Iceland: Map-Card

Iceland  is a Nordic island country between the North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean. It has a population of 329,100 and an area of 103,000 km2 (40,000 sq mi), making it the most sparsely populated country in Europe. The capital and largest city is Reykjavík. Reykjavík and the surrounding areas in the southwest of the country are home to over two-thirds of the population. Iceland is volcanically and geologically active and runs almost completely on renewable energy.

Stamp:
Icelandic Contemporary Design – Architecture (from a set of four) - Issued: 27-03-2014

Germany: Sanssouci

Sanssouci is the former summer palace of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, in Potsdam, near Berlin. It is often counted among the German rivals of Versailles. While Sanssouci is in the more intimate Rococo style and is far smaller than its French Baroque counterpart, it too is notable for the numerous temples and follies in the park. The palace was designed/built by Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff between 1745 and 1747 to fulfill King Frederick's need for a private residence where he could relax away from the pomp and ceremony of the Berlin court. The palace's name emphasises this; it is a French phrase (sans souci), which translates as "without concerns", meaning "without worries" or "carefree", symbolising that the palace was a place for relaxation rather than a seat of power.

Stamps:
Castles - Sanssouci, Potsdam - Issued: 01-03-2016 with special postmark

USA: Odessa, TX

Odessa is a city in and the county seat of Ector County, Texas, United States. It is located primarily in Ector County, although a small portion of the city extends into Midland County. Odessa's population was 99,940 at the 2010 census making it the 29th-most populous city in Texas. Odessa is said to have been named after Odessa, Ukraine, because of the local shortgrass prairie's resemblance to Ukraine's steppe landscape.

Stamp:
Moon - Issued: 22-02-2016


Thanks to Arnold for this nice card and stamp!

Malaysia: Malaysian Primates (Year of the Monkey)

Some days ago I received this nice envelope from Malaysia. On the envelope I received the set of Malaysian Primates to celebrate The Years of the Monkey. The collection features illustrations of four primate species which could be found in the Malaysian forest, namely the Silvered Leaf Monkey, Macaque, White-handed Gibbon, and Agile Gibbon.

Stamps:
Malaysian Primates (Year of the Monkey) - Issued: 26-01-2016

With this nice envelope I received several other things. First of all is this nice card from Kuala Lumpur. Kuala Lumpur is the national capital and most populous global city in Malaysia. The city covers an area of 243 km2 (94 sq mi) and has an estimated population of 1.6 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, covering similar area as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.5 million people as of 2012. It is among the fastest growing metropolitan regions in South-East Asia, in terms of population and economy. In the left background you can see the famous Petronas Twintowers of Kuala Lumpur.

I also received with this envelope the full mint set of Hong Kong's Year of the Monkey Issue:

And last but not least, also the full mint set of Singapore's Year of the Monkey Issue in a nice presentation pack:

Many Thanks for this great stuff to GK!

Switzerland: 150th Anniversary of the Swiss Red Cross (SRC)

On 17 July 1866, General Henri Dufour, Federal Councillor Jakob Dubs and other prominent figures met in Bern with the goal of founding the Swiss Red Cross (SRC). This new organisation was initially called the 'Aid organisation for Swiss soldiers and their families' and reflected the organisation's purpose at that time of supporting the Armed Forces medical services in times of war through voluntary workers. This was also one of Henry Dunant's basic ideas. The aid organisation's first major effort came with the internment of the Army of the East, commanded by General Bourbaki, in 1871 during the Franco-Prussian War. The SRC's activity during both world wars consolidated the aid organisation's position and enhanced its reputation at both national and international level. After World War II, its focus shifted increasingly to the civilian sector, with numerous new tasks. The Swiss Red Cross is currently Switzerland's largest humanitarian organisation. Further information is available at www.redcross.ch.

Stamps:
2x 150th Anniversary of the Swiss Red Cross (SRC) - Issued: 03-03-2016


Many thanks to Hansjürg for this nice Cover!

France: Nancy

Nancy is the capital of the north-eastern French department of Meurthe-et-Moselle. The metropolitan area of Nancy had a population of 410,509 inhabitants at the 1999 census, 103,602 of whom lived in the city of Nancy proper. On the card you can see the Place Stanislas, a large square built between March 1752 and November 1755 by Stanislaus I of Poland. Since 1983, the architectural ensemble comprising the Place Stanislas, the extension of its axis, the Place de la Carrière, and the Place d'Alliance, has been on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Stamps:
left: Stamp Day - Issued: 06-03-1993
right: EUROPA "Holidays" - Issued: 10-05-2004


Thanks to Sylvie for this nice card!

Germany: Happy Easter

Wishing you all a Happy Easter!

Or as in german: Frohe Ostern!

Stamp:

Cartoons by Peter Gaymann (from a set of two) - Issued: 01-03-2014 with special cancellation from the Easter Bunny Bureau in Ostereistedt

Macedonia: Skopje

Today I also received my first card from Macedonia. Officially the Republic of Macedonia is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991. The capital and largest city  of the Republic of Macedonia is Skopje. It is also the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic center. As in 2012 the population of Skopje was about 536,000.

Stamps (from the left):
Macedonian Stamps: Definitives - Cities (from a set of 5) - Issued: 04-12-2008
Macedonian Stamps: Definitives - Art Works (from a set of 5) - Issued: 08-06-2005
First Car and Airplane (from a set of two) - Issued: 15-06-2005


UPDATE: 31-03-2016

Ana was so kind to send me another card. I received it some days ago. The card shows some famous locations in Macedonia including traditional costumes and the macedonian flag.

Stamps:
left:  The 20th Anniversary of Independence - Issued: 05-09-2011
right: EU & Macedonia (from a set of two) - Issued: 09-05-2009



Many thanks to Ana for the cards!

USA: University of Texas at Austin

The University of Texas at Austin is a public research university and the flagship institution of The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883 as "The University of Texas," its campus is located in Austin, TX—approximately 1 mile (1,600 m) from the Texas State Capitol. The institution has the fifth-largest single-campus enrollment in the USA, with over 50,000 undergraduate and graduate students and over 24,000 faculty and staff.

On the card you can see the main Building of the University (known colloquially as "The Tower"). It was completed in 1937 and got a hight of 307-foot (94 m) makes it is one of the most recognizable symbols of the university and the city of Austin.

Stamps:
left: Vintage Flowers (from a set of two) - Issued: 14-02-2015
right: Civil War: 1864 (from a set of two) - Issued: 30-07-2014


Thanks to Pam for this nice card!

Luxembourg: New University of Luxembourg Campus

Some days ago, I received this nice cover from Luxemburg. Luxemburg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France to the south. Its capital Luxembourg City is together with Brussels and Strasbourg one of the three official capitals of the European Union and seat of the European Court of Justice, highest juridical instance in the EU. Luxembourg is one of the smallest countries in Europe, and ranked 179th in size of all the 194 independent countries of the world.

On the cover you can see on the right a new issued stamp. Unfortunately, I don't get it scanned properly, because its reflecting, but it shows the New University of Luxembourg Campus in Belval. The University of Luxembourg was founded in 2003. Since 2015 the new headquarter of the University is in Belval. Belval was formerly the beating heart of Luxembourg’s steel industry and now takes on a new role as a place to live and to innovate. Now,  25,000 people, including 7,000 students and 3,000 scientists, will eventually live, work, and study in this area which is the size of 120 football pitches.

Stamps:
left: Vegetables of Yesteryear (from a set of 3) - Issued: 22-09-2015
right: New University of Luxembourg Campus - Issued: 03-03-2016


Many thanks to Jean-Marc for this nice Cover!

Germany: Imperial Abbey of Corvey

The Imperial Abbey of Corvey or Princely Abbey of Corvey (German: Stift Corvey or Fürstabtei Corvey) was a Benedictine abbey on the River Weser, 2 km northeast of Höxter, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was one of the Imperial abbeys of the Holy Roman Empire from the late Middle Ages until 1792 when the abbey was dissolved and Corvey converted into a prince-bishopric. It was in turn secularized in 1803 and absorbed into the newly created Principality of Nassau-Orange-Fulda. In 2014, the former abbey was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Stamp:
UNESCO World Heritage - Imperial Abbey of Corvey - Issued: 01-03-2016 with matching postmark

Russia: Ufa

Ufa (Russian: Уфа́) is the capital city of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia, and the industrial, economic, scientific and cultural center of the republic with a Population of 1,105,667 as in 2015. Ufa is situated in eastern Europe near its land boundary with Asia, at the confluence of the Belaya (Agidel) and Ufa Rivers, on low hills forming the Ufa Plateau to the west of the southern Urals. On the card you can see "Bashkir State Philharmony".

Stamps:
1x Definitive Issue. Kremlins "Novgorod Kremlin" (from a set of 12) - Issued: 01-10-2009
3x Definitive Issue. Kremlins "Moscow Kremlin" (from a set of 12) - Issued: 01-10-2009


Many thanks to Aigul for this nice card!

Germany: Düren

Düren is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, between Aachen and Cologne on the river Rur.  As in 2014 in population of the city was 89,024. The city of Düren was located on the main fighting front during the Allied invasion of Germany in World War II and was almost completely destroyed by Allied air bombings.

Stamp:
Germany's Most Beautiful Panoramas "Dresden" (from a set of two) - Issued: 03-04-2014


Thanks to Michael for this card!

Greenland: "Leap Year" Cover from Uummannaq

I received this self-made cover from Greenland today. Uummannaq is a town in the Qaasuitsup municipality, in northwestern Greenland. With 1,282 inhabitants in 2013, it is the eleventh-largest town in Greenland, and is home to the country's most northerly ferry terminal. Uummannaq is located 590 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle on Uummannaq Island located in the south-central arm of the Uummannaq Fjord. The island is also home to Uummannaq Mountain, rising very sharply to the height of 1170m. I'm very happy about the postmark, the cover was cancelled on 29th February, which was not intended but I'm happy they did it on that date. On the postmark you can see the Uummannaq Mountain.

Stamp:
Hunters’ Lives (whole Set) - Issued: 19-01-2015

This is also my 200th Post on this Blog!


♁ 70°40′ N 52°07' W

Canada: Year of the Monkey Domestic Stamp FDC

Today, I also received this nice FDC from Canada. The Year of the Monkey begins on February 8, 2016 and ends on January 27, 2017. Brilliance, flexibility and inventiveness are solid traits of those born under this simian sign, as are an excellent memory, skillfulness, an iron will and a strong drive to succeed. But beware: Monkeys are said to be easily discouraged by delays, tend to look down to others, and have a fast-flaring temper that (fortunately) cools down quickly. Passionate but sometimes flighty lovers, Monkeys are most compatible with Dragons and Rats.

Stamp:

Chinese New Year - Year of the Monkey - Issued: 11-01-2016

Thanks to Tristan for this great FDC!

Malta: Balluta Bay

Today I received a nice card from Malta. Malta is a Southern European island country comprising an archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. It lies 80 km (50 mi) south of Italy, 284 km (176 mi) east of Tunisia, and 333 km (207 mi) north of Libya. The capital of Malta is Valletta, which at 0.8 km2, is the smallest national capital in the European Union. Malta has two official languages: Maltese and English. The card is from Balluta, which ist is a bay on the northeast coast of Malta within St. Julian's. It is a popular recreation spot used for swimming, diving, and water sports, with a triangular pjazza surrounded by cafés and shaded by Judas trees. Its skyline is dominated by the neo-gothic Carmelite Parish Church and the stunning art nouveau Balluta Buildings.

Stamp:
Christmas (from a set of 3) - Issued: 14-11-2015


Thanks to Roger for this nice card!

Germany: Expo 2000 Hannover

This time I would like to show an old cover, which I got in my collection. Its from the Expo 2000. The Expo 2000 was a World's Fair held in Hannover, Germany from Thursday, June 1 to Tuesday, October 31, 2000. It was located on the Hannover fairground (Messegelände Hannover), which is the largest exhibition ground in the world. In total, 155 nations took part in this World's Fair.

Stamps:
4x EXPO 2000 Hannover - Issued: 13-01-2000 with special postmark of the opening day

Canada: "Leap Year" Cover

Today I received another Leap Year cover, this time from Canada. It was posted on 29th February in Carlisle, Ontario. Many thanks to Brenda for sending me this nice cover.

Stamps:
2x Beneficial Insects (from a set of 5) - Issued: 12-10-2007
Mammals - Issued: 27-10-1998

Germany: "Leap Year" Cover

A leap year (also known as an intercalary year or a bissextile year) is a year containing one additional day (or, in the case of lunisolar calendars, a month) added to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical or seasonal year. Because seasons and astronomical events do not repeat in a whole number of days, calendars that have the same number of days in each year drift over time with respect to the event that the year is supposed to track. By inserting (also called intercalating) an additional day or month into the year, the drift can be corrected.

For example, in the Gregorian calendar, each leap year has 366 days instead of the usual 365, by extending February to 29 days rather than the common 28.

I set up this cover myself with several ATM stamps showing 29-02-2016 and with an additional 0,03 € stamp for the right postage and a cancellation on 29th February.

5 x ATM Stamp  - Issued: 24-10-2008

Greenland: Sisimiut

Today I received this great card from Greenland. It shows the greenland flag. The flag of Greenland was designed by Greenland native Thue Christiansen. It features two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red with a large disk slightly to the hoist side of centre. The top half of the disk is red, the bottom half is white. It was adopted on June 21, 1985 and is the only national flag of a Nordic country or territory without a Nordic Cross. The card was cancelled in Sisimiut. Sisimiut, formerly Holsteinsborg, is a town in central-western Greenland, located on the coast of Davis Strait, approximately 320 km (200 mi) north of Nuuk. It is the administrative center of the Qeqqata Municipality and the second-largest town in Greenland, with a population of 5,598 people in 2013.

Stamps:
left: Queen Margrethe II - Issued: 22-10-2012
right: Charity Stamp - Child Rights Institution MIO - Issued: 18-01-2016


♁ 66°56 N 53°40′ W

Germany: Martin Luther

Martin Luther (10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German professor of theology, composer, priest, former monk and a seminal figure in the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He proposed an academic discussion of the power and usefulness of indulgences in his Ninety-Five Theses of 1517. His refusal to retract all of his writings at the demand of Pope Leo X in 1520 and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms in 1521 resulted in his excommunication by the Pope and condemnation as an outlaw by the Emperor. His translation of the Bible into the vernacular (instead of Latin) made it more accessible, which had a tremendous impact on the church and German culture. Luther died in 1546 in Eisleben, Germany. The card shows him around 1540.

Stamp:
ATM Stamp "Post Tower - Bonn" (0, 45 €) - Issued: 24-10-2008 with special postmark commemorating the 470. Anniversary of his day of death

Germany: The 25th Anniversary of the 112 European Emergency Number

112 is the common emergency telephone number that can be dialed free of charge from most mobile telephones and, in some countries, fixed telephones in order to reach emergency services (ambulance, fire and rescue, police). 112 was first standardised by a Recommendation by the CEPT in 1972 and later by a decision of the EU Council in 1991 and subsequently reaffirmed in 2002 by article 26 of the Universal Service Directive and its subsequent amendments.

Stamps (left to right):
ATM Stamp "Brandenburg Gate – Berlin" (0,05 ct) - Issued: 24-10-2008
Definitive Issue - Flowers "Tagetes erect" - Issued: 07-07-2005
The 25th Anniversary of the 112 European Emergency Number - Issued: 11-02-2016 with special first day of Issued postmark

Germany: The 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Ernst Litfaß (1816-1874)

Ernst Amandus Theodor Litfaß (11 February 1816 – 27 December 1874) was a German printer and publisher. He invented the free-standing cylindrical advertising column which bears his name in German (Litfaßsäule). In 1854 Litfaß proposed putting up columns in the streets of Berlin for announcement and advertising purposes. Allegedly, he was disgusted by the unsystematic and ubiquitous posting of pamphlets, notices and other materials on walls, doors, fences and trees. In December that year he was granted permission to erect such Annoncier-Säulen columns, and on 1 July 1855 the first 100 Litfaß-Säulen were presented in Berlin. Litfaß had a monopoly on his advertising columns and grew rich fast. After his death in Wiesbaden in 1874, the idea of putting up Litfaßsäulen (Litfaß columns or Litfaß pillars) quickly spread to other German cities. Today, they can be found in other countries as well.

Stamps:
2x The 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Ernst Litfaß (1816-1874) - Issued: 11-02-2016 with special first day of Issue postmark

Germany: Little Red Riding Hood

"Little Red Riding Hood", or "Little Red Ridinghood", also known as "Little Red Cap" or simply "Red Riding Hood", is a European fairy tale about a young girl and a Big Bad Wolf. The story has been changed considerably in its history and subject to numerous modern adaptations and readings. The story was first published by Charles Perrault and later reedited by the Grimm Brothers.

Stamps:
Charity Stamps - Little Red Riding Hood (whole Set) - Issued: 11-02-2016 with special first day of Issue postmark

Thailand: Bangkok

Bangkok is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies 1,568.7 square kilometres (605.7 sq mi) in the Chao Phraya River delta in Central Thailand, and has a population of over 8 million, or 12.6 percent of the country's population. Bangkok is subdivided into 50 districts. The city is also one of the world's top tourist destination cities. The Department of Tourism recorded 26,861,095 Thai and 11,361,808 foreign visitors to Bangkok in 2010. Since 1962 Bangkok is twinned with Washington, DC.

Stamps:
left: The 10th Anniversary of Thailand Post Company Limited - Issued: 14-08-2013
right:  Amphibians (from a set of 4) - Issued: 10-07-2014


Many thanks to Kwanjira for this great card!