3rd February 2023: Women's Suffrage, Belgium

Thank You very much William!

6th July 2022: Brussels, Belgium

Thank You very much William!

cover from Belgium

On 24th March I got a cover from Belgium. 

A label was used to send this cover. 

In the cover were many nice postcards from Belgium, some even with matching stamps and special postmarks.

The first card shows the Grand Commandery in Alden Biesen. The Grand Commandery was founded by the Teutonic Order and was one of its most important properties. The site was pre-selected for the European Heritage Label, but was not inscribed. 

The next three cards are from the Ten Duinen Abbey Museum in Koksijde. Ten Duinen Abbey, also known as the Abbey of the Dunes, was a Cistercian monastery and one of the richest and most influential religious institutions in the medieval County of Flanders. It later relocated to the city of Bruges. Since the 1950s there is a museum at the site.

Another big Belgian museum is featured on the next cards, the AfricaMuseum in Tervuren, just outside Brussels in Flemish Brabant. It was established to showcase King Leopold II's Congo Free State in the 1897 World Exhibition and was actually intended as a colonial museum, but from 1960 onwards it has more focused on ethnography and anthropology. The museum was closed between 2013 and December 2018, hence I could not visit it during my trip to Brussels, but I have already got a card about it, when it was still known under its old name Royal Museum for Central Africa. These three cards must be rather new, as they already have the new name printed on the backside. The cover also included four stickers from the museum.

The Parlamentarium is the visitor's centre of the European Parliament and was opened in 2011. In a multimedia exhibition it shows the history of the EU and the European Parliament. Due to personal multimedia guides it is possible to view the exhibition in all 24 official languages of the EU.

The next three bear stamps about cheese, birds and clouds with their First Day Special Postmarks. I really like the design of the bird card. 

Last but not least this card shows some views of Overijse. Overijse is a commune in Flemish Brabant, which is known for its grapes. Even King Louis XIV got grapes from Overijse for his court in Versailles.

Thank You very much Johan! Make sure to check out his blog here.

Belgium: Grand Place in Brussels

On 8th July I got two postcards from Belgium.

One of them shows the Grand Place in Brussels. This card brings back fond memories of my trip there a few years ago. A beautiful city!

The stamp is from a set of five about Belgian DJs (issued 14-06-2021) and was cancelled with a pictorial postmark from Brussels.

Thank You very much William!

Belgium: Grand Place in Brussels

On Thursday I got two postcards: one from Belgium and one from Austria.

The card from Belgium is a nice reminder of My Trip to Brussels back in 2017. It is really a beautiful city and definitely worth a visit! Shown on the card is a view of the Grand Place, the main square of Belgium's capital which was once an important political and commercial centre. On the far right side of the card you can see a part of the Town Hall. Due to its homogeneous buildings the square is considered to be one of the most beautiful squares in Europa and as such it also became a popular tourist destination. Since 1985 is the Grand Place on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The stamp is from the ongoing series about Geometry in Nature. This year on 25th January five stamps were issued about the Pentagon. This is one of them. You can see a second one here. The stamp got cancelled with a special postmark from Brussels.

Thank You very much William!

Belgium: Manneken Pis

On Saturday I got two postcards: one from Belgium and one from Cambodia.

The card from Belgium shows Manneken Pis. Manneken Pis is the most famous landmark of Brussels. It is a small bronze sculpture depicting a naked little boy urinating into a fountain's basin and was erected in 1619. For various occasions the statue is dressed in costumes.

Stamp:
Geometry in Nature - The Star Shape (from set of five) (issued 16-06-2019)
with a special postmark from Brussels

Thank You very much William!

Belgium: National Basilica of the Sacred Heart

On 8th November I got three postcards: one from Belgium, one from India and one from Japan.

The card from Belgium shows the National Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Brussels. The National Basilica of the Sacred Heart is a Roman Catholic church and Basilica minor. The first stone was laid by King Leopold II in 1905 to celebrate Belgium's 75th anniversary of independence, but due to the two World Wars it was just completed in 1969. By area it is one of the ten largest Roman Catholic churches in the World.

Stamp:
Dance (from set of five) (issued 18-11-2016)

Thank You very much Marcel!

Belgium: Manneken Pis

On 6th July I got a postcard from Belgium.

It shows Manneken Pis. Manneken Pis is the most famous landmark of Brussels. It is a small bronze sculpture depicting a naked little boy urinating into a fountain's basin and was erected in 1619. For various occasions the statue is dressed in costumes.

With a nice matching stamp:
400 years Manneken Pis (issued 28-01-2019)

Thank You very much Gerda!

Belgium: Place Royale in Brussels

Last Friday I got two postcards: one from Belgium and one from France.

The card from Belgium shows the Place Royale in Brussels. The Place Royale is located on the site of the former Coudenberg Palace, which was destroyed by a fire in 1731. The new neoclassical buildings were constructed between 1773 and 1780.

Stamp:
Diamant Sector (from set of five) (issued 27-01-2018)
with a special postmark from Brussels

Thank You very much William!

Belgium: Royal Museum for Central Africa

On Thursday I got two postcards from Belgium, a postcard from the Azores, a postcard from France and three maxicards from Thailand which were fixed together by tape.

One of the cards from Belgium shows the Royal Museum for Central Africa. The Royal Museum for Central Africa was established to showcase King Leopold II's Congo Free State in the 1897 World Exhibition. Actually intended as a colonial museum, from 1960 onwards it has more focused on ethnography and anthropology. Currently the museum is closed for renovations and when it will be reopened, its new name will be AfricaMuseum.

With a matching stamp:
AfricaMuseum (from set of five) (issued 09-06-2018)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Gerda!

My Cards from Belgium

When I was in Belgium two weeks ago I sent myself five postcards. The first two arrived last Thursday. The third one arrived last Saturday and the fourth card on Monday. The last card finally arrived on Thursday, one week later than the first one. Of the five cards three card were bended, while two were not cancelled. Only one card arrived undamaged and cancelled, the last one.

The card that arrived last Saturday shows the Belgian Comic Strip Center. The Belgian Comic Strip Center is a museum about Belgian comics. The museum is housed in a building designed by Victor Horta and was opened in 1989. It is among the most popular museums in Brussels.

With related stamps:
Lucky Luke - Friend and Enemy (two from set of ten) (issued 13-04-2015)

The card that arrived on Monday shows Manneken Pis. Manneken Pis is the most famous landmark of Brussels. It is a small bronze sculpture depicting a naked little boy urinating into a fountain's basin and was erected in 1619. For various occasions the statue is dressed in costumes.

Stamps:
Lucky Luke - Friend and Enemy (two from set of ten) (issued 13-04-2015)

The card that arrived on Thursday shows the Grand Place. The Grand Place is the main square of Belgium's capital and was an important political and commercial centre. Due to its homogeneous buildings it is considered to be the most beautiful square in Europe. It is also a popular tourist destination. The Grand Place is since 1985 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamps:
Lucky Luke - Friend and Enemy (two from set of ten) (issued 13-04-2015)

My Trip to Brussels

Between Thursday and Sunday I was in Brussels and there I bought some cards for my collection.

Brussels is the capital of Belgium and also one of the three Belgian Regions. It has become a major centre for international politics after World War II, as it is the capital of the European Union and the headquarters of the NATO is located there.

Manneken Pis is the most famous landmark of Brussels. It is a small bronze sculpture depicting a naked little boy urinating into a fountain's basin and was erected in 1619. For various occasions the statue is dressed in costumes.

The Grand Place is the main square of Belgium's capital and was an important political and commercial centre. Due to its homogeneous buildings it is considered to be the most beautiful square in Europe. It is also a popular tourist destination. The Grand Place is since 1985 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The Town Hall of Brussels was built between 1402 and 1420 in the Gothic style. It is located on the Grand Place.

The Museum of the City of Brussels is housed in the Maison du Roi opposite the Town Hall. The museum was opened in 1887. It was home to the costumes of Manneken Pis before they got their own museum in 2017.

The Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert is a glazed shopping arcade that preceded other famous 19th century shopping arcades. It was built between 1846 and 1847 and reflected the prosperity and ambition of the new Belgian state. The Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert seeks for the inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List and is thus on the Tentative List, but for some reason the card says that it is already classified as World Heritage.

The European Quarter is home to important buildings of the European Union. The European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the European Council and the European Parliament are located there.

Stamps:

Lucky Luke - Friend and Enemy (two from set of ten) (issued 13-04-2015)

The Parlamentarium is the visitor's centre of the European Parliament and was opened in 2011. In a multimedia exhibition it shows the history of the EU and the European Parliament. Due to personal multimedia guides it is possible to view the exhibition in all 24 official languages of the EU.

The House of European History is a museum about the history of Europe since 1789. It is an initiative by the European Parliament and opened in 2017.

The Atomium was built for the Expo 1958. It resembles the shape of a unit cell of an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times and is one of Belgium's most famous sights. The spheres are home to exhibition halls.

The Belgian Comic Strip Center is a museum about Belgian comics. The museum is housed in a building designed by Victor Horta and was opened in 1989. It is among the most popular museums in Brussels.

The Horta Museum is a museum dedicated to the life and work of the Belgian Art Nouveau architect Victor Horta and is housed in Horta's former house and atelier. As one of the Major Town Houses of the Architect Victor Horta is the museum since 2000 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The Musical Instruments Museum was established in 1877 and since 2000 it is housed in the former art nouveau style Old England department store. It is famous around the World for its collection of over 8000 instruments.

The Oldmasters Museum was founded in 1801. It shows European paintings from the 15th to the 18th century and is a part of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. At the moment the museum shows a magnificent exhibition about Pieter Bruegel the Elder in cooperation with various art museums around the World and the Google Cultural Institute.

The Fin-de-Siècle Museum is another part of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium and is located next to the Oldmasters Museum. It shows artworks from the period between 1868 and 1914. The museum was opened in 2013.

The Magritte Museum was opened in 2009. It is dedicated to the work of the Belgian surrealist artist René Magritte and is a part of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium.

The Palace of Coudenberg was for nearly 700 years the centre of the Duchy of Brabant and as such it was the residence of counts, dukes, archdukes, kings, emperors and governors, but in 1731 the palace burned down within one night. For more than 40 years it was a ruin before it was replaced by the Place Royale. The remaining cellars of the palace have been extensively excavated below present ground level from 1985 onwards and can be visited. The Palace of Coudenberg was preselected for the European Heritage Label.

The Royal Museum for Central Africa was built to showcase King Leopold II's Congo Free State in the 1897 World Exhibition. Actually intended as a colonial museum, from 1960 onwards it has more focused on ethnography and anthropology. Unfortunately the museum is closed until June 2018 due to renovations.

At the Belgian Comic Strip Center I first bought a few cards about Tintin. Later I bought a few more at the Boutique Tintin and finally decided to buy all I could find. So now I have one card about every Tintin book. ^___^

Apart from Tintin I also bought a few cards about other comics including the Smurfs, Asterix and the Marsupilami.