Italy: Siena

****** Happy New Year! ******

Today I got four postcards: one from Italy, one from Germany, one from Myanmar and one from Malaysia.

The card from Italy shows the Piazza del Campo in Siena. Siena is a city in Tuscany. It is known for its well preserved Gothic architecture from the Middle Ages and the horse race Palio. In 1225 it became the capital of the Republic of Siena and today it is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Italy. The Historic Centre of Siena is since 1995 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

2016 ends like it had started, with a UNESCO World Heritage Site from Italy. ^___^

With a great stamp:
Rocca di Calascio (issued 31-10-1993)
Atleta di Fano (issued 25-11-2016)

Thank You very much Irene!

Malaysia: Kelam Cave

Today I got four postcards: one from Malaysia, one from Italy, one from Germany and one from Myanmar.

The card from Malaysia shows the Kelam Cave. The Kelam Cave, which is also known as Cave of Darkness, is a cave near the small town of Kaki Bukit in the Malaysian State of Perlis. The waterpath in the cave was once used to transport tin ore, but today it is a popular tourist destination.

Stamp:
Reign of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdul Halim of Kedah (from set of three) (issued 12-12-2016)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much SL!

Myanmar: Bagan

Today I got four postcards: one from Myanmar, one from Malaysia, one from Italy and one from Germany.

The card from Myanmar shows Buddhist monks in Bagan.

EDIT:

Bagan is one of the new UNESCO World Heritage Sites of 2019.

Stamp:
Government Buildings (from set of two) (issued 16-06-2011)

Thank You very much Jobbo!

I am wishing you a Happy New Year! ^___^

Germany: Eurotower

Today I got four postcards: one from Germany, one from Myanmar, one from Malaysia and one from Italy.

The card from Germany shows the Eurotower in Frankfurt am Main. The Eurotower was built between 1971 and 1977 according to plans of Richard Heil. Between 1998 and 2015 it housed the seat of the European Central Bank.

Stamp:
Saxon Switzerland (issued 02-06-2016)

Thank You very much Kate!

Malaysia: Girl Guides

On Wednesday I got two postcards: one from Malaysia and one from Belarus.

The card from Malaysia was printed to commemorate the Centenary of the Malaysian Girl Guides Association. The Malaysian Girl Guides Association, Persatuan Pandu Puteri Malaysia, was founded in 1916 and today has around 70000 members. Since 1960 it is a member of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.

With a matching stamp:
Centenary of the Malaysian Girl Guides Association (from set of three) (issued 09-12-2016)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Shaliza!

Belarus: Minsk Jubilee

On Wednesday I got two postcards: one from Belarus and one from Malaysia.

The card from Belarus shows an old painting of Minsk. Minsk was first mentioned in 1067 and in 1499 it got town privileges. Under Russian rule in the 19th century the city became a railway and manufacturing hub. In 1919 it became the capital of the Belorussian SSR, one of the founding republics of the Soviet Union. Since 1991 is Minsk the capital of Belarus and the administrative centre of the Commonwealth of Independent States. In 2014 it hosted the IIHF World Championship and in 2019 it will host the European Games.

The card was printed to commemorate the 950th anniversary of the first written reference to Minsk in 2017.

Stamp:
EUROPA (from set of two) (issued 05-04-2016)

Thank You very much Natalia!

Myanmar: General Post Office of Yangon

Today I got two postcards: one from Myanmar and one from South Korea.

The card from Myanmar shows the General Post Office of Yangon. Yangon is the largest city of Myanmar. Until 2005 it was also the country's capital, but then the State Peace and Development Council decided to move the capital to Naypyidaw. Today the city is still Myanmar's economic centre and the capital of Yangon Region. Compared to other cities in the region Yangon has many colonial buildings, but also an undeveloped infrastructure. 

The General Post Office is housed in one of the many colonial buildings. It was moved to its current location in 1936 after its older building had been destroyed by an earthquake. The building is today under monumental protection.

The card was posted at the General Post Office itself.
Stamps:
National Convention (from set of three) (issued 13-08-2007)
27th SEA Games (from set of eight) (issued 02-09-2013)

Thank You very much Jobbo!

South Korea: Christmas Greetings

Today I got two postcards: one from South Korea and one from Myanmar.

The card from South Korea is a Christmas card.

On the backside there are two special postmarks, one about the DMZ and one about the Year of the Rooster.
With a great stamp:
Crinum asiaticum (issued 03-02-2006)
Year of the Rooster (from set of two) (issued 01-12-2016)
The stamp was printed with Gold Hot Foiling, Holographic Foil and Embossing.

Thank You very much Sarah!

Bundesländer - German Landmark Series by Papersisters

Recently I ordered the German Landmark postcards from Papersisters (one card for every state) and I am so happy that I finally have them. In the next months I will try to send them all to myself from the depicted state, either I will have to visit the state or will get a special postmark.  ^____^

Frohe Weihnachten!

Merry Christmas to Everyone!

Perfect in time for Christmas my self-sent postcards came back with special postmarks.

The first one shows a Bauble. Baubles were first produced in the German town Lauscha in 1847 and soon became an export hit. Today they belong to the most popular Christmas ornaments. 

With a matching stamp:
Christmas (issued 30-11-2016)
with a special postmark from Bodenmais

The second one shows a beautiful Christmas illustration.

Stamp:
Annunciation to the Shepherds (issued 02-11-2016)
with a special postmark about the 50th anniversary of the Christmas Post Office in St Nikolaus

Belarus: Wild Boar

Yesterday I got a postcard from Belarus.

It shows a Wild Boar. The Wild Boar is a suid, which was actually native to Eurasia. The human also introduced it to North America and Australia, making it today one of the widest-ranging mammals in the World. It the ancestor of most domestic pig breeds and was used as big-game animal for millennia.

Stamps:
Definitives (three from set of sixteen) (issued 06-07-2016)

Thank You very much Maria!

Germany: RevuePalast Ruhr

On Wednesday I got two postcards from Germany.

One of them shows the RevuePalast Ruhr. The RevuePalast Ruhr is a travesty theatre in Herten. It was opened in the former Ewald Colliery in 2009. 

Stamp:
Saxon Switzerland (issued 02-06-2016)

Thank You very much Marcel!

Germany: Universum in Bremen

On Wednesday I got two postcards from Germany.

One of them shows the Universum in Bremen. The Universum is a science museum near Bremen's University. It was opened in 2000.

Stamp:
Lighthouses (from set of two) (issued 07-07-2016)

Thank You very much Claas!

cover from Germany

On Wednesday I got not only two postcards but also a cover from Germany.

Stamp:

Legends of the German TV - Raumpatroullie Orion (issued 01-09-2016)

Inside were three German postcards.

Two of them show the Grand Church of Emden. The Grand Church of Emden is an important site of the Reformation and the East Frisian history. Between 1542 and 1549 John a Lasco was pastor of the church. The church was destroyed during World War II, but in its remains the John a Lasco Library is found today.

The other card shows the Synagogue of Leer. The Synagogue of Leer was built in 1885. It was destroyed during the Pogroms of 1938 and was never rebuilt. Today there is a memorial near its former location.

Thank You very much Deike!

Taiwan: Xiaoyoukeng

On Monday I got two postcards: one from Taiwan and one from Germany.

The card from Taiwan shows Xiaoyoukeng. Xiaoyoukeng is a post-volcanic geological park in the Yangmingshan National Park. It is known for its hot springs and sulphur crystals.

The stamp on the front side celebrates the Year of the Rooster (issued 01-12-2016) and was cancelled with a special postmark.

On the backside there is the complete set of the Year of the Rooster stamps.

Thank You very much Reuen!

Germany: Die Weser

On Monday I got two postcards: one from Germany and one from Taiwan.

The card from Germany shows Die Weser. Die Weser was the first steam ship constructed by a German shipbuilder. It was launched on 31st December 1816. Until it was decommissioned in 1833, it connected Bremen and Brake. 

With a matching stamp:
200 years Die Weser (issued 08-12-2016)
with a special postmark from Brake

Christmas Greetings from Russia and Indonesia

On Saturday I got two Christmas postcards: one from Russia and one from Indonesia.

Thank You very much Anastasia and Shinta! I am wishing you both a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! ^___^

Taiwan: Mailboxes sent from Postcrossing Meet-up

On Friday I got a postcard from Taiwan.

It shows two mailboxes of Chunghwa Post. Chunghwa Post is the postal operator of the Republic of China on Taiwan. It was founded in 1878 as Customs Post Office of the Qing Empire and is known as Chunghwa Post since 1912. International mail from and to Taiwan has to be sent through third-party countries, as the Republic of China was excluded from the Universal Postal Union in 1972. 

The card was signed during the 6th Taiwan Postcrossing Meet-up. On the backside are also the Postcrossing meter cancellation and the Postcrossing special postmark.

Thank You very much Yuju!

cover from the USA

On Friday I got not only a postcard but also a cover from the USA.

Stamps:

Quilled Paper Heart (issued 12-01-2016)

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly (issued 01-06-2015)

Inside were five postcards from the US State of Oregon.

Three of the cards show Portland. Portland is the largest city of Oregon and the state's economic centre. It is recognized as one of the World's most environmentally conscious cities and is nicknamed as City of Roses.

Another card shows the Crater Lake National Park. The Crater Lake National Park was founded in 1902. It is the fifth-oldest national park in the USA and the only national park in Oregon. The commemorative Oregon State Quarter shows the national park. The eponymous Crater Lake was formed by the collapse of the volcano Mount Mazama and is the deepest lake in the USA.

The last card shows the Multnomah Falls.

Thank You very much Randy!