USA: Ochopee Post Office

On Monday I got three postcards: one from the USA, one from South Korea and one from Brazil.

The card from the USA shows the Ochopee Post Office in the US State of Florida. The Ochopee Post Office is said to be the smallest post office in the USA. In 1953 the post office building of Ochopee was destroyed by a fire, but to keep up the mail service the post office moved to the irrigation pipe shed which still houses it today. Despite its small size it offers all post services. The post office is a popular destination for tourists and stamp collectors.

Stamps:
Penguins (issued 01-06-2015)
Skywriting (issued 07-01-2017)
Ray Charles (issued 23-09-2013)
with the special postmark of the Ochopee Post Office

Thank You very much Chrystal!

Brazil: São Luís

On Monday I got three postcards: one from Brazil, one from the USA and one from South Korea.

The card from Brazil shows a street in São Luís. São Luís was founded by the French in 1612, captured by the Portuguese in 1615, captured by the Dutch in 1641 and recaptured by the Portuguese in 1645. It has the largest and best preserved heritage of colonial Portuguese architecture in Latin America, which survived due to a period of economic stagnation in the early 20th century. Today it is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Maranhão. The Historic Centre of São Luís is since 1997 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamps:
Professions (two from set of three) (issued 30-12-2005)
Musical Instruments (from set of ten) (issued 01-07-2002)
Missing Paintings by Candido Portinari (from set of five) (issued 26-05-2004)

Thank You very much Paulo!

South Korea: map

On Monday I got three postcards: one from South Korea, one from Brazil and one from the USA.

The card from South Korea shows a map of the Korean Peninsula.

With a great stamp:
Webtoons of Korea (from set of four) (issued 10-02-2017)
with a special postmark of the Cartoon Post Exhibition
Flag of South Korea (issued 06-03-2003)
Great Tit (issued 05-06-2006)
with a special postmark showing a Goral

Thank You very much Celine!

France: Abbey of Cluny

On Saturday I got two postcards: one from France and one from Thailand.

The card from France shows the Abbey of Cluny. The Abbey of Cluny was founded in 910. It was free from the local authorities and was only subject to the pope. The abbey was the spiritual and administrative centre of one of the largest monastic networks in European history and had an important influence on the Christian world of Western Europe throughout the Middle Ages. During the French Revolution the abbey was mostly destroyed. In 2014 the Abbey of Cluny got the European Heritage Label.

Stamps:
Astronomy (from set of twelve) (issued 03-10-2016)
Portrait Painting (from set of twelve) (issued 04-04-2016)

Thank You very much Marie-Chloé!

Thailand: Card from the Four Nations Stamp Exhibition

On Saturday I got two postcards: one from Thailand and one from France.

The card from Thailand shows a jetty.

On the backside are four postmarks from the Four Nations Stamp Exhibition.
Stamps:
66 years diplomatic relations with Indonesia (from set of two) (issued 05-05-2016)
It is a joint issue with Indonesia.
King Bhumibol (from set of fourteen) (issued 10-10-2010)

Thank You very much Cherry!

Portugal: Pena Palace in Sintra

On Friday I got four postcards: one from Portugal, one from Thailand, one from Estonia and one from Germany.

The card from Portugal shows the Pena Palace in Sintra. Sintra became the first centre of European Romantic architecture in the 19th century. The Pena Palace was constructed on the remains of a ruined monastery and served as a summer residence for the Portuguese royal family. Today it houses a museum. The Cultural Landscape of Sintra is since 1995 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamp:
Lisbon (from set of four) (issued 26-08-2016)

Thank You very much Madalena!

Germany: Elbphilharmonie and MS Cap San Diego

On Friday I got four postcards: one from Germany, one from Portugal, one from Thailand and one from Estonia.

The card from Germany shows the Elbphilharmonie and the MS Cap San Diego in Hamburg. The MS Cap San Diego was launched in 1962 and ran a regular schedule between Germany and South America. Today it is used as museum ship. 

Recently the postcard DE-6000000 was sent on Postcrossing and the lucky sender hosted a lottery on the Forum. I have won the lottery and so I now have the same postcard. ^___^

Stamp:
Saxon Switzerland (issued 02-06-2016)

Thank You very much Nicole!

Estonia: Tallinn

On Friday I got four postcards: one from Estonia, one from Germany, one from Portugal and one from Thailand.

The card from Estonia shows various views of Tallinn.

Stamp:
Year of the Rooster (issued 28-01-2017)

Thank You very much Jaan!

Thailand: Girl

On Friday I got four postcards: one from Thailand, one from Estonia, one from Germany and one from Portugal.

The card from Thailand shows an illustration of a girl.

Stamps:
Symbol of Love (issued 07-02-2017)
The stamp smells of roses.
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Cherry!

Germany: Ottifant

The Ottifant is a comic character created by the German comedian Otto Waalkes. It was first published in 1975 and since then appeared in comics, a TV series, a movie, a videogame and various merchandising products.

On 1st March the German Post issued a special stamp showing the Ottifant. For my collection I got three postcards with three different special postmarks from Berlin, Emden and Munich.

Germany: Baby Animals

In early March I sent a postcard and a cover to the postmarking unit to get the special postmarks of the new baby animal stamps (issued 01-03-2017). The cover already arrived some weeks ago, but the postcard just arrived on Thursday and the already thought it got lost.

covers from Germany

Last week I got two covers from Germany.

Stamps:

Crocus (issued 11-08-2005)

Marigold (issued 07-07-2005)

500th birthday of Lucas Cranach the Younger (issued 01-10-2015)

with a special postmark showing the Saint Nicholas Church in Torgau

The Saint Nicholas Church in Torgau was built in the 13th century. In 1519 the first Lutheran baptism was observed at this church and in 1520 the first Lutheran mass. Today it is just a ruin. 

Stamps:
Crocus (issued 11-08-2005)
Marigold (issued 07-07-2005)
500th birthday of Lucas Cranach the Younger (issued 01-10-2015)
with a special postmark showing the Saint George's Church in Neustadt bei Coburg

In 1530 Martin Luther gave a sermon at the Saint George's Church.

Salon Philatélique de Printemps

William recently visited the Salon Philatélique de Printemps and so I got some great philatelic things from this stamp exhibition in the course of this week. ^___^

France:

The postcard from France shows the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur. The Basilique du Sacré-Cœur is a Catholic church and was built between 1875 and 1914. It is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and is a basilica minor.

With a matching stamp:
Marianne 0,10€
Salon Philatélique de Printemps (issued 13-03-2017)
with a special postmark from the stamp exhibition

A cover with these stamps:
European Capitals - Valletta (issued 10-03-2017)
Salon Philatélique de Printemps (issued 13-03-2017)
Germaine Ribière (issued 13-03-2017)
with First Day Special Postmarks

Andorra (French Post):
A cover with this stamp:
Museu Carmen Thyssen (issued 17-02-2017)
with a special postmark about 40 years Philandorre

A cover with these stamps:
Coat of Arms (from set of six) (issued 02-01-2010)
40 years Philandorre (issued 10-03-2017)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much William!

My Trip to Wolfenbüttel

Yesterday I was in Wolfenbüttel and there I bought some postcards for my collection.

The Herzog August Library was founded by Duke Julius of Brunswick-Lüneburg in 1572. It houses a large collection of manuscripts of the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period and is one of the oldest libraries in the World which have never suffered loss to its collection. Between 1691 and 1716 Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz worked as librarian in Wolfenbüttel. Today it is a major international research centre for Medieval and Early Modern culture. Some of its rooms are used as museum.

The Lessinghaus was built in 1733 as residence for court officials. In 1777 Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, who worked as librarian at the Herzog August Library, moved to the house. There he lived until his death in 1781 and wrote his play Nathan the Wise. Today it is owned by the Herzog August Library and houses a museum about Lessing's life and work.

The Meißnerhaus is an office building of the Herzog August Library. Between 1776 and 1777 Lessing lived in the house.

The Marienkirche was built between 1608 and 1624 at the behest of Duke Henry Julius of Brunswick-Lüneburg. It is said to be the first new constructed monumental church of the Protestantism.

Germany: Memorial Church of the Protestation in Speyer

Yesterday I got three postcards: two from Germany and one from France.

One of the cards from Germany shows the Memorial Church of the Protestation in Speyer. The Memorial Church of the Protestation was built between 1893 and 1904. It was constructed in memory of the protest that took place at the Diet of Speyer by the Protestant states of the Holy Roman Empire in 1529. Its tower is the tallest bell tower in the Palatinate.

Stamp:
1000 years Neunburg vorm Wald (issued 01-03-2017)

Thank You very much Stefanie!