Austria: Schönbrunn Palace

Yesterday I got many postcards and many of them were from new countries.

Two cards are from Austria.

One card shows Schönbrunn Palace in Austria's capital Vienna. Vienna is also the capital of the Austrian state of Vienna. The Schönbrunn Palace was built between 1638 and 1643. From 1743 it was enlarged and rebuilt at the behest of Maria Theresa. Until the First World War it was the residence of the Austrian Emperor. A main attraction is the Tiergarten Schönbrunn which is the oldest zoo which is still open. Since 1996 are the Palace and the park a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

With matching stamps:
Sissi-EXPO Shanghai (issued 30-04-2010)
Definitive (issued 15-01-2008)

Thank You very much Ingrid!

Austria: Animals of the Alps

Yesterday I got many postcards and many of them were from new countries.

Two cards are from Austria.

One card shows characteristic animals of the Alps. The Animals are Golden Eagle, Marmot, Capercaillie, Capricorn, Deer and Chamois.

Stamp:
Research of Giant Pandas in Schönbrunn (from set of two, from souvenir sheet) (issued 14-04-2003)

Thank You very much Ingrid!

Vatican: Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls

Yesterday I got many postcards and many of them were from new countries.

Some of them were my first postcards from the Vatican. I sent all this postcards to me when I visited Rome last week.

One postcard shows the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls. In 1823 the Basilica was nearly totally destroyed, but was rebuilt. Since 1980 the Basilica is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Stamp:
700 Years of devotion to Our Lady of Europe (issued 10-02-2009)
(It is a joint issue with Gibraltar)

Italy: Colosseum

Yesterday I got many postcards and many of them were from new countries.

One card is from Italy. I sent this card to me when I visited Rome last week.

The card shows the Colosseum. The construction was started in 72 AD by the Roman Emperor Vespasian, the follower of Nero. He want to ingratiate oneself with the people while staging panem et circenses (Bread and Games). His son Titus finished the construction. Inside was enough space for 50,000 viewers. Since 1980 it is as part of the Historic Centre of Rome a UNESCO World Heritage Site, since 1999 it is a monument against the death penalty and since 2007 it is also one of the 7 New Wonders of the World.

Stamp:
Definitive "Women in Art" (issued 17-02-2004)
unfortunately without postmark

Vatican: Castel Sant'Angelo

Yesterday I got many postcards and many of them were from new countries.

Some of them were my first postcards from the Vatican. I sent all this postcards to me when I visited Rome last week.

One postcard shows the Castel Sant'Angelo. The Castel Sant'Angelo was built on the mausoleum of the Roman Emperor Hadrian. Since 1281 there is a roofed corridor connecting the castle with the Vatican. In front of the castle is the Ponte Sant'Angelo directing to the city centre. Only pedestrians are allowed to go over the bridge. The Castel Sant'Angelo is a part of the Historic Centre of Rome which is since 1980 a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Stamp:
700 Years of devotion to Our Lady of Europe (issued 10-02-2009)
(It is a joint issue with Gibraltar)

Vatican: Pope Francis

Yesterday I got many postcards and many of them were from new countries.

Some of them were my first postcards from the Vatican. I sent all this postcards to me when I visited Rome last week.

One card shows Pope Francis. The civic name of Pope Francis is Jorge Mario Bergoglio. He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 17th December 1936. He is the pope since the 13rd March 2013 after Pope Benedict XVI had abdicated (the first abdication since 1294!). He is the first pope from South America.

Stamp:
700 Years of devotion to Our Lady of Europe (issued 10-02-2009)
(It is a joint issue with Gibraltar)

Vatican: Saint Peter's Basilica

Yesterday I got many postcards and many of them were from new countries.

Some of them were my first postcards from the Vatican. I sent all this postcards to me when I visited Rome last week.

The Vatican City State is a enclave in Rome and the smallest accepted state of the world (44 ha). The Head of State is the Pope, so at the moment Pope Francis. The Vatican City State arose from the Papal States and was founded in 1929 per the Lateran Treaty closed between Pope and Benito Mussolini.

One card shows the Saint Peter's Basilica. The Saint Peter's Basilica is 211m long, 186m wide, 132m high and in the basilica is enough space for 600,000 people. In 1506 Pope Julius II charged Donato Bramante with the construction of a new basilica on the place were Constantin built an old basilica on the grave of Saint Peter. Until the finishing 120 years passed and during this time many different popes brought forward their own ideas and so the best builder of Italy were involved to build the basilica. The Saint Peter's Basilica is as part of the Vatican City since 1984 a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Today there is the possibility to go nearly on the top of cupola and if you are there you have a great view on Rome.

Stamp:
700 Years of devotion to Our Lady of Europe (issued 10-02-2009)
(It is a joint issue with Gibraltar)

United Kingdom: Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape

Yesterday I got many postcards and many of them were from new countries.

One card was my first card from the United Kingdom.

The United Kingdom is an insular state on the British Isles consisting of Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England. The United Kingdom is a member of the UN, the EU, the NATO and the OECD. The United Kingdom has also nuclear weapons and is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. Furthermore it is a member of the G8.

The postcard shows the Botallack Mine, the Levant Beam Engine, the Wheal Coates and Rinsey. All this mines are part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape. The main products of the mines were copper and tin. The development of the region was exemplary for the industrialisation of England. The Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape is since 2006 a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Stamp:
Regional Definitive

Thank You very much Lucy!

cover from Slovenia

Yesterday I got many postcards and many of them were from new countries.

I got also a cover from Slovenia with a great Slovenian stamp set inside.

Stamps:

The European Basketball Championship – EuroBasket 2013 (issued 24-06-2013)

Thank You very much Mateja!

Lithuania: Cathedral Square in Vilnius with Postcrossing stamp

Yesterday I got many postcards and many of them were from new countries.

One card was my first card from Lithuania.

Lithuania is one of the Baltic States bordering on Latvia, Belarus, Poland and the Kaliningrad Oblast (Russia). Lithuania is a member of the UN, the EU and the NATO. 

The postcard shows the Cathedral Square in Lithuania's capital Vilnius. The Cathedral Square is the main square of the Old Town of Vilnius. The Old Town of Vilnius is since 1994 a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Stamp:
Postcrossing (issued 05-10-2013)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Agneta!

Germany: paläon

Yesterday I got many postcards and many of them were from new countries.

One postcard shows the paläon in the Lower Saxonn city Schöningen. I bought this card when I visited the paläon on 3rd October (German Unification Day), but unfortunately there was not a possibility to send the card, so I take it with me and sent it from my hometown.

The paläon was opened in 2013 and is a museum with the Schöningen Spears as main attraction. The museum has also open air area showing the environment 300,000 years ago.

The card shows also three of the four Przewalski's horses living in the open air area.

Stamp:
200 years Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin (issued 02-01-2010)

Spain: Ronda with New Bridge

From Sunday to Thursday I was in Rome and during this time I received my first postcard from Spain.

Spain is a country in Southern Europe bordering on Portugal, France, Andorra and Gibraltar and the Spanish exclaves Ceuta and Melilla are also bordering on Morocco. Spain is a member of the UN, the NATO, the EU and the OECD. Spain's capital is Madrid and it's head of state is King Juan Carlos I.

The card shows the New Bridge (Puente Nuevo) in Ronda. Ronda is a city in Málaga and one of the White Towns of Andalusia.

Stamp:
Private post stamp

Thank You very much Liv and Tobias!

Germany: Harz Narrow Gauge Railway

Today I got a postcard from Germany. My mum sent it to me she was on the Brocken.

The card shows a Harz Narrow Gauge Railway in front of the Brocken. The Harz Narrow Gauge Railways cross the Harz since 1887. There are nearly 400 bridges and one tunnel on three routes (Brocken Railway, Selke Valley Railway, Trans-Harz Railway). The Gauge is 1000mm wide. Every year drive nearly 1,100,000 passengers with the 25 steam locomotives driving between the 48 train stations. Two Mallet locomotives built in 1897 are still driving. The Harz Narrow Gauge Railways were declared as historic monument in 1972 and have the longest coherent narrow gauged route network in Germany (140 km). Since 1991 it is the property of the "Harzer Schmalspurbahnen GmbH".

With matching stamp:
125 years Harz Narrow Gauge Railways (issued 09-02-2012)
on the backside of the card is also a seal of Germany's highest train station reached by a steam locomotive (1125m) which is on the Brocken

and a map of the route network

New Zealand: Kiwi card and Kiwi stamp

On Monday I got a nice postcard from New Zealand.

The card shows a Kiwi. The Kiwi is a nocturnal and endemic bird living only on the three islands forming New Zealand. Kiwis are the smallest ratites and the national symbol of New Zealand. The Kiwi on the card is a Little Spotted Kiwi (Apteryx owenii) which is one of the five Kiwi species.

With nice matching stamp:
Round Kiwi (from set of three) (issued 06-07-2011)

Thank You very much Adrienne!