Japan!

This card really made my day! I won't say I'm a fan of the Snoopy comic series, but I generally like cartoon characters. This card was sent from Japan, and I think it is just fantastic!

A very matching stamp was posted together with the card. The stamp is part of a set of 10 stamps featuring characters from the Snoopy comic strip. They were issued on the 3rd March 2010. Really lovely set isn't it?

I also like the special Christmas postmark beside the stamp. What a wonderful card to receive during the Christmas season!

Thank you very much for the lovely card Miwako!

Patras, Greece

Wow, Christmas has passed by already. How time flies! Doesn't really feel like the Christmas season though due to the hot, sunny weather here... But anyway, here's a nice little card from Greece. I found it while packing my room.

A wonderful night view of the Rio-Antirrio bridge! Located near Patras, it links the town of Rio to mainland Greece. Today, it is the world's longest multi-span cable-stayed bridge. And yes it looks magnificent by night. The difficulty in constructing the bridge lay in the fact that the bridge in located at a site where seismic activity is quite common. Hence, it is really quite an engineering feat!

Peru!

This is going to be a long, but interesting post! I received this letter in my mailbox some time ago from Flor who lives in Peru; nice envelope :D. Here's the front view:

Cape Point, Cape Peninsula, South Africa

Possibly the most beautiful postcard I have received to date: a few of Cape Point in South Africa! Cape point is a promontory at the Southwestern tip of the African continent, though it is not the Southern most point of the African continent. There is an old lighthouse located at the top of Cape Point that still serves to guide ships today. I really like the scene on this postcard!

Blumenau, Brazil

I got this letter from Brazil few days ago. It came it this colourful envelope, with many lovely stamps!

The sender is from Blumenau, a city in Brazil. Blumenau was founded in 1850 by German immigrants, which probably explains why it is very strongly influenced by the German culture.

Egypt

Wow, I haven't posted here for a long time! Anyway, here is an interesting card that I've received during this period. It comes from Egypt and it is my first Egyptian card.

The card basically shows some typical scenes from Egypt. 

 Here are the stamps that were attached on the card. I'm trying to find out more information about them. I'll update this post when I manage to :D

Thank you for the wonderful swap Rainer!

Skopje, Macedonia

This postcard comes from Macedonia. It is a view of the city Skopje from Skopje Plaza. The stone bridge built across the River Vardar is a symbol of the city. Built between 1451 and 1469 during the Byzantine Empire's rule, this bridge has a long history. The Warrior on a horse statue is that of Alexander the Great. In the background, you can see the Skopje Fortress. It has been standing there since the 6th century!

Here is the stamp that was used on the back of the card.

Thank you Delinikolov for such a wonderful card!

Eiffel Tower, Paris, France

I haven't been updating my blog for a while. So, here's one: a postcard from France. The envelope is a very beautiful one. This is the front view:

And this is the back.

The postcard shows the famous Eiffel Tower in France. I like contrast of the bright Tower against the dark blue sky! 

Shampan, Bangladesh

Here is a card from Bangladesh. It shows a few "shampans", which is actually a kind of boat that the locals use for their transport.

Thank you Ishaque for the swap!

Deoksugung Palace and 'Hanok', Seoul, South Korea

Finally, postcards from South Korea! I had been on the lookout for people from South Korea who were willing to exchange postcards with me and my efforts have finally paid off. Here are 2 different cards from 2 different senders from South Korea.

This is a picture of the Deoksugung Palace in Seoul. The Palace is one of the "Five Grand Palaces" built by the Kings of the Joseon Dynasty (July 1392-October 1897). It was heavily destroyed during the colonial occupation of South Korea. Today, only about one third of the original complex remains.

Here are the beautiful stamps that were used:

Thank you Aicha for the wonderful card and stamps!

The next card depicts a "Hanok", which is a Korean traditional house. It is made entirely of wood and cray. I remember seeing some of these houses when I went on a tour to South Korea sometime ago. They are really unique structures aren't they?

Here are the stamps that were used:

Thank you Ji-Hyun for the wonderful card that you've sent!

Finland

Here's a creative envelope from Finland. This envelope is made our of magazine; the first of its kind I have received so far! I think its a pretty cool idea, though the envelope feels a little flimsy.

The back of the envelope was sealed with a priority sticker.

 This is the postcard in the envelope. It shows two Christmas stamps issued in year 1980. I really like the theme of Christmas and stamps being put together! It just looks so beautiful!

The stamp on the right is designed by renowned postcard artist Kaarina Toivanen. It was released on 7th November 2011, along with another stamp with a Christmas theme.

Punakha Dzong, Punakha, Bhutan

A postcard from Bhutan. Peaceful, serene with it's lush mountains, it just looks like a fantastic getaway destination! Or at least that is my first impression from this wonderful postcard.

This postcard shows Punakha Dzong. It was known in ancient times Druk Pungthang Dechhen Phrodang or “the palace of great happiness”. It is a fortress built in 1638. Pretty historical no? Today, it houses administrative offices and several religious sites.

The stamps used commemorates Teacher's Day 2012 in Bhutan. It was released on 2nd May 2012.

Thank you Tashi for the lovely postcard and stamps!

Iraq

Finally! I thought my postcards from Iraq were never going to arrive, but they came today! Here is the manila envelope.

The postmarks on the envelope bore Arabic characters, which were pretty interesting since I don't see these characters often. The back of the envelope is below.

Bilal and I agreed to swap 5 postcards, so here's the first. This is a view of Mosul, a city in northern Iraq. The city has a large university, the University of Mosul.

The next card shows the Al-Hadba Minaret in Mosul.

This is the Al-Masqa Gate in Neneveh.

The next postcard shows the Relief in the Palace of Ashurnasserpal II. Ashurnasserpal II was king of Assyria from 883 to 859BC. 

The last card shows the entrance to Ashurnasserpal's Palace in the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud.

The stamps are pretty special. The stamp on top is one of two from the series commemorating Matyr day in Iraq. The 2 stamps at the bottom commemorate Iraqi post day.

It has really been my privilege to see a small part of Iraq through these postcards. Thank you Bilal for all the postcards and stamps!

Batumi City, Gerogia

Here's a postcard I thought to be very rare. How often does one get to receive a postcard from Georgia?

Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. The capital of Georgia is Tbilisi. Georgia covers a territory of 69,700 km square and its population is almost 4.7 million. This postcard, however, shows Batumi City. According to Anina, who sent me the card, this photo was taken 100 years ago! The postcard has a really nice brownish colour that gives it an aged feel.

 The stamps are from a series depicting Georgian Manuscript monuments.

Here are the rest of the stamps.

Thank you Anina for the beautiful addition to my collection!

Luxembourg

This is one of the less common cards that come along. It features various places in the landlocked country of Luxembourg. I've never had the chance to visit it, but I do hope I can one day!

The stamp here is part of the series commemorating the London Olympic games 2012. It was issued on 15th May 2012 along with another stamp.

Belarus

This is a card that I received from Belarus. The cartoon drawings are quite cute.

The sender used some pretty nice stamps and stickers on the card. 

Thank you Eugene for the card and stamps!

Nicosia, Cyprus

 Here's a rather rare postcard sent on 26th September 2012. It depicts a view of the old City of Nicosia near the Venetian walls in Cyprus. The Venetian walls are the oldest walls built in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Venetians commissioned Italian military engineers in 1567 to design a fortification for Nicosia to protect it from an impending Ottoman invasion.

The stamp on the left was issued on 17th March 2012 in a series of 5 stamps portraying farm animals.

Thank you Anna for the interesting swap! 

World Post Day, Singapore

To celebrate World Post Day 2012, Singpost gave out a free Post-a-Card. The process was pretty simple. First, download the Post-a-Card application on your smartphone. Then select a picture for the front of your postcard. I selected a picture that I took in Venice, Italy. 

Next, fill in details on the back of the card: a message to the addressee, the address that the postcard should be sent to, your own address, and wallah! Singpost would print the postcard and send it to your recepient without charge! The offer only lasts from 9th to 15th October 2012. This is how the back of the card looks like:

Singpost used this stamp for my card:

The stamp is part of a series of stamps issued on 14th September 2011. Here is the rest of the stamps:

More about these stamps can be found on these websites:

1. The Restaurant 
2. Lets Talk Stamps

Sydney, Australia

This postcard is from Sydney, Australia. I've been to Australia a few times: to Brisbane and Melbourne. But I've never been to Sydney. In the foreground is the Sydney Opera House on Benelong Point. The Government House, The Royal Botanic Gardens and part of the city skyline lie in the background.

I really liked the stamp that came along with the card. It shows the fairy penguins on Phillip Island, and I had visited that beautiful island when I went to Melbourne.

The stamp is from a series issued on 18th September 2012 based on the theme Road Trip. Here are the rest of the stamps.

Thank you Deborah for the lovely card!