USA: Hawai'i

Hawaii is the 50th and most recent U.S. state to join the United States, having joined on August 21, 1959. The state encompasses nearly the entire volcanic Hawaiian archipelago, which comprises hundreds of islands spread over 1,500 miles (2,400 km). At the southeastern end of the archipelago, the eight main islands are—in order from northwest to southeast: Niʻihau, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Maui and the Island of Hawaiʻi. The last is the largest island in the group; it is often called the "Big Island" or "Hawaiʻi Island" to avoid confusion with the state or archipelago. Hawaii is a major tourist destination and Honolulu, situated on the island of Oahu, the capital of the state.

Stamps:
3x Star Spangled Banner - Issued: 28-01-2014


EDIT (15.10.2015):

Today a second card arrived:

Stamps:

3x Purple Heart - Issued: 11-10-2014



Thanks to my friend Aljoscha for these nice cards!

Germany: Eckernförde

Eckernförde is a German city in Schleswig-Holstein, on the coast of the Baltic Sea approximately 30 km north-west of Kiel. The population is about 23,000. Eckernförde is a popular tourist destination in northern Germany. The name of Eckernförde is of mixed origin, but derived from the name of a Danish castle formerly located near the current town, which is also reflected in the name of the town district of Borby.

I received these cards unwritten from my parents from their last holidays.

Germany: Basilica Birnau

This is my 100th post on this blog and for this I choosed a special card. It's a special card for me, because at this place I asked my girlfriend to marry me. We both wrote the card and posted it from there. It shows the Cloister Church Birnau at the Lake Constance, near Ueberlingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The Basilica of Birnau is a real landmark on Lake Constance’s west banks, a popular pilgrimage church and a jewel of the Baroque era. It was (re-)built between 1746 and 1749.

Stamp:
Flowers: "Paeonia sp." - Issued: 04-12-2014

Switzerland: Sainte-Croix

Sainte-Croix is a municipality in the district of Jura-Nord Vaudois in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. Sainte-Croix has a population (as of December 2014) of 4,766. Most of the population (as of 2000) speaks French, with German being second most common and Italian being third. In the winter, it is a popular winter sports resort.

Stamps:
from the left:
Flora - Mushrooms "Cantharellus cibarius" (from a set of four) - Issued: 06-03-2014
Flora - Mushrooms "Hydnellum caeruleum" (from a set of four) - Issued: 06-03-2014
The 175th Anniversary of the World's First Postage Stamp - One Penny Black - Issued: 03-09-2015


Thanks to Madeleine for this nice card!

Germany: Neuss

Neuss is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the west bank of the Rhine opposite Düsseldorf. Neuss is the largest city within the Rhein-Kreis Neuss district and owes its prosperity to its location at the crossing of historic and modern trade routes. It is primarily known for its historic Roman sites, as well as the annual Neusser Bürger-Schützenfest. In 1984 Neuss celebrated 2000 years since its foundation. It therefore holds the title of "Germany's oldest city" alongside the city of Trier.

Stamp:
The 1000th Anniversary of Fürth - Issued: 02-01-2007

Denmark: Skagen

Skagen is Denmark's northernmost town and the area surrounding it. Occasionally known in English as The Scaw, it is situated on the east coast of the Skagen Odde peninsula in the far north of Jutland, it is part of Frederikshavn Municipality in Region Nordjylland. It is located 41 kilometres (25 mi) north of Frederikshavn and 108 kilometres (67 mi) northeast of Aalborg. With its well-developed harbour, Skagen is Denmark's main fishing port and also has a thriving tourist industry, attracting 2 million people annually.

Stamp:
EUROPA Stamps - Old Toys (from a set of two) - Issued: 02-01-2015

Thanks to my parents for these cards!

Russia: Obninsk

Obninsk (Russian: О́бнинск) is a city in Kaluga Oblast, Russia, located on the bank of the Protva River 100 kilometers (62 mi) southwest of Moscow and 80 kilometers (50 mi) from Kaluga. Obninsk is one of the major Russian science cities. In 2000, it was awarded the status of the First Science City of Russia. The city is home to twelve scientific research institutes. Their main activities are nuclear power engineering, nuclear methods and radiation technology, technology of non-metallic materials, medical radiology, meteorology and ecology and environmental protection!

The first nuclear power plant in the world for the large-scale production of electricity opened here on June 27, 1954.

Stamps:
from the left
Definitive Issue. Kremlins "Astrakhan Kremlin" - Issued: 01-10-2009
Coat of Arms of the City of Sergiev Posad - Issued: 24-06-2014
EUROPA Stamps "Postal Vehicles" - Issued: 26-04-2013

Germany: Oktoberfest 2015

The Oktoberfest is the world's largest Volksfest (beer festival and travelling funfair). Held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, it is a 16-day folk festival running from mid or late September to the first weekend in October, with more than 6 million people from around the world attending the event every year. Locally, it is often simply called the Wiesn, after the colloquial name of the fairgrounds (Theresienwiese) themselves. The Oktoberfest is an important part of Bavarian culture, having been held since 1810.

The 182nd Munich Oktoberfest takes place this year from 19 September to 04 October. The German Post issued a special cover for this event. This is a limited edition of 2.000 pieces.

Stamp:
The 175th Anniversary of the First Bavarian Mountain Costume Association - Issued: 11-06-2015 with special Oktoberfest Postmark

Germany: The 150th Anniversary of Max and Moritz

Max and Moritz is a German language illustrated story in verse. This highly inventive, blackly humorous tale, told entirely in rhymed couplets, was written and illustrated by Wilhelm Busch and published in 1865.

Stamp:
The 150th Anniversary of Max and Moritz - Issued: 02-04-2015 with matching postmark

Italy: Macerata

Macerata is a city and comune in central Italy, the county town of the province of Macerata in the Marche region. Together with the modern town it has a population of about 43,000. The city is famous for the Sferisterio Opera Festival, which is held there every year.

Stamps:

left: Posta Italiana Definitives - Issued: 13-02-2013

right: Football - Juventus, Italian Champion 2014-2015 - Issued: 11-06-2015

Thanks Andrea for this card and stamps!

Germany: Bad Godesberg

Bad Godesberg is a municipal district of Bonn, southern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. From 1949 till 1999 (while Bonn was the capital of West Germany), the majority of foreign embassies to Germany were located in Bad Godesberg. Some buildings are still used as embassy branch offices or consulates. On the lower right picture you can see the Godesburg ruins.

Stamp:
Easter - Comics "Janosch" (from a set of two) - Issued: 01-03-2013

UK: The Lowry

The Lowry is a theatre and gallery complex situated on Pier 8 at Salford Quays, in Salford, Greater Manchester, England. It is named after the early 20th century painter, L. S. Lowry, known for his paintings of industrial scenes in North West England. The complex was officially opened on 12 October 2000 by Queen Elizabeth II.

Stamp:
Queen Elizabeth II - Issued: 03-01-2013

Malaysia: Cameron Highlands

The Cameron Highlands (Malay: Tanah Tinggi Cameron) is one of Malaysia’s most extensive hill stations. The size of Singapore, it occupies an area of 712 square kilometres (275 sq mi). To the north, its boundary touches that of Kelantan; to the west, it shares part of its border with Perak. Situated at the northwestern tip of Pahang, the “Camerons” is approximately 90 kilometres (56 mi) from Ipoh or about 200 kilometres (120 mi) from Kuala Lumpur. In 1885 it was discovered by Sir William Cameron.

Stamp:
Minisheet Protected Mammals of Malaysia - Issued: 28-05-1999


Thanks to David for this nice card!

Kuwait: Scenery Cards

Some days ago, I received my first cards from Kuwait. Kuwait is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, it shares borders with Iraq and Saudi Arabia. In summer, average daily high temperatures range from 42 to 48 °C (107.6 to 118.4 °F); the highest ever temperature recorded in Kuwait was 53.8 °C (128.8 °F) at Sulaibya on July 31, 2012 which is the highest recorded temperature in Asia and also the third highest in the world.

First Card:

Stamps:
left: Jerusalem - Capital of Arab Culture (from a set of two) - Issued:26-03-2010
right: Anti-landmine Campaign (from a set of three) - Issued: 02-08-1998


Second Card:

 

Stamps:
from the left:
Children's Drawings - International Autism Conference (from a set of eight) - Issued: 11-11-2014
Womens Sport (from a set of six) - Issued: 05-03-2008
Children's Drawings - International Autism Conference (from a set of eight) - Issued: 11-11-2014

Thanks to Huda for these great cards!

Germany: Bad Salzuflen

Bad Salzuflen is a town and thermal spa resort in the Lippe district of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. At the end of 2013, it had 52,121 inhabitants. The municipal area is crossed by the river floodplains of the Werre, and Salze. Podzol and Stagnosol brown soils prevail as soil types. The podzolic soils are mainly found in layers from the Tertiary Period, which are crossed by fault block from the Mesozoic. Characteristic of Bad Salzuflen are the saline springs that emerge at these geological folds and which give the region the name of "Germany's healing garden".

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

Thanks to my girlfriend Steffi for this great card :)

USA: University of Santa Clara

Santa Clara University is a private non-profit Jesuit university located in Santa Clara, California. It has 5,435 full-time undergraduate students, and 3,335 graduate students. Founded in 1851, Santa Clara University is the oldest operating institution of higher learning in California, and has remained in its original location for 162 years.

Stamps (from the left):
Music Icons - Elvis Presley (1935-1977) - Issued: 12-08-2015
Summer Harvest (from a set of four) - Issued: 11-07-2015
Penguins - Issued: 01-06-2015

with great cancellation ;)

Thanks to Kyoko for this nice card!

Germany: Wolfsburg

Today I received a nice card from Wolfsburg. Wolfsburg is the fifth largest city in the German state of Lower Saxony. Located on the River Aller northeast of Braunschweig (Brunswick), it lies about 75 km (47 mi) east of Hanover and 230 km (143 mi) west of Berlin. Wolfsburg is famous as the location of Volkswagen AG's headquarters and the biggest car plant in the world that covers an area as big as Gibraltar. Wolfsburg is one of the few German cities built during the first half of the 20th century. It was founded on 1 July 1938 as a home for workers producing the "KdF-Wagen".

On the card you can see from the upper left: St. Annen Church, Wolfsburg Town Hall, Volkswagen Plants, Wolfsburg Castle.

Stamp:
Comics - Felix the Rabbit (from a set of two) - Issued: 02-03-2015

Thanks to Dustin for this nice card!

The Netherlands: Heeswijk Castle

This card shows the Heeswijk Castle near s-Hertogenbosch in the Dutch province of North Brabant. Originally built in the 11th century, the castle was restored in 2005. Right now the castle is a museum.

Stamp:
Personal Stamp International "Cow"

Germany: Bad Doberan

This card I also received yesterday. The card shows the Doberan Minster. The Doberan Minster is the main Lutheran Church of Bad Doberan in Mecklenburg, Germany. Close to the Baltic Sea and the Hanseatic city of Rostock, it is the most important religious heritage of the European Route of Brick Gothic. It is the remaining part of the Ex-Cistercian Doberan Abbey, dedicated in 1368. It was built between 1294 and 1368.

Stamp:

Easter - Comics "Janosch" (from a set of two) - Issued: 01-03-2013

Thanks to Kerstin for this card!

Canada: Cover

Yesterday I received a nice cover from canada. The Cover was posted from Toronto's First Post Office.  The building was built between 1833 to 1834, with construction commencing before York became the City of Toronto. Therefore, the post office is known both as the "Fourth York Post Office" (as there had been three prior post offices in the settlement) and "Toronto's First Post Office" (as it was the first post office to serve the newly incorporated city). The building served as a post office until 1839. It was altered last in 1876. Located at 260 Adelaide Street East, the building now houses a museum and a full-service post office, run by the Town of York Historical Society.

Stamps (from the left):
Baby Wildlife "Beaver" - Issued: 31-03-2014
Wait for Me Daddy - Issued: 04-10-2014
Canada’s flag, 50th anniversary - Issued: 15-02-2015

Thanks again to Tristan for this nice cover!

Germany: 175 Years of the First Postage Stamp - One Penny Black

With a special issue in September 2015 the German Post is commemorating 175 years of postage stamps by showcasing the world’s first: Great Britain’s 1840 Penny Black. It was issued in Great Britain on 1 May 1840, for official use from 6 May of that year. It features a profile of Queen Victoria.

The card I choosed for this stamp shows the "Post Office Counter", a lithography of Eberhard Stammel from 1854.

Stamp:
The 175th Anniversary of the first postage Stamp - Issued: 01-09-2015 with special first day of issue postmark

Germany: Youth Stamps - Fish

Every year the German Post issues a set of stamps with a special donation "For the Youth". This year's issue features different species of fish. The upper stamp shows Thymallus thymallus, the stamp on the bottom left Barbus barbus and right one Acipenser studio.

Stamps:
Youth Stamps - Fish (whole Set) - Issued: 06-08-2015 with special first day of issue postmark

Canada: Franklin Expedition First Day Cover

In 2014, Parks Canada and its partners located the wreck of HMS Erebus, one of two ships from Sir John Franklin’s 1840’s journey in search of the Northwest Passage (so called Franklin Expedition). In the main image, the probable route of that ill-fated expedition is marked by a red dotted line through the icy Arctic waters. Franklin's voyage ended in tragedy when his ships became trapped in ice and the surviving sailors eventually died.

Stamps:
Franklin Expedition (whole set) - Issued: 06-08-2015 with special first day of issue postmark


Thanks Tristian for sending me this nice FDC!