Greenland: Christmas Card from Santa Claus Post Office

This nice Christmas Card comes from Greenland. It got one of the new Christmas stamp from Greenland and a special postmark from Santa Claus Post Office. Greenland Post Service uses this postmark only during the period 1st – 30th December 2016.

Stamp:
Christmas (from a set of two) - Issued: 17-10-2016


Merry Christmas to everyone!

Antarctica: Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station

I received this special cover yesterday. It took a long way from Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. The Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station is a United States scientific research station at the South Pole, the southernmost place on the Earth. The station is located on the high plateau of Antarctica at an elevation of 2,835 metres (9,301 feet) above sea level and is administered by the Division of Polar Programs within the National Science Foundation under the United States Antarctic Program (USAP).

The original South Pole station, now referred to as "Old Pole", was constructed by an 18-man United States Navy crew during 1956–1957. It was then moved and rebuilt in 1975 as a geodesic dome 50 meters (160 feet) wide and 16 meters (52 feet) high, with 14 m × 24 m (46 ft × 79 ft) steel archways, modular buildings, fuel bladders and equipment.

The Amundsen–Scott South Pole Scientific Station is the southernmost habitation on Earth. It is continuously inhabited. Its name honors Roald Amundsen, whose Norwegian expedition reached the Geographic South Pole in December 1911, and Robert F. Scott, whose British expedition of five men reached the South Pole about one month later (in January 1912) in a race to become the first person ever to reach the South Pole. All of Scott's expedition perished during the journey back towards the coast, while all of Amundsen's expedition returned safely to their base on the seacoast of the continent.

Stamps:
3x Go Green (from a set of 16) - Issued: 14-04-2011
+ added at the South Pole Post Office (i guess) a special stamp with great cancellation!


This is also my 300th Post - many thanks to all for sending me nice cards and covers! Keep it up! ;)

Germany: Christmas Stamps

As every year the German Post issued two christmas related stamps. The first one shows a scene of the Hortus deliciarum (Latin: Garden of Delights). Its a medieval manuscript compiled by Herrad of Landsberg at the Hohenburg Abbey in Alsace, better known today as Mont Sainte-Odile. It was an illuminated encyclopedia, begun in 1167 as a pedagogical tool for young novices at the convent. It is the first encyclopedia that was evidently written by a woman. The scene shows the "Annunciation to the shepherds".

Stamp:
Christmas - Issued: 02-11-2016 with special Postmark from Engelskrichen


The second stamp shows a very famous part of the christmas tree decoration. The bauble is one of the most popular Christmas ornament designs, and they have been in production since 1847. The german town of Lauscha in Thuringia is known as "Home" of the Christmas Baubles because of its traditional  glassblowing.

The stamps was planned to be issued on 2nd November, but because of some misspelling on the stamp it was issued on 30th November.

Stamp:
Christmas - Issued: 30-11-2016 with special first day of Issued postmark

USA: President Barack Obama

Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to be elected to office and the first president born outside the contiguous United States. In 2009 Obama was named the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. He was elected the 44th President of the United States on November 4, 2008, and sworn in on January 20, 2009. After being re-elected in 2012, President Obama is currently serving his second and final term, which will end in January 2017. He will be succeeded by Donald John Trump.

Stamps: (from left to right)
The White House - Issued: 18-10-2000
2x The 75th Anniversary of Wonder Woman (from a set of four) - Issued: 17-10-2016


Many thanks to Eric for this great card!

Tristan da Cunha: Return-to-Sender from Tristan da Cunha

Some weeks ago, I received my Cover back from Tristan da Cunha. Tristan da Cunha is the name of both a remote group of volcanic islands in the south Atlantic Ocean and the main island of that group. It is the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world, lying 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) from the nearest inhabited land, Saint Helena, and 2,400 kilometres (1,500 mi) from the nearest continental land, South Africa. As of September 2016, the main island has 265 permanent inhabitants. Meanwhile, the other islands are uninhabited, except for the personnel of a weather station on Gough Island.

Tristan da Cunha is part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. This includes Saint Helena and equatorial Ascension Island, some 3,730 kilometres (2,318 mi) to the north of Tristan.

I sent my cover on April 21st 2016 and it arrived back after 198 days on November 5th.

Stamp:
Definitive Issue - Flowers "Narcissus sp." - Issued: 02-01-2006