Germany: Ettal Abbey

Yesterday I got a postcard from Germany.

It shows the Ettal Abbey in the German State of Bavaria. The Ettal Abbey is a Benedictine abbey and was founded in 1330. Today it is one of the largest Benedictine houses. It is also a popular tourist attraction.

Stamp:
Lighthouses (from set of two) (issued 03-07-2014)

Thank You very much Sieglinde!

cover from Russia

Yesterday I got not only a postcard from Germany but also a cover from Russia.

Stamps:

International Children’s Centre “Artek” (issued 16-06-2015)

Russian Kremlins (from set of twelve) (issued 01-10-2009)

Inside were a maxicard and many mint Russian stamps.
The maxicard shows the logo of the Russian Post. The stamp was issued on 23rd July 2015.

One stamp set from the cover is about the Centenary of World War I. The four stamps (issued 03-08-2015) show men who were awarded the St George’s Cross, the highest military award in the Russian Empire. The featured men are Konstantin Iosifovich Nedorubov, Ivan Vladimirovich Tyulenev, Nikolai Ivanovich Ulanov and Ivan Lukich Kizhnyak.
The other stamps you can see here.

Thank You very much Nikolay!

Spain: Modernisme in Barcelona

Yesterday I got two postcards from Spain.

One of them shows various buildings in Barcelona built in the style of the Modernisme. The Modernisme was an art and literature movement from Catalonia, which is especially known for its architecture. It was active from 1888 to 1911. The best known architects of the Modernisme were Antoni Gaudí, Lluís Domènech i Montaner and Josep Puig i Cadafalch. The Works of Antoni Gaudí, including the Casa Milà (upper row left), the Sagrada Família (upper row middle), the Park Güell (upper row right) and the Casa Batlló (lower row right), are since 1984 on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Palau de la Música Catalana (lower row middle), which was created by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, is together with the Hospital de Sant Pau since 1997 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamps:
Museo de Guadalajara (issued 12-03-2014)
50 years SEPI (issued 10-03-2014)
100 years Spanish Submarines (issued 20-02-2015)

Thank You very much William!

Spain: Alcázar of Seville

Yesterday I got two postcards from Spain.

One of them shows the Ambassadors Hall at Seville's Alcázar. The Alcázar of Seville was built as residence of Moorish Muslim kings. Today it is still the official residence of the Spanish kings if they are in Seville and is thus the oldest European royal palace still in use. The Alcázar of Seville is together with the Seville Cathedral and the General Archive of the Indies since 1987 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamps:
Definitives (three from set of five) (issued 19-01-2015)
EUROPA (issued 23-04-2013)

Thank You very much William!

Austria: Semmering Railway

On Friday I got three cards: one from Austria, one from the USA and one from Germany.

The card from Austria shows the Semmering Railway in the Austrian State of Styria. The Semmering Railway was built between 1848 and 1854 under Carl von Ghega and is the first mountain railway in Europe built with a standard gauge track. On the 41km long line there are 14 tunnels, 16 viaducts and more than 100 bridges. Today it is still in use as part of the Southern Railway of the Austrian Federal Railways. Since 1998 is the Semmering Railway on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamp:
Christmas Tree (issued 13-11-2015)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Marco!

Germany: Hambach Festival

On Friday I got three cards: one from Germany, one from Austria and one from the USA.

The card from Germany was printed for the 175th anniversary of the Hambach Festival in 2007. The Hambach Festival was a German national democratic festival celebrated in 1832 at Hambach Castle. The Hambach Castle is today used as museum and got the European Heritage Label in 2014.

Stamp:
Chiemsee (from set of two) (issued 01-07-2015)

Thank You very much Tanja!

USA: The Peanuts

On Friday I got three cards: one from the USA, one from Germany and one from Austria.

The card from the USA shows various characters from The Peanuts. The Peanuts is an American series of comic strips by Charles M. Schulz. The series was published between 1950 and the author's death in 2000. Schulz enacted that the series should not be continued after his death. The series is about the inconsistency of the human life and is played by suburban kids. The featured characters are Charlie Brown, Lucy, Woodstock, Snoopy and Franklin.

With matching stamps:
Uncle Sam (from set of two) (issued 09-11-1998)
A Charlie Brown Christmas (two from set of ten) (issued 01-10-2015)
with First Day Special Postmark
A Charlie Brown Christmas was the first animated special featuring characters from Charles Schulz's comic. It aired for the first time on CBS in 1965. Today it is shown on ABC every year. The stamps show Charlie Brown checking his mailbox for a Christmas card and Linus kneeling by a sparsely decorated Christmas tree.

Thank You very much Pei!

New Zealand: Hooker Valley and Aoraki

On Thursday I got two postcards from New Zealand.

One of them shows the Hooker Valley and Aoraki. Aoraki or also known as Mount Cook is a mountain located within the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park on the South Island. It is the highest mountain of New Zealand. Since 1990 is the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park as part of the Te Wahipounamu on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamps:
New Zealand's UNESCO World Heritage Sites (from set of six) (issued 05-08-2015)
Native Seashells (from set of five) (issued 06-05-2015)

Thank You very much Norma!

New Zealand: Franz Josef Glacier

On Thursday I got two postcards from New Zealand.

One of them shows the Franz Josef Glacier. The Franz Josef Glacier is a glacier on New Zealand's South Island on the western side of the Southern Alps in the Westland Tai Poutini National Park. It is named after the Austrian Emperor Franz Josef I. Today it is a mayor tourist attraction on New Zealand's West Coast. Since 1990 is the Westland Tai Poutini National Park as part of the Te Wahipounamu on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamps:
New Zealand's UNESCO World Heritage Sites (from set of six) (issued 05-08-2015)
Matariki (from set of six) (issued 03-06-2015)

Thank You very much Norma!

cover from Japan

On Thursday I got not only two postcards but also a cover from Japan.

Inside was a written and stamped postcard.

It shows a train in Japan.

With a matching stamp:
Railroad (from set of twenty) (issued 09-10-2015)

Thank You very much Keiko!

Réunion: Bassin des Aigrettes

Yesterday I got seven postcards including my first card from Réunion.

Réunion is an island in the Indian Ocean. It is an overseas department and region of France and an integral part of the republic. It is also the outermost region of the European Union and of the Eurozone. 

Réunion is the hundredth country from which I got a postcard!

It shows the Bassin des Aigrettes.

Réunion uses French stamps.

Thank You very much Virginie!

Sweden: Christmas Market in Stockholm

Yesterday I got seven postcards including one from Sweden

It shows a Christmas Market in Stockholm. During Christmas time there are many different Christmas Markets in Sweden's capital, this card shows the one in the old town.

Stamps:
Flora (from set of four) (issued 27-03-2008)
Christmas (two from set of six) (issued 12-11-2015)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Doris!

Japan: Museum of Modern Art in Saitama

Yesterday I got seven postcards including two from Japan.

One of the cards from Japan shows the Museum of Modern Art in Saitama. 

Stamps:
Sushi (from set of two) (issued 29-10-2015)
Classic Pooh (from set of ten) (issued 06-11-2015)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Keiko!

Japan: Porco Rosso

Yesterday I got seven postcards including two from Japan.

One of the cards from Japan shows a scene from the animated Studio Ghibli movie Porco Rosso.

Stamp:
Establishment of Tsunami Preparedness Day (issued 01-11-2015)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Keiko!

Germany: Chemnitz

Yesterday I got seven postcards including three from Germany.

One of the cards from Germany shows various views of Chemnitz. Chemnitz is the third largest city in the German State of Saxony and one of the thirty largest cities in Germany. It was once an important centre of industry. Between 1953 and 1990 it was known as Karl-Marx-Stadt. The card shows among others the Karl Marx Monument (lower row middle) and the Petrified Forest (lower row right).

Stamp:
Centenary of the Schachtschleuse Minden (issued 02-10-2014)

Thank You very much Sieglinde!

Germany: Bonn

Yesterday I got seven postcards including three from Germany.

One of the cards from Germany shows various views of Bonn.

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

With a nice stamp:
EUROPA (issued 12-05-2000)
It is the first of many German stamps issued in German Mark and Euro.
with a special postmark about the 30th anniversary of the European Flag

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

Germany: Bundeswehr

Yesterday I got seven postcards including three from Germany.

One of the cards from Germany is an ad card about the 60th anniversary of the Bundeswehr. The Bundeswehr is the armed forces of Germany. It was formed in 1955 and has its headquarters in Bonn and Berlin. The Commander in-Chief is the Federal Minister of Defence, but after declaration of state of defence it is the Federal Chancellor. The Bundeswehr has a strength of around 180000 soldiers and is thus the second strongest in the European Union in terms of personnel. 

I got this card in my hometown.

With a matching stamp:
Bundeswehr - In Mission for Germany (issued 06-06-2013)
with a special postmark celebrating also the 60th anniversary of the Bundeswehr

Spain: Park Güell

On Tuesday I got two postcards: one from Spain and one from Germany.

The card from Spain shows the Park Güell in Barcelona.

With a great stamp:
EUROPA (issued 23-04-2015)
The stamp smells of wood.

Thank You very much William!

Germany: Bust of Queen Nefertiti

On Tuesday I got two postcards: one from Germany and one from Spain.

The card from Germany shows the Bust of Queen Nefertiti. The Bust of Queen Nefertiti was discovered by a German archaeological team in Egypt in 1912 and was then sent to Germany. Since then it was shown in various locations in Germany and is since 2009 a main attraction of the New Museum on Berlin's Museum Island. It is one of the most famous pieces of art from Ancient Egypt.

Stamp:
500th birthday of Lucas Cranach the Younger (issued 01-10-2015)

Thank You very much Sieglinde!

Andorra: Ordino

Today I got a postcard from Andorra.

It shows various views of Ordino. Ordino is a town in the centre of Andorra. It is the main town of the parish of Ordino and the seventh largest town of Andorra.

Stamp:
EUROPA (issued 09-05-2015)

Thank You very much William!

Spain: Tower of Hercules

Yesterday I got five postcards: one from Spain, one from Andorra, one from France, one from Germany and one from Hong Kong.

The card from Spain shows the Tower of Hercules in A Coruña in Galicia. The Tower of Hercules is a Roman lighthouse, that was built in the 2nd century. It is said that it was built at the place where Hercules defeated the giant tyrant Geryon. Since 2009 is the Tower of Hercules on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamp:
Harley-Davidson (from set of two) (issued 17-07-2014)

Thank You very much Alba!

Hong Kong: Southern Koala at the Ocean Park

Yesterday I got five postcards: one from Hong Kong, one from Spain, one from Andorra, one from France and one from Germany.

The card from Hong Kong shows a Southern Koala at the Ocean Park. The Southern Koala is housed at the Adventures in Australia at the Ocean Park.

The card is prepaid and was cancelled with a First Day Special Postmark.

Thank You very much Joe!

Germany: Berlin Victory Column

Yesterday I got five postcards: one from Germany, one from Hong Kong, one from Spain, one from Andorra and one from France.

The card from Germany shows the Berlin Victory Column in winter. The Berlin Victory Column was built between 1864 and 1873. When the construction started it was built to commemorate the Prussian victory in the Danish-Prussian War, but until it was finished Prussia also defeated Austria and France, so it was since then used to remember all three unification wars. Today it is one of the most important sights of Berlin.

I bought the card when I recently visited Berlin.

Stamps:
Christmas (issued 02-11-2015)
Presenting Joy (issued 02-11-2015)
with First Day Special Postmarks