Vaduz Castle, Liechtenstein

Some things really happen by coincidence. Some time ago, I arranged a swap with Michaela who resides in Liechtenstein. You can see the previous post here, where she sent me a couple of pretty interesting items and some nice stamps. Recently, I received an official Postcrossing card from Liechtenstein, and guess what, it was from Michaela! Fate does play a part here doesn't it?

United Kingdom: of Alnwick and Roald Dahl

Wow two cards from Great Britain received in one day! One an official Postcrossing card, one a direct swap; one from North-east England, the other from North-west England, but both are pretty much my favourite types of cards! I was considering whether to lump them both in the same post. To save some time, I did, and lets hope it doesn't get too confusing ;).

First up, the card from Vanessa (official Postcrossing one). This one over here show the Percy Lion in front of Alnwick Castle. The castle started construction in 1096 and has a pretty interesting history. You can find its full history over here. But the coolest thing about this castle is that it has been used to film several of the movies in the Harry Potter series. No wonder it looks strangely familiar! The castle has its own website here and you can see the variety of activities that it offers.

Next up, a wonderful card as part of a direct swap between me and Dan. It features four of ten stamps on the theme of Roald Dahl's stories. These four depict scenes from the Big Friendly Giant. It was first published in 1982 and has since been a popular read for many children. I read most of the Roald Dahl series when I was younger, and the stories never failed to captivate me! These stamps were issued on 10th January 2012 by the Royal Mail, and in time, I sure look forward to collecting the entire series!

Liechtenstein

I know I said I was going to be absent for a few months from this blog. Yes, I'm still busy studying for my examination. But this week, we have a long holiday in lieu of Singapore's National Day and Hari Raya. Selamat Hari Raya Adhil Fitri to all muslim friends out there! So I do have some time to update my blog for this long weekend holiday. I hope not to keep too much of a backlog, otherwise I'll have too many updates to do after my examinations!

Today, I present a package I received from Liechtenstein some time ago. It was pretty bulky and I opened it to receive a nice surprise inside! There are two postcards, both depicting the Vaduz Castle, as its name suggests, in Vaduz, Liechtenstein.

It is not very certain the exact date the castle was built or completed, but early mention of it dates back to the 12th century. Today, it is a palace and the official residence of the Prince of Liechtenstein.

Hrad Bezděz, Czech Republic

Another card that I received today came from the Czech Republic.

The postcard features Bezděz Castle, a gothic castle which was constructed between 1260 to 1280.

The card was posted along with these beautiful stamps.

Finally, the sender was so kind to include some used stamps in the evelope. This is one beautiful miniature sheet that I found inside.

Thank you Alex for the wonderful card and the beautiful stamps!