Taiwan: Gaomei Wetlands

Last Monday I got a postcard from Taiwan.

It shows the Gaomei Wetlands. The Gaomei Wetlands are a protected wetland area in Taichung. 

Stamp:
120th Anniversary of the Chinese Postal Service (from set of two) (issued 18-03-2016)

Thank You very much Keiko!

cover from Germany

Last Monday I got not only a postcard but also a cover from Germany.

Stamp:

Chocolate Cosmos (issued 03-12-2015)

with a special postmark about the Centenary of the Free State of Bavaria

Germany: Old Synagogue of Essen

On Saturday I got two postcards: one from Germany and one from New Zealand.

The card from Germany shows the Old Synagogue of Essen. The Old Synagogue of Essen was built between 1911 and 1913. It is one of the largest, best preserved and architecturally most impressive testimonies to Jewish culture in pre-war Germany. Today it is used as cultural meeting place and museum.

Stamp:
200 years University of Bonn (issued 01-02-2018)

Thank You very much Marcel!

New Zealand: Dog

On Saturday I got two postcards: one from New Zealand and one from Germany.

The card from New Zealand shows an illustration of a dog.

With matching stamps:
Dogs (from set of three) (issued 04-08-1982)
Year of the Dog (from set of four) (issued 10-01-2018)

Thank You very much Sharon!

France: Lille

On Friday I got a postcard from France.

It shows various views of Lille. Lille is a big city in French Flanders in northern France near the border with Belgium.

Stamps:
Marianne 0,10€
Poinet de Tulle (from set of two) (issued 09-11-2017)
with a special postmark from the philatelic shop in Lille

Thank You very much William!

New Zealand: Abel Tasman National Park

On Thursday I got a postcard from New Zealand.

It shows the coastline in the Abel Tasman National Park on the South Island. The Abel Tasman National Park is the smallest national park in New Zealand and was established in 1942, 300 years after Abel Tasman, the first European on New Zealand, anchored nearby in Golden Bay. It is known for its bays with clear water and granite cliffs and as habitat of waterfowl.

Stamps:
Surf Breaks (from set of five) (issued 07-06-2017)
Yachting (from set of four) (issued 02-02-1987)
Marine Environment (from set of three) (issued 25-07-1979)

Thank You very much Sharon!

Thailand: Maxicards

On Wednesday I got two maxicards from Thailand which were fixed together by tape.

The first maxicard was printed for the Year of the Dog. The stamp was issued on 1st January 2018.

The second maxicard was printed for the National Children's Day. The stamp is from a set of four and was issued on 13th January 2018.

Stamps:
King Bhumibol (from set of fourteen) (issued 10-10-2010)
Definitive (from set of nine) (issued 14-08-2017)

Thank You very much Cherry!

cover from Germany

On Wednesday I got a cover from Germany. It is prepaid and was issued to commemorate the Centenary of the Nobel Prize for Max Planck. I used it to get a special postmark from Kiel.

Germany: University of Bonn

Last Saturday I got a postcard from Germany.

It shows the University of Bonn. The University of Bonn was founded in 1818 by the Prussian King Frederick William III and today it is considered to be one of the best universities in Germany. Famous alumni include Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, Konrad Adenauer and Pope Benedict XVI.

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

With matching stamps:
200 years University of Bonn (issued 01-02-2018)
with two different special postmarks

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

Germany: Frog King

On Thursday I got two postcards: one from Germany and one from Malaysia.

The card from Germany shows an illustration of the Frog King. The Frog King is a European fairy tale. Since the first publication in 1812 it is traditionally the first fairy tale in the collection of the Brothers Grimm. It tells the story of the encounter of a princess with an enchanted frog.

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

With matching stamps:
The Frog King - gummed (from set of three) (issued 01-02-2018)
with First Day Special Postmark
The Frog King - self-adhesive from booklet (issued 01-02-2018)
with First Day Special Postmark
The Frog King - self-adhesive from coil (issued 01-02-2018)
with First Day Special Postmark

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

Malaysia: Year of the Dog

On Thursday I got two postcards: one from Malaysia and one from Germany.

The card from Malaysia was printed for the Year of the Dog.

With matching stamps:
Year of the Dog - Working Dogs (whole set) (issued 18-01-2018)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Matthew!

covers from Germany

On Thursday I got not only two postcards but also three covers from Germany.

Stamps:

The Frog King (two from set of three) (issued 01-02-2018)

with First Day Special Postmark

Stamp:
The Frog King (from set of three) (issued 01-02-2018)
with a matching special postmark from Hamburg

Stamp:
Chocolate Cosmos (issued 03-12-2015)
with a special postmark about the issuance of the new 2€ Helmut Schmidt commemorative coin

Kyrgyzstan: Diplomatic Relations with France

On Tuesday I got two cards: one from Kyrgyzstan and one from Russia.

The card from Kyrgyzstan was printed for the 25th anniversary of the diplomatic relations with France. It shows the National Historical Museum in Bishkek and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

On the backside is a matching special postmark from the 71st Salon Philatélique d'Automne in Paris.
Stamp:
19th International Botanical Congress in Shenzhen (from set of two) (issued 07-07-2017)

Thank You very much William!

Russia: Sochi Park

On Tuesday I got two cards: one from Russia and one from Kyrgyzstan.

The card from Russia shows the Sochi Park. Sochi Park is considered to be one of the best amusement parks in Europe.

Stamp:
Russian Kremlins (from set of two) (issued 30-08-2017)

Thank You very much Mila!

Hungary: Liberty Bridge with new Postcrossing stamp

This is the 2500th post on my blog! Thank You all of you for sending me all this nice postcards and covers with so many nice stamps!

On Monday I got three postcards: one from Hungary and two from Hong Kong.

The card from Hungary shows the Liberty Bridge in Budapest. The Liberty Bridge is one of the nine Danube bridges in Budapest. It was built between 1894 and 1896 as Franz Joseph Bridge. In 1945 it was destroyed by the Nazis, but not even two years later it was already reopened. Also since then it is known as Liberty Bridge.

The card was signed during the Postcrossing Meet-up in Budapest.
With a matching stamp:
Furniture (from set of four) (issued 09-10-2001)
Postcrossing (issued 02-02-2018)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Betty!

Hong Kong: Year of the Dog

On Monday I got three postcards: two from Hong Kong and one from Hungary.

Both cards from Hong Kong are Year of the Dog maxicards. Hong Kong issued four Year of the Dog stamps and accompanying philatelic souvenirs on 27th January 2018. Two of the stamps and one of the Heartwarming stamps were used on the two maxicards with two different special postmarks.

Thank You very much Kayee!

Malaysia: Tropical Rainforest

On Friday I got a postcard from Malaysia.

It shows various animals and plants from the tropical rainforest. The tropical rainforest in Malaysia is home to many rare animals and plants including the Tiger, the Tapir, the Orangutan, the Hornbill and the Rafflesia.

Stamp:
Tourism in Pahang, Perak and Terengganu (from set of six) (issued 21-11-2017)

Thank You very much Siew Wui!

Belgium: Smurf

On Thursday I got three cards from Belgium.

One of them shows a Smurf. Smurfs are small, blue, human-like creatures who live in mushroom-shaped houses in the forest. They were created by Peyo in 1958 and first appeared in the Belgian comic Johan and Peewit published in the Spirou magazine. Already in 1959 the first independent Smurf story was published. Until today more than 100 Smurf characters were created, which appeared in the 31 Smurf comics, video games, movies and TV series.

With awesome matching stamps:
60 years Smurfs (two from set of five) (issued 27-01-2018)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Gerda!

Belgium: Belgian Beer

On Thursday I got three cards from Belgium.

One of them shows various Belgian beers with their uniquely shaped glasses. Belgian beer is produced since the 12th century and today almost 1500 types of beer are produced in more than 150 Belgian breweries. The Beer culture in Belgium is since 2016 an Intangible Heritage of the UNESCO.

With a matching stamp:
Belgian Beer Culture (from set of five) (issued 27-01-2018)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Gerda!

Belgium: Central Station of Antwerp

On Thursday I got three cards from Belgium.

One of them shows the Central Station of Antwerp. The Central Station of Antwerp was built between 1895 and 1905. It is said to be the finest example of railway architecture in Belgium and one of the most beautiful train stations in the World.

Stamp:
Diamant Sector (from set of five) (issued 27-01-2018)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Gerda!

Canada: Art Gallery of Ontario

On Wednesday I got three cards: one from Canada, one from Germany and one from China.

The card from Canada shows A. Y. Jackson's painting "Maple and Birches" from the collection of the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto. The Art Gallery of Ontario is one of the largest and most important art museums in North America. It was opened in 1900 and beside other significiant collections it houses the largest collection of Canadian art in the World.

Stamps:
Year of the Dog (from set of two) (issued 15-01-2018)

Thank You very much Tara!

China: Year of the Dog

On Wednesday I got three cards: one from China, one from Canada and one from Germany.

The card from China was printed for the Year of the Dog.

On the backside is a red special postmark.
With matching stamps:
Year of the Dog (whole set) (issued 05-01-2018)
Special-use Stamp for Greeting Card (issued 08-08-2013)

Thank You very much Chen Zhan!

Germany: Leipzig

On Wednesday I got three cards: one from Germany, one from China and one from Canada.

The card from Germany shows various views of Leipzig. 

Stamp:
Water Lily (issued 11-05-2017)

Thank You very much Serena!