New Zealand: Tuatara

Yesterday I got two postcards: one from New Zealand and one from Japan.

The card from New Zealand shows a Tuatara. The Tuatara are the last genus of the order of the Rhychocephalia having lived in abundance some 200000000 years ago. They grow extremely slowly to approximately 62cm in length and mature sexually at about 20 years. They can become 100 years old.

With nice stamps:
ANZAC (two from set of six) (issued 10-04-2013)
The stamps show peace-support operations of the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF). The left stamp shows a Royal New Zealand Air Force Iroquois in Timor-Leste. 4000 men and women of the NZDF were deployed in Timor-Leste between 1999 and 2012. It was New Zealand's largest deployment since the Korean War. The right stamp shows members of TG Rata 8 performing a haka to welcome their fellow soldiers on the Solomon Islands. The NZDF is deployed on the Solomon Islands since 2003. The NZDF’s embrace of its Māori tikanga is an effective force on deployment in the Pacific region.

Thank You very much Sharon!

Japan: Niigata Prefecture

Yesterday I got two postcards: one from Japan and one from New Zealand.

The card from Japan comes from the Niigata Prefecture and shows a snowy forest. The Niigata Prefecture is located on Honshu and is famous for its rice.

Stamp:
Constellation (from set of ten) (issued 04-12-2013)
The stamp sparkles.
with a special postmark showing a firework over a bridge

Thank You very much Keiko!

Macao: Giant Panda

Today I got a postcard from Macao.

The card shows a Giant Panda. The Seac Pai Van Park in Macao hosts two Giant Pandas. They are called Xin Xin (female) and Kai Kai (male).

Stamp:
Year of the Horse-label (issued 14-02-2014)

Thank You very much Anthia!

Germany: Limesmuseum

On Thursday I got five postcards: three from Germany, one from Singapore and one from Belgium.

One of the cards from Germany shows the Limesmuseum in Aalen in Baden-Württemberg. The museum thematises the Roman Limes and was built on the location of the biggest Castra north of the Alps. The Roman Limes was the border line of the Roman Empire at its greatest extent in the 2nd century AD and is since 1987 a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Stamp:
Glücksburg Castle (from set of two) (issued 02-01-2013)

Thank You very much Remo!

Germany: Wismar

Today I got a postcard from Germany.

The card is a multiview from Wismar in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Wismar is a Hanseatic city on the Baltic Sea and was once a part of Sweden. Since 2002 is the Historic Centre of Wismar together with the Historic Centre of Stralsund a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Stamp:
Glücksburg Castle (from set of two) (issued 02-01-2013)

Thank You very much Sine!

UAE: Burj Khalifa

I posted the first post of this blog exactly one year ago. During this first year I uploaded 250 cards, covers and stamps and more than 6000 people visited it. 

The second year of this blog I want to start with a great card I got today. The card is my first card from the United Arab Emirates.

The United Arab Emirates is a country on the Arabian peninsula bordering on Oman and Saudi Arabia. The United Arab Emirates is formed by seven constituent emirates called Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain. The oil reserves of the United Arab Emirates are ranked as the seventh-largest in the world. The capital of the United Arab Emirates is Abu Dhabi. 

The card shows the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Dubai is one of the seven Emirates forming the United Arab Emirates and also the main city of this Emirate. Dubai is the most populous city of the United Arab Emirates and also a global city.

The Burj Khalifa is a skyscraper in Dubai and at 829,9m the highest building in the World. It was built between 2004 and 2010.

With nice stamps:
Falconry (issued 2011)
The Falconry is since 2012 an UNESCO Intangible Heritage.
UAE Gazelles-Arabian oryx (from set of four) (issued 29-11-2006)

Thank You very much Amna!

Hong Kong: Avenue of Stars

This is the 250th post on my blog! Thank You all of you for sending me all this nice postcards and covers with so many nice stamps!

Today I got three postcards: one from Hong Kong, three from Germany and one from Indonesia.

The card from Hong Kong shows the Avenue of Stars. The Avenue of Stars along the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade pays tribute to celebrities of the Hong Kong film industry and was modelled by the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

With great stamps:
Chinese Dinosaurs-Daxiatitan binglingi (from set of six) (issued 20-02-2014)
The stamp glows in the dark.
Heartwarming-Birthday (from set of six) (issued 23-01-2014)
The flame on the cake sparkles.
Definitive (issued 31-12-2006)
with special postmark from the General Post Office showing a ferry

Thank You very much Joe!

Indonesia: Komodo National Park

Today I got five postcards: one from Indonesia, one from Hong Kong and three from Germany.

The card from Indonesia shows Komodo dragons tearing apart a goat. The Komodo dragon is the World's largest lizard and is called "dragon" because of his appearance and aggressive behaviour. The Komodo National Park being the only place in the World where Komodo dragons live is since 1991 a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Stamps:
Year of the Horse (whole set) (issued 15-01-2014)

Thank You very much Surfia!

Germany: Court Gardens in Würzburg

Today I got five postcards: three from Germany, one from Indonesia and one from Hong Kong.

One of the cards from Germany shows the Court Gardens in Würzburg in Bavaria. The Court Gardens are together with the Würzburg Residence and the Residence Square since 1981 a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Würzburg Residence is the largest and most beautiful Baroque palace in Germany and was built in the 18th century at the behest of the prince-bishops Lothar Franz and Friedrich Carl von Schönborn by an international team of architects, painters, sculptors and stucco-workers.

Stamp:
Easter (from set of two) (issued 01-03-2014)

Thank You very much Siggi!

Germany: Lübeck's Old Town

Today I got five postcards: three from Germany, one from Indonesia and one from Hong Kong.

One of the cards from Germany is a aerial view of Lübeck's Old Town. The Hanseatic city of Lübeck is located Schleswig-Holstein. Lübeck was once the major trading centre for northern Europe. The town gate in the fore ground is the famous Holstentor. Since 1987 is the Hanseatic City of Lübeck a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Stamp:
Easter (from set of two) (issued 01-03-2014)

Thank You very much Katja!

Germany: Rostock

Today I got five postcards: three from Germany, one from Indonesia and one from Hong Kong.

One of the cards from Germany is my first card from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. It is a multiview of Rostock. Rostock is a Hanseatic city at the Baltic Sea and the largest city of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. In Rostock is also a important port.

Stamp:
Glücksburg Castle (from set of two) (issued 02-01-2013)

Thank You very much Katja!

New Zealand: Kakapo

 Today I got two postcards: one from New Zealand and one from Spain.

The card from New Zealand shows a Kakapo. The Kakapo is a flightless and nocturnal parrot endemic to New Zealand. The Kakapo is also the heaviest parrot of the World. The Kakapo is endangered. The Kakapo on the card is called Sirocco. He is world-famous because of his cheeky antics. He is the ambassador for his species and New Zealand's official Spokesbird for Conversation.

Stamps:

New Zealand Coastlines-Castlepoint (from set of five) (issued 04-09-2013)

Construction of a Nation-Villa (from set of five) (issued 05-03-2014)

Thank You very much Sharon!

Spain: Park Güell

Today I got two postcards: one from Spain and one from New Zealand.

The card from Spain shows the Park Güell in Barcelona. The Park Güell is a garden complex with architectural elements created by Antoni Gaudí. It was built between 1900 and 1914 and is 17,18 ha big. Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926) was a Spanish architect. His Works in or near Barcelona are since 1984 a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Stamp:
Tourism (issued 02-01-2013)

Thank You very much Anja!

Singapore: Clarke Quay

Today I got two postcards: one from Singapore and one from Japan.

The card from Singapore shows the Clarke Quay. The Clarke Quay is a historical riverside quay in Singapore. Clarke Quay was named after Sir Andrew Clarke, Singapore's second Governor played a key role in positioning Singapore as the main port for the Malay states of Perak, Selangor and Sungei Ujong. Today five blocks of restored warehouses house various restaurants and nightclubs.

Stamps:
Ferns (whole set) (issued 26-02-2014)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Jeremy!

Japan: Anpanman

Today I got two postcards: one from Japan and one from Singapore.

The card from Japan shows Anpanman. Anpanman is a Japanese picture book series written by Takashi Yanase (1919-2013). The series runs from 1973 until the death of Takashi Yanase. There is also a anime adaptation called "Soreike! Anpanman" ("Let's Go! Anpanman"). The anime adaption started in 1988. The head of Anpanman is made of anpan (a bean-jam filled pastry) baked by Uncle Jam. The main-antagonist of Anpanman is Baikinman. In the anime there were 1,768 characters appearing in the first 980 episodes. Thus Anpanman is since 2009 a Guinness World Record Holder for the highest number of characters in an animated franchise.

Stamps:
Beetle (issued 28-11-1997)
Duck (issued 2010)

Thank You very much "lovelysunflower"!

Germany: Albrechtsburg in Meissen

Today I got five postcards: one from Germany, three from Cyprus and one from the USA.

The card from Germany shows the Albrechtsburg in Meissen. The Albrechtsburg is considered as the first castle in Germany. In 1710 Augustus II the Strong established the famous Meissen Porcelain Manufacture in the Albrechtsburg.

I got this postcard a few weeks ago in a cover.

With matching stamp:
Albrechtsburg (issued 01-03-2014)
with special postmark showing also the Albrechtsburg

Thank You very much Ute for sending me the card in an envelope!

USA: Giant Panda in San Diego

Today I got five postcards: one from the USA, one from Germany and three from Cyprus.

The card from the USA shows the Giant Panda at the San Diego Zoo. The San Diego Zoo is one biggest zoos of the World and the most visited zoo in the USA. The zoo was founded in 1916. The San Diego Zoo is the most successful in terms of panda reproduction in the USA.

Stamps:
Herbs-Flax (from set of five) (issued 07-04-2011)
Wind vanes (from set of five) (issued 20-01-2012)
Flags of Our Nation-Missouri (from set of ten) (issued 06-08-2009)

Thank You very much Mary!

Cyprus: Asinou Church

Today I got five postcards: three from Cyprus, one from the USA and one from Germany.

One of the cards from Cyprus shows the Asinou Church in the Troodos Mountain. The Asinou Church is as one of the Painted Churches in the Troodos Region since 1985 an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Stamps:
Refugee Fund (issued 2012)
Spanos and the Forty Dragons (from set of five) (issued 13-11-2013)

Thank You very much Nasia!

Cyprus: Tombs of the Kings

Today I got five postcards: three from Cyprus, one from the USA and one from Germany.

One of the cards from Cyprus shows the Tombs of the Kings in Paphos. Since 1980 are the Ruins of Paphos a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Stamps:
Refugee Fund (issued 2012)
Spanos and the Forty Dragons (two from set of five) (issued 13-11-2013)

Thank You very much Nasia!

Cyprus: Panagia Chrysorrogiatissa Monastery

Today I got five postcards: three from Cyprus, one from the USA and one from Germany.

One of the cards from Cyprus shows the Panagia Chrysorrogiatissa Monastery in Paphos.

Stamps:
Refugee Fund (issued 2012)
Spanos and the Forty Dragons (two from set of five) (issued 13-11-2013)

Thank You very much Nasia!

Japan: Hokkaido cards in a cover

Today I got not only a postcard from Taiwan but also a cover from Japan.

Stamps:

Definitive (issued 1997)

Japanese Castles (two from set of five) (issued 10-12-2013)

The stamps show the Nijo Castle and the Hikone Castle.

Inside were two postcards from Hokkaido. Hokkaido is second largest Japanese island and also a prefecture. One of them shows windmills.

The other card is one of the popular Gotochi cards. The Gotochi cards are designed by the Japanese Postal System and they show Japanese symbols on a national and regional level in a brightly coloured and funny cartoon. "Gotochi" means "local". Every prefecture has some different cards.

Inside were also a smaller envelope with three stamps inside and...

... some pieces of original Origami paper.

Thank You very much Yuko!

Taiwan: Taipei 101

Today I got a postcard from Taiwan.

The card from Taiwan shows the Taipei 101 in Taiwan's capital Taipei. The Taipei 101 (official: Taipei Financial Centre) is 508m high and was until 2007 the highest building of the World. It has 101 floors. It was built between 1999 and 2004. At the bottom of the Taipei 101 is the biggest shopping centre in Taiwan.

Stamps:
Year of the Snake (from set of three) (issued 03-12-2012)
Year of the Horse (from set of three) (issued 02-12-2013)

Thank You very much Wanyao!

New Zealand: Tongariro National Park

Today I got a great postcard from New Zealand.

The card shows the Mount Ruapehu. The Mount Ruapehu is an active volcano and 2797m high. It is the highest volcano in New Zealand and the highest point on the North Island. It is one of three active volcanoes in the Tongariro National Park. The Tongariro National Park is the oldest national park in New Zealand and the fourth-oldest in the World. The Mountains in the park have cultural and religious significance for the Maori people. The Tongariro National Park is since 1990 a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is a Mixed Site so it is Natural and Cultural Heritage.

With nice stamps:
Royal Baby (from set of four) (issued 11-09-2013)
On 22nd July Duchess Catherine gave birth to her first child with Prince William. The full name of the child is George Alexander Louis. He is the third in line of the succession of the British Throne. The stamp shows Prince George with his parents.
Queen Elizabeth II - 60th Anniversary of the Coronation (from set of six) (issued 08-05-2013)
The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth took place at the Westminster Abbey in London on 2 June 1953. The stamp shows a portrait of Queen Elizabeth painted by Mrs Mary Gillick in 1953. It was used on coins. To resemble coins the stamps has been created using hotstamp foil and multiple-level embossing.
Honey Bees (from set of five) (issued 03-07-2013)
Honey bees are kept in New Zealand for more than 150 years. In 1913 the National Beekeepers' Association of New Zealand was founded. The honey bee plays a crucial role in horticulture and agriculture, New Zealand's primary industry. The stamp shows a bee collecting nectar.

Thank You very much Sharon!