2nd February 2023: Coast Tram, Belgium

Thank You very much William!

cover from Belgium

On 24th March I got a cover from Belgium. 

A label was used to send this cover. 

In the cover were many nice postcards from Belgium, some even with matching stamps and special postmarks.

The first card shows the Grand Commandery in Alden Biesen. The Grand Commandery was founded by the Teutonic Order and was one of its most important properties. The site was pre-selected for the European Heritage Label, but was not inscribed. 

The next three cards are from the Ten Duinen Abbey Museum in Koksijde. Ten Duinen Abbey, also known as the Abbey of the Dunes, was a Cistercian monastery and one of the richest and most influential religious institutions in the medieval County of Flanders. It later relocated to the city of Bruges. Since the 1950s there is a museum at the site.

Another big Belgian museum is featured on the next cards, the AfricaMuseum in Tervuren, just outside Brussels in Flemish Brabant. It was established to showcase King Leopold II's Congo Free State in the 1897 World Exhibition and was actually intended as a colonial museum, but from 1960 onwards it has more focused on ethnography and anthropology. The museum was closed between 2013 and December 2018, hence I could not visit it during my trip to Brussels, but I have already got a card about it, when it was still known under its old name Royal Museum for Central Africa. These three cards must be rather new, as they already have the new name printed on the backside. The cover also included four stickers from the museum.

The Parlamentarium is the visitor's centre of the European Parliament and was opened in 2011. In a multimedia exhibition it shows the history of the EU and the European Parliament. Due to personal multimedia guides it is possible to view the exhibition in all 24 official languages of the EU.

The next three bear stamps about cheese, birds and clouds with their First Day Special Postmarks. I really like the design of the bird card. 

Last but not least this card shows some views of Overijse. Overijse is a commune in Flemish Brabant, which is known for its grapes. Even King Louis XIV got grapes from Overijse for his court in Versailles.

Thank You very much Johan! Make sure to check out his blog here.

Belgium: Leopoldpark in Ostend

On 4th December I got a postcard from Belgium.

It shows the Leopoldpark in Ostend. The Leopoldpark was created in 1860 on the old fortifications of the city. A music pavillion and a flower clock were erected later.

The stamp is from a set of five about Belgian DJs (issued 14-06-2021).

Thank You very much William!

Belgium: Christmas

On 27th November I got a postcard from Belgium.

It is a Christmas card.

Used was one of the two Belgian Christmas stamps of this year. Issue date was the 25th October and the theme is Christmas ornaments.

Thank You very much Gerda and Merry Christmas to you as well!

Belgium: Maison Guiette

On 3rd September I got a postcard from Belgium.

It shows the Maison Guiette in Antwerp. The Maison Guiette is the former studio and residence of painter and art critic René Guiette. It was designed by Le Corbusier in 1926 and although being one of his lesser-known buildings, it is one of the earliest examples of the International Style in modern architecture. As part of the Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement, is the Maison Guiette since 2016 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Two stamps were used here. The left stamp celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Postal Code System in Belgium (issued 19-03-2019) and the right one shows a delicious Speculaas. The Speculaas is a type of spiced shortcrust biscuit, which belongs to the most popular Christmas sweets here in Germany. Apparently in Belgium however these are only eaten on or just before Saint Nicholas' day. This stamp is from a set of two and was issued on 26th October 2020.

Thank You very much Gerda!

Belgium: Ostend

On 8th July I got two postcards from Belgium.

One of them shows various views of Ostend. Ostend is a port city and coastal resort on the North Sea coast in the Belgian Province of West Flanders.

Five older stamps were used here. I especially like those two about food. They are from a set of ten called This is Belgium about Belgian dishes and beverages (issued 19-11-2006). These show Chicory and delicious Belgian Chocolate.

Thank You very much William!

Smurfs and Christmas in a Cover from Belgium

On 12th December I got not only six postcards but also a cover from Belgium.

One of the five stamps about Pentagons from the series Geometry in Nature (issued 25-01-2020) was used on the cover.

The cover was filled with some wonderful things. First of all there were some mint stamps, which I have uploaded to my stamp blog earlier today. Even earlier you would have been able to already see them on my blog about Childhood Heroes on Stamps using the label Belgium.

Next was this funny postcard of 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. Mainly due to the TV series from the 1980s, which was still shown here in Germany in the early 2000s, Smurfs were among the biggest heroes of my childhood. 

After collecting figures of Smurfs as a child, I now love to get stamps with them and so the backside of this card was even more special. Two stamps from one of my favourite sheets of all time were used on it and got clearly cancelled in Ham. I have been looking for these stamps used on a card for years, so this was a wonderful surprise. Follow the link and check out the sheet. It is stunning! After Belgium and Switzerland also Germany will get a Smurf stamp in 2022.

And last but not least also a Christmas card with an old and a recent Christmas stamp was in the cover.

 Thank You very much Gerda! Wishing you A Merry Christmas!

Belgium: Ommegang of Dendermonde

On Tuesday I got seven postcards: four from Belgium, one from Italy and two from France.

Two of the cards from Belgium are about the Ommegang of Dendermonde. The Ommegang of Dendermonde is a folkloric ceremony. As part of the Processional giants and dragons in Belgium and France it is since 2008 an Intangible Heritage of the UNESCO. 

The first card shows the Bayard Steed or Ros Beiaard. The Bayard Steed is a large folkloristic horse dating back to the time of Charlemagne. Just once every ten years this horse becomes alive in a popular parade in Dendermonde. During this parade the horse is ridden by four brothers from the town. The parade will take place for the next time on 24th May 2020.

Stamp:
Geometry in Nature - Pentagon (from set of five) (issued 25-01-2020)

The second card shows the three giants Indiaan, Mars and Goliath. Unlike Bayard Steed the three giants can be seen every year during a parade on the last Thursday in August.

With nice stamps:
75 years Suske and Wiske (two from set of five) (issued 25-01-2020)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Gerda!

Belgium: City Hall of Dendermonde

On Tuesday I got seven postcards: four from Belgium, one from Italy and two from France.

One of the cards from Belgium shows the City Hall of Dendermonde. The City Hall of Dendermonde with its belfry is a gem of medieval Flemish architecture. As one of the Belfries of Belgium and France it is since 1999 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

With nice stamps:
75 years Suske and Wiske (two from set of five) (issued 25-01-2020)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Gerda!

Belgium: Ostend

On 8th July I got a postcard from Belgium.

It shows various views of Ostend. Ostend is a port city and coastal resort on the North Sea coast in the Belgian Province of West Flanders.

Stamp:
Geometry in Nature - The Spiral Shape (from set of five) (issued 11-06-2018)

Thank You very much William!

Belgium: Eurasian Jay and Eurasian Golden Oriol

On Saturday I got four postcards: three from Belgium and one from China.

Two of the cards from Belgium are about this year's EUROPA stamps. Both cards were signed by Kris Maes, the designer of the stamps.

The first card shows an Eurasian Jay. The Eurasian Jay is a bird species living in wide parts of Eurasia, where it inhabits mixed woodland. Before humans began planting the trees commercially on a wide scale, Eurasian Jays were the main source of movement and propagation for the English Oak, as one bird has the ability to spread more than a thousand acorns every year.

With a matching stamp:
EUROPA (from set of two) (issued 16-06-2019)
The stamp can be scanned to listen to the bird.
with First Day Special Postmark

The other shows an Eurasian Golden Oriol. The Eurasian Golden Oriole is a passerine bird breeding in Northern Hemisphere temperate regions. It is a summer migrant in Europa and Western Asia and spends the winter season in Africa.

With a matching stamp:
EUROPA (from set of two) (issued 16-06-2019)
The stamp can be scanned to listen to the bird.
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Gerda!

Belgium: Tongeren

On Saturday I got four postcards: three from Belgium and one from China.

One of the cards from Belgium shows Tongeren in Flanders. Tongeren was once a Roman administrative capital. It is the oldest city in Belgium.

Stamp:
Geometry in Nature - The Star Shape (from set of five) (issued 16-06-2019)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Gerda!

Germany - USA - Japan - United Kingdom - Belgium: Comic Chaincard

On Wednesday my comic chaincard came back home with some of my favourite stamps of the last years. It travelled from Germany to the USA, Japan, the United Kingdom, Belgium and back to Germany.

Stamps:

Germany - Peanuts (from set of two) (issued 01-03-2018)

Germany - Fix and Foxi (issued 07-09-2017)

USA - Marvel Super Heroes (two from set of twenty) (issued 26-07-2007)

Japan - One Piece (two from set of ten) (issued 23-03-2011)

United Kingdom - Marvel Comics (two from set of ten) (issued 14-03-2019)

Belgium - This is Belgium - Comic Land (two from set of ten) (issued 17-09-2012)

The card I used shows Fix and Foxi. Fix and Foxi are the protagonists of one of Germany's most famous, popular and successful comics. They were created by Rolf Kauka in 1953 and their stories were published in weekly comics until 1994. In the comic's heyday it was published with a circulation up to 400000 per week and allegedly a total of over 750 million comic books were sold internationally. In 2000, 2005 and 2010 the series was relaunched and in 2000 they also appeared in a TV series. Apart from the foxes Fix and Foxi other main characters of the series include the wolf Lupo, his grandma Eusebia and Fix and Foxi's uncle Fax.

Thank You very much Zoe, Miyuki, Huiyu and Eliza for your stamps!

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!