Hamburg, Germany

As I had previously mentioned, the last post of today would be a bit overwhelming with cards (but not with text, I promise! 😎)

The reason behind this Hamburg post is my cancelled trip to Hamburg, which was supposed to happen at the end of April, but of course, for well-known reasons, didn't happen.
So, just wanna take a glimpse on postcards of things I could have seen in real life, and well prepare myself for some Hamburg trip in the future 💓
Funny, all, except for one of these cards have been sent as officials...

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How can you not love this view above? It shows the Binnenalster Lake, which is one of the two artificial lakes within the city, formed by the river Alster (the other being the Außenalster). In the background you can see some important sites like the Rathaus, several churches, the Alsterpavillon....

comes with a cute Peanuts stamp issued in a set of two in 2018

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A view of the centre of the city, again with the Binnenalster, and the Rathaus as well as the Lombardsbrücke, or the Lombard Bridge, named after the Lombard pawn shop situated here in 1651.   

well, not the Lombard bridge, but another bridge is featured here on the stamp from 2013, commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Fehmarnsund Bridge, which connects the German island of Fehmarn in the Baltic Sea with the German mainland near Großenbrode  

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A multiview of the city, which I guess covers all the essentials :)

The stamp is from a joint issue with Japan from 2011, showing UNESCO world Heritage sites and this stamp features the old town of Regensburg.

Here is that famous Rathaus I had already mentioned above (and the only card which is not an official one). Oh yeah, that's the town hall for those wondering...but when it comes to Germany, im just so used to their Rathaus word, that I never use any other....

the stamp was issued in 2014 showing the Stolzenfels am Rhein Castle.

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aaaand, guess what.... the Rathaus again! 😆

and again we have the Fehmarnsund Bridge from 2013





From what I could find while looking through my collection, these seem to be all the Hamburg cards I have - I must admit it would be more but then that would have made my job tonight more difficult here, so Im perfectly fine with these 6 cards, and I can simply enrich my collection once I go there (and yours of course 😊

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Well, it is just an aerial view of the city, with the port, no other particular information about this one. 

On the left is one of the famous flower definitives (this one is from the set of 3 issued in 2005). The other one is a machine stamp, which I was just told has some kind of rare fault, since the holes at the bottom (which i dont think you can see), usually are like half-holes, but the ones here are like three/quarters of a full circle... so haha, I have some kind of rare specimen in my collection... who would have thought, esp. with a machine stamp, which I must admit, I dont really like at all :)

So folks, that would be all for today! Hope you are still surviving your lock-down wherever you are!

And yeah, I know this aint a priority, but I hope borders and airports would open soon so I could give my itchy feet a nice trip  - this is not just about the borders but also the possibility of having to go into quarantine in case you wanna travel - I mean what is the point of going on a few days trip if you first need to spend two weeks in quarantine there? Where's the sense in that???

Have a nice weekend ahead... till next time! 

Ravensburg, Germany

Next is an official card I received recently, to which my initial reaction was, oh wait, is this THE Ravensburg, where they make those most awesome Ravensburger jigsaw puzzles???? And yep, that is the one :)

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I love jigsaw puzzles!! When I was little, my mum often bought me some from this bookstore (which eventually closed unfortunately), but going to that bookstore to buy a book or a puzzle is like one of my fondest childhood memories. Ok, those jigsaw puzzles back then were not by Ravensburger but by UNICEF, and I was so surprised that I came across some of these on google...oh my what memories....this is exactly one of the puzzles I used to have, just to show you an example!!

I could spend hours and hours solving these in my own world....and the money went for a good cause too...
Ok, i know this was supposed to be about Ravensburg, not UNICEF, but I just couldn't help it, had to share this....you just have no idea how much I loved this part of my childhood! And remembering all this makes me both so happy and so sad at the same time...if that makes any sense...

As for Ravensburg, it is locate in Southern Germany and was first mentioned in 1088 and in the Middle Ages, it was an Imperial Free City and an important trading centre. The historic town centre is still very much intact, including three town gates and over 10 towers of the medieval fortification.
Looks like a nice place to visit.....

as for the stamps - here we have the famous Tulip...and a really nice car stamp issued this year in a set of two Classic Cars' stamps, with this one showing Porsche 911 Targa

Passau, Germany

My last post for today (yeah, sorry, but that would be it) shows two cards from the beautiful Passau in Germany...and both cards were received thanks to Martina!

First you have a gorgeous aerial view of the city of the three rivers because the Danube is joined at Passau by the Inn from the south and the Ilz from the north. Out of the 50,000 people who live here, around 11,000 are students so it must be all lively and nosy and cheerful to be around here :)

a nice German stamp issued this year, showing a view of the Baltic Sea and its Bodensee (or as they call it in English, Lake Constance).

On the second card you can see St Stephen's Cathedral, a baroque church dating back to 1688, that over time time has acquired the largest cathedral organ in the world (it has has 17,774 pipes and 233 registers).

I guess I should put it on my list of places to visit one day....

issued in 2013, commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Fehmarnsund Bridge.

So the time has come to part again...till next time....which I don't know when it's gonna be but for some reason I think I won't be able to post anything before Easter (Orthodox Easter), though I wish I could prove myself wrong.

Either way, stay well, and hope you are still taking a peek from time to time :)

Wishing you all a great week ahead and hopefully, nice spring days!

Dresden, Germany

Well now get ready for an attack of Dresden cards... when I chose to post about Dresden it was cos just recently I received a card for the FB surprise group and i knew I had like one or two more...but when I started gathering them from all the years it turned out it wasnt just one or two, but there was no turning back...Dresden was chosen, Dresden it's gonna be =)

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Well, Dresden for quite some time has been on my list of places I would REALLY love to visit one day and looking at the postcards I have, the desire just grows bigger. I feel this city has some special charm that Im gonna love straightway! Plus it's not really big, around 500,000 inhabitants, so we are really like made for each other :)

the card arrived as an official from Stefanie, just this March and probably one of the loveliest views of Dresden I've seen...thought there is still one in my favourites that is my ultimate favourite and still waiting for someone to send it to me :)

Stefanie used this stamp from the joint issue with Japan, featuring UNESCO whs sites. It was issued in 2011 and shows the old town of Regensburg.



the second Dresen card came as a swap with Lothar, who sent me this multiview showing the Dresden Frauenkirche, or the Church of Our Lady.

Built in the 18th century, it is considered as an outstanding example of Protestant sacred architecture, featuring one of the largest domes in Europe.
The Frauenkirche is often called a cathedral, however it is not the seat of a bishop. Hmm, ok now I think this would clarify it for me why something is a church and why a cathedral...pardon my ignorance but these religion-related issues have never really been my strong side...

the stamp is the same as the one above....


Another card showing the Frauenkirche, this time a single view and as seen from the Neumarkt..

received this one as an absolute surprise for the Facebook Surprise group and I love it! And just look at those surrounding buildings..they look so lovely, all the same, just differing in colour...

two definitives - the yellow tulip and the crocus, both issued in 2005, and a lovely stamp issued this year, commemorating the 1250th Anniversary of Lorsch Abbey

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an official received back in 2010...on the card you can see part of the old town, the Brühl's Terrace, the cathedral, the Semper Opera House...and I think that would be it...oh, of course, how could I forget the Elbe river :)

boy, it's been so long since I've seen this stamp on a card....I remember how annoyed people used to be for constantly receiving this one on their mail...but see, after a few years, it feels nice to see it again - issued in 2006 btw.



a card that is a result of a swap with Dieter...and showing Dresden from a totally different perspective...and I love it!

well, again you can get a glimpse of the Frauenkirche,  but the clouds and the foggy atmosphere surely bring a different feeling about it all...well, the back of the card also says to be showing the German Hygiene Museum, but from this angle, I have absolutely no idea which one is that...this is the first time I hear a museum to be named like that...sounds so strange....

ok, again another definitive, this one issued in 2005, and an EUROPA stamp from the last year's topic of postal vans



ok, moving on to the last card,, another multiview....yeah, I do admit im not a huge fan of multivies but I do not mind them that much...I know sometimes people just do not have a choice :)

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Received this one as an official somewhere at the beginning of the year, and here you can also see the Zwinger Palace, the Academy of Arts, the Royal Palace (or the Dresden Castle), and some painting of the Elbe river...

2013 stamp commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Fehmarnsund Bridge

So, do you feel like travelling to Dresden now? I certainly do!

Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany

The visit to Salzburg was our stop to the main destination, and that was Munich...and while in Munich, you have to visit the Bavarian castles as well, including the most famous one, and that is Neuschwanstein.

the whole place is really dreamy...and probably has the least kitchy interior of all the three castles we entered (the other two being Herrenchiemsee and Linderhof)
They are just extraordinary with beautiful gardens and surroundings, but I guess Disney had its reason when he picked Neuschwanstein as his inspiration
I won't go into details about the castle, I've already posted about it once...however, the day we visited the castles was one of the most amazing, and most tiring in my life...having driven through the breathtaking nature of Austria (yeah, that's the road we took in order to get from Neuschwanstein to Linderhof) and having seen the castles...and what I couldn't do in Switzeland, I did it here...when you gather the amounts of chocolate and stuff I bought from both Austria and Germany, I went back home with like 5 or so kilos of chocolate...thank God they didn't check my bags at the border...I would have had lot of explaining to do :P

I still don't know why I mailed myself a Neuschwanstain card when I already have a few...but at least this is my first one covered in snow :D

sending the cards was a bit confusing with those German mailboxes, but thank God I nailed it right...the stamp is just a regular flower one, a definitive issued in 2011.

 i received this other Neuschwanstain card from dear Tanja as a RAS, back in 2009...do you see those amazing woods and mountains in the back?!!

btw, in case you go here, you will get the most amazing view from Marienbrücke. It is not so far from the castle, maybe just a bit steep and tiring to get there, but trust me, it will be worth every single calorie you spend on your way there!

here we have another flower defintiive, this one issued in 2008. The other stamp is from 2009, showing the Leipzig University.

so that would be all for today...hope to see you soon with another nice and cool update...till then, stay well :)

Ludwigsburg, Germany

Next is a German castle..like from a fairy tale, where princes and princesses live and spend all day long playing in the garden :)

The Ludwigsburg ensemble consisting of the residential palace, palace gardens and the pleasure palaces Favorite and Monrepos is one of the most outstanding artistic achievements of the 18th century and one of Europe's most impressive and extensive Baroque complexes which served as a residence for the Dukes and Kings of Württemberg.
The foundation stone was laid on May 17, 1704 under the Duke Eberhard Ludwig of Württemberg (reigning monarch from 1693 to 1733), hence the name Ludwigsburg (or Ludwig's castle)

aaand...again, common stamps with not such a common one :)
the uncommon one was issued this year and comes from a set of 2 landscape stamps.

Germany

next i have some market cards from Germany

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The first card came as an official and shows a man selling potatoes. The sender says that this scene is typical in summers and autumns near highways, where people sell potatoes and apples and sometimes blueberries, strawberries and honey.
I absolutely love this card! We have such 'markets' here too, where people sell also potatoes and tomatoes, onion, watermelons etc. And i actually admire when, esp. old people, spend all day long at their improvised stands, waiting for customers...doesnt matter if it is cold or hot, rainy or sunny...they sell their goods, and often it is like their main source of income....so i do like to support these people, and if i have the chance, buy something from them instead at the local super/hyper market...these street vendors often sell  fresher and much more natural goods than compared to the store bought ones...

the stamp was issued in 2009 and portrays the Leipzig Universtiy...


now off to Nürnberg...

I bought a BUNCH of cards when I visited the city back in 2009...and a number of them show the Christmas Market...

we had a really bad timing, coz the week we went there was when they were setting up the place, and it was supposed to open the week after....really a pity, coz from the cards, im SURE I would have enjoyed it and that the atmosphere was AMAZING!

we only had the chance to see a few stands selling some Christmas goods, with vendors dressed in some Christmas-alike clothes....but of course, it is not even near to what the actual market would offer...where there would probably be some nice cinnamon cookies...I LOVE cinnamon cookies...they are so tasty, and they do feel perfect for cold winter days, with or without tea...

The market is in the middle of the city, on the Nürnberg Market Square, and it opens its 'doors' at 5.30 p.m. on the Friday before the first Advent Sunday. Usually, the market has more than 2 million visitors

there are about 180 wooden stalls, festooned with red-and-white cloth, which have given the Christmas Market its name of "Little Town from Wood and Cloth".

well, in general all the cards here are more or less the same, just maybe showing the market from different angles, and the cards' colours are somewhat different :)

Germany

Here is one FANTASTIC official card I received!

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I cant tell at which city this photo has been taken, but my wild guess is that this station is in Frankfurt.
This is a Deutsche Bahn train, and just look at how lovely it is....so smooth and shiny...I can only imagine how cosy it is on the inside. Even though I still prefer the old classic trains, I just cant say 'no' to these either :) They are irresistible!
Btw, speaking of officials....it's been more than 24 hours that the main site is down...probably the longest time in my entire postcrossing history, and doesnt seem it will be back any time soon...and all this is Amazon's fault! Just type 'Amazon' on google news, and you'll get more details about it. I really hope it will be back soon, coz I have cards to register...and im wondering if some of mine are waiting to be registered as well...I miss the 'hurray' emails....

and apart from the boring yellow flower, this card also came with a great train stamp! Issued in 2010 to commemorate the 175 years of railways in Germany. Sometimes it is hard for me to grasp that trains have been around for almost 200 years. 

Sylt, Germany

A fantastic card I got as an official.

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I think that all the cards that come from this publisher, have something so special in them, the images are just so beautiful! This particular card comes from the Nordseeküste 2010 series. For their overall assortment, you can visit their website. WARNING: Too many beautiful things there :)

This here is the List West lighthouse on the Ellenbogen peninsula, on the Sylt island. This lighthouse was established in 1852 and it was the first german lighthouse built in cast iron. It was commissioned by the government of the Kingdom of Denmark, when Sylt was still under danish sovereignty.
Nowdays, Sylt is a well known touristic destination, with its sandy beaches and resorts. It is specially attended by the high society and famous personalities.

Some technical characteristics for those who understand them:

Latitude:                      55° 3" 7'
Longitude:                   8° 23" 56'
Format:                       DD DMS
Body of water:             Lister Ley Bay and the North Sea
Height Above Water:   56 feet
Light Characteristics:    White, red, or green light, depending on direction, 4.5 s on, 1.5 s off

quite a familiar stamp

Fichtelberg, Germany

A great train card I received from the August Surprise me RR.

It shows the Fichtelberg Railway, which is a 750 mm gauge narrow gauge railway that leads from the standard gauge international line at Cranzahl to the ski resort of Oberwiesenthal in the Erzgebirge mountains in eastern Germany. It takes its name from the Fichtelberg mountain near Oberwiesenthal
To make it clear, narrow gauge railway (or narrow gauge railroad) is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the 1,435 mm of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between 914 mm and 1,067 m.

the well known flower-stamp from Germany.