Czech Republic: Prague

Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. It is also the 15th largest city in the European Union. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava River, the city is home to about 1.24 million people, while its larger urban zone is estimated to have a population of nearly 2 million. On the card you can see on the large picture the Týn Church. It is a dominant feature of the Old Town of Prague and has been the main church of this part of the city since the 14th century. The church's towers are 80 m high and topped by four small spires.

Stamps:
Czech Cars - Škoda I. - Issued: 04-09-2013 with some special postmark

Russia: Blagoveshchensk

Blagoveshchensk (Russian: Благовещенск) is a city and the administrative center of Amur Oblast, in the far east of Russia, located at the confluence of the Amur and Zeya Rivers, opposite to the Chinese city of Heihe. Population: 214,390 (2010 Census). On the card you can see the Amur river, which also marks the border to China.

Stamps:
left: Russian Regions - Republic of Crimea - Issued: 19-06-2014
mid: Definitive Issue Kremlins "Rostov Kremlin" - Issued: 01-10-2009
right: The 20th Anniversary of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation - Issued: 27-10-2011


Thanks to Kiril, who also marked the the russian and chinese sides.

Norway: Tromsø

Tromsø is a city and municipality in Troms county, Norway. The municipality has a population of (2015) 72,066, but with influx of students it has over 75,000 most of the year. It is the largest urban area in Northern Norway and the third largest north of the Arctic Circle (following Murmansk and Norilsk). As you can see from this card, most of Tromsø, including the city centre, is located on the island of Tromsøya.  Tromsøya is connected to the mainland by the Tromsø Bridge and the Tromsøysund Tunnel.

Stamps:
right: Posthorn - New values - Issued: 07-02-2001
mid: Wildlife in Norway "Vulpus lagopus" - Issued: 29-03-2006
left: Posthorn - New values - Issued: 02-01-1997


♁ 69° 39′ N, 18° 57′ O

Brazil: Rio de Janeiro

This nice card from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil arrived today. The city is the second-largest city in Brazil, the sixth-largest city in the Americas, and the world's thirty-fifth-largest city by population. Rio de Janeiro is one of the most visited cities in the Southern Hemisphere and is known for its natural settings, Carnival, samba, bossa nova, and balneario beaches such as Barra da Tijuca, Copacabana, Ipanema, and Leblon. In addition to the beaches, some of the most famous landmarks include the giant statue of Christ the Redeemer atop Corcovado mountain, named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

On the card you can see Guanabara Bay and Sugar Loaf. The city is also host to the Olympic Games 2016.

Stamps:
left: Paintings by Candido Portinari (from a set of five) - Issued: 26-05-2004
right: Olympic Games - Rio de Janeiro 2016 (from a set of 20) - Issued: 24-03-2015


Thanks to David for this nice card!

Canada: "Weather Wonders" Souvenir Sheet Official FDC

Yesterday I received a nice First Day Cover from Canada. Canada's weather is all over the map. White snow falls in one region, flowers bloom in another. There are five stamps on this souvenir sheet. Each one illustrating a unique weather phenomenon. Hoar frost near Beaumont, Alberta, fog at Cape Spear Lighthouse, Newfoundland and Labrador, a double rainbow in Saint-Gédéon, Quebec, a july lightning storm near Winnipeg, Manitoba and "sun dogs" in Iqaluit, Nunavut.

2015 is the 175th anniversary of continuous weather observation in Canada.

Stamps:
Weather Wonders - Issued: 18-06-2015 with special first day of issue postmark

FDC Quantity produced: 11.000


Thanks to Tristan!

Germany: Berlin

For today's card, I choosed Berlin because today we are celebrating German Unity Day.  It commemorates the anniversary of German reunification in 1990, when the goal of a united Germany that originated in the middle of the 19th century, was fulfilled again. Therefore, the name addresses neither the re-union nor the union, but the unity of Germany. The Day of German Unity on 3 October has been the German national holiday since 1990, when the reunification was formally completed. This year's Unity Day is a special one because its it 25th Anniversary.

Stamp:
Flowers: "Paeonia sp." - Issued: 04-12-2014 with special postmark "25 years German Unity and presentation of a special 2-€-Coin"

Stamp:

Flowers "Convallaria majalis" - Issued: 06-05-2015

Stamp:
Flowers - Marguerite - Issued: 07-04-2005


The German Post also issued on 1st October a special stamp to commemorates this special day:

Sweden: Luleå

Luleå is a city on the coast of northern Sweden, and the capital of Norrbotten County, the northernmost county in Sweden. The city is located about 110 km south of the Arctic Circle and has about 47,000 inhabitants. Luleå has the seventh biggest harbor in Sweden for shipping goods. It has a large steel industry and is a center for extensive research. Luleå University of Technology is Sweden’s first technology university and the northernmost university in Sweden.

The Gammelstad Church Town in Luleå is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Stamp:
King Carl XVI and Queen Silvia (from a set of two) - Issued: 15-01-2015 with Priority label


Thanks to Anna for this nice card!

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!