cover from Italy

On 10th November I got a cover from Italy.

Three wonderful stamps about the EXPO 2015 in Milan were used. 

Inside was a very extraordinary stamp from Italy (issued 08-10-2004). It is printed on fabric.

Thank You very much Marco!

You can visit his blog here.

cover from Italy

On Friday I got not only a postcard but also a cover from Italy.

Stamps:

Women in Art (from set of seven) (issued 02-01-2002)

Teatro del Popolo in Castelfiorentino (issued 19-05-2017)

with a special postmark about the Festival Panafricano in Turin

Inside were three ad cards about the EXPO 2015.

Thank You very much Renato!

Switzerland: Aletsch Glacier

One of the nine cards that arrived during my absence is from Switzerland.

It shows the Aletsch Glacier in the Canton of Valais. The Aletsch Glacier is the largest glacier of the Alps. The Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch are since 2001 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

I got this card at the Swiss Pavilion of the Expo and took the chance to send it from there with an Expo stamp.

With the great stamp:
Expo Milan (issued 05-03-2015)
with a special postmark from the philately shop in Bern

Bangladesh at the Expo

The last country where I was able to buy postcards was Bangladesh, which was also a new country for my collection. 

Bangladesh is a country in South Asia bordering on India and Myanmar. It became independent from Pakistan in 1971.

The first card shows the Shaheed Minar in Dhaka. Dhaka is the capital of the country and one of the largest cities in the World. The Shaheed Minar is a national monument established to commemorate those killed during the Bengali Language Movement demonstrations of 1952.

This is my 200th UNESCO World Heritage Site. Thank You everybody having helped me to achieve this aim!

The second card shows Chitals in the Sundarbans. The Sundarbans are located in Bangladesh and India. They are the largest mangrove forest in the World and known of its biodiversity. The Sundarbans are since 1997 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Angola at the Expo

At the Angolan Pavilion I bought a set of ten postcards. Angola was a new country for my collection. 

Angola is a country in South West Africa bordering on Namibia, Zambia, the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The first card in the set shows a person with the Angolan flag running through a corn field.

The other cards show a Baobab, a member of the Humbe ethnic group, women with products of the Cuanza Norte Province, a representative meal from Angola, salt works in the Benguela Province and the Okavango river in the Cuando Cubango Province.

Another card shows the Kalandula Falls in the Malanje Province. The Kalandula Falls are counted among the largest waterfalls in Angola and Africa. They are one of the most famous natural spectacle in Angola.

The other two cards show views of Luanda. Luanda is the capital and largest city of Angola. It is the country's most important port and its industrial, cultural and urban centre. It is one of the largest cities in Africa, the third largest Portuguese-speaking city in World and the World's largest Portuguese-speaking capital. At the moment the city is largely reconstructed. The cards show a restaurant and a night view.

On the backside of all cards is the logo of the Angolan Pavilion.

South Korea at the Expo

At the South Korean Pavilion I bought the official postcard of the pavilion. At the South Korean Pavilion the diverse culinary practises of the country are shown. 

The text on the card means Thank You.

On the backside of the card is the official logo of the South Korean Pavilion.

Tanzania at the Expo

I also bought by first postcards from Tanzania in Milan.

Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordering on Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique. It is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The capital of the country is Dodoma, while the largest capital is Dar es Salaam.

One of the cards I bought shows the Big Five at the Serengeti National Park. The Serengeti National Park is one of the largest and most famous national parks in the World. It is known for its annual migration of zebras and wildebeests. The Serengeti National Park is since 1981 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The other two cards show lions and zebras at the Ngorongoro crater. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area is since 1979 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Egypt at the Expo

Also Egypt sold some cards at the Expo.

Two of the cards show the Giza Necropolis. The Giza Necropolis includes the Great Pyramids and the Great Sphinx. The Great Pyramids are the last of the Ancient Seven Wonders of the World that still exists. The Giza Necropolis is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur" since 1979. 

Another card shows a map of the Nile and Egypt highlighting some important remains of Ancient Egypt.

I also bought a card of the Karnak Temple Complex. The Karnak Temple Complex is one of the largest remaining temple complex of Ancient Egypt. It is a striking testimony to Egyptian civilisation at its height. Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis, including the Karnak Temple Complex, is since 1979 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The other cards I bought show the Colossi of Memnon and the Funerary cult of Seti I.

North Korea at the Expo

One of the countries with the biggest collection of sold postcards I saw at the Expo was North Korea, so there I bought my first cards from this country.

North Korea, officially known as Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is a country in East Asia bordering on China, Russia and South Korea. North Korea is considered a totalitarian dictatorship and is the World's most militarised society. It also has nuclear weapons.

One of the cards I bought shows the Grand Theatre in Pyongyang. Pyongyang is the capital and largest city of North Korea. It is administered as a directly governed city. The Grand Theatre opened in 1960. Inside there are 1200 seats and modern sound equipment.

I also bought the official North Korean postcard for the Expo in Milan. At the Expo North Korea is part of the cluster Island, Sea and Food. The card shows the logo of the Expo, Ginseng and a North Korean mountain. It is prepaid.

Another card I bought shows a white Siberian Tiger. The Siberian Tiger is one of the largest cats in the World. It mainly lives in the Russian Far East, but also in bordering regions of China and North Korea. There are only around 500 Siberian Tigers left in the wild, between 20 and 30 of them live in China and North Korea.

Unfortunately I can identify what is shown on the other three cards, as the text on the backside is only written in Korean.

Maldives at the Expo

At the Expo I also got my first card from the Maldives.

Maldives is an island country in the Indian Ocean. It is Asia's smallest country and the World's lowest. Its capital is Malé.

The card shows a beach.

Estonia at the Expo

At the Gallery of Estonia I was able to buy postcards of different Estonian cities and islands.

The first one shows various views of Estonia.

The second card I bought shows Viljandi. Viljandi is a former member of the Hanseatic League of Cities and the sixth largest city of Estonia.

Another card I bought shows Hiiumaa. Hiiumaa is the second largest island of Estonia. It is located in the Baltic Sea.

I also bought a card of Saaremaa. Saaremaa is the largest island of Estonia and the fourth largest island in the Baltic Sea.

They also had this card of Narva on sale. Narva is the third largest city of Estonia and the centre of the Russian-speaking minority in Estonia. It is also an important industrial city.

The last I bought shows Vormsi. Vormsi is an island in the Baltic Sea and the fourth largest Estonian island.