cover from Russia

On Thursday I got not only six postcards but also a cover from Russia.

Stamps:

Flora and Fauna (from set of fifteen) (issued 29-08-2008)

Warship (from set of four) (issued 08-05-2013)

Russian Kremlins (from set of twelve) (issued 01-10-2009)

Inside was a mint Russian souvenir sheet.

Thank You very much Ekaterina!

France: Côte d'Opale

On Wednesday I got a postcard from France.

It shows various views of the Côte d'Opale. The Côte d'Opale is the French coast on the English Channel. It is known for the viridian colour of its water and is a popular tourist destination. Cities and communes on the coast include Berck-sur-Mer, Boulogne-sur-Mer and Wimereux.

Stamp:
EUROPA (issued 10-05-2016)

Thank You very much William!

Canada: Canadian Rockies

On Tuesday I got a postcard from Canada.

It shows various views of the Canadian Rockies. The Canadian Rockies are the Canadian part of the Rocky Mountains. They are known for their scenic landscape with glaciers, lakes and canyons.

The card features clockwise from top left:

Waterton Lakes in the Waterton Lakes National Park - The Waterton Lakes National Park was established in 1895 and is thus Canada's fourth oldest national park. In 1932 it was combined with Glacier National Park in the USA to form the first International Peace Park in the World. The Waterton Lakes are the deepest lakes in the Canadian Rockies.

Moraine Lake - The Moraine Lake is a lake in the Banff National Park. It is fed by glacial water. The lake and the mountains in the background were once featured on a Canadian Dollar note.

Mount Robson - Mount Robson is located within the Mount Robson Provincial Park in British Columbia. It is the highest mountain of the Canadian Rockies and one of the most famous mountains of the entire Rocky Mountains.

Lake Louise - Lake Louise is a glacial lake known for its emerald colour. It located within the Banff National Park.

Maligne Lake - The Maligne Lake is a lake in the Jasper National Park. The Spirit Island on the lake is a popular photo subject.

Columbia Icefield - The Columbia Icefield is the largest icefield in the Rocky Mountains. It is located in the Banff and Jasper National Parks.

The Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks (Banff National Park, Jasper National Park, Kootenay National Park, Yoho National Park, Mount Robson Provincial Park, Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park, Hamber Provincial Park) are since 1984 on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Waterton Glacier International Peace Park is since 1995 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamps:
Canada Day (from set of twelve) (issued 30-06-1982)
The Loyalists (issued 03-07-1984)
Canadian Regiments - Royal Regiment of Canada (from set of three) (issued 11-10-2012)
The Royal Regiment of Canada was founded in 1862. During World War I it fought at the Western Front.
No. 2 Construction Battalion (issued 01-02-2016)
The No. 2 Construction Battalion was formed in 1916. It was the only predominantly black battalion in Canadian military history. The battalion arrived in Europe in April 1917. Its main task was the production of timber for the Allied forces and the repair of streets. It was disbanded in 1919.
Resource Development (from set of two) (issued 19-05-1978)
Benficial Insects (from set of five) (issued 19-10-2010)

Thank You very much Kelly!

Spain: Burgos Cathedral

On Saturday I got a postcard from Spain.

It shows the Burgos Cathedral. The Burgos Cathedral was built between the 13th and 16th century in the Gothic style. It is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Burgos and since 1919 the tomb of El Cid is located in the cathedral. The Burgos Cathedral is since 1984 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamp:
25 years National Transplantation Organisation (issued 16-01-2015)

Thank You very much Yolanda!

New Zealand: Infantryman during World War I

On Friday I got three postcards: one from New Zealand, one from Hong Kong and one from Belgium.

The card from New Zealand shows an Infantryman with the New Zealandian Flag during World War I. New Zealand entered World War I on 5th August 1914 alongside the Triple Entente. New Zealand sent nearly 100000 of its 1000000 civics to the war. Of this nearly 18500 did not come back. New Zealand's first duty in World War I was capturing Samoa from the Germans. In 1915 New Zealand's troops fought in Gallipoli and afterwards they were sent to the Western Front. In 1916 they took part in the Battle of the Somme and the Battle of Jutland.

With a related stamp:
Centenary of World War I (from set of ten) (issued 06-04-2016)
Although the participation in the war was not the "great adventure" that was expected, many New Zealanders were still able to satisfy their sense of adventure and explore European soil. The stamp shows the permanent presence of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in London.

Thank You very much Sharon!

Belgium: Brugge

On Friday I got three postcards: one from Belgium, one from New Zealand and one from Hong Kong.

The card from Belgium shows various views of Brugge. Brugge is the capital and largest city of the Belgian Province of West Flanders. It is also a Bishop's see. Since 2000 is the Historic Centre of Brugge on the UNESCO World Heritage List. In 2002 was Brugge the European Capital of Culture. 

Stamps:
Lucky Luke (from set of ten) (issued 13-04-2015)
Lucky Luke is a comic series about the American Old West. It was created by Morris in 1946 and is today one of the most successful comic series in Europe. The stamp shows Billy the Kid.
This is Belgium - Comic Land (from set of ten) (issued 17-09-2012)
The stamp shows Jommeke and his parrot Flip. Jommeke is the protagonist in a comic strip series of the same name. The series has been published since 1955 and is especially popular in Flanders.

Thank You very much William!

Hong Kong: St John Ambulance

On Friday I got three postcards: one from Hong Kong, one from Belgium and one from New Zealand.

The card from Hong Kong shows a transplant organ flight of the St John Ambulance. The St John Ambulances combines 42 organisations in the World dedicated to first aid and ambulance. 

With a related stamp:
100 years Hong Kong St John Ambulance Brigade (from set of four) (issued 04-04-2016)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Joe!

Germany: Reutlingen

On Thursday I got a postcard from Germany.

It shows various views of Reutlingen. Reutlingen is a city in the German State of Baden-Württemberg. It is the smallest big city in its state and is known as The Gate to the Swabian Jura. The Spreuerhofstraße in Reutlingen is considered to be the narrowest street in the World.

Stamp:
Lily of the Valley (issued 06-05-2010)

Thank You very much Corinna!

United Kingdom: Queen Elizabeth II

Yesterday I got eight postcards including one from the United Kingdom.

The card from the United Kingdom shows Queen Elizabeth II. Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born on 21st April 1926. When she born, she was the third in line to the throne. After her uncle abdicated in 1936 her father became king and she became heir presumptive. She started to undertake public duties during World War II. In 1947 she married Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark and in 1948 their first son was born, Prince Charles. She was crowned in 1953 after her father died in 1952. During her reign many former colonies became independent. She is today the Queen of Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Belize, the Bahamas, Barabados, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and the United Kingdom. In 2015 she became the longest-reigning British monarch and she is also Britain's longest-lived monarch.

With great matching stamps:
80th Birthday of The Queen Mother (issued 04-08-1980)
London Festival of Stamps (from set of two) (issued 06-05-2010)
The stamp shows Queen Elizabeth II together with her grandfather, King George V.
Definitive (from set of two) (issued 26-08-1981)
Wales Definitive (from set of five) (issued 23-07-1980)
Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (issued 08-06-1977)
Queen Elizabeth II is also the Head of the Commonwealth.
with a special postmark about Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday

Thank You very much Kwanjira!

Turkey: Selimiye Mosque in Edirne

Yesterday I got eight postcards including one from Turkey.

The card from Turkey shows a view of Edirne with the Selimiye Mosque. Edirne is a city in western Turkey near the border with Bulgaria and Greece. It is Turkey's westernmost big city. Between 1363 and 1453 was Edirne, then known as Adrianople, the capital of the Ottoman Empire. The Selimiye Mosque was built between 1569 and 1575. It was built by Mimar Sinan, who said it was his masterpiece, and is considered the be one of the most important monuments of Islamic architecture. The Selimiye Mosque with its social complex is since 2011 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamps:
Post Buildings (from set of six) (issued 22-02-2016)

Thank You very much İrem Nur!

Bahrain: Bahrain National Museum

Yesterday I got eight postcards including two from Bahrain.

One of the cards from Bahrain shows the Bahrain National Museum in Manama. The Bahrain National Museum was opened in 1988 and is thus one of the oldest public museums in Bahrain. It is also the largest museum in Bahrain. The museum has a big collection of archaeological artifacts from Bahrain.

Stamps:
Charity Stamp (issued 2009 (?))
King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa (from set of sixteen) (issued 15-07-2002)

Thank You very much Edwin!

Bahrain: Tree of Life

Yesterday I got eight postcards including two from Bahrain.

One of the cards from Bahrain shows the Shajarat-al-Hayat, the Tree of Life. The Tree of Life is a tree in the middle of the desert. It is believed to be 400 years old, but it is still a mystery from where it get its water. It is said to be a wonder of nature and is today a popular tourist attraction.

Stamps:
King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa (from set of sixteen) (issued 15-07-2002)
Charity Stamp (issued 2009 (?))

Thank You very much Edwin!

France: BB-8

Yesterday I got eight postcards including one from France

The card from France shows BB-8. BB-8 is a droid from the Star Wars movies. He appeared for the first time in The Force Awakens, where he is a part of the Resistance.

With great related stamps:
Personalised Stamps-Star Wars
The stamps show Darth Vader, R2D2 and C3PO.

Thank You very much Maud!

Belgium: Brussels

Yesterday I got eight postcards including two from Belgium

The cards from Belgium show various views of Brussels. Brussels is the capital of Belgium and also one of the three Belgian Regions. It has become a major centre for international politics after World War II, as it is the capital of the European Union and the headquarters of NATO is located there. On 22nd March 2016 Brussels was hit by the deadliest act of terrorism in Belgium's history. 

Stamps:
Common wood pigeon (from set of six) (issued 04-04-2005)
Animals in Motion (from set of ten) (issued 23-03-2015)
Both stamps were designed by André Buzin, a famous Belgian artist and stamp designer.

Stamp:
Qualifying Education (from set of five) (issued 14-03-2016)
with a pictorial postmark

Thank You very much William!

Estonia: Tallinn

Yesterday I got eight postcards including one from Estonia.

The card from Estonia shows Tallinn's old town.

Stamps:
EUROPA (whole set) (issued 09-05-2016)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Jaan!