7th June 2023: Little Prince, Switzerland

Christmas Mail from Me

Like every year I have once again send some Christmas cards to myself to collect the special postmarks. I sent them all out on 10th December.

The first card returned one week later on 17th December. It shows this cute illustration of forest animals sending mail. 

This card is however not from Germany, but arrived from Switzerland. I really like the Swiss Christmas stamps (issued 11-11-2021), ordered some online and saw that it is possible to get a Swiss Christmas postmark. So of course I had to take the chance. I was really suprised that this was the first card to arrive. Within one week it travelled from Germany to Switzerland, was perfectly postmarked and came back. That is true Swiss efficiency!

The first German card arrived on 21st December and it is the most hilarious Christmas card I have seen in the shops this year. Kloß is the German word for dumpling, so the card plays with the fact that Kloß sounds a bit like Clause and shows a dumpling with a Santa's hat.

On this card I got a postmark from the Christmas Market in Erfurt. The market as such I think was cancelled last-minute due to Covid-19, but as the stalls were already set up, they were allowed to remain and some could even sell their goods.

The second German card arrived on the same day and it shows an illustration similar to the first card.

Actually I was not planning to get this postmark for myself, but I was a bit absent-minded and put the card in the wrong cover. This is from Engelskirchen.

The last card took a day longer and arrived on 22nd December. I chose this card to get the postmark I actually wanted when I realised my mistake with the other card just on time.

Here is the postmark from St. Nikolaus that I get every year. It is a bit special this year, as on 6th December 2011 I got my first stamp album, so a personal jubilee for me.

Switzerland: Rhine Falls

On Tuesday I got four postcards: one from Switzerland, one from the USA and two from Germany.

The card from Switzerland shows the Rhine Falls. The Rhine Falls is a waterfall on the border between the Cantons of Schaffhausen and Zürich. It is one of the largest waterfalls in Europa.

The card is a maxicard with a complete set of three stamps, which was issued on 5th March 2015.

With a matching stamp:
Mushrooms (from set of four) (issued 06-03-2014)
Rhine Falls (from set of three) (issued 05-03-2015)
with a special postmark showing also the Rhine Falls

Thank You very much Meike!

Switzerland: Beer

Last Wednesday I got three postcards: one from Switzerland and two from Austria.

The card from Switzerland shows an old advertising for Swiss Beer.

With matching stamps:
The Art of Brewing Beer (whole set) (issued 29-08-2019)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Meike!

Switzerland: St Bernhard Dog

On 19th September I got a postcard from Switzerland.

It shows a St Bernhard Dog. The St Bernard is a breed of very large working dog from the western Alps. They are famous for their role in alpine rescues and for their enormous size, but also as a classic example of a gentle giant. 

Stamps:
Swiss Railway Stations (from set of four) (issued 30-08-2018)
The Art of Brewing Beer (from set of two) (issued 29-08-2019)

Thank You very much Óscar!

Switzerland: Grossmünster of Zurich

Last Friday I got two postcards: one from Switzerland and one from Germany.

The card from Switzerland shows the Grossmünster of Zurich. The Grossmünster is a Romanesque-style Protestant church and one of the four major churches in the city. Starting in 1519 Huldrych Zwingli initiated the Swiss-German Reformation from his pastoral office at the Grossmünster.

With a related stamp:
EUROPA (from set of two) (issued 24-05-1988)
Pro Patria (from set of four) (issued 30-05-1974)
Huldrych Zwingli - 500 years Reformation in Zurich and Southern Germany (issued 02-05-2019)
It is a joint issue with Germany.

Thank You very much Ulrike!

Switzerland: Allschwill and EUROPA Stamps

On Monday I got my order from the Swiss Post. Among the things I ordered was also a prepaid postcard which was issued last year for Stamp Day (issued 15-11-2018).

The card shows an old view of Allschwil. Allschwil is a municipality in the Swiss Canton of Basel-Country. 

The main reason to order something from the Swiss Post were the new EUROPA (issued 02-05-2019), as they are something special this year: they can be scanned to listen to the depicted birds. Switzerland is one of the more than twenty countries taking part in this so-called Europa Stamps Bird Project. As I really like this idea, I will try to collect all of these stamps. The ones I already got you can see on my stamp blog. The two Swiss stamps show a Golden Eagle and a Sanderling.

Switzerland: Pig

On Friday I got two postcards: one from Switzerland and one from France.

The card from Switzerland shows an illustration of a pig.

With an awesome matching stamp:
Animal Friends (from set of four) (issued 07-03-2019)
Lucky Pig (issued 07-03-2019)
The stamp is printed on flocked paper.

Thank You very much Meike!

cover from Switzerland

On Tuesday I got not only a postcard but also a cover from Switzerland.

With great stamps:

International Year of the Child (issued 06-09-1979)

Pingu (from set of two) (issued 09-03-1999)

Children's Aid (issued 30-08-1973)

Inside were some awesome Swiss stamps, which you can see on my stamp blog, and a postcard of the Postcrossing Meet-up at Lake Zurich.

Thank You very much Inge!

Switzerland: Tintin in Geneva

On Friday I was in Hanover and there I found a little stamp shop. In the shop I bought a stamp set from the USA and a great set of two prepaid postcards with special postmarks from Switzerland about the 100th birthday of Hergé. The card were issued on 10th May 2007.

The first card shows Tintin and Captain Haddock in front of the Hotel Cornavin in Geneva. The Hotel Cornavin appears in The Calculus Affair. There it is described as the favoured accommodation of Professor Calculus whenever he stays in Geneva. Hergé based the hotel on a real hotel in Geneva which has the same name.

The second card shows Tintin and Captain Haddock going to a Swissair bus in front of the Hotel Beaujolais.

Switzerland: Lausanne

Last Saturday I got two postcards: one from Switzerland and one from Hungary.

The card from Switzerland shows Lausanne. Lausanne is the capital and biggest city of the canton of Vaud and one of the biggest cities of Switzerland. The city hosts the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland and the International Olympic Committee. In 2020 the Winter Youth Olympics will be held in Lausanne. 

On the backside of the card is a special postmark from the 71st Salon Philatélique d'Automne in Paris.
Stamps:
Mushrooms (from set of four) (issued 06-03-2014)
Love (issued 09-11-2017)
with a special postmark from Lausanne

Thank You very much William!

Switzerland: Rhaetian Railway

On Tuesday I got two postcards from Switzerland.

The two cards show viaducts of the Rhaetian Railway. The Rhaetian Railway is a railway operator in the Swiss Canton of Graubünden and the largest private railway operator in Switzerland. It features an impressive set of structures which were all built in perfect harmony with the landscapes through which they pass. Its construction had a major and lasting socio-economic impact on life in the mountains. The Rhaetian Railway in the Albula and Bernina Landscapes is since 2008 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The first one shows the Landwasser Viaduct. The Landwasser Viaduct was built between 1901 and 1902. It is a signature structure of the Albula Railway.

Stamp:
Baby Animals (from set of four) (issued 23-02-2017)

The second one shows the Brusio Spiral Viaduct. The Brusio Spiral Viaduct is in use since 1908. It is a signature structure of the Bernina Railway.

Stamp:
Baby Animals (from set of four) (issued 23-02-2017)

Thank You very much Joanna!

Switzerland: Basel Ferry

On Wednesday I got three postcards: one from Switzerland, one from the Netherlands and one from Hong Kong.

The card from Switzerland shows a ferry in Basel. In Basel there are four cable ferry routes crossing the Rhine. The oldest route is operating since 1854. 

Stamp:
Vegetable Plants' Blossom (from set of three) (issued 08-03-2012)

Thank You very much Lilly and Mariel!

cover from Switzerland

 Yesterday I got not only eight postcards but also a cover from Switzerland.

Stamp:
Webstamp

Inside were seven Swiss postcards.
The first card shows the Seealpsee in the Swiss Canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden. The Seealpsee is a lake known for its clear water. It is a popular tourist destination.

The second shows the Klöntalersee. The Klöntalersee is the largest lake in the Swiss Canton of Glarus. It was used as a reservoir for electricity production since 1908.

The third shows the Etang de la Gruère in the Swiss Canton of Jura. The Etang de la Gruère is small bog lake. It is located within a nature reserve.

The fourth shows the Tannalp in the Swiss Canton of Obwalden.

The fifth card shows the Pragel Pass. The Pragel Pass is a mountain pass in the Swiss Canton of Schwyz.

Another card from the cover shows the Werd Island. The Werd Island is small island in Lake Constance belonging to the Swiss Canton of Thurgau. On the island there is a convent.

The last card shows the Schipfe in the Swiss Canton of Zürich. The Schipfe is a residential district in Zürich, Switzerland's largest city. It is located by the river Limmat.

Thank You very much Sarah!

Switzerland: Abbey of Saint Gall

On Wednesday I got eleven postcards including one from Switzerland.

The card from Switzerland shows the Abbey of Saint Gall in St. Gallen. St. Gallen is the capital of the canton of St. Gallen and is considered to be the centre of eastern Switzerland. The Abbey of Saint Gall was once one of the most important monasteries in Europe. It is known for its rich library. The Abbey of Saint Gall is since 1983 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamp:
Christmas (from set of four) (issued 12-11-2015)

Thank You very much Ania!

Switzerland: Zytglogge in Bern

On Wednesday I got five postcards from Switzerland.

One of them shows the Zytglogge in Bern. Bern is the capital of the Swiss Canton of Bern and as Federal City also capital of Switzerland. It is also the fourth largest city of Switzerland. The Zytglogge is a medieval tower in Bern's Old City. It was built in the 13th century and was used as guard tower, prison and clock tower. In the 15th century an astronomical clock was added to the tower. It is one of Bern's most famous sights. The Old City of Bern is since 1983 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

With a great stamp:
Mushrooms (from set of four) (issued 06-03-2014)
Smurfs (from set of two) (issued 05-09-2013)

Thank You very much Madeleine!