Thailand: Giant Pandas at Chiang Mai Zoo

Today I got four postcards: two from Thailand, my first card from the United Nations and one from Singapore.

One of the cards from Thailand shows two Giant Pandas at the Chiang Mai Zoo in the Chiang Mai province. At the moment there are two Giant Pandas in Chiang Mai. They are Chuang Chuang (male) and Lin Hui (female). Their cub Lin Ping (female) moved to China in October 2013.

With nice stamps:
National Children's Day (whole set) (issued 11-01-2014)

Thank You very much Ta!

Thailand: Khao Jeen Lae

Today I got four postcards: two from Thailand, my first card from the United Nations and one from Singapore.

One of the cards from Thailand shows the Khao Jeen Lae in the Lopburi province. 

Stamps:
60 years Diplomatic Relations with Laos (whole set) (issued 22-04-2011)

Thank You very much Ta!

Singapore: Sultan Mosque

Today I got four postcards: one from Singapore, two from Thailand and my first card from the United Nations.

The card from Singapore shows the Sultan Mosque. The Sultan Mosque is considered as the most important mosque in Singapore. There was first a smaller one which had to be replaced as it was to small when Singapore became a centre for Islamic commerce, culture and art by the early 1900s.

Stamp:
Past Street Scenes (from set of four) (issued 28-05-2014)
with First Day Spacial Postmark

Thank You very much Jeremy!

Japan: Shuri Castle on Okinawa Island

Today I got two postcards: one from Japan and one from Germany.

The card from Japan shows the Shuri Castle on Okinawa Island in the Okinawa prefecture. The Shuri Castle is an gusuku (Ryukyuan castle) and was the royal palace of the independent Ryukyu Kingdom. In the Battle of Okinawa in 1945 it was almost completely destroyed but beginning in 1992 it was rebuilt involving photographs, historical records, and memory. Since 2000 it is together with the other Gusuku Sites and the Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Stamp:
Japanese Castles (two from set of five) (issued 10-12-2013)
The stamp shows the Odawara Castle in the Kanagawa prefecture.

Thank You very much Ginger!

Germany: Völklingen Ironworks

Today I got two postcards: one from Germany and one from Japan.

The card from Germany shows the Völklingen Ironworks in Völklingen in the German State of Saarland. The Völklingen Ironworks were first planned in 1873 but not materialised. In 1881 they were again constructed and the first smelter finally began working in 1883. In 1986 it was closed. The Völklingen Ironworks are an anchor point of the European Route of Industrial Heritage and since 1994 they are an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Stamp:
Glücksburg Castle (from set of two) (issued 02-01-2013)

Thank You very much Bianca!

Slovenia: Bled Island

Today I got two postcards: one from Slovenia and one from Germany.

The card from Slovenia shows a pair of ducks in front of Bled Island on Lake Bled. The Bled Island is Slovenia's only real island. 

Stamps:
EUROPA (whole set) (issued 30-05-2014)

Thank You very much Mateja!

Germany: Timmendorfer Strand

Today I got two postcards: one from Germany and one from Slovenia.

The card from Germany was sent by my mum when she recently visited Timmendorfer Strand in Schleswig-Holstein. The card is a multiview.

Used was a privat post stamp, but the Deutsche Post covered it with a label.

Malaysia: George Town Meet-up

Today I got three postcards: one from Malaysia, one from Germany and one from the Vatican.

The card from Malaysia comes from the Postcrossing Meet-up in George Town. George Town is the capital of the island of Penang and of the Malaysian State of Penang. The card shows the Penang Hill funicular train, the Penang Bridge, the Komtar Tower and the Kek Lok Si Temple. Since 2008 is George Town together with Malacca an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Stamps:
Year of the Horse (from set of four) (issued 27-01-2014)

Thank You very much Matthew!

Vatican: Pope Francis with a white pigeon

Today I got three postcards: one from the Vatican, one from Malaysia and one from Germany.

The card from the Vatican shows Pope Francis with a white pigeon. The photo was taken last year at Pentecost when somebody from the crowd thrown a white cage with two pigeons inside upon the pope. His life guard present him with the cage and he opened it immediately. He take out the pigeons and let them fly over the Saint Peter's Square. 

Stamp:

Gli ori del museo etrusco (from set of four) (issued 22-11-2001)

Thank You very much Henk!

Germany: Dresden Frauenkirche

Today I got three postcards: one from Germany, one from the Vatican and one from Malaysia.

The card from Germany shows the Frauenkirche in Saxony's capital Dresden. The Dresden Frauenkirche was built between 1726 and 1743. In the Bombing of Dresden in the World War II the church was damaged and later it collapsed gutted. In East Germany it was kept as ruin and was a memorial against the war. Between 1994 and 2005 after the German Reunification the church was rebuilt.

With matching stamp:
Dresden (from set of two) (issued 03-04-2014)

Thank You very much Mirko!

New Zealand: Radagast

Today I got four postcards: two from New Zealand and two from Macao.

One of the cards from New Zealand is a maxicard showing the forgetful, easily distracted and eccentric Radagast from the Hobbit movies. New Zealand is home to the Hobbit movies and was also home to the Lord of the Rings. 

With matching stamp:
The Hobbit-Gandalf (from set of six) (issued 01-11-2012)
with a special postmark from Middle Earth

Thank You very much Sharon!

New Zealand: wall with sharks

Today I got four postcards: two from New Zealand and two from Macao.

One of the cards from New Zealand shows a wall painted with sharks. The wall is located in New Zealand's capital Wellington and was painted with sharks on the occasion of the Shark Awareness Week. The Shark Awareness Week was initiated by the New Zealand Shark Alliance to stop the fishing of sharks just for their fins. The Shark Awareness Week was needed as the fishing of sharks for their fins was still legal in New Zealand. The undertaking was successful and the law was changed.

Stamps:
Matariki (from set of six) (issued 01-06-2011)
The stamp shows a traditional Maori matau ("fish hook"). 
Great Voyages of New Zealand (from set of five) (issued 05-09-2012)
Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee (from set of six) (issued 09-05-2012)
The stamp shows the Official New Zealand Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II for the Diamond Jubilee. The stamp features silver foiling on metallic silver ink.

Thank You very much Sharon!

Macao: International Museum Day

Today I got four postcards: two from Macao and two from New Zealand.

One of the cards from Macao thematises the International Museum Day. The International Museum Day tokes place on the third Sunday in may since 1978.

Stamp:
World Heritage (from set of eight) (issued 31-07-2008)
with a special postmark of the International Museum Day

Thank You very much Lily!

Macao: Sai Van Bridge

Today I got four postcards: two from Macao and two from New Zealand.

One of the cards from Macao shows the Sai Van Bridge. The Sai Van Bridge connects the Macao Peninsula with the Taipa Island. It was opened in 2004 and is the third bridge on this stretch.

The stamp got lost during the journey. :(

Thank You very much Lily!

Italy: Lake Como

Today I got a postcard from Italy.

The card shows many views of the villages and villas around Lake Como. Lake Como is located in the Lombardy and after the Lake Garda and the Lake Maggiore the third-largest lake in Italy. It is also one of the deepest lakes in Europe. The lake has been a popular retreat for aristocrats and wealthy people since Roman times. Today famous people like Madonna and George Clooney have homes at the lake.

Stamps:
EUROPA (whole set) (issued 09-05-2014)

Thank You very much Giuseppe!