Monaco 1975 - Carmen: Act IV

They say variety is the spice of life! So to make the month of May nice and spicy I have dedicated the entire month to the four stamp 1975 Monaco series celebrating the 100th anniversary of the opera Carmen. The set was issued on 13 May and it was designed and engraved by Albert Decaris. Since Carmen is in four acts and each of these acts has been illustrated with its own stamp, each week's blog has been a "one act wonder" so to speak. This week it is time for Act IV. The finale! If you wish to review any or all of the story so far, here are the links to each Act of the opera. Act I. Act II. Act III.

As I have mentioned in the previous three blogs dedicated to this opera, Carmen is a tale of seduction, passion, infidelity, jealousy and murder. It was first performed at the Opéra-Comique in Paris on 3 March 1875. It was considered quite scandalous for its time! 

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Act III ended with José heading back down to the town after having been convinced that his mother is ill and needs him. But before he leaves he tries to prevent Carmen from rushing off into the arms of Escamillo. Let's see how that panned out!

ACT IV

The lights come on. We are in the square in front of the bull-fighting arena at Seville, Spain c. 1920. It is the day of the bull-fighting contest.

The square is jam-packed with people. Merchants are crying their wares. Gypsies are performing for the crowds. It's party-time! The attention soon focuses on the two friends of Carmen, Frasquia and Mercédès. They are talking to the soldier, Zuniga (he is the guy José has had a couple of entanglements with). They tell him that Carmen is now with Escamillo.

Then the bull-fighters arrive and the crowd goes wild. Carmen is indeed with Escamillo. They openly express their love in front of the crowd. Carmen cries out that she has never loved anyone as much as Escamillo.

As Escamillo goes into the arena surrounded by screaming fans, Frasquita pulls Carmen aside and warns her that José is somewhere in the crowd. Carmen looks at her and blows her off. She turns, about to enter the arena, when José appears and grabs her. He is desperate. She tries to pull away but he begs her to stay with him. He says that they can move away and have a new life together. If only she will love him back. She pauses, perhaps considering the request. But then she tells him quite bluntly that she does not love him at all. 

Suddenly cheers erupt from the arena in the background. Carmen desperately wants to go in, but José, relentless, won't let her. He begs her yet one more time. This time Carmen replies with a scornful rebuke. José becomes incensed. Then, as the crowds in the arena are chanting the name "Escamillo" José pulls out a knife and plunges it into Carmen's heart (I am assuming heart!). As Carmen drops to the ground dead, a chorus of the "Toreador Song" can be heard in the background.

José kneels over the body of Carmen, declaring his guilt over her murder, as the crowds pour out of the arena. We are then left to ponder the fate of José. Is he punished by the law for his deed? Does Escamillo take revenge on the killer of his lover? Or does José flee to live out the rest of his life in guilt-ridden torment? 

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Time to reveal the Act IV - and final - stamp!

What a beautiful stamp! In he foreground we see Carmen and Escamillo in a lovers' embrace. While off to the right, we see José staring them down, perhaps plotting some way of winning back the love of Carmen? Just check out the engraved detail of Carmen's dress. Not to mention the gorgeously-rendered bull-fighting arena in the background. Just...Wow!

So, there you have it. The four Acts of Carmen and the corresponding stamps. What an amazing set! Bravo, Albert Decaris! A superlative polyptych piece of art. Which stamp was your favourite? I really can't decide...

Until next time...

Monaco 1975 - Carmen: Act III

Carmen is an opera that involves seduction, passion, infidelity, jealousy and murder. It was first performed at the Opéra-Comique in Paris on 3 March 1875. It was considered quite scandalous for its time, and the reviews and audience reactions were far from positive. In fact, the opera was more popular overseas. and it wasn't revived in Paris until 1883, eight years after its initial release.

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On 13 May 1975 Monaco issued a set of four stamps to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the premiere of the opera, Carmen. This beautiful set of stamps was designed and engraved by Albert Decaris. Each stamp represents one of the four Acts of the opera. In the last couple of blogs we were introduced to Carmen with an in-depth look at Act I and Act II of the opera and their related stamps. Click HERE to read about Act I. And HERE for Act II.

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Act II ended with Carmen, José, and a couple of smugglers fleeing the Inn together to get away from the senior officer with whom José had just fought. So what will happen to the runaways...?

ACT III

The lights come on. We are deep in the wilds of the mountains near Seville, Spain c. 1920. It is night time.

Carmen, a couple of her friends, José, and the smugglers are travelling further into the mountains. At some point during the journey, Carmen has become bored with the company of José. Hoping to be rid of him she starts taunting him and telling him to go back to the village. But he knows he can't. After fighting a superior officer, he would be charged immediately.

They find a spot to hide. Carmen's friends, Frasquita and Mercédès, pull out a set of fortune-telling cards to kill some time. Carmen joins them, they read her fortune. Carmen is stunned when they tell her that the cards foresee hers and José's deaths. Watching the women, the smugglers get an idea. They decide to take the women down into the town to the customs officials and have them use their feminine charms on them in order to move their contraband. They leave José there alone with the stash.

Not long after, José's sweetheart, Micaela (who we met in Act I), comes into the mountains. She spots José before he sees her. She is about to approach him when she hears him fire his gun. She hides behind some rocks, thinking he might be shooting at her. But she soon finds out that he actually is shooting at a man approaching. The man resolves from the shadows. It is Escamillo, the toreador. José, recognising the toreador, relaxes his guard and the two start chatting. 

However, the atmosphere soon becomes tense when Escamillo starts talking about a woman he has fallen for, a woman named, Carmen. And worse still Escamillo says that she seems infatuated with some common soldier. He has no idea the soldier is José! Enraged, José challenges him to a knife fight. But Escamillo merely defends himself and doesn't fight back. Now José is really annoyed! He comes at the bullfighter again. Escamillo manages to get the better of him, but lets him go. He says he fights bulls not men! José attacks him for a third time. This time Escamillo's knife breaks. José has a chance...

...but then Carmen reappears with the smugglers. Escamillo takes the opportunity to leave. But before he does, he invites Carmen and the smugglers to his next bullfight in Seville. As Escamillo departs, Micaela is spotted hiding in the rocks. She comes out and begs José to return home with her as his mother is very sick. Carmen mocks him, telling him to run along home. After some more begging by Micaela, José agrees to go, but he promises Carmen he will return to her.

As José starts to walk off, the voice of Escamillo singing the toreador song can be heard. Carmen's eyes light up and she makes to dash off to find him. But José turns around and stops her from leaving...

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Time for the Act III stamp.

In this lovely engraving Decaris has decided to capture the moment when Micaela starts begging José to return home with her. Micaela's dress has been picked out n stunning green. And the sash around José's waist is also green, illustrating their connection. 

In this image we can clearly see José's reluctance to leave with Micaela by his posture. And to the left we see Carmen, standing there, mocking him. If you look closely you see the rose José gave her between her breasts. Perhaps taunting José. Again, a splendid composition!

Until next time... 

Monaco 1975 - Carmen: Act II

Carmen is an opera that involves seduction, passion, infidelity, jealousy and murder. It was first performed at the Opéra-Comique in Paris on 3 March 1875. It was considered quite scandalous for its time, and the reviews and audience reactions were far from positive. In fact, the opera was more popular overseas. and it wasn't revived in Paris until 1883, eight years after its initial release.

An Early Carmen Poster

On 13 May 1975 Monaco issued a set of four stamps to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the premiere of the opera, Carmen. This beautiful set of stamps was designed and engraved by Albert Decaris. Each stamp represents one of the four Acts of the opera. In last week's blog we were introduced to Carmen with an in-depth look at Act I and the first stamp in the set. Click HERE to read about Act I.

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Act I ended with Carmen tricking a soldier named, José Morales, to let her go after she had attacked a workmate with a knife. So what next? Let the curtain rise for...

ACT II

The lights come on. We are in an Inn owned by Lillas Pastia, in Seville, Spain c.1820. Two months have elapsed since the events of Act I.

Carmen is partying at the Inn with some friends and entertaining the soldiers present. One of the soldiers is Zuniga, the officer who arrested Carmen in Act I for wielding the knife. He approaches Carmen and tells her that José has just been released from his two month imprisonment for letting her go. She is delighted at this news! Probably because she starts thinking how she can further manipulate the poor guy.

Suddenly there is noise outside as a procession approaches, announcing the arrival of the toreador, Escamillo. Toreador's were like rock-stars back then. Escamillo enters and announces himself with the "Toreador Song". He grabs a drink and makes a toast: Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre! Then he sees Carmen and makes a beeline for her. But Carmen ignores him.

Then the owner of the Inn, Lillas Pastia, gets rid of the crowds and the soldiers. Only Carmen and her two friends remain. They are chatting, when two shady-looking characters enter. These guys are smugglers. They tell Carmen and her friends that they want to get rid of some contraband they just got their hands on. Carmen isn't interested, but her two friends are. Carmen is only interested in seeing José again. The smugglers give up and leave.

A short time later, José turns up. Carmen immediately launches into a private exotic dance just for him. Je vais danser en votre honneur (I will dance in your honour). But Carmen's intimate dance is rudely interrupted by the bugle call from the soldier barracks. José turns to leave, which angers Carmen. She obviously thinks he doesn't really like her after all. But José produces the rose that Carmen had thrown at his feet in Act I. This romantic act is seemingly not enough to impress Carmen. She mocks him, and tells him that the only way she will possibly believe him is if he runs away with her, abandoning his military post. José flatly refuses. He doesn't want to desert.

He is about to leave and return to the barracks when his officer, Zuniga, returns. Zuniga obviously has the wrong idea, thinking that José is planning to run away with Carmen. The two men fight. During the fight, the smugglers return and separate the pair. Unfortunately, José has now dug himself a grave by assaulting a superior officer. He now has no choice but to flee the scene with Carmen and go into hiding. They quickly leave the Inn with the two smugglers...

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Now it is time to reveal the stamp for Act II.

This lovely stamp, with its sumptuous use of deep red, draws us into the Inn of Lillas Pastia. The main focus of the design is Escamillo, the toreador, singing to Carmen and her friends. He is in red. Decaris has placed bull heads in the top corners of the design to remind us of Escamillo's bull-fighting prowess. These are also in red. In the background to the left we see another figure in red. This is José. Lurking, waiting to enter the scene. Much like the toreador was lurking off to the side in the first stamp. Decaris' use of red to highlight the central themes of the Act is a stroke of genius.

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The attention to detail in this stamp is incredible. Especially striking are the women's costumes.

Until next time...

Monaco 1975 - Carmen: Act I

A story of seduction, passion, infidelity, jealousy and murder. The essential ingredients of a good crime thriller. But what about an opera? Surely an opera with such themes would be scandalous! Well, such an opera does exist, and, yes. when first performed it was quite the scandal. This opera was Carmen.

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Carmen is an opera presented in four acts. (I intend to replicate this four act structure for my Carmen blog series, but more on that later). The opera was composed by Georges Bizet, a French composer. The libretto of Carmen was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, The libretto is basically the text portion of an opera. The libretto for Carmen was based on a novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. 

Carmen was first performed at the Opéra-Comique in Paris on 3 March 1875. The reviews and audience reactions were far from positive. In fact, the opera was more popular overseas. and it wasn't revived in Paris until 1883, eight years after its initial release. 

Opening Night Poster

So what was this seemingly controversial opera about? The story is set in southern Spain, and it focuses on a young soldier by the name of José Moralès. At the beginning of the story José seems happy; he has a steady job, and he is sharing his life with his childhood sweetheart. That is until Carmen enters the picture. Carmen is a gypsy with fiery passions. She seduces José, who falls for her charms. Unfortunately like many love-struck young men in stories, he abandons his life to be with Carmen. But Carmen is just using him. She in turn abandons José and turns her attention to an attractive toreador, Escamillio. In a fit of jealous rage, José kills Carmen. If he can't have her love, no one can! Carmen's tragic death actually takes place on-stage. Slaying your main character is a risky strategy. Probably one of the main reasons for the lack-lustre reviews upon its premiere in 1875.  

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On 13 May 1975 Monaco issued a set of four stamps to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the premiere of the opera, Carmen. This beautiful set of stamps was designed and engraved by Albert Decaris. Each stamp represents one of the four Acts of the opera. Since this set was issued in May and it now is May, I have decided to do something a little different this time around. Instead of showing all four gorgeous stamps at once, I am going to do them one Act at a time. That will amount to one Act each week for the month. So without further ado, let the curtain rise for...

ACT I

The lights come on. We are in a square, in Seville, Spain c.1820. To the right, we can see a door to the tobacco factory.  To  the left, we see a guardhouse. And at the rear of the stage there is a bridge.

There is a small group of soldiers standing about, chatting with each other in the square, while waiting for the changing of the guard. A woman approaches, named Micaëla. She asks after José Moralès. They tell her he will arrive with the change of guard. She leaves, promising to return later. Then the new guard arrives, and with them José Moralès.

Shortly after this the cigarette factory bell rings, and a large group of young women emerge. One of the women is Carmen. She approaches the soldiers and starts singing L'amour est un oiseau rebelle (Love is a rebellious bird). A song designed to inflame their passions. Many of the men start begging to be her lover. José Moralès is not one of the men. But she chooses José Moralès by throwing a rose at his feet. He is annoyed with her and doesn't respond. If only he had stuck to his guns!

Then things start to heat up a bit. The women go back to the cigarette factory. Micaëla returns to find José. She gives him a letter and a kiss from his mother. He says, "Parle-moi de ma mère!" (Tell me about my mother). In the letter, his mother tells him to return home and marry Micaëla so they can live happily ever after. He is about to say yes...

When there is a sudden commotion at the cigarette factory. An officer emerges with a very angry Carmen. He tells José that she attacked another woman with a knife. Carmen cries out, "Coupe moi. Brûle-moi!" (Cut me. Burn me). José is ordered to bind her hands and take her to the prison. 

After everyone leaves, Carmen seizes the opportunity to sing to José about what it would be like to spend a passion-filled night with her, He is bewitched by her. Spellbound, he unties her bonds. Then she pushes him to the ground, throws her head back in laughter, and runs away. Poor José is then arrested for dereliction of duty.

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Now we come to the stamp. Decaris has captured the theme of Act I beautifully. 

In the background we can make out the sets. The factory. The guardhouse. And the bridge. 

In the foreground we see Carmen flirting with José Moralès. She is smoking a cigarette to suggest of being a worker in the cigarette factory. And if we look closely we can see the rose in Carmen's mouth, ready to be thrown at José's feet. 

And despite the fact that the toreador has yet to enter the story, Decaris has decided to depict him off to the right, looming, yet to be engaged. But he is there. A reminder of the love triangle to come. 

Stay tuned for Act II next week!

Until then....

Monaco 1974 - International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo

On this day, 6 May, in 1901, the supremely talented Albert Decaris was born in Sotteville-lès-Rouen, France. This year marks the 115th anniversary of his birthday. 

Over the last couple of days I've spent some time perusing my collection of stamps he engraved, searching for something appropriate to use to celebrate his birthday. When I turned to my stamps he engraved for Monaco, I came across a set that reminded me of one of my most memorable birthdays when I was a kid. I think it was my tenth or eleventh birthday and I recall being told we were going to visit my grandmother. I always enjoyed seeing my grandmother so I was quite excited by the idea, but little did I know we were going somewhere far more exciting! So I jumped into our car and we started driving. It wasn't long before I knew weren't going to my grandmother's. About a half an hour later my eyes nearly popped out of my head as we pulled up right near a Circus Big Top. That birthday was the best. What better way then to celebrate Decaris' birthday but with some circus stamps.

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The Premier Festival International du Cirque or International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo is an annual festival, created in 1974 by Prince Rainier III of Monaco. Every January the best circus performers from all over the globe flock to Monte-Carlo to take part in the festival. 

On 12 November 1974, Monaco issued a sumptuous set of seven stamps to celebrate the first year of the International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo. Albert Decaris engraved the stamps and in my humble opinion they are some of the finest stamps he ever produced. The fun and frisky nature of the stamps suit his quirky style to a tee. 

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Roll up! Roll up! The circus has come to town!

Can you hear the crack of the whip? The roar of the wild beasts? We know what that means. Enter the brave tamer, decked out in his leopard-skin loin-cloth, working hard to maintain control of a group of tigers. Is that a tiger sneaking up behind him ready to pounce? Or is it a bested tiger and an example of what the tamer hopes to achieve with the other three tigers staring him down?

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The thunk of horse hooves reverberates beneath the Big Top as the prancing horses gallop out and dazzle the crowd with their organised prowess. Such colour. Such beauty.

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Who doesn't love an acrobatic elephant? Watch these giant lumbering beasts perform staggering feats of balance and control. Take a photo. What a great snapshot! 

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Prepare to be spellbound by the equestrian event. Marvel at the feats of human agility, all while riding upon a horse. 

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And here come the clowns! Laugh yourself silly with their zany, side-splitting antics.

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And what do we have here? Is that a man standing on a bike with a woman doing a handstand on his head? What masterful balance! Quiet now. We wouldn't want to disturb their concentration.

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Quick. Look up! Watch the grace and poise of the High-Wire acrobats. Just look at them fly. Tumbling, flying, catching, swinging...

Well, I hope you enjoyed the show!

Until next time...

Stay Decaris Crazy!

Monaco 1967 - European Migration

In 1951 a committee, initially known as the Provisional Intergovernmental Committee for the Movement of Migrants from Europe (PICMME), was formed to attempt to deal with the chaos of the displacement of millions of people as a result of World War II. Its purpose was to assist European governments identify countries for the potential re-settlement of some 11 million people uprooted from war-torn countries. During the 1950's it managed to re-settle over a million people - an incredible achievement in my view. The committee has undergone several name changes over the years. In 1952 it became the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration (ICEM). In 1980 to the Intergovernmental Committee for Migration (ICM). Then in 1989 it changed to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The IOM also deals with the resettlement of people displaced by natural disasters. Click HERE for more on this great organisation.

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On  28 April 1967 Monaco issued a stamp to publicise the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration (ICEM), which on the stamp uses the acronym CIME. This stamp was engraved by Albert Decaris.

As far as design goes, this stamp is excellent. The graphics are simple, elegant, and speak volumes. The spirals suggest controlled, successful migration - to me at least.

Until next time...

Stay Decaris Crazy! 

Monaco 1964 - 5th Monte-Carlo International Television Festival

My first ever true love was television. I grew up spending every moment of my spare time watching my favourite TV shows and movies. TV is just as important to me now, just perhaps not my true love any more (that position is now otherwise taken)! I hadn't been collecting Albert Decaris engraved stamps for long before I came across a couple of TV related stamps he engraved; one for France and one for Monaco (I believe that is all). In this blog I shall study the stamp issued in Monaco.

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The 1964 Monte-Carlo International Television Festival stamp was issued in Monaco on 3 December 1964 to celebrate the fifth festival to be held in 1965. This lovely stamp is bordered by a curtain, which gives the overall composition a cinematic feel. The eye is then drawn to the bottom left of the stamp where Decaris has quite ingeniously placed a television with the stamp's title on the screen. Behind the TV is one of Monaco's primary tourist attractions: The Rock of Monaco. 

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The Monte-Carlo Television Festival was founded in 1961 and based in Monaco. It was created by Prince Rainier III of Monaco as a festival and a competition for television productions. Rainier III saw this new technology as a way to bring cultures closer together and enhance their knowledge of each other.

At the end of the festival the prestigious Golden Nymph awards are held (a bit like the Oscars). Winners of the various categories receive a Golden Nymph statuette, which are copies of the Salmacis Nymph created by the sculptor François Joseph Bosio, the original of which is on display at the Louvre Museum in Paris.

Until next time...

Stay Decaris Crazy!

Monaco 1961 - Sphinx at Wadi es-Sebua

Wadi es-Sebua is the site of two Egyptian New Kingdom temple complexes. The first temple was built by the Pharaoh, Amenhotep III, who ruled Egypt from 1386 to 1349 BC.

Amenhotep III from a colossal granite statue

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The second temple was constructed by Ramesses II. Ramesses II is perhaps the most famous Egyptian  Pharaoh - behind Tutankamen, I guess. He reigned from 1279 to 1213 BC, an unprecedented 66 years! His activities while Pharaoh are great and many. Click HERE for more on the "Great Ancestor".

Ramesses II at Luxor

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This complex of temples is also known as the Valley of the Lions, so named after the sphinx lined path leading to the temples. Below is a sphinx of Ramesses II at Wadi es-Sebua...

By http://www.flickr.com/photos/22490717@N02/ (Mr. Dennis G. Jarvis) - http://www.flickr.com/photos/22490717@N02/2217436740/in/set-72157603786884730/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4851082

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The construction of the Aswan dam project threatened to flood the site of the temples, thus destroying these amazing monuments. The project, commonly referred to as the Aswan Dam, is actually the construction of the Aswan High Dam. The original Aswan Dam was built between 1898-1902. The Aswan High Dam, built between 1960 and 1970 had a significant effect on Egypt, one part being its monuments in the Nubian regions. The reservoir for the dam, called Lake Nasser, would flood many important ancient monuments if a solution were not found.

It is at this point in the story we can introduce the stamp issued by Monaco on 3 June 1961. It was issued to help gain publicity for the protection of these temples.

This stamp, engraved by Albert Decaris, showcases the need for the protection of monuments lest, as the image depicts, the monuments get drowned in flood waters. 

Thankfully, it was decided to move certain important monuments, these temples being two such monuments along with others such as Ramesses II's temple at Abu Simbel. Wadi es-Sebua was dismantled in 1964 and moved 4km west of its original location. The monuments avoided the disastrous outcome as depicted on the stamp! Incidentally, the temple at Abu Simbel was relocated in 1968. Now monuments such as these can continue to be enjoyed for many generations to come.

Until next time...

Stay Decaris Crazy!

Monaco 1960 - 50th Anniversary of the Oceanographic Museum

In 1960 Monaco issued a set of six stamps to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Monaco Oceanographic Museum. One of the stamps in this set was engraved by Albert Decaris.

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The Monaco Oceanographic Museum is located in Monaco-ville, and the building itself is built into the side of a cliff face overlooking the ocean. It is an amazing building in the baroque revival style, and it took workers some eleven years to complete.

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The museum was inaugurated in 1910 by Monaco's Prince Albert I. In looking up the history of the museum, I was surprised to discover that the great Jacques Cousteau was the director of the museum from 1957 to 1988. I recall watching Mr Cousteau on TV as a kid. The singer/songwriter John Denver wrote a song dedicated to him, called Calypso, which was the name of Cousteau's boat. The museum is also known as the Jacques Cousteau Museum.

The museum is home to a large variety of sea fauna such as starfish, turtles, sea urchins ,jellyfish, crabs, sharks, lobsters and many more sea critters. There are even some skeletons!

It is also home to an amazing octopus sculpture.

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Of the six stamps in the set, the one engraved by Decaris is rather striking...

In the background we find the façade of the museum. and in the foreground various Cephalopods are displayed, swimming around an oscilloscope, a device used to study the electrical properties of marine life.

Until Next time...

Stay Decaris Crazy!

Basilica of St. Pius X at Lourdes

Albert Decaris began engraving stamps for Monaco in 1958 with a 100f Airmail stamp issued 15 May. The stamp is one of a set of two. When I first started collecting Decaris stamps I saw this particular stamp and, to be honest, I didn't think all that much of it. But in preparation for this blog I did some research into the subject of this stamp and I was fascinated, which in turn gave me a new appreciation of the stamp. So without further ado let's take a look at the stamp and the story behind its subject.

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The subject of this stamp is the Basilica of St. Pius X located at Lourdes in France. It is a part of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes. For those of you who are not catholic, the sanctuary is a major catholic pilgrimage site where it is believed that the Virgin Mary appeared to Saint Bernadette Soubirous on several occasions. These appearances are known as the Marial Apparitions. I personally remember learning about St. Bernadette when I was in school many moons ago. If you'd like to read more about St. Bernadette click HERE.

Designed by architect Pierre Vago, the Basilica is also known as the Underground Basilica since it is almost entirely underground. And it is truly massive! When I first looked at some images from inside the Basilica I was staggered. It incorporates over 12,000 square metres of open space which can accommodate up to 25,000 worshippers. The Basilica was opened in 1958 - the same year as the release of the Monaco stamp - in anticipation of the massive crowds that would gather for centenary celebrations of the Marial Apparitions.

Here is an image from Wikipedia just to give you an idea of the scale of the building...

  

Rather an amazing piece of architecture of which I knew nothing about until this morning. That's the beauty of stamp collecting for you. You never know what you'll learn next.

Until next time...

Stay Decaris Crazy!