued each year until 2014 using the overall themes of departure and journey, arrival and exploration, science and triumphant return.

The initial five stamp strip shows the key moments in the departure of the AAE from Hobart and the journey to the Antarctic.

The SY Aurora (SY - Steam Yacht) carried the AAE to and from Hobart. The stamp photograph was taken by expeditioner Xavier Mertz and the map in the stamp shows the AAE's route.

Captain John King Davis, Captain of the SY Aurora, and second-in-command of the expedition.

The SY Aurora on Antarctic voyage. The stamp photograph was taken by expeditioner Andrew Watson and the postmark image is taken from a message sent by Bob Hodger on the SY Aurora.

Landing at Macquarie Island. The main photograph was taken by the Aurora's Second Officer, Percy Gray.. The background image, shows the Aurora off Macquarie Island and was taken by expeditioner Frank Hurley.

Birdlife on Macquarie Island. The main photograph was taken by expeditioner Harold Hamilton.

The background landscape image used across the five stamps was taken by expeditioner Leslie Blake and is held in the Home & Away Collection in the SLNSW.

Text Source: auspost.com.au

Many thanks to my dear friend, Vera Radnell for these wonderful stamps on envelope too.

Commissioning of INS Satpura (F48) - Special Cover

Date of Issue: August 20, 2011

The Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Nirmal Verma released a special cover for Commissioning INS Satpura during the ceremony held at Mumbai on August 20, 2011.

The cachet shows INS Satpura in action and the special postmark shows the Crest (design showing "Khandas" - Indian double-edge straight sword - emerging from the Satpura hill ranges. The word "Khanda" has its origin in the word "Khand" meaning "to break, divide, cut, and destroy.") and motto (Resolve, Pride, Courage).

INS Satpura is the latest stealth frigate of Indian Navy, with pennant number F48, second ship of the Shivalik Class Frigates built by Mazagon Dock Limited, Mumbai.