Spain: Barcelona

On Monday I got a postcard from Spain.

It shows various views of Barcelona. Barcelona is the capital and largest city of Catalonia. It is also the second largest city of Spain, the second largest city of the European Union which is not the capital of its country and the largest metropolis on the Mediterranean Sea. Furthermore it is a popular tourist destination and was the fifth most visited European city in 2011. In 1992 the city hosted the Summer Olympics.

Stamps:
State Industrial Engineer Corps (issued 23-03-2016)
Diario de Avisos (issued 05-02-2016)
King Felipe VI (two from set of five) (issued 19-01-2015)
with a great special postmark showing the Casa Milà

Thank You very much William!

cover from Germany

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

Stamp:

500 years Reformation (issued 13-04-2017)

with a special postmark from Schmalkalden

Swiss Postcrossing Stamps

On Friday I got my stamp order from Switzerland which included the new Swiss Postcrossing stamps (issued 07-09-2017) and the FDC of the set.

You can see all the stamps I ordered here.

France: Avenue de Champagne in Epernay

On Wednesday I got three postcards from France.

One of them shows the Avenue de Champagne in Epernay. Epernay is one of the main centres of the Champagne production and the Avenue de Champagne features the leading Champagne manufacturers. As part of the Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars is the Avenue de Champagne since 2015 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamp:
Centenary of the Battle of Chemin des Dames (from set of two) (issued 14-04-2017)
with a special postmark from the philatelic shop in Epernay

Thank You very much William!

France: Reims

On Wednesday I got three postcards from France.

One of them shows various views of Reims. Reims is a big city in the Grand Est region. It is known for its cathedral and as former crowning place of the French Kings.

Stamps:
Marianne 0,05€, 0,10€
Art (from set of two) (issued 27-06-2017)
It is a joint issue with the Philippines.
with a special postmark from the philatelic shop in Reims

Thank You very much William!

France: Hortillonnages of Amiens

On Wednesday I got three postcards from France.

One of them shows the Hortillonnages of Amiens. The Hortillonnages are small gardens which were used to provide the inhabitants of Amiens with fruits and vegetables. They are a popular tourist destination.

Stamps:
Marianne 0,10€
European Capitals - Amsterdam (from set of four) (issued 06-11-2016)
with a special postmark from the philatelic shop in Amiens

Thank You very much William!

cover from France

On Wednesday I got not only three postcards but also a cover from France.

Stamps:

75 years Aviation Regiment "Normandy-Neman" (issued 01-09-2017)

It is a joint issue with Russia.

with First Day Special Postmark

500 years Le Havre (issued 31-08-2017)

with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much William!

My Trip to the Berlin Zoological Garden and its Giant Pandas

Last Saturday I visited the Berlin Zoological Garden.

The Berlin Zoological Garden was opened in 1844 and is thus Germany's oldest zoo. Today it is the most species-rich zoo in the World. It is also considered to be the most visited zoo in Europe and one of the most popular in the World. The zoo is involved in the protection of endangered species. 

The Elephant Gate is one of the two entrances to the zoo. It was built between 1983 and 1984 and is one of the main sights of the zoo. The gate is a reconstruction, as the original one was destroyed during World War II.

On 22nd August 2012 Berlin's Giant Panda Bao Bao (male) died. After negotiations with China the zoo finally became again home to two Giant Pandas in June 2017. The two Giant Pandas Jiao Qing (male) and Meng Meng (female) are a permanent loan of China and will stay in Berlin for 15 years. They live in Europe's most modern compound for Giant Pandas.

The Aquarium Berlin is one of Germany's largest aquariums. It was built in 1913 as part of the Berlin Zoological Garden complex and is ranked among the public aquariums with the World’s greatest biodiversity.

Spain: La Rambla

On Saturday I got a postcard from Spain.

It shows La Rambla. La Rambla is a tree-lined pedestrian street in central Barcelona. It is a popular destination for tourists and is home to many kiosks. On 17th August 2017 13 people were killed and at least 100 were injured when a terrorist drove a van into pedestrians on the street.

With a great stamp:
King Juan Carlos I (from set of eight) (issued 02-01-2008)
International Year of Soils (issued 26-06-2015)
On the stamp are real petunia seeds.
King Felipe VI (from set of five) (issued 19-01-2015)

Thank You very much Marina!

France: Laon

On Friday I got a postcard from France.

It shows various views of Laon. Laon is the capital city of the Aisne department. It contains numerous medieval buildings including the famous Cathedral of Laon.

Stamps:
Marianne 0,10€
Joachim Murat (issued 26-06-2017)
with a special postmark from the philatelic shop in Laon

Thank You very much William!

Russia: Assumption Cathedral of Sviyazhsk

On Thursday I got two postcards from Russia.

One of them shows the Assumption Cathedral of Sviyazhsk in Tatarstan. Sviyazhsk was founded in 1551 by Ivan the Terrible at the confluence of the Volga and Sviyaga Rivers and at the crossroads of the Silk and Volga routes. The cathedral illustrates the political and missionary programme developed by Ivan the Terrible to extend the Moscow state and from this outpost he initiated the conquest of the Kazan Khanate. The Assumption Cathedral and Monastery of the town-island of Sviyazhsk are since 2017 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamps:
Lighthouses of Crimea (whole set) (issued 29-09-2016)
Flora and Fauna (from set of fifteen) (issued 29-08-2008)
Russian Kremlins (from set of twelve) (issued 01-10-2009)

Thank You very much Vera!

Russia: Daurian Hedgehog

On Thursday I got two postcards from Russia.

One of them shows a Daurian Hedgehog. Dauria is a region in eastern Mongolia and Siberia with steppes, grassland, forests, lakes and wetlands. Its distinct dry and wet periods lead to a wide diversity of species and ecosystems of global significance. It is an important resting place for migratory birds and a habitat for endangered species like the White-naped Crane, the Mongolian Gazelle and the Daurian Hedgehog. The Landscapes of Dauria in Mongolia and Russia are since 2017 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamps:
Bridges (from set of four) (issued 28-11-2008)
Wild Cats (from set of four) (issued 01-08-2014)
Russian Kremlins (from set of twelve) (issued 01-10-2009)

Thank You very much Vera!

Belgium: Museum aan de Stroom in Antwerp

On Tuesday I got three postcards: one from Belgium, one from Japan and one from Germany.

The card from Belgium shows the Museum aan de Stroom in Antwerp. The Museum aan de Stroom is a museum about Antwerp and its many aspects. It was opened in 2011 and is the largest museum in Antwerp.

Stamp:
Belgium from Above (from set of five) (issued 15-09-2016)

Thank You very much Gerda!

Germany: Neuss Schützenfest

On Tuesday I got three postcards: one from Germany, one from Belgium and one from Japan.

The card from Germany shows the Neuss Schützenfest. The Neuss Schützenfest is held every year on the last weekend in August. It was first held in 1823 and is regarded as the largest marksmen's festival in the World that is organized by a single association. The Marksmanship in Germany is since 2015 a part of the German Nationwide Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Stamp:
Water Lily (issued 11-05-2017)

Thank You very much Marcel!

Japan: House

On Tuesday I got three postcards: one from Japan, one from Germany and one from Belgium.

The card from Japan shows an illustration of a house.

With a nice stamp:
Autumn Greetings (from set of thirteen) (issued 23-08-2017)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Keiko!