This was Kaiserstrasse, or Imperial Street, in old Königsberg, East Prussia (nowadays Kaliningrad, Russia).

Igor is 12 years old and has joined Postcrossing because he would like to send postcards around the world. I suppose he is learning English through this project with the help of his parents and teachers. Well done!

On the flip side, more stamps from the Kremlin series issued in 2009: one 4 R (Nizhny Novgorod) top left, one 1 R (Astrakhan) bottom left and two 10 R (Moscow) on the right.

Stamps: one 4 R (Nizhny Novgorod kremlin), one 1 R (Astrakhan kremlin) and two 10 R (Moscow kremlin).

Janet sent me this funny recipe of strawberry jam written in Mandarin. Fortunately, I can just follow the pictures to understand what is needed, because I can't understand the characters! Love that look on the left strawberry, poor thing is scared.

St. Valentine's 2012

This stamp is more beautiful that it seems at first glance. It is nicely carved and comes with this couple of hearts for celebrating 2012 St Valentine's. ♪

This time it was a wonderful drawing by Dutch graphic artist M.C. Escher, known by his mathematically inspired impossible creations. Two hands drawing each other, but -- which hand is the 'real one' and which hand is being drawn?

The official stamp of the ice hockey world championship 2012 tournament to be organized in Helsinki portrayed the widely noted mascot HockeyBird. The stamp is designed by Lead Artist Toni Kysenius of Rovio Entertainment. Finland and Sweden shared the hosting of the ice hockey world championship tournament in 2012 and 2013.

Slowly, all members of the European Royal families are making their ways here! Meet Paola, Queen of the Belgians, posing for her official portrait and wearing family jewels.

***

This is entry number 100. Happy anniversary to the blog!

This breathtaking sunset view is Kyōōgokoku-ji, the five storied pagoda of Kyoto, also known as Tō-ji ("East temple"). It is one of the historic monuments of ancient Kyoto that were declared World Heritage Site by the UNESCO. They are part of the Japanese history from the times when Kyoto was the capital of the country. The temple is located in the ward of Minami.

As a note side, I love Japanese Western handwriting. It has an unique air! I would show it here if it weren't so unpolite towards the sender.

U.S. parcel post · 50 cents

Stamp-themed postcards! Aren't they pretty? This was a 50 cents old stamp from the USA featuring a dairy farm. It came from Wisconsin and was sent by a Postcrosser who is on 10 top senders from this country (which, in my opinion, given the large number of users, is quite impressive).

Legends of Baseball 2000 (top) & birds (bottom)

On the flip side, these amazing sets of stamps: Legends of Baseball issued in 2000 on the top (Eddie Collins and Jackie Robinson), facial value 33 cts, and birds from the Wildlife from Canadian-United States Border sheet on the bottom (mallard, Canada goose and blue jay), 13 cts each, issued in 1978 for the Canadian International Philatelic Exhibition. Wow! I feel lucky today
As a 1978 girl, I am touched. ♥

I am about to die of cuteness. Before joining Postcrossing, I have never heard of Jetoy cats before. Once there, I noticed these postcards were very popular and no wonder they are. These illustrations are superb. Jetoy is a Korean company and this character is called 츄츄캣 (literally, Choo Choo Cat). On this card, white and black kitties are enjoying a trip in the hot air red balloon. ♥

My first Choo Choo card! ♪

The stamps, however, aren't related to the postcard (how cool would be to have Choo Choo stamps?!). I recall one of Limner's Dutch readers once complaining about these stamps. The funny thing is the came uncancelled. There isn't a single scratch on this card. Did the postofficers respect Choo Choo cats and protect them devotely? Who knows.

A water & ink Chinese painting from a series of postcards called "Appreciation of Famous Chinese Paintings". I love it. This one, although similar to another one I received before, was painted by artist Wang Jian (ca. 1598-1677). Sadly I don't know the title of this work. I can't read Chinese characters!

This beautiful red & gold stamp is a greeting stamp for New Year issued in 2007.

And what do you think about the red ink cancellation? So cool.

Marcelina is a student and sent me this card of the Collegium Maius, the oldest part of the main University in Krakow.

At first, in 1400, it was a building with lecture halls, later a library, and now this is also a museum of Jagiellan University. There are beautiful historic rooms with original furnitures, collection of the European art or science instruments. Three times a day, the courtyard clock performs little show with wooden figures of kings and famous professors parading to solemn music.

I wish you could see her handwriting. Gorgeous! I had received cards from other postcrossers from Poland with a similar style. ♥

Watteau's Standing woman

The stamp is Watteau's 18th century Standing woman (Stojąca kobieta zwrócona tyłem pocz. XVIII w.) from a series of Lost works of art issued in 2011.

This postcard marked a milestone on my postcrossing stats: postcard number 50! That meant I could send ten cards at a time, which I actually don't (because I don't have the money). Mircea sent it from his hometown. He is on top 5 senders from Romania.

Piața Unirii means Unification Square and is located in downtown Focșani. The obelisc is called Monument of the Unification.

Two beautiful nature stamps from 2012. The Pulmonaria officinalis is 1L and is paired with the brown bear; the Amaranthus caudatus (love-lies-bleeding) is 60 bani and comes with the turkey.

The adult male Mandarin duck is a striking and unmistakable bird. It has a red bill, large white crescent above the eye and reddish face and "whiskers". The adult female, on the background, is similar to female Wood duck.

In traditional Chinese culture, Mandarin Ducks represent a life-time couple and are regarded as a symbol of conjugal affection and fidelity. The species was once widespread in eastern Asia, but nowadays the population has reduced in Eastern Russia and in China to below 1,000 pairs in each country.

Military stamps commemorating the 65th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, " Victory weapon" (Оружие победы): the BT-7M tank (left) issued in 2010 and the GAZ-67B 4x4 (right) from 2012.

The Hare stamp from Russian Fairy Tales series on the far right.

This is the kind of painting I would love to had hanging on my walls. The Romantic style was, in my opinion, the best of all. I loved receiving this postcard of IJsgezicht met houtsprokkelaars (Ice Scene with Wood Gatherers) by Andreas Schelfhout, 1849. I can't imagine how would I feel the moment someone sends me a postcard of any of Friedrich's works and I open my letterbox to find it. Especially if it's The Sea of Ice, which this card reminded me of. Will I die of happiness?

On the back of the card, this gorgeous stamp of the Skinny Bridge over the Amstel river in Amsterdam. Looks kinda melancholic with those lights and I think it matches the card Romantic's air nicely. I am glad to know the Netherlands have beautiful stamps besides the postcrossing commemoratives, which are proving hard to get.

On the flip side, three stamps from the Aurora souvenir stamp sheet! Sleeping Beauty princess Aurora is featured on the tabs between the stamps. And they weren't cancelled nor damaged by the postmark. Yay! Made my day! ♥

This is Rotterdam... but everything except for the white bridge --Erasmus Bridge--  is fake! There was a competition of the best city and this was the promotion card for Rotterdam made by Rivka de Jonge.

From time to time, there comes a card that puzzles you. This one, although beautiful and serene, came with my address printed, not written, four big stamps covering the remaining space and a rubber stamp drawing of a mascot saying "Take it Easy!" in the only free spot available. No handwriting at all, no text, no sign, no clue on their Postcrossing profile. Only a return address without a name -- and printed, of course.

Stein-am-Rhein is a small town located near the German border in the Northern shore of the Rhein, just a few km away from Lake Constance. On the card, the Old Town as seen from the river with the former Benedictine monastery church of St. Georgen's bell tower in the centre.

One animal stamp issued in 2012, the Beaver; one Wheat and two Barley. The three grain stamps are from the "Agriculture & Food" series issued in 2008. The other two stamps in the set that are missing show Rye (0.20 CHF) & Oats (0.50 CHF).

It is been awfully uncomfortable lately due to the high temperatures (39.8ºC) and humidity (50~80%). However, it won't rain -- I don't expect it to do so until late September. And summer has just started...  Tanja sent me this card a month ago and back then I didn't think I was going to look at it in such a sad mood as I do now. I wish I could spend my summer there!

A beautiful stamp from a beautiful country: first class postage Northern lights as seen in 67º 45' 44" N 23º 36' 43" E, sightly above the Artic Circle in 2009, near the Swedish border.

Three bullfinches in a bird shelter in the cold, cold Siberian winter. I usually show my postcards from Russia to my Russian classmate and she offers her help to identify locations or stamps, or sometimes a quick translation. She told me this is called the winter Russian bird, which appears in the cold season when other species migrate. Of course, it is my first time hearing from it. Another beautiful trip to the even more beautiful Mother Russia. ♪

On the back side, nine stamps cover half of the card! From left to right:

♪ Novgorod Kremlin from the Sixth Definitives series - RussianKremlins issue, 2009

♪ The Hare

♪ The Fox (six of them)

♪ Pyotr A. Stolypin 150th birth anniversary

This is a commemorative stamp for the 150th birth anniversary of the Prime Minister and agrarian reformer Pyotr Stolypin (1862-1911), later assasinated in the opera. On the background, the Russian flag and the Palace Square in St-Petersburg. For only one year, this stamp could have been also commemorative of his 100th death anniversary.

Postcard from: Tomsk, Siberian region, Russia.

Received: May 2012.

Language: English.

Envelope: no.

Stamps: nine!

Thank you very much, Andrey!

{RU-944045}

This week's theme is anything you wish

The Church of Saints Simon & Helen in Minsk, also known as the "Red Church" (Чырвоны касцёл) for its red bricks, was designed in neo-Gothic style by polish architects Tomasz Pajzderski and Władysław Marconi, and built during 1905-1910 as a result of a petition of the Catholic community from Minsk. Rebuilt into a cinema during the Soviet years, it was returned to the Catholic Church in 1990.

The stamps are part of the 14th definitive issue "Architectural Monuments" in 2012:

♪ Left: Church of Epiphany (Bogoyavlensky) in Polatsk, 1761-1777. 500 BYR.

♪ Right: Kosava Palace, 19th century. Class A stamp.

Stamps: one 500 BYR Church of Epiphany in Polatsk and two Kosava Palace stamps from 2012 "Architectural Monuments".

First card from Canada! Yay! Now the USA and Mexico are no longer alone in the tab. ♪

The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were held in Munich, (then) West Germany, from August 26 to September 5 in 1972. Sadly these games were largely overshadowed by what later has been called the Munich massacre: eleven Israeli athletes and coaches, a West German police officer and five terrorists were killed. This is the official poster for the event and was designed by Otl Aicher as long other sports posters and pictograms. Such a nice and cool work of graphic design! He used a technique called "posterization", separating the tonal qualities from the images and using the official munich colours for these games. This had to be produced manually as photoshop did not exist at that time!

This is another travelling card: originally from Germany but sent from Canada. The sender is currently the 1st on most postcards sent from Canada on Postcrossing. He likes watching the Olympic games as I do although he missed this one because he was a little child at that time -- I wasn't even born!

The stamp, unlike last time, has a Canada theme too: one of the baby wildlife series stamp from 2012 where a couple of moose affectionately nuzzle each other. Lovely. Needless to say, we don't have moose in Spain. I like getting this kind of pictures of flora & fauna from all over the world.