10th December 2022: Christmas, Belgium

Thank You very much Gerda!

Belgium: Suske and Wiske

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

One of the cards from Belgium shows Suske and Wiske. Suske and Wuske is a Belgian comics series created by Willy Vandersteen. The books revolve around the two children Suske and Wuske along with their friends and family, who experience adventures combining elements of comedy, fantasy and science fiction. First created in 1945, the series was serialised in Hergé's Franco-Belgian comics magazine Tintin between 1948 and 1959 and still runs today daily in the Belgian newspaper De Standaard. So far more than 300 albums have been published. Although Suske and Wiske are very popular in Belgium and the Netherlands, they are mainly unknown in other countries despite translations in other languages like French, German or Spanish.

With nice matching 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: Christmas

Merry Christmas to Everyone!

On 13th December I got a cover from Belgium.

Stamp:

Christmas (from set of two) (issued 19-10-2019)

Inside was a written and stamped Christmas card.

With a matching stamp:
Christmas (from set of two) (issued 19-10-2019)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Gerda and Merry Christmas to You!

Belgium: Mardasson Memorial

On Saturday I got four postcards: two from Belgium, one from Italy and one from Germany.

One of the cards from Belgium shows the Mardasson Memorial. The Mardasson Memorial was dedicated in 1950 to commemorate the American soldiers who fought in the Battle of the Ardennes, Nazi Germany's last offensive on the Western Front. It was designed in the shape of a five-pointed American star and insignia of most participating battalions as well as the story of the battle are shown on the walls. 

With a nice related stamp:
75 years Liberation in World War II (from set of five) (issued 19-10-2019)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Gerda!

Belgium: Princess Elisabeth

On Saturday I got four postcards: two from Belgium, one from Italy and one from Germany.

One of the cards from Belgium shows Princess Elisabeth. Princess Elisabeth was born on 25th October 2001 and is the eldest child of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde. As the Belgian constitution was changed in 1991 to allow the female succession, she is also the heir apparent to the Belgian throne and will be Belgium's first queen regnant.

The card was signed by the designer of the stamp.
With a matching stamp:
18th birthday of Princess Elisabeth (issued 19-10-2019)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Gerda!

Belgium: Dinant

Last Friday I got three postcards: one from Belgium, one from Finland and one from Poland.

The card from Belgium shows Dinant. Dinant is a city in Wallonia. Two important sights of the city are the Collegiate Church of Our Lady and the Citadel. Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone, was born in Dinant in 1814. 

With a nice stamp:
Stampilou (issued 06-10-2001)

Thank You very much Marcel!

Belgium: Notre-Dame Cathedral in Tournai

Last Friday I got two postcards from Belgium.

One of them shows the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Tournai. The Notre-Dame Cathedral is the see of the Diocese of Tournai. It was built in the 12th and 13th century in a mixture of Romanesque and Gothic architecture. Since 2000 is the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Tournai on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamp:
World War I Centenary (from set of five) (issued 20-10-2018)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Gerda!

Belgium: La Boverie in Liège

Last Friday I got two postcards from Belgium.

One of them shows La Boverie. La Boverie is an art museum in Liège. It was opened in 2016 and is housed in the former Palais des beaux-arts, which was built for the World's Fair in 1905. 

Stamp:
Belgium from Above (from set of five) (issued 15-09-2016)

Thank You very much Gerda!

Belgium: Liège

Last Friday I got two postcards from Belgium.

One of them shows Liège. Liège is the capital of the Belgian Province of Liège and is located near the borders with Germany and the Netherlands. It is an important cultural centre of Wallonia and one of the largest cities of Belgium.

At the beginning of World War I Liège was protected by a strong ring fortress and thus made it an obstacle for the planned German invasion in France. The Battle of Liège, that began on the 5th August 1914, was the first bigger battle of the war. Although the city was completely captured by the Germans on 16th August, the Belgian resistance in Liège delayed the German plans by four to five days.

Stamp:
Centenary of World War I (from set of five) (issued 23-10-2017)

Thank You very much Gerda!

Belgium: Pont des Trous in Tournai

On Thursday I got two postcards from Belgium, a postcard from the Azores, a postcard from France and three maxicards from Thailand which were fixed together by tape.

One of the cards from Belgium shows the Pont des Trous in Tournai. The Pont des Trous was built in the late 12th century and is one of the last military river bridges in the World.

With a matching stamp:
EUROPA (from set of two) (issued 09-06-2018)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Gerda!

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: Bois du Cazier

On Thursday I got two postcards: one from Belgium and one from Thailand.

The card from Belgium shows the Bois du Cazier. The Bois du Cazier is a former coal mine in Wallonia. It is best known for the mining disaster of 1956, when 262 workers lost their lives. The mine was closed in 1967 and today it is used as museum. As one of the Major Mining Sites of Wallonia it is since 2012 on the UNESCO World Heritage List. In 2017 it also got the European Heritage Label.

With a matching stamp:
Major Mining Sites of Wallonia (issued 07-07-2014)

Thank You very much Gerda!

Belgium: Dinant

Last Friday I got three postcards from Belgium.

One of them shows Dinant. Dinant is a city in Wallonia. Two important sights of the city are the Collegiate Church of Our Lady and the Citadel. Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone, was born in Dinant in 1814. 

During the German invasion of Belgium in World War I Dinant was fought between French and German in 1914. Charles de Gaulle was wounded during the battle. On 23rd August 1914 674 inhabitants were summarily executed by the German Army and within a month some five thousand Belgian and French civilians were killed by the Germans at numerous similar occasions. It was the biggest massacre committed by the Germans in 1914 and contributed greatly to the propagandistic image of the Rape of Belgium.

With a matching stamp:
Centenary of World War I (from set of five) (issued 23-10-2017)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Gerda!

Belgium: High Fens

Last Friday I got three postcards from Belgium.

One of them shows a Red Deer in the High Fens. The High Fens are an upland area covered with raised bogs in the border region of Belgium and Germany. The nature reserve founded there in 1957 is today the largest in Belgium. The High Fens seek for the inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

With nice matching stamps:
The High Fens (two from set of ten) (issued 23-10-2017)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Gerda!

Belgium: Gaston

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

The card from Belgium shows Gaston. Gaston is a Belgian comic character created by André Franquin. He first appeared in the comic magazine Spirou in 1957 and is since then very popular in large parts of Europe. His adventures were translated in over a dozen languages.

With a matching stamp:
60 years Gaston (from set of five) (issued 28-01-2017)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Gerda!

Belgium: map

On Thursday I got four postcards: one from Belgium, one from Hong Kong, one from Germany and one from Italy.

The card from Belgium shows a map of the country.

Stamp:
Endangered Animals (from set of five) (issued 20-08-2016)

Thank You very much William!

Belgium: Neolithic Flint Mines at Spiennes

Yesterday I got a postcard from Belgium.

It shows one of the Neolithic Flint Mines at Spiennes. The extraction of flint near modern day Spiennes started 6000 years ago and was continued until approximately 750 BCE. They form the largest and earliest concentration of ancient mines in Europe. The Neolithic Flint Mines at Spiennes are since 2000 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamp:
Butterfly (from set of two) (issued 25-06-2012)

Thank You very much Claas and Christine!

Belgium: Waterloo

On Wednesday I got eleven postcards including two from Belgium.

One of them shows the Lion's Mound in Waterloo. Waterloo is a municipality in Wallonia. In 1815 the Battle of Waterloo, which marked the final end of Napoleon's rule, was fought there. The Lion's Mound was constructed between 1820 and 1826 to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo.

With a related stamp:
200 years Battle of Waterloo (from set of five) (issued 01-06-2015)

Thank You very much Gerda!

Belgium: Giant Panda at Pairi Daiza

Today I got four postcards: one from Belgium, one from Japan, one from France and one from Italy.

The card from Belgium shows a Giant Panda at Pairi Daiza. Pairi Daiza is a zoo and botanical garden in the Walloon municipality Brugelette. The zoo was opened in 1993. It is a member of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria. Since 2014 houses the zoo two Giant Pandas.

With many great old stamps:
Belgian Red Cross (from set of two) (issued 05-03-1983)
Armistice (from set of four) (issued 09-11-1968)
The stamp celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Armistice of Compiègne. The Armistice of Compiègne was signed on 11th November 1918 between the German Empire and the Allies of World War I and ended the war at the Western Front. 
Kingsfeast (issued 15-11-1995)
Olympic Games in Los Angeles (from set of four) (issued 03-03-1984)
Famous People (from set of four) (issued 14-11-1970)

Thank You very much Johan!