Belgium: Valley of the Zwarte Beek

Last Saturday I got three postcards: one from Belgium, one from Indonesia and one from the Netherlands.

The card from Belgium shows the Valley of the Zwarte Beek. The Zwarte Beek is a river in the Belgian Province of Limburg. It is known for the varied landscapes surrounding it.

Stamp:
Belgian Achievements in Space (from set of five) (issued 19-03-2019)

Thank You very much Gerda!

Netherlands: Keukenhof

Last Saturday I got three postcards: one from the Netherlands, one from Belgium and one from Indonesia.

The card from the Netherlands shows the Keukenhof in Lisse. The Keukenhof was established in 1949. It is one of the World's largest flower gardens and a popular tourist destination.

Stamp:
25 years Treaty of Maastricht (issued 10-02-2017)

Thank You very much William!

Indonesia: Tintin

Last Saturday I got three postcards: one from Indonesia, one from the Netherlands and one from Belgium.

The card from Indonesia shows Tintin at the Borobudur Temple.

Stamps:
Flora and Fauna (from set of six) (issued 05-11-2018)
Traditional Headdress from Indonesia (two from set of thirty-four) (issued 13-12-2018)
International Stamp Exhibition 2000 (from set of four) (issued 20-05-1997)
50 years UNICEF (from set of three) (issued 23-07-1996)

Thank You very much Shinta!

cover from Finland

Last Saturday I got not only three postcards but also a cover from Finland.

Stamp:

Urban Parks (from set of three) (issued 06-09-2017)

Inside were postcards from nine Finnish museums.

The first one is from the Luostarinmäki Handicrafts Museum in Turku. The Luostarinmäki Handicrafts Museum is an open-air museum which was opened in 1940. It shows the largest area to completely survive the Great Fire of Turku in 1827.

The second one is from the Forum Marinum in Turku. The Forum Marinum is Finland's national martime museum. It was opened in 1999 when two older museums were merged.

The third one shows the museum ship Sigyn. Sigyn is the last remaining wooden barque used for trade across the oceans. It was built in 1887 and is used as museum ship since 1939. Today it belongs to the Forum Marinum.

The fourth card shows a painting from the collection of the Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art in Turku. The Wäinö Aaltonen Museum of Art was opened in 1967. It is especially dedicated to modern art and its permanent exhibition is based on the art collection of the City of Turku, which includes a large collection of works by Finnish artist and sculptor Wäinö Aaltonen.

The fifth card is from the Birthplace of Jean Sibelius in Hämeenlinna. Jean Sibelius, the most famous Finnish composer, was born and lived the first 20 years of his life in Hämeenlinna. The rooms of his birthplace are decorated in the style of the era between the 1860s and the 1880s and can be visited.

The other cards are from Häme Castle in Hämeenlinna, the Biological Museum in Turku, the Electricity Museum in Paimio and the August Pyölniittu Museum in Paimio.

Thank You very much Sanna!

United Kingdom: Shakespeare's Birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon

On Thursday I got three postcards: one from the United Kingdom, one from Germany and one from Brazil.

The card from the United Kingdom shows Shakespeare's Birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon. Shakespeare's Birthplace is a restored 16th-century half-timbered house where it is believed that William Shakespeare was born in 1564. It houses a small museum and is a popular tourist destination.

Stamps:
Songbirds (from set of ten) (issued 04-05-2017)
Owls (from set of ten) (issued 11-05-2018)
with a special postmark from Stratford-upon-Avon

Thank You very much William!

Brazil: Toco Toucan

On Thursday I got three postcards: one from Brazil, one from the United Kingdom and one from Germany.

The card from Brazil shows a Toco Toucan at the Pantanal. The Toco Toucan is the largest and probably the best known species in the toucan family. It can be found in a wide range of semi-open habitats in South America. The Pantanal Conservation Area is since 2000 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamps:
Professions (from set of three) (issued 30-12-2005)
Post Office Marketing (issued 26-09-2011)

Thank You very much Paulo!

Germany: Masters' Houses in Dessau

On Thursday I got three postcards: one from Germany, one from Brazil and one from the United Kingdom.

The card from Germany shows one of the Masters' Houses in Dessau. The Masters' Houses were built during the Bauhaus' time in Dessau and were used as homes for the school's teachers. As part of the Bauhaus and its Sites in Weimar, Dessau and Bernau are the Masters' Houses since 1996 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

I bought this card recently on the Internet.

With matching stamps:
Bauhaus in Dessau - Masters' Houses (issued 07-04-2004)
100 years Bauhaus (issued 04-04-2019)
with First Day Special Postmark

cover from the United Kingdom

On Thursday I got not only three postcards but also two covers including one from the United Kingdom.

Stamp:

Regional Definitive - England (from set of four) (issued 14-10-2003)

Inside were three postcards.

The first one shows an Egyptian exhibit from the British Museum. The British Museum is one of the most famous and largest museums in the World. It is dedicated to human history, art and culture. Some of its most famous exhibits include drawings of important Renaissance artists, the Parthenon Marbles, a Rapa Nui Statue, the Rosetta Stone and the Sutton Hoo Helmet. As many of these exhibits were collected during the time of the British Empire, the museum's ownership of some of them is disputed and remains the subject of international controversy.

The second one shows a part of the Hadrian's Wall. The Hadrian's Wall was began in 122 by Emperor Hadrian as northernmost border fortification of the Roman Empire. Big parts of the wall survived until today and are now a popular tourist destination. Since 1987 is the Hadrian's Wall on the UNESCO World Heritage List, in 2005 and 2008 more Frontiers of the Roman Empire were added to this site.

The last one is an ad card of the Great North Museum: Hancock. The Great North Museum: Hancock is a museum of natural history and ancient civilisations in Newcastle upon Tyne. It was originally opened as Hancock Museum in 1884, but in 2006 it merged with another museum and was reopened after extension and refurbishment under the new name in 2009.

Thank You very much Kerstin!

cover from Germany

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

Stamps:

100 years Folk High Schools (issued 04-04-2019)

100 years Bauhaus (issued 04-04-2019)

with First Day Special Postmarks

Myanmar: Shwedagon Pagoda

On Wednesday I got a postcard from Myanmar.

It shows the Shwedagon Pagoda. The Shwedagon Pagoda is the most famous stupa in Myanmar and the country's religious centre. It is said to contain relics of the last four Buddhas. In recent years it also became a tourist attraction and symbol of Myanmar.

Stamps:
71st Anniversary of Independence (from set of three) (issued 04-01-2019)
In seven years of stamp collecting I think I have never seen a stamp printed in such a poor quality. Interestingly the pictures I have seen of this stamp on the Internet look much better. I wonder, is it maybe a forgery?
110th Anniversary of Yangon General Post Office (issued 20-09-2018)
Musical Instruments (two from set of four) (issued 14-09-2017)

Thank You very much Jobbo!

cover from Italy

On Wednesday I got not only a postcard but also a cover from Italy.

Stamp:

Italian City Squares (from set of eight) (issued 02-07-2016)

Inside were two postcards.

The first one is from the International Museum of Ceramics in Faenza. The International Museum of Ceramics houses an important collection of ceramic art from around the World and from all different eras. It was opened in 1908.

The other card shows the Asiago War Memorial. The Asiago War Memorial houses the remains of over 50000 Italian and Austro-Hungarian soldiers. It was unveiled in 1938 and is one of the largest World War I memorials in Italy.

The card is used. The stamp on the backside is one of the two Italian Christmas stamps issued on the 11th December 1976.

Thank You very much Cristina!

Germany: Altena Castle

On Tuesday I got three postcards from Germany.

One of them shows Altena Castle in the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia. Altena Castle was built from the 12th century onwards by the Counts of Berg. In 1914 the World's first youth hostel was opened in the castle. Today it houses the World Youth Hostel Museum and the Museum of the County Mark.

Stamp:
EUROPA (issued 03-05-2007)

Thank You very much Birgit!

Germany: State Museum for Nature and Man in Oldenburg

On Tuesday I got three postcards from Germany.

One of them shows an interior view of the State Museum for Nature and Man in Oldenburg. The State Museum for Nature and Man was opened in 1836 as Oldenburg's first natural history museum by Grand Duke Paul Friedrich August. It is one of the six state museums of Lower Saxony.

Stamp:
Emoji (issued 04-04-2019)

Thank You very much Svenja!

Germany: Filmmuseum Potsdam

On Tuesday I got three postcards from Germany.

One of them shows the Filmmuseum Potsdam. The Filmmuseum Potsdam was founded in 1981 and is thus the oldest film museum in Germany. Its exhibition centres around the Babelsberg Studio, the oldest large-scale film studio in the World.

Stamp:
Emoji (issued 04-04-2019)

Thank You very much Svenja!

Austria: Francisco Carolinum in Linz

On Saturday I got four postcards: one from Austria, two from Germany and one from Japan.

The card from Austria shows the Francisco Carolinum in Linz, the parent house of the Upper Austrian State Museum. The Upper Austrian State Museum was founded in 1833. The building of the Francisco Carolinum was constructed between 1884 and 1894 in the style of the Historism. After World War II the museum was splitted. The Francisco Carolinum now houses the Upper Austrian State Gallery, which shows contemporary art, while the cultural history and natural history collections were moved to other locations in Linz. The Upper Austrian State Museum also manages other museum all around the state.

The card is a maxicard. The stamp was issued on the 4th November 1983 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Upper Austrian State Museum.

Stamp:
150 years Vienna State Opera (issued 28-02-2019)

Thank You very much Jasmine!

Japan: Moomintroll and Too-ticky

On Saturday I got four postcards: one from Japan, one from Austria and two from Germany.

The card from Japan shows Moomintroll and Too-ticky.

With a matching stamp:
Food (from set of two) (issued 01-11-2017)
Moomins (from set of twenty) (issued 01-05-2015)
with a special postmark about the opening of the Moominvalley Park

Thank You very much Tomoko!

Germany: Rothenburg ob der Tauber

On Saturday I got four postcards: two from Germany, one from Japan and one from Austria.

One of the cards from Germany shows a view of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a town in the German State of Bavaria. It was a Free Imperial City until 1803. Today it is one of the most important German destinations of national and international tourism and it is a part of the Romantic Road, the oldest German theme route. The most famous feature of the town is its well-preserved medieval old town.

I bought this card recently on the Internet.

With matching stamps:
Rothenburg ob der Tauber (whole set) (issued 04-04-2019)
with a matching special postmark

Germany: Bremen in Spring

On Saturday I got four postcards: two from Germany, one from Japan and one from Austria.

One of the cards from Germany shows various views of Bremen in spring.

Stamps:
Rothenburg ob der Tauber (whole set) (issued 04-04-2019)

Thank You very much Serena!