cover from Russia

Last Thursday I got not only three postcards but also a cover from Russia.

With a great stamp:

Crimean Bridge (issued 06-11-2018)

with First Day Special Postmark

Inside were a mint version of the stamp and a postal card with a special postmark.

Thank You very much Ekaterina!

Jordan: King Abdullah II of Jordan

On Tuesday I got a postcard from Jordan.

It shows King Abdullah II of Jordan. King Abdullah II was born in 1962 as first child of King Hussein and Princess Muna. In 1993 he married Rania Al-Yassin and together they have four children. After his father's death in 1999 he became King of Jordan. He is popular locally and internationally as mediator in various conflicts and for maintaining Jordanian stability.

The card was sent in July and now finally arrived after four months of travelling.
Stamps:
Definitive - Overprinted Stamp of 2003 (issued 20-12-2009)
Definitive (from set of four) (issued 15-05-1996)

Thank You very much Marcel!

cover from Germany

On Tuesday I got not only a postcard but also a cover from Germany.

Stamp:

800 years Rostock (issued 07-06-2018)

with a matching special postmark about the city jubilee and the 600th anniversary of the University of Rostock in 2019

Japan: National Museum of Japanese History

Last Saturday I got three postcards: one from Japan, one from China and one from Canada.

The card from Japan shows the National Museum of Japanese History. The National Museum of Japanese History, which is also known as Rekihaku, is a history museum in Sakura in the Japanese Prefecture of Chiba. It was opened in 1983.

With a great stamp:
8 Yen Difference Make Up Stamp (from set of two) (issued 01-11-2018)
Year of the Pig (from set of two) (issued 01-11-2018)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Keiko!

Canada: Vancouver

Last Saturday I got three postcards: one from Canada, one from Japan and one from China.

The card from Canada shows the skyline of Vancouver. Vancouver is a city in the Canadian Province of British Columbia. It is one of the most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities in Canada and is known for its high quality of life. In 2010 Vancouver hosted the Olympic Winter Games.

Stamps:
Wait for me Daddy (issued 04-10-2014)
Armistice Centenary (issued 24-10-2018)
Beneficial Insects (from set of five) (issued 12-10-2007)

Thank You very much Heidi!

China: Pattern

Last Saturday I got three postcards: one from China, one from Canada and one from Japan.

The card from China shows some type of pattern.

Stamps:
China 2016 Asian International Stamp Exhibition (from set of two) (issued 02-12-2016)
Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games (from set of six) (issued 12-11-2010)
Children’s Sports and Games (from set of six) (issued 31-05-2017)

Thank You very much!

Germany: Chagall Windows at the Saint Stephan's Church in Mainz

On Friday I got a postcard from Germany.

It shows one of the Chagall Windows at the Saint Stephan's Church in Mainz. The Saint Stephan's Church was first mentioned in the 10th century and its current form comes from the 13th century. The church is especially known for its nine stained glass windows created by Marc Chagall. They were created between 1978 and 1985 and depict scenes from the Old Testament, which demonstrated the commonalities across Christian and Jewish traditions. Marc Chagall intended his work to be a contribution to the Jewish-German reconciliation.

With a perfect matching stamp:
Stained Glass Window by Marc Chagall (issued 02-11-2018)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Claas!

Germany: Christmas Cards

Last Thursday I got two Christmas postcards from Germany.

The first one shows a sleigh with a cow and a reindeer.

With related stamps:
Christmas - gummed version (issued 02-11-2018)
Christmas - self-adhesive version (issued 02-11-2018)
with First Day Special Postmarks

The second one shows Santa Claus with a paper cut.

With a related stamp:
Christmas - gummed version (issued 02-11-2018)
with a special postmark from the Paper Cut Museum in Vreden

Taiwan: 8th Taiwan Postcrossing Meet-up

On Wednesday I got a postcard from Taiwan.

It is the official card of the 8th Taiwan Postcrossing Meet-up.

The card was signed during the meet-up.
Stamp:
Railway Bridges in Taiwan (from set of four) (issued 09-06-2017)
with a special Postcrossing postmark

Thank You very much Lin!

Germany: Postcrossing Meet-up in Bielefeld

On Tuesday I got a postcard from Germany.

It is an official postcard of the Postcrossing Meet-up in Bielefeld.

The card was signed during the meet-up.
Stamp:
Dinner for One (issued 11-10-2018)

Thank You very much Christine!

RMS Leinster and Armistice Centenary

100 years ago the Entente and the German Empire signed the Armistice of Compiègne and thus brought an end to World War I. 

Perfect in time for the jubilee I got a new World War I card from Ireland on Monday. It shows RMS Leinster. RMS Leinster was an Irish ship that was used for Royal Mail service. On 10th October 1918, when she was on her way between Ireland and Wales, she was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine. Over 500 people lost their lives. Still today this is the greatest single loss of life in the Irish Sea.

With a matching stamp:
RMS Leinster 1918 (issued 10-10-2018)

Thank You very much Sile!

On Tuesday I also got this year's British stamps about World War I (issued 20-09-2018), which I had ordered online.

In the last four years I built up a collection of World War I postcards, stamps and postmarks. In the last months I have rearranged my collection and wrote six new posts on my history blog. Now you can see the complete series here. I will continue my World War I collection until the end of the year to fill some gaps and will then stop it. A big Thank You to everyone who have helped me! ^___^

Italy: Boboli Gardens

Last Saturday I got four postcards: one from Italy, two from Germany and one from Croatia.

The card from Italy shows the Grotta del Buontalenti at the Boboli Gardens in Florence. The Boboli Gardens were laid out by the Medici family in the 16th century. It was later enlarged and is especially known for its collection of sculptures. As one of the Medici Villas and Gardens in Tuscany are the Boboli Gardens since 2013 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamp:
Italian City Squares (from set of eight) (issued 02-07-2016)

Thank You very much Melanie!

Croatia: Split

Last Saturday I got four postcards: one from Croatia, one from Italy and two from Germany.

The card from Croatia shows Split. Split is the second largest city of Croatia and the largest city in Dalmatia. It was home to the Palace of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, which was actually a fortress and not a palace and which later became a new home for Roman refugees during the migration period. Today big parts of Split's old town are located within the borders of the former palace. Since 1979 is the Historical Complex of Split with the Palace of Diocletian on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamp:
Lighthouses (from set of four) (issued 10-06-2015)

Thank You very much Agata!

Germany: Prosper-Haniel Colliery in Bottrop

Last Saturday I got four postcards: two from Germany, one from Croatia and one from Italy.

One of the cards from Germany shows the Prosper-Haniel Colliery in Bottrop. The Prosper-Haniel Colliery is a coal mine that is active since 1863. Since 2015 it is the last active coal mine in the Ruhr Area, but it will be also closed this year. After it will be closed, it will probably be used as pumped-storage power plant.

Stamp:
Dinner for One (issued 11-10-2018)

Thank You very much Marcel!

Germany: Town Musicians of Bremen

Last Saturday I got four postcards: two from Germany, one from Croatia and one from Italy.

One of the cards from Germany is a 3D card of the statue of the Town Musicians of Bremen. The Town Musicians of Bremen is a fairy tale of the Brothers Grimm about a donkey, a dog, a cat and a rooster leaving their owners to become Town Musicians in Bremen but after expelling crooks from their house in the forest they stayed there. The statue was built in 1953 and was designed by Gerhard Marcks.

Stamps:
Tulip (issued 08-09-2005)
Bluebells (issued 08-06-2017)
Marigold (issued 07-07-2005)

Thank You very much Serena!