On 15th October I got not only a postcard but also a cover from Germany.
I sent this cover to myself to get the special postmark about the 30th anniversary of the German Reunification.
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
Austria: Carinthia
On 14th October I got two postcards: one from Austria and one from Japan.
The card from Austria shows various views of Carinthia. Carinthia or Kärnten is the southernmost Austrian State. Its capital city is Klagenfurt am Wörthersee.
A very interesting stamp was used on the card. The celebrates the Centenary of the Carinthian Plebiscite, which determined the final southern border between the Republic of Austria and the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes after World War I. In the plebiscite the people in the southern part of Carinthia, which was home to a majority of Slovenes, voted for Austria. Two special postmarks about the jubilee were used on the card.
Thank You very much Anita!
Japan: Eihei-ji Temple
On 14th October I got two postcards: one from Japan and one from Austria.
The card from Japan shows again the Eihei-ji Temple. As a reminder, this temple in the Fukui Prefecture is one of two main temples of the Sōtō school of Zen Buddhism.
One of this year's International Letter-Writing Week stamps (issued 09-10-2020) with the related special postmark was used on this card. Five stamps were issued this year for this occasion.
Thank You very much Keiko!
cover from France
On 14th October I got not only two postcards but also a cover from France.
On the cover the souvenir sheet and single stamp about this year's Fête du Timbre were used. Originally planned for March it had to be moved to October due to Covid-19. Curiously the date on the special postmark was not changed.
Thank You very much William!
My Trip to Hameln
Writing about trips and journeys feels strange today with the currently high numbers of Covid-19 cases and new stricter rules, but here are some cards from a trip to Hameln, where I had been on 14th October.
Hameln is a small city in the German State of Lower Saxony. It is famous around the World for the legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin and in fact the character is omnipresent in the city, but also otherwise the city has much to offer. Another special feature are for example the many houses in the style of the Weser Renaissance.
Housed in the two important houses of the Weser Renaissance style, the Leisthaus and the Stiftsherrenhaus, is the Museum Hameln. This nice museum shows artifacts from Hameln's history and also art, books and other items about the Pied Piper. A special exhibit is a mechanic theatre, but unfortunately it was not working on the day I was there.
This view of the Leisthaus has to be some years old already. A sign over the museum's entrance says that it is free, which is not the case anymore.
The Hochzeitshaus is thought to be the last stone building in Hameln built in the style of the Weser Renaissance. In 2005 a museum about this architectural style was opened in the house, but after just two years it had to close due to technical problems and low visitor numbers. On the house there is a Pied Piper Chime.
Other Weser Renaissance style houses in Hameln are the Rattenfängerhaus, the Rattenkrug and the Dempterhaus.
Taiwan: World Postcard Day
On 13th October I got two postcards: one from Taiwan and one from Germany.
In recent years there has been so many postcard series like Greeting from or Flags of the World. They are very popular among collectors, but I never liked to collect them, as they tend to become too excessive too quick. Postcard Bazaar is a good example for that. After the normal series there have been also special series about the 150th anniversary of the Postcard, Covid-19 and now World Postcard Day like this one from Taiwan.
A nice selection of Taiwanese stamps was used, but the highlight is the postmark. Like the Faroe Islands, Malta and Portugal also Taiwan introduced a special postmark for World Postcard Day. Also it celebrates the Moon Festival.
Thank You very much Johanna!
Germany: Academic Art Museum in Bonn
On 13th October I got two postcards: one from Germany and one from Taiwan.
The card from Germany shows the Academic Art Museum in Bonn. It is one of the oldest museums in Bonn and houses the antique collection of the University of Bonn.
The most recent lighthouse stamp was used as postage.
Thank You very much Marcel!
Germany: Kaiserswerth
On 10th October I got a postcard from Germany.
It shows various views of Kaiserswerth. Kaiserwerth was once location of a Kaiserpfalz and was later a free imperial city. Since 1929 is Kaiserswerth a part of Düsseldorf.
The most recent lighthouse stamp was used as postage and was cancelled with the Covid-19 postmark from the mail sorting centre 40 in Düsseldorf.
Thank You very much Marcel!
Wednesday, November 4, 2020
USA: Bugs Bunny
On 9th October I got two postcards: one from the USA and one from Croatia.
The card from the USA shows Bugs Bunny. Created in the 1930s Bugs Bunny is today one of the most famous cartoon characters in the World.
This card is the official prepaid card for the Bugs Bunny stamp from 1997. Two of the recent Bugs Bunny stamps, issued for his 80th anniversary, were used to reach the value to send a card to Germany. There are different opinions about this set. Personally I like them, but I do not think that a cartoon rabbit's 80th anniversary should be celebrated while on the other side ignoring the 75th anniversary of the End of World War II. Well at least one of the stamps shows Bugs Bunny during the war. The other stamp on this card was celebrated as first depiction of drag culture on a US stamp.
Thank You very much Eric!
So happy to receive these stamps on a matching card. The mint sheet I added to my collection of childhood heroes on stamps already a while ago.
Croatia: Pula Arena
On 9th October I got two postcards: one from Croatia and one from the USA.
The card from Croatia shows the Pula Arena. The Pula Arena is a Roman amphitheatre. It is the largest Roman monument in Croatia, the sixth largest ancient amphitheatre in the World and one of the best preserved as well.
An interesting stamp was used on the card. It commemorates Croatia's first Presidency of the Council of the European Union (issued 02-01-2020).
Thank You very much Antonella!
Austria: Ball Sports
On 7th October I got three postcards from Austria.
All three cards show illustrations about ball sports and were sent with matching stamps and special postmarks.
Thank You very much Anita!
USA: Women's Suffrage
On 6th October I got two postcards: one from the USA and one from Germany.
The card from the USA shows a map of the country highlighting those states that already introduced the Women's Suffrage by 1915. The first state to introduce the Women's Suffrage was Wyoming in 1869. Just with the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920 all women in the USA got the right to vote. I really like this illustration!
To celebrate the Centenary of the Nineteenth Amendment a stamp was issued on 26th August 2020. Two of these stamps together with some grapes were used on the card. Interestingly 50 years earlier in 1870 the Fifteenth Amendment introduced the Black Suffrage. I wonder why no stamp was issued for that anniversary as well. Together they would have made a great set in an election year like this.
Thank You very much Jaime!
Germany: Rheinturm in Düsseldorf
On 6th October I got two postcards: one from Germany and one from the USA.
The card from Germany shows the Rheinturm in Düsseldorf. The Rheinturm is a telecommunications tower and the tallest building in Düsseldorf. A special feature is the Lichtzeitpegel, an artwork which makes the tower the largest digital clock in the World. With this card you know how to read it!
One of the not so often seen variable value stamps was used on this card as well as one of the stamps from the astrophysics series. It is really a pity that this series was discontinued.
Thank You very much Marcel!
Austria: Vorarlberg
On 5th October I got two postcards: one from Austria and one from France.
The card from Austria shows a map of Vorarlberg. Vorarlberg is Austria's westernmost as well as second smallest state. The capital is Bregenz and the largest city is Dornbirn. After World War I Vorarlberg was hoping to join Switzerland.
On the same day I also got a cover from Austria cancelled on World Postcard Day.
Thank You very much Anita!
France: Saint-Quentin
On 5th October I got two postcards: one from France and one from Austria.
The card from France shows the Town Hall of Saint-Quentin. Saint-Quentin is a town in Northern France. The Town Hall was built in the Gothic style and finished in 1509. The medieval statues shown on the card look very interesting.
The stamp celebrates the Birth Bicentenary of Nadar, a famous photograph. He photographed many famous persons and is also known as the first person who took photographs from the air. In total four stamps were issued on 3rd April 2020 in a sheet with eight additional tabs which together show a rotation of Nadar's head. The stamp was cancelled in Saint-Quentin.
Thank You very much William!
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