Switzerland: Air Force

Yesterday arrived my order from the Swiss Post.

Among some stamps and FDCs I also bought a set of two maxicards. The maxicards celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Swiss Air Force.

Although the Swiss authorities first did not wanted an air force the pilot Theodor Real was instructed to arrange an air force after World War I broke out. He first confiscated three air planes shown at an exhibition in Bern and in 1915 the Federal Council ordered six air planes at the Swiss Federal Constructions Works in Thun. During World War I the Air Force was not used very often. 

Switzerland stayed neutral during World War I but was bordered from 1915 only by belligerent nations. Although Switzerland was not invaded it had big internal problems caused by the occupation of its borders.

I also bought a single mint stamp about the 125th anniversary of the Swiss Field Post.
During World War I single companies started to produce their own soldier stamps. Field Post was sent free of charge.

Vietnam: Hanoi

Today I got three postcards: one from Vietnam and two from France.

The card from Vietnam shows Hanoi. Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam.

Stamps:
Year of the Dragon (whole set) (issued 01-12-2011)

Thank You very much Phan!

France: Mers-les-Bains

Today I got three postcards: two from France and one from Vietnam.

One of the cards from France shows Mers-les-Bains. Mers-les-Bains is a commune in the Somme department.

Stamp:
Evariste de Parny (issued 10-11-2014)

Thank You very much William!

France: Le Tréport

Today I got three postcards: two from France and one from Vietnam.

One of the cards from France shows Le Tréport. 

Stamps:
New Marianne 0,10€
Salon philatélique de printemps in Mâcon (issued 08-04-2013)

Thank You very much William!

New Zealand: Smaug with new Hobbit stamps

Today I got a great maxicard from New Zealand.

The card shows the Dragon Smaug from the The Hobbit film series. The The Hobbit film series is based on J.R.R. Tolkien's 1937 published book The Hobbit and consists of three movies aired between 2012 and 2014. This year's film is called The Battle of the Five Armies and will be released on 1st December in London. In German cinemas it will be on air from the 10th December onwards.

With nice related stamps:
The Hobbit-Smaug and Gandalf (two from set of seven) (issued 12-11-2014)

Thank You very much Sharon!

Guernsey: Saint Peter Port

Today I got eight postcards: my first two cards from Guernsey, two from Germany, one from Brazil, one from Japan, one from Vietnam and one from Egypt.

One of the cards from Guernsey shows various views of the harbour in Saint Peter Port.

With a great stamp:
Christmas (from set of seven) (issued 06-11-2014)
This year's Christmas stamps of Guernsey and Alderney were created by local school children. This stamp was created by the ten-year-old Ruby Parker.

Thank You very much Denise!

Guernsey: Saint Peter Port with Postcrossing stamp

Today I got eight postcards: my first two cards from Guernsey, two from Germany, one from Brazil, one from Japan, one from Vietnam and one from Egypt.

Guernsey is the second-largest Channel Island. Guernsey is neither a part of the European Union nor of the United Kingdom, but a British Crown Dependency. Guernsey issues it's own stamps since 1958.

One of the cards shows the Fishermans Quay in Guernsey's capital Saint Peter Port.

Stamp:
Postcrossing (issued 28-05-2014)

Thank You very much Denise!

Egypt: Egyptian Museum in Cairo

Today I got eight postcards: one from Egypt, my first two cards from Guernsey, two from Germany, one from Brazil, one from Japan and one from Vietnam.

The card from Egypt shows a statue at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The Egyptian Museum has a collection of 120000 items of the ancient Egyptian history. It houses the World’s largest collection of Pharaonic antiquities. It was founded in 1835 by the Egyptian government and in 1902 it made its final move to the current building at the Tahrir Square after it already had moved twice.

Stamp:
Definitive (from set of three) (issued 07-10-2013)

Thank You very much Lilly!

Vietnam: Trang An

Today I got eight postcards: one from Vietnam, one from Egypt, my first two cards from Guernsey, two from Germany, one from Brazil and one from Japan.

The card from Vietnam shows a view of the Trang An Landscape Complex. The Trang An Landscape Complex is a landscape of limestone karst peaks and has archaeological traces of human activity dating back almost 30000 years. Since 2014 is the Trang An Landscape Complex on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamps:
Year of the Tiger (whole set) (issued 01-12-2009)

Thank You very much Phan!

Japan: Guri and Gura

Today I got eight postcards: one from Japan, one from Vietnam, one from Egypt, my first two cards from Guernsey, two from Germany and one from Brazil. 

The card from Japan shows a picture of Guri and Gura. Guri and Gura is a Japanese children's book written by Yuriko Yamawaki.

With a matching stamp:
Season's memories (from set of ten) (issued 20-11-2014)
with a First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Keiko!

Brazil: Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Congonhas

Today I got eight postcards: one from Brazil, one from Japan, one from Vietnam, one from Egypt, my first two cards from Guernsey and two from Germany. 

The card from Brazil shows the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Congonhas. The Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Congonhas was built in the second half of the 18th century. The church has a Rococo interior and an outdoor stairway decorated with statues of the prophets. Since 1985 is the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Congonhas on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

With nice stamps:
Definitives
Cristo Redentor
Prehistoric Animals (from set of four) (issued 12-10-2014)
The dinosaur is scaly.

Thank You very much Silvia!

Germany: Deutsches Eck in Koblenz

Today I got eight postcards: two from Germany, one from Brazil, one from Japan, one from Vietnam, one from Egypt and my first two cards from Guernsey. 

One of the cards from Germany shows the Deutsches Eck in Koblenz in Rhineland-Palatinate. The Deutsches Eck is an artificial spit of land at the confluence of Mosel and Rhine with a big monument for Emperor William I. It is the starting point of the 2002 created UNESCO World Heritage Site Upper Middle Rhine Valley.

I got this card a few weeks ago in an envelope.

Stamp:
Stolzenfels Castle (issued 02-01-2014)
with a special postmark about the 225th birth anniversary of Peter Joseph Lenné

Thank You very much Mirko for sending me the card in a cover!

Germany: Gelsenkirchen

Today I got eight postcards: two from Germany, one from Brazil, one from Japan, one from Vietnam, one from Egypt and my first two cards from Guernsey. 

One of the cards from Germany shows Gelsenkirchen. Gelsenkirchen is the eleventh-largest town of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Stamp:
500 years Gallimarkt in Leer (issued 09-10-2008)

Thank You very much Klaus!

Germany: map

Today I got a great postcard from Germany.

The card shows a map of Germany divided into States, eight famous sights and cities of Germany and the coat of arms of all 16 States and of the federation. From 1952 to 1957 Germany was made up of the nine States Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Bremen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. In 1957 joined the Saarland the federation and in 1990 the former GDR with the states Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and Saxony joined the Federal Republic of Germany. Berlin was during the division of Germany neither a part of the Federal Republic nor of the GDR. Berlin, Bremen and Hamburg are city states while the other 13 are area states. The States have their own legislative, judiciary and executive. Germany is bordered by Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium and by the Netherlands. Germany is a member of the EU, of the UN, of the OECD, of the the NATO and of the G7. The capital of Germany was until 1990 Bonn in North Rhine-Westphalia and is since then Berlin. The biggest cities of Germany are Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne and Frankfurt am Main. 

Stamp:
Janosch (from set of two) (issued 01-03-2013)

Thank you very much Sandra!

Germany: Berlin Wall

Today I got five postcards: two from Germany and three from the United Kingdom.

One of the cards from Germany shows the Berlin Wall. The Berlin Wall was built in 1961 by the Socialist Government of the GDR to prevent the escape of East German inhabitants to the Western part of Berlin. It was 156km long and divided Berlin until 1989. It became a symbol of the Cold War. On 9th November 1989 it was opened after big protests in the GDR. 

I got this card a few weeks ago in an envelope.

With nice related stamps:
20th anniversary of the border opening between Hungary and Austria (issued 03-09-2009)
with a special postmark about the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall
It is a joint issue with Austria and Hungary.
In 1989 the Hungary opened its border with Austria and in this way it cut a hole in the Iron Curtain. 
Gendarmenmarkt (from set of two) (issued 07-02-2013)
with another postmark on the same occasion
On 2nd October 1990 the government of the GDR celebrated its last state ceremony on the Gendarmenmarkt.

Thank You very much Marcel for sending me the card in a cover!

United Kingdom: Palace of Westminster

Today I got five postcards: three from the United Kingdom and two from Germany.

One of the cards from the United Kingdom shows the Palace of Westminster and the Elisabeth Tower in London. The Palace of Westminster is also known as the Houses of Parliament as it houses the House of Commons and the House of Lords. The Palace of Westminster was rebuilt from 1840 onwards as example of the neo-Gothic architecture after it was destroyed by a fire. Together with the Westminster Abbey and the Saint Margaret’s Church is the Palace of Westminster since 1987 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamps:
Queen's head
World War I Centenary (from set of six) (issued 28-07-2014)
The stamp shows a poppy. The poppy became quick a symbol of the World War I as it bloomed on the battle fields. It symbolises both the blood of the wounded men and the fragility of life. 

Thank You very much Federica!

United Kingdom: River Thames

Today I got five postcards: three from the United Kingdom and two from Germany.

One of the cards from the United Kingdom shows a view across the River Thames flowing through London. The River Thames is the second longest river in the United Kingdom and connects London with the North Sea.

Stamps:
Queen's head
World War I Centenary (from set of six) (issued 28-07-2014)
The stamp shows Private William Cecil Tickle. Like many other young men he enlisted in 1914 for the World War I. He died during the Battle of the Somme. 

Thank You very much Federica!

United Kingdom: Piccadilly Circus

Today I got five postcards: three from the United Kingdom and two from Germany.

One of the cards from the United Kingdom shows the Piccadilly Circus in London. The Piccadilly Circus was finished in 1819 and is today a highly frequented centre of London.

Stamp:
Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games (from set of six) (issued 17-07-2014)

Thank You very much Federica!

Germany: Nie wieder Krieg!

Today I got five postcards: two from Germany and three from the United Kingdom.

One of the cards from Germany shows again the poster "Nie wieder Krieg!" by Käthe Kollwitz.

Stamp:
EUROPA (issued 03-05-2007)

Thank You very much Klaus!

Germany: Meissen Porcelain

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

The card from Germany shows a collection of Meissen Porcelain. The Meissen Porcelain Manufacture was founded in 1710 by Augustus II the Strong as Europe's first porcelain manufacture. From the foundation until 1863 it was housed in the Albrechtsburg in Meissen and then it moved to an own factory. 

Stamp:
Dresden (from set of two) (issued 03-04-2014)

Thank You very much Klaus!

Singapore: Gardens by the Bay

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

The card from Singapore shows again the Gardens by the Bay.

With nice stamps:
Relation with Liechtenstein (whole set) (issued 10-11-2014)
It is a joint issue with Liechtenstein.

Thank You very much Jeremy!

Brazil: Brasilia

Today I got two postcards: one from Brazil and one from Hong Kong.

The card from Brazil shows the Panteão da Pátria e da Liberdade Tancredo Neves and the monument Dos Candangos in Brasilia. Brasilia was founded in 1960 and was built from 1956 onwards by Lúcio Costa and Oscar Niemeyer to serve as Brazil's new capital after Rio de Janeiro. The city is shaped like a bird in flight. Since 1987 is Brasilia on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

With great stamps:
Definitive
Prehistoric Animals (from set of four) (issued 12-10-2014)
Sesquicentenary of the Presbyterian Church (issued 12-01-2012)
On the stamp digital illustration technique was used creating an effect of glass. 

Thank You very much Silvia!

Hong Kong: Christmas Maxicard

Today I got two postcards: one from Hong Kong and one from Brazil.

The card from Hong Kong is a maxicard of the new Christmas stamps. The Christmas stamp set was issued 04-11-2014 and consists of four stamps. This stamp shows a snowman.

With the same nice stamp on the back

Thank You very much Joe!

Germany: Aachen Cathedral

Today I got three postcards: two from Germany and one from Spain.

One of the cards from Germany shows the Aachen Cathedral. The Aachen Cathedral was built from 796 onwards by Emperor Charlemagne and is one of the best examples of the Carolingian Renaissance. During the Middle Ages it was enlarged. Since 1978 is the Aachen Cathedral as first German Site on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamp:
500 years Town Hall of Frankenberg (issued 02-01-2009)

Thank You very much Klaus!