8th October 2022: Tarragona, Spain

Thank You very much William!

Spain: Barcelona

On 6th April I got a postcard from Spain.

It shows various views of Barcelona. Barcelona is the capital and largest city of Catalonia. It is also the second largest city of Spain, the second largest city of the European Union which is not the capital of its country and the largest metropolis on the Mediterranean Sea. Furthermore it is a popular tourist destination and was the fifth most visited European city in 2011. In 1992 the city hosted the Summer Olympics.

I really like that pictorial postmark about Gaudí's Casa Milà. Next to two definitives there is a stamp which is the result of a National Stamp Design Contest (issued 05-02-2020).

Thank You very much William!

Spain: Pont de les Peixateries velles

On 4th April I got three postcards: two from Spain and one from Germany.

One of the cards from Spain shows the Pont de les Peixateries velles in Girona. The Pont de les Peixateries velles is an iron bridge and was constructed in 1877 by Gustave Eiffel's company. 

The card was cancelled with a pictorial postmark showing the same bridge. The upper stamp is an Euromed issue about Traditional Costumes (issued 08-07-2019). Below are three definitives about the Spanish King.

Thank You very much William!

Spain: Girona

On 4th April I got three postcards: two from Spain and one from Germany.

One of the cards from Spain shows a view of Girona. Girona is the capital of the Province of Girona in Catalonia and one of the major Catalan cities. Back in 2016 I also visited this beautiful city on a trip to Catalonia.

Three stamps were used here, two about the Spanish King and a Solidarity Stamp for the UNHCR Covid-19 Relief Program (issued 18-06-2021). The card was cancelled at the philatelic shop in Girona.

Thank You very much William!

Spain: Sunset over Barcelona

Last Saturday I got two postcards: one from Spain and one from Estonia.

The card from Spain shows a sunset over Barcelona.

Stamps:
King Felipe VI (from set of six) (issued 02-01-2016)
National Stamp Design Contest (from set of two) (issued 05-02-2018)
Museums (from set of three) (issued 26-03-2018)
with a great special postmark showing the Casa Milà

Thank You very much William!

Spain: Empúries

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

The card from Spain shows Empúries in Catalonia. Empúries was founded in the 6th century BC by Greek colonists from Phocaea. Later it was occupied by the Romans, but was abandoned in the Early Middle Ages. Today it is the only conserved Greek city in the Iberian Peninsula. The Archaeology Museum of Catalonia operates a branch in Empúries.

Stamp:
250 years Circus (issued 09-02-2018)

Thank You very much Marina!

Spain: Santa Eulàlia d'Erill la Vall

On Tuesday I got two postcards: one from Spain and one from Germany.

The card from Spain shows Santa Eulàlia d'Erill la Vall, one of the Catalan Romanesque Churches of the Vall de Boí. The narrow Vall de Boí is situated in the high Pyrénées in Catalonia. In the valley many villages contain an early Romanesque church, making it the site of the densest concentration of Romanesque architecture in Europe. Nine of the churches are since 2000 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamp:
Modern Wonders of the World - Machu Picchu (issued 14-09-2017)

Thank You very much Jordi!

Spain: Barcelona

On Monday I got a postcard from Spain.

It shows various views of Barcelona. Barcelona is the capital and largest city of Catalonia. It is also the second largest city of Spain, the second largest city of the European Union which is not the capital of its country and the largest metropolis on the Mediterranean Sea. Furthermore it is a popular tourist destination and was the fifth most visited European city in 2011. In 1992 the city hosted the Summer Olympics.

Stamps:
State Industrial Engineer Corps (issued 23-03-2016)
Diario de Avisos (issued 05-02-2016)
King Felipe VI (two from set of five) (issued 19-01-2015)
with a great special postmark showing the Casa Milà

Thank You very much William!

Spain: La Rambla

On Saturday I got a postcard from Spain.

It shows La Rambla. La Rambla is a tree-lined pedestrian street in central Barcelona. It is a popular destination for tourists and is home to many kiosks. On 17th August 2017 13 people were killed and at least 100 were injured when a terrorist drove a van into pedestrians on the street.

With a great stamp:
King Juan Carlos I (from set of eight) (issued 02-01-2008)
International Year of Soils (issued 26-06-2015)
On the stamp are real petunia seeds.
King Felipe VI (from set of five) (issued 19-01-2015)

Thank You very much Marina!

Spain: Ferreres Aqueduct near Tarragona

On Friday I got three postcards from Spain.

One of them shows the Ferreres Aqueduct near Tarragona. Tarragona, back then known as Tárraco, was a major administrative and mercantile city in Roman Spain. The Ferreres Aqueduct was built during the reign of Augustus to supply Tárraco with water. It is the largest aqueduct in Catalonia. Since 2000 is the Archaeological Ensemble of Tárraco on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamps:
Definitive (from set of five) (issued 19-01-2015)
Definitive (from set of six) (issued 02-01-2016)
Stamp Design Contest (whole set) (issued 01-02-2017)

Thank You very much Mario!

Spain: Archaeology Museum of Barcelona

On Thursday I got three postcards: one from Spain, one from India and one from the UK.

The card from Spain shows a Roman mosaic from the collection of the Archaeology Museum of Barcelona. The Archaeology Museum of Barcelona was founded in 1932. It is housed in the Palace of Graphic Arts, one of the pavilions built for the 1929 World’s Fair, and offers visitors a journey to the origins of Catalonia. Since 1990 it is administered as branch of the Archaeology Museum of Catalonia.

With a great stamp:
Dinosaurs (from set of four) (issued 30-06-2016)
The stamp was printed using 3D offset.

Thank You very much Marina!

70th Salon Philatélique d'Automne in Paris

William recently visited the 70th Salon Philatélique d'Automne and so I got various postcards and covers from this stamp exhibition in the course of this week. ^___^

France:

The first card from France shows the Eiffel Tower.

Stamps:
New Marianne 0,10€
François Mitterrand (issued 27-10-2016)
with two different postmarks about the exhibition

The second card shows various views of Dinard. Dinard is a commune in Brittany. It is a popular tourist destination and was already visited by Winston Churchill, Alfred Hitchcock, Lawrence of Arabia and Picasso. During the UEFA Euro 2016 it was the base of the Wales national football team.

Stamps:
Réouverture de la Bièvre (issued 07-11-2016)
with First Day Special Postmark
New Marianne 0,10€
with a postmark about the exhibition

A cover with these stamps:
New Marianne 0,10€
with a postmark about the exhibition
Brive-La-Gaillarde (issued 07-11-2016)
with First Day Special Postmark

Andorra (French Post):
A cover with these stamps:
Coat of Arms - Carta Verde (issued 30-09-2011)
Coat of Arms - Red (issued 01-03-2016)
Coat of Arms (whole set) (issued 02-01-2010)
with a postmark about the exhibition
Lavender (issued 04-11-2016)
with First Day Special Postmark
Sheepdog (issued 04-11-2016)
with First Day Special Postmark

Andorra (Spanish Post):
A cover with these stamps:
EUROPA (issued 24-04-2016)
French Community in Andorra (issued 08-07-2016)
with a postmark about the exhibition

Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyz Express Post):
Kyrgyz Express Post was founded in 2012. In 2013 the Universal Postal Union officially confirmed the company's status as second designated postal operator of Kyrgyzstan.

A cover with this stamp:
Traditional Kyrgyz Hunting with Taigans (from set of three) (issued 28-07-2016)
with a postmark about the exhibition

Spain:
The postcard from Spain shows various views of Barcelona.

Stamps:
Santander ISAF Sailing World Championships 2014 (issued 01-09-2014)
60 years Televisión Española (issued 28-10-2016)
with a postmark about the exhibition

Thank You very much William!

Spain: Camp Nou

On 3rd August I got six postcards: three from Spain, one from Germany and two from Andorra.

One of the cards from Spain shows the Camp Nou in Barcelona. The Camp Nou was completed in 1957 and is the largest footbal stadium in Europe. It is the home of the FC Barcelona.

Stamp:
75 years of the Great Fire of Santander (issued 15-02-2016)

Thank You very much William!

Spain: Barcelona

On 3rd August I got six postcards: three from Spain, one from Germany and two from Andorra.

Two of the cards from Spain show various views of Barcelona.

Stamps:
Instruments (from set of five) (issued 22-02-2013)
Migration (issued 19-02-2016)
100 years of the first National Park Law (issued 05-04-2016)

Stamps:
Definitive (from set of six) (issued 02-01-2016)
Diario de Avisos (issued 05-02-2016)
EUROPA (issued 22-04-2016)
Definitive (from set of five) (issued 19-01-2015)

Thank You very much William!

Spain: Costa Brava and Girona

 Today I got two postcards: one from Spain and one from Bulgaria.

The card from Spain shows three cities on the Costa Brava. The Costa Brava is a coastal region in Catalonia. It is known for its rough coast and its beaches and is a popular tourist destination.
I sent this card to myself during my recent trip.

Stamp:
King Felipe VI (from set of six) (issued 02-01-2016)

Girona is the capital of the Province of Girona in Catalonia and one of the major Catalan cities.

Sant Pere de Rodes is a former monastery. It is a national monument since 1930 and is a part of the Camino de Santiago.

Cadaqués is a small town near the northern point of the Costa Brava. It was once a fishing village, but later became a centre of attraction for famous artists.

The Salvador Dalí House-Museum is located in Portlligat near Cadaqués. It was used as residence by Salvador Dalí between 1930 and 1982.

The Dalí Theatre and Museum in Figueres was opened in 1974 and houses the largest collection of major works by Salvador Dalí in a single location. During Dalí's childhood the building housed the local theatre and it was the place where his paintings were shown for the first time. Dalí is buried in a crypt below the stage floor. It is today the second most visited museum in Spain.

Tossa de Mar is a popular tourist destination on the Costa Brava. It is known for its beaches and historic city centre.

Lloret de Mar is another popular tourist destination on the Costa Brava. The town is mainly known as party location, although there have been attempts in recent years to redefine the town's image.

The Cats' House is a privately owned museum in Lloret de Mar. It was opened in 2002 and shows more than 6000 cat themed exhibits.

The Church of Sant Romà in Lloret de Mar was finished in 1522, but in the beginning of the 20th century it was restored.

The Botanic Garden of Lloret de Mar is considered to be one of the most important botanic gardens on the European Mediterranean coast.

Blanes is a town on the southern point of the Coasta Brava. Its historic centre shows the traditional Catalan life before the tourist invasion.

The Empordà is the fertile hinterland of the Costa Brava.