New Post Terminal in Mariehamn 28.2.2002

New Post Terminal in Mariehamn.

Cloudberries 3.1.2005

In January 2005, the third and last Frama label motif was issued. This time, they had put cloudberries in the basket.

Cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus) belongs to the rose family like raspberries and blackberries. Cloudberries are commonly found in the bog parts of moors, in marshes and mires in the northernmost parts of the Northern Hemisphere, but under certain circumstances, they can also be found further south in Europe. In Åland, cloudberries are rather uncommon and only modest amounts of berries can be found in certain places. In Åland, the cloudberry plant flowers in May-June, and the berries ripen at the end of July. Cloudberries are juicy with a fresh, sour taste and a special aroma. They are extremely rich in vitamin-C and are mostly used for jam, jelly, and syrup and in sauces.

Thank you Pia for this pretty FDC.

Åland Beetles - Lifelike Beetles Creeping Out 2.1.2006

Aland Post issued three new stamps that had postage values of 0.40, 0.65 & 2.00 Euro named "Lifelike Beetles Creeping Out" on the 2nd of January 2006. These definitive stamps show three very common beetles found in Aland. The beetles depicted on the stamps were selected by the Post's Stamp Committee from a list of many species. Each beetle is described below:

Metallic Green Rose-Chafer (0,40) - is green with a shimmer of gold or bronze and feeds on flowers of all sorts. It can fly without putting up its wing-sheaths

Seven-Spot Ladybird (0,65) - commonly called the Virgin Mary ladybird is 6-8 mm long and feeds on aphids.

Rhinoceros Beetle (2.00) - is about 38 mm long with a horn. The male has a long horn and the female has a short horn.

 Thank you Pia for this lovely cover with the three stamp beetle set of stamps. The postmark is also very distinctive.

By Horse and Sleigh to the Christmas Service 9.10.2006

The 2006 Christmas stamp is reminiscent of the Aland Christmas traditions of past times, when people used to ride by horse and sleigh to the early service on Christmas Day below the sparkling starry sky. The stamp is designed by the Finnish artist Paivi Mansikka-aho. It shows a family returning home by horse and sleigh from the early Christmas service at the church of Finstrom. The church was also a stamp motif in 1989.

The sky on the stamp is covered with glittering hologram stars. The denomination is 'Christmas Postage 06', and this is the first Aland stamp of this denomination. 'Christmas Postage 06' implies that the stamp may be used as postage for Christmas greetings within Aland and to Finland and Sweden (equivalent to ˆ0.50) during a limited period in November and December. This stamp and the lovely cover, and not forgetting the lovely postmark was issued on 9.10.2006 were sent to me by my friend Pia.

Mythical Princess Signhild 27.3.2008

In March 2008, the third and last miniature sheet of the joint Nordic series featuring Nordic mythology was issued on 27.3.2008. The designer of this pretty piece was Juha Pykäläinen. The theme was Mythical places. Åland has plenty of mythical places and the motif chosen for the miniature sheet is fascinating and surrounded with myth, to say the least!

This First Day Cover with the miniature sheet commemorating this great mythological event was given to me by my Dear friend Pia. Isn’t it a lovely FDC?

Legend has it that Signhild, a British princess, was instructed to marry a Norwegian prince. Accompanied by her communion godfather, her servants and her beloved horse she sailed off to Norway. Upon arrival, the prince had died. The princess, however, decided to travel on to preach Christianity to the people up north. Signhild's ship was wrecked in a nasty storm and ended up in Åland. Many died, but Signhild somehow miraculously managed to make her way to shore at Isaksö in Geta. She rode ashore on her beautiful horse, and the spot where the fabled St Signhild rode ashore still exists and is known as 'Drottningkleven', the Queen's Gorge.

Åland - Postal Labels - White Rose of Finland and Special Postmarrk 19.9.2008

Please note that this is not an FDC, instead it has a special cancellation: 19.9.2008, commemorating 180 years of the Mail & Custom's House.  

The full Burnet rose is also often called 'White Rose of Finland' or 'Midsummer Rose'. It is widely spread in Åland, and it was quite common in old gardens during the later part of the 1800s. As the cottages and farms disappeared, the Burnet roses survived and now grows wild in many places.

The full Burnet rose blossoms in the early summer with white or cream-white half-full flowers. It has a dense growth and covers large areas. The stems have numerous stiff bristles and many straight spines. The Burnet rose has a fresh, fruity scent and is one of the most hardy roses in the Nordic area, surviving even above the polar circle! The colour varies depending on the mother plant. Some leaves are bluish-green, others are lighter green.

The post mark is impressive and highlights The Eckerö Mail & Custom's House

The stately Eckerö Mail & Custom's House was built in 1828 and drawn by the architects Carl Ludvig Engel and Carlo Bassi. The building is fashioned in the empire building style, known from, for example, the Helsinki centre and St. Petersburg. Eckerö Mail & Custom's House represents together with Bomarsund the Russian occupation in Finland and Åland. Eckerö used to be the Russian custom's border with Sweden for more than a hundred years.

Architect historians of today consider the Eckerö Mail & Custom's House to be one of Engels most important non-church buildings. The building has been owned by the Åland province since 1994 and is managed by the Åland government. The building and the surrounding area are an important part of the Åland cultural inheritance and have a strong connection with the Old Mail Route. Today the cultural building offers a fine excursion destination for the whole family.

Thank you Pia for this lovely card.

Vintage cars

Aland Postal Service issued four new stamps that each have a postage value of 1st Class named "Vintage Cars in Aland" on the 4th of March 2005. The four stamps depict four different vintage cars found in Aland. Each of these wonderful cars is described below.

• Oakland Sport Convertible - Was the first car out on the road in 1928 and is now owned by Gustaf Sauren who lives on the island of Sottunga in the Aland archipelago. It was first registered in Turku and had the same owner for 40 years. The car has been completely restored and is being used by its owner to drive around the island.
• Ford V8 - on the road in 1939 this shining black Ford was purchased by Anders Hedenberg and his father in Turku in 1943. In 1952, the car was sold to Bjarne Jannson who sold it to another owner. Then in 1984 Anders Hedenberg and Bjarne Jansson repurchased the car and restored it to its original condition.
• Buick Super 4D HT - is a classic red-and-white American car owned by Sune Mattsson in Aland. It was imported from Sweden from the USA in 1978, and has won first prize in a show in Mariehamn.
• Volkswagen 1200 - everyone has heard or seen a Volkswagen Beetle at one time or another. It is still a very popular model and is seen in almost every country. This beige Beetle was brought to Aland brand-new in 1964. It is now owned by a car company named Tor-Rolf Karlsson.

This wonderful cover was given to me by Pia.

Landscapes from Åland 4.8.2006

Lemland is the southernmost municipality of the island, and is completely surrounded by sea. In the west Lemström channel separates Lemland from Jomala municipality and in the east Lumparsund from Lumparland municipality. With its 1700 inhabitants Lemland is the province's fastest growing municipality, thanks to nearness to Mariehamn. The stamp has a view of Söderby in Lemland, at dawn. A calm peaceful morning in November. The municipality is unilingually Swedish. During the Finnish War in 1808 the Swedish king Gustav IV Adolf had his headquarters in the Lemland parsonage. This pretty FDC was given to me by my dear friend Pia.

Christmas 2007 - Santa Comes from Åland! 9.10.2007

Åland issued this cover with a very jolly Santa Claus as the theme on its Christmas stamp. These were issued on 9.10.2007 The cover was sent to me by my dear friend Pia.

The year's Christmas stamp is something out of the ordinary. The Post presents the real Santa Claus – created by an Ålander! Haddon Sundblom was born in 1899 in Michigan and grew up in Chicago. His father Karl Wilhelm emigrated to the USA in 1882 from Föglö in Åland. Haddon's mother Karin came from Sweden. Haddon first planned to follow in his father's footsteps within the building trade but soon decided to pursue art. In the 1920's, he started an advertising agency in Chicago and was in great demand for various commercial assignments. In 1931, Haddon was asked to design an unbeatable Christmas commercial for Coca-Cola. He chose to change the so far rather uninteresting, greyish looking Santa, creating a merry and cheerful man with red cheeks and a large white beard. In doing so, he not only created a lasting symbol associated with a particular trade mark but also changed the general perception of Santa Claus. Every Christmas, Haddon created a new version of Santa Claus. He drew his last Santa Claus for Coca-Cola in 1966, but the Coca-Cola Santa tradition lives on. The illustrations are still used every year in Coca-Cola commercials.

2007’s Åland Christmas stamp shows a Haddon Sundblom Santa, mind you, without a Coca-Cola bottle. The denomination Julpost 07 implies that the stamp could be used for sending Christmas greetings to Åland, Finland and Sweden for €0.50 during a limited period from November to December.

Åland sceneries 16.9.2009

Aland Post issued two news stamps featuring different sceneries in Aland. The stamps are based on magnificent photographs by Erkki Santamala and Andy Horner and feature a scene of Eckerö and a scene of Sund. These are additional stamps to the scenery stamps that have been issued annually by Aland.
Eckerö is the westernmost municipality of both Åland and Finland. From here, the Eckerö Line ferries depart for Grisslehamn on the Swedish side. Eckerö is well-known to all philatelists seeing that this is also where the traditional Postal Boat Race either departs or finishes. In Eckerö lies the fine old Post and Customs House from 1828 by the architects Carl Ludvig Engel and Carlo Bassi. The building is now a popular sight with a café, an art exhibition and a postal mail route museum. The Signhildskär island just off the coast of Eckerö is where, in the beginning of the 1800s, the Swedish army fought the final battle on ice, consequently losing Finland to the Russian Empire. The population of Eckerö is approximately 900 and tourism is an important source of income. Some twenty camping sites and holiday villages and almost as many cafés and restaurants are located here. Eckerö stamp motif is from Degersand: The Degersand beach in the village of Torp in southern Eckerö is a popular outing spot for Ålanders as well as tourists. Degersand, where Andy Horner took the photo, is the only landscape in Åland with sand dunes. The Eckerö FDC features shells. The Eckerö postmark is a feather.
Sund lies on the eastern side of main Åland, approximately 20 kilometers from Mariehamn, This municipality is rich in culture-historical surroundings with both the Kastelholm Castle and the ruins of the Bomarsund fortress (which I mentioned in an earlier post). Close to the Kastelmolm Castle lies the Jan Karlsgården open air museum, presenting a typical Åland farmstead at the end of the 19^th century. Recurrent Midsummer celebrations and well-attended market on the first Saturday in Advent are popular arrangements. In the proximity of Jan Karlsgården and the castle, we find the prison museum Vita björn. There has been prisoners and warders in Kastelholm since the castle was built. Prisoners were first kept in the castle, the crown prison Vita björn was built in 1784 and used until 1975. Sund stamp motif Rock plateau: Erkki Santamala’s stamp photo is taken at the Lillnäsberget in Sund, the scenery of which is characterized by its diversity. At the top of this rock plateau standing some 60 meters above the sea, we find flat rock forests dominated by old pine trees. Below the steep and vertical descent of the rock lie a hazel grove and a small natural meadow, which is mowed every year. A picture from Skålberget adorns the FDC with the Sund stamp, and two ravens appear on the Sund postmark. My dear friend Ella sent me these two beautiful FDCs.

Åland - Christmas 8.10.2010

Further to my earlier post on Inge Look, I have on display here a maxim card and a stamp painted by her. On the Åland maxim card and stamp the Old Ladies are celebrating St. Lucy’s Day, as one of them is wearing a crown of candles. The fact that St. Lucy was a young girl does not prevent the ladies from celebrating. Perhaps one of them or both of them have been a Lucy in a procession when they were young girls. On the stamp the Ladies are eating gingerbread biscuits, typical at Christmas time here. The special postmark has the shape of a gingerbread biscuit. They are drinking coffee or mulled wine, typical at Christmas time. Do notice the handbags. They are always seen on the cards. Behind the ladies you can see a sheaf tied with a red ribbon. The sheaf is for the birds. On the stamp the ladies are bringing a Christmas tree. Did you notice that one of them has a saw in her hands and both of them have snowshoes on. There’s always snow in the forest at this time of the year and these shoes help a lot. I am also displaying some labels painted by this popular artist. I must thank my friend Ella for all this.

Åland 8.10.2010 - Inge Löök

“Incredibly funny old lady and other cute pictures of Finnish artist Inge Look”

Inge Löök (Ingebor Lievonen) is an artist and gardener from Pernaja, Finland. She was born in Helsinki 1951. Her artistic name Löök means onion in swedish.

She graduated from high school 1972 and got her gardening degree in 1974 and graduated 1979 from the Arts and Crafts University in Helsinki as a graphical designer. She worked as an gardener for six years but then her art work became a full time job.

She has drawn over 300 postcards, half of which are Christmas themed. She also designed more than 800 greeting cards and illustrated numerous exlibris book-tags. She has illustrated various children’s and young adult’s books and Christian literature and schoolbooks, couple of CD-covers and magazines especially gardenig magazines. She has worked for different publishers in Finland.

She is best known for her anarchistic grannie figures. Her first Grannies illustrations where born in 2003. The motto of the grannies is “Time is not money and spending it isn’t a sin”At first her grannies were rejected by the publisher when she offered them as Valentines Day cards ( commonly known as ystävänpäivä friends day in Finland.) Pirjo Laakso noticed the grannies at a postcard fair and they were included in the Paletti card manufacturers prints. Then the grannies started their world wide success. In a couple of years grannies have sold more than hundred thousand copies. They represent a humorous approach to the world. The visual appearance of the grannies comes from the artists childhood and the old ladies who lived in her neighborhood. Grannies picture a gentle caricature of the artists own attitude towards life.

In spring 2008 a book and a wall calendar was published called “Paljain jaloin mummojen puutarhassa”- barefooted at the grannies garden. Grannies have now appeared in various prints and textiles. Åland and Finland have used them in stamps. Shown here is a cover from Åland, featuring a Christmas stamp with an Inge Look painting of the Grannies having fun. Also displayed are three very typical Inge Look cards. All these are thanks to Ella.

Youth Sailing 12.6.2010

The stamp on the FDC shows a boy sailing a Laser Radial sail boat.

Åland - Passenger ferry series 3.5.2010

The passenger ferry series which started in 2009, will continue till 2014. These are issues for 2010. The M/S Prinsessan of Birka Line and the M/S Skandia of Silja Line have been painted by the artist Hàkan Sjòstròm. Founded in Mariehamn in 1971, the business idea of Birka Line was to arrange short distance cruises between Sweden and Åland all the year round. In November that same year, the first passenger ship, Danish M/S Prinsessen, was purchased. Built in Denmark in 1957, Prinsessan had a capacity of 1 200 passengers and 35 cars. Her originai name was Prinsesse Margrethe and she was renamed Prinsessen in 1968 before Birka Line changed her name once more in 1971, this time to Prinsessan (the princess).

Silja Line was founded in 1957 by the three shipping companies Finland Steamship Company, Steamship Company Bore and Stockholms Rederi AB Svea. M/S Skandia was built in 1961 at Wàrtsilà shipyard in Helsinki. Skandia was Silja Line's first nevvly buiit car ferry and was put into service on thè route Turku – Àland - Stockholm. The ferry carried 1200 passengers and 175 cars and as the first purpose-built car-passenger ferry for year-round service. The bow doors fore and aft, resulting in a full-length cardeck, were revolutionary. In connection with the 2010 passenger ferry stamps, the Post presents a new collector's product. An album with ferry presentation sheets with old photos extra Information about the ferries and with the stamps cancelled with First day special postmark. This nice FDC was sent by Ella.

Åland- Toys 10.5.2010

Funny plastic toys are produced by the Åland Plasto Company. The stamps on the First Day Cover and the three Maxi Cards show the three popular toys. Production of the green scooter called " the moon creature" with red wheels, handles, lively eyes and a red antennae started in 1960s and ended in 1988. The red tipper lorry with a blue loading platform is the most popular Plasto Company toy and is available in many sizes and colour combinations. Production started in 1973 and still goes on. The ducks are very popular with the 2 to 5 year age group. This pretty philatelic item group was sent to me by Ella.

Åland Islands - SS Viking 1.6.2009

Viking Line is a Finnish shipping company that operates a fleet of ferries and cruiseferries between Finland, the Åland Islands, Sweden and Estonia. Viking Line shares are quoted on the Helsinki Stock Exchange. Viking Line is operated from the Åland Islands.
Viking Line's history can be traced back to 1959, when a group of sea- and businessmen from the Åland Islands province in Finland formed Rederi Ab Vikinglinjen, purchased a steam-powered car-ferry SS Dinard from the UK, renamed her SS Viking and began service on the route Korpo (Finland) — Mariehamn (Åland) — Gräddö (Sweden). In the same year the Gotland-based Rederi AB Slite began a service between Simpnäs (Sweden) and Mariehamn.