cover from Italy

On Tuesday I got not only a postcard but also two covers including one from Italy.

Stamps:

Castles (from set of four) (issued 1983)

500 years Reformation (issued 24-04-2017)

Inside was a maxicard of the Reformation stamp.

Thank You very much Renato!

United Kingdom: Dover Castle

On Saturday I got four postcards from the United Kingdom.

One of them shows Dover Castle. Dover Castle was founded in the 11th century. It is the largest castle in England and due to its defensive significance it was described as Key to England. 

With nice stamps:
Songbirds (two from set of ten) (issued 04-05-2017)

Thank You very much William!

United Kingdom: Castles of Sussex

On Saturday I got four postcards from the United Kingdom.

One of them shows various castles of Sussex. Sussex is a historic region in South East England. It got its name from the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. The region is divided between the counties of East Sussex and West Sussex.

Stamps:
Racehorse Legends (two from set of eight) (issued 06-04-2017)

Thank You very much William!

United Kingdom: Castles of Kent

On Saturday I got four postcards from the United Kingdom.

One of them shows various castles of Kent. Kent is a county in South East England. It is located on the English Channel. 

Stamps:
Bridges (two from set of ten) (issued 05-03-2015)

Thank You very much William!

United Kingdom: Folkestone

On Saturday I got four postcards from the United Kingdom.

One of them shows various views of Folkestone. Folkestone is a town on the English Channel. In the 19th and 20th century it was an important port town. 

Stamps:
Queen's Head
Prime Ministers (from set of eight) (issued 14-10-2014)

Thank You very much William!

Belgium: Grote Markt of Diksmuide

On Friday I got two postcards from Belgium.

One of them shows the Grote Markt of Diksmuide. Diksmuide is a town in Flanders. During World War I the town was first attacked on 16th October 1914, but was defended by Belgian and French troops who flooded the area by opening the flood gates of the Yser river. At the end of the war the town was largely destroyed. During the 1920s it was rebuilt. The Belfry at the Grote Markt is since 1999 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

With a related stamp:
Centenary of World War I (from set of five) (issued 13-06-2016)
After Belgium was occupied by the German Empire in 1914, the Belgian newspaper were censored or disappeared. But still some newspapers from Entente countries were smuggled into the country and also clandestine newspapers started to appear short after the occupation. At the beginning the clandestine newspapers just reproduced news from other countries, but from 1915 onwards specific Belgian newspapers were published in the underground.

Thank You very much Gerda!

Belgium: Dodengang

On Friday I got two postcards from Belgium.

One of them shows the Dodengang, the Trench of Death, near Diksmuide. The Dodengang is located next to the Yser Canal. It was in use between 1914 and 1918 and preserved the front line in this area by stopping further German attacks. In 1919 it became one of the first World War I memorials in Belgium.

The Battle of the Yser was fought in October 1914 between the German Empire and Belgium and France. The Allied victory at the Yser stopped the German advance into the last corner of unoccupied Belgium and established the Yser Front. 

With a related stamp:
Centenary of World War I (from set of five) (issued 13-06-2016)
Henri Pirenne (1862 - 1935) was a Belgian historian. He became known for the nonviolent resistance to the Germans who occupied Belgium in World War I.

Thank You very much Gerda!

Moldova: National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History

On Thursday I got two postcards: one from Moldova and one from the United Kingdom.

The card from Moldova shows the National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History in Chișinău. The National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History was established in 1889 as one of the first museums in modern day Moldova. Its collection is centred on the nature and cultures of Bessarabia. Today it is an important cultural and scientific institution.

With nice stamps:
Coat of Arms (from set of six) (issued 07-03-2015)
International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development (issued 10-03-2017)
The Red List of Moldova (from set of eight) (issued 29-07-2011)
with a special postmark about the 25th anniversary of Diplomatic Relations with Germany

Thank You very much Nadya!

United Kingdom: Church Stretton

On Thursday I got two postcards: one from the United Kingdom and one from Moldova.

The card from the United Kingdom shows an aerial view of Church Stretton. Church Stretton is a small town in the English county of Shropshire. It is located within the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and due to its landscape it was known as Little Switzerland.

With nice stamps:
Queen's Head
Christmas (from set of three) (issued 13-10-1971)
Songbirds (from set of ten) (issued 04-05-2017)

Thank You very much Anu!

Vietnam: Tam Coc Landscape

On Wednesday I got two postcards: one from Vietnam and one from the Czech Republic.

The card from Vietnam shows the Tam Coc Landscape. The Tam Coc Landscape is famous for its scenic beauty and is known as Ha Long Bay on the Land. As part of the Trang An Landscape Complex it is since 2014 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamps:
Architecture (from set of six) (issued 2015)
Architecture (from set of six) (issued 2014)

Thank You very much Jobbo!

Czech Republic: Cheat Sheet

On Wednesday I got two postcards: one from the Czech Republic and one from Vietnam.

The card from the Czech Republic is a cheat sheet.

Stamps:
60 years Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (issued 16-03-2016)
Zodiac (from set of two) (issued 08-12-1999)

Thank You very much Eva!

Switzerland: Rhaetian Railway

On Tuesday I got two postcards from Switzerland.

The two cards show viaducts of the Rhaetian Railway. The Rhaetian Railway is a railway operator in the Swiss Canton of Graubünden and the largest private railway operator in Switzerland. It features an impressive set of structures which were all built in perfect harmony with the landscapes through which they pass. Its construction had a major and lasting socio-economic impact on life in the mountains. The Rhaetian Railway in the Albula and Bernina Landscapes is since 2008 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The first one shows the Landwasser Viaduct. The Landwasser Viaduct was built between 1901 and 1902. It is a signature structure of the Albula Railway.

Stamp:
Baby Animals (from set of four) (issued 23-02-2017)

The second one shows the Brusio Spiral Viaduct. The Brusio Spiral Viaduct is in use since 1908. It is a signature structure of the Bernina Railway.

Stamp:
Baby Animals (from set of four) (issued 23-02-2017)

Thank You very much Joanna!

Singapore: Battle Box

On Monday I got two postcards: one from Singapore and one from Poland.

The card from Singapore shows the Battle Box. The Battle Box is a museum about World War II. It was opened in 1997 in the underground bunker where the surrender of Singapore was decided in 1942. 

Stamp:
Areas of Historical Significance (from set of four) (issued 08-08-2011)

Thank You very much Jobbo!

Poland: Westerplatte Memorial

On Monday I got two postcards: one from Poland and one from Singapore.

The card from Poland shows the Westerplatte Memorial near Gdańsk. The Westerplatte Memorial was unveiled in 1966 to commemorate the Battle of Westerplatte, which marked the beginning of World War II in Europe in 1939. 

Stamp:
Rose (from set of two) (issued 15-09-2015)

Thank You very much Magdalena!

cover from Germany

On Monday I got not only two postcards but also a cover from Germany.

Stamp:

500 years Reformation (issued 13-04-2017)

It is a joint issue with Brazil.

with a special postmark from Mansfeld