Finland: Kemijärvi

Kemijärvi is a municipality of Finland and the northernmost town in Finland. It is located in the province of Lapland, north of the Arctic Circle. The municipality has a population of 7,869 (30 June 2015). The Eastern Lapland area where Kemijärvi is situated is well known for the nearby skiing resorts Suomu, Luosto, Pyhä and Salla, as well as Ruka in Kuusamo region. The Lake Kemijärvi, next to the city is much appreciated as a place to visit during summertime. Lake Kemijärvi is surrounded by hills and large forests. Common fish species found include pike, perch and brown trout. Also, currently Kemijärvi is the northernmost known lake in Finland with an indigenous population of zander.

Stamp:
Valentines Day (from a set of six) - Issued: 17-01-2001


Thanks to Kirsi for this card!


♁ 66° 43′ N,  27° 26′ O

Germany: Treasures of German Museums - "Grieving Women" by Tilman Riemenschneider

Tilman Riemenschneider (c. 1460 – 7 July 1531) was a German sculptor and woodcarver active in Würzburg from 1483. He was one of the most prolific and versatile sculptors of the transition period between late Gothic and Renaissance, a master in stone and lime wood. The largest collection of his work, 81 pieces, can be found in the Mainfränkisches Museum in the Marienberg citadel in Würzburg, Germany.

Stamp:
Treasures of German Museums - "Grieving" Women by Tilman Riemenschneider - Issued: 01-10-2015 with special first day of issue postmark

Germany: The 500th Anniversary of the Birth of Lucas Cranach the Younger (1515-1586)

Lucas Cranach the Younger (Lucas Cranach der Jüngere; October 4, 1515 – January 25, 1586) was a German Renaissance artist, known for his woodcuts and paintings. He was the youngest son of Lucas Cranach the Elder and Barbara Brengebier, and began his career as an apprentice in his father's workshop alongside his brother Hans. Henceforth, his own reputation and fame grew. After his father's death, he assumed control over the workshop. They lived in the city of Kronach, in Franconia (in Germany).

Stamps (from the left):

Numeral Stamp (2 Cent) - Issued: 05-12-2013
Definitive Issue - "Crocus" - Issued: 11-08-2005
Definitive Issue - "Tulipa sp." - Issued: 08-09-2005
The 500th Anniversary of the Birth of Lucas Cranach the Younger (1515-1586) - Issued: 01-10-2015 with special first day of issue postmark 

Switzerland: Sillerenbühl

Sillerenbühl is a mountain about 1.970 m above sea level in the municipality in of western Bernese Alps near the city of Albristhorn in Switzerland. In summer the region is famous for hiking and in wither of course for skiing.

Stamps (from the left):
Pro Patria - Art (from a set of four) - Issued: 29-05-1970
Machine label
International Year of Crystallography (from a set of two) - Issued: 06-03-2014 (with hand cancellation "3713 Reichenbach Im Kandertal")

Thanks to Hansjürg for this nice card and stamps!

Andorra: Map-Card (Spain Post)

Yesterday, I received my first card from Andorra. Andorra is a sovereign landlocked microstate in Southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. Andorra is the sixth-smallest nation in Europe, having an area of 468 km2 (181 sq mi) and a population of approximately 85,000. Its capital Andorra la Vella is the highest capital city in Europe, at an elevation of 1,023 metres (3,356 ft) above sea level. The official language is Catalan, although Spanish, Portuguese, and French are also commonly spoken. 

Postal services in Andorra are unique in that they are not operated by the country itself, but by its two larger neighbouring countries, Spain and France. This is a legacy of the centuries of de facto control exercised by those two countries over Andorra. Correos of Spain and La Poste of France operate side by side; Spanish post boxes are red and French ones are yellow.

Stamp:
EUROPA Stamps - Old Toys - Issued: 23-04-2015


Thanks to Svea for this card!

Brazil: Fernando de Nóronha

Fernando de Nóronha is an archipelago of 21 islands and islets in the Atlantic Ocean, 354 km (220 mi) offshore from the Brazilian coast. The archipelago got its name from the Portuguese merchant Fernão de Loronha, to whom it was given by the Portuguese crown for services rendered regarding wood imported from Brazil. In 2001 UNESCO designated it as a World Heritage Site because of the importance of its environment.

Stamps:
Brazilian Meliponinae Bees (from a set of six) - Issued: 22-05-2015


Thank again to David for this great card!

Finland: Kemi

Kemi is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located very near the city of Tornio. It was founded in 1869 by decree of Russian Emperor Alexander II because of its proximity to a deep water harbour. Kemi is situated by the Bothnian Bay, at the mouth of river Kemijoki, and it is part of Lapland region. The town has a population of 21,807 (30 June 2015). Kemi also has a claim to fame as the home of the world's largest snow castle (reconstructed every year to a different design). The snowcastle is usually located at the inner harbour of Kemi.

Stamp:
Signs of the Sky (from a set of 8) - Issued: 08-09-2014


Thanks to Riita for this card!

China: 16th Asian Games Official First Day Cover

The 2010 Asian Games, was a multi-sport event celebrated in Guangzhou, China from November 12 to 27, 2010. Guangzhou was the second Chinese city to host the Games, after Beijing in 1990. A total of 9,704 athletes from 45 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) competed in 476 events from 42 sports and disciplines (28 Olympic sports and 14 non-Olympic sports). Guangzhou is the third largest Chinese city and the largest city in South Central China. In 2014 the city's administrative area was estimated to have a population of 13,080,500.

Stamps (on the front):
The 16h Anniversary of Asian Games - Guangzhou, China - Issued: 25-12-2009 with matching postmark

The cover arrived with beautiful stamps on the back of the cover, too.

Stamps (on the back):
left:
2x Chinese Dream - People's Happiness (from a set of four) - Issued: 25-07-2015
mid: 
Fruits (from a set of four) - Issued: 15-07-2014
Birds of Prey (from a set of four) - Issued: 23-01-2014
right: 
Writers of Ancient China (from a set of six) - Issued: 04-06-2015
Fruits (from a set of four) - Issued: 15-07-2014


Special thanks to Wong Ling-Chih!

Russia: Magadan

Yesterday I received two nice cards from the far east of Russia. Magadan (Russian: Магадан) is a port town and the administrative center of Magadan Oblast, Russia, located on the Sea of Okhotsk. As in 2010 the population was 95,982. The town has a number of cultural institutions including the Regional Museum of Anthropology, a geological museum, a regional library and a university. The climate of Magadan is subarctic, winters are prolonged and very cold, with up to six months of sub-zero high temperatures, so that the soil remains permanently frozen. Magadan is a popular tourist destination today, in part because of its painful association with the Gulag forced labor camps of the Stalin era.

Besides others, Magadan is twinned with Anchorage, AK.

Stamps:

left:  Traditional Costumes - Issued: 21-09-2012

right: Decorative Art - Laze (from a set of four) - Issued: 12-12-2011

On the second card you can see some mountains of the Hasyn Raion of Magadan Oblast.

Stamps:

left: Russian Navy (from a set of two) - Issued: 26-08-2014

right: Russian Contemporary Art (from a set of six) - Issued: 30-07-2012

Thanks a lot to Anna for the nice cards!

Ukraine: Postcrossing Stamp Cover

Today, I received a great cover from Ukraine. On the cover, there is the new ukrainian postcrossing stamp. The stamp was issued by Ukrposhta on October 9th, on World Post Day. The stamp was designed by Nataliia Andriichenko, and shows a girl holding a pen, while wearing a traditional Ukrainian national costume. A matching cancellation mark was also designed.

Stamp:
Postcrossing - Issued: 09-10-2015


Thanks to Olesya for this nice cover!

Germany: The 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Helmut Schön (1915-1996)

Today, I would like to show you a nice maximum card I got. The Card commemorates Helmut Schön. He was a German football player and manager. He is best remembered for his exceptional career as manager of West Germany. Under Schön's leadership, the German team were Football World Cup runners-up in 1966, third in the World Cup of 1970, European champions in 1972, World Cup winners in 1974 and European Championship runners-up in 1976. He holds World Cup records for both coaching the most matches (25) and the most wins (16), and was the first coach to win both a World Cup and a European Championship. On 15th September 2015 he would have become 100 years.

Stamp:
The 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Helmut Schön - Issued: 01-09-2015 with special postmark

Russia: Syktyvkar

Syktyvkar (Russian: Сыктывкар) is the capital city of the Komi Republic, Russia with a Population of 235,006 (as in 2010). Syktyvkar is located on the Sysola River, which is the origin of its former name Ust-Sysolsk. The city is located near to the point where the Sysola joins the larger Vychegda River, which is itself a branch of the Northern Dvina.

The card arrived in a nice envelope, which advertises the Masters World Cup in Cross Country Skiing, which was held there from 14th till 20th march 2015.

Stamps:
left:  National Symbols - Coat of Arms of Republic of Komi - Issued: 26-05-20011
right: The 150th Anniversary of Lenigrad Zoo - Issued: 14-08-2015


Thanks to Irina for the nice card and stamps!

Finland: Helvetinjärvi National Park

This card was actually sent from Oulu, Finland from a small Postcrossing-Meetup on World Post Day. World Post Day is celebrated each year on 9 October, the anniversary of the establishment of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in 1874 in the Swiss capital, Berne. The card shows Helvetinjärvi National Park.

The card arrived in a cover. On the cover there are special postmarks commemorates the World Post Day.

Stamp:
Bridges and Waters (from a set of 10) - Issued: 23-10-2014 with special postmark of World Post Day on 09 Oct. 2015

Thanks to Elenna for this Cover and Card!

USA: Dallas, TX

Dallas is a major city in US-State of Texas and it is the largest urban center of the fourth most populous metropolitan area in the United States. On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on Elm Street while his motorcade passed through Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas. The nickname of the city is "Big D".

Stamps:
from the left:
Penguins - Issued: 01-06-2015
Vintage Flowers (from a set of two) - Issued: 14-02-2015
Music Icons - Elvis Presley (1935-1977) - Issued: 12-08-2015

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!