France: Philately’s Golden Era

Last week I published a blog casting a spotlight on one of the stamp designs of the celebrated French engraver, Albert Decaris, that commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Tour de France. The featured stamp is another Decaris design, this time commemorating Philatec, the International Stamp Exhibition held in Paris in 1964. The 1f stamp

France: Tour de France

Like many who have an interest in cycling, this time of year is rather special. July is when the most prestigious of the Grand Tour cycling events takes place and arguably one of the worlds greatest annual sporting events – the Tour de France. Therefore, as a philatelist, the featured stamp has to be one

France: 1946 Airmail Issue

France were early pioneers of aviation, powered flight and airmail services. It is therefore somewhat surprising that it was not until 1927, that France issued its first airmail stamps (Poste Aerienne). That inaugural issue featured two stamps of the noted Merson design, commemorating the first International Display of Aviation and Navigation hosted in Marseilles, and

France: Le Mans 24 Hour Endurance Race

2022 will mark the 90th running of the Le Mans 24 Hours Endurance Race organised by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO). The race will take place between 11th and 12th June 2022 at the Circuit de la Sarthe near Le Mans, France. The featured image is of a French stamp issued in June 1973 commemorating the 50th

France: Chateaubriand

Refer to Chateaubriand and most will naturally associate with the culinary delight, sometimes called chateaubriand steak, traditionally comprising a fillet of tenderloin grilled between two lesser pieces of meat. The steak may be served with a Chateaubriand sauce prepared with shallots and white wine, and mixed with butter, tarragon, and lemon juice. The origins of

Martinique: The Unsinkable ‘Stone Frigate’

The feature image depicts a stamp issued in 1970 by the Republic of France with the Caribbean island of ‘MARTINIQUE’ clearly identified in the top left. The scene is one of tranquility – a fishing boat is pulled up on the shore of the Caribbean island, the nets are drying in a breeze and the