Cover from Belgium no. 4

A great cover received from Kortemark in Belgium (postmarked in Gent), with an interesting and nicely designed stamp commemorating the Belgian presidency of the EU (1/7 - 31/12 2010). It was issued on 1 July 2010, also in a special sheet. Thank you, Gilles!

Cover from Belgium no. 3

A splendid cover received on 9 April 2009 from Belgium, courtesy of Thomas from Ieper. It is my first received Europa stamp of 2009, and it goes with a special cancellation of the first day of issue!

This year's theme of Europa stamps is astronomy (the Internation Year of Astronomy), a great topic promising beautiful stamps, and this sheet is one of them; designed by Thierry Mordant, with facial value of Class 1 - currently 90 eurocent.

Thank you Thomas for this terrific surprise!!!

Postcard from Belgium

A postcard received on 27 January 2009 from Antwerpen (sent on 22/1/2009), just beautiful on both sides. The front shows the castle at Durbuy, province of Luxembourg, in the Belgian Ardennes. Durbuy claims to be the world's smallest town (population 10,500).

The two 46 eurocent stamps are taken from a miniature sheet called This Is Belgium, issued on 19 November 2006. And if this really is Belgium, it must be great:-) The first stamp shows a tomato stuffed with small shrimps, the other one the trappist beer from Orval (which I proved and is delicious).

Thank you Gerda for this excellent publicity of your country!

Cover from Belgium no. 2

On 7 October 2008 I received this nice cover from Thomas, from Ieper, Belgium (sent on 4/10/2008). The bird stamps from the well-known birds definitives series feature: the 5c stamps - wintertaling (sarcelle d'hiver - winter teal) and the 10c stamp - heggemus (accenteur mouchet - hedge sparrow). The large commemorative stamp of 0.60 euro is taken from a miniature sheet dedicated to Renaissance composers (issued on 23 January 2006) and presents Jacob Obrecht (1457/8 - 1505), Flemish composer of sacred music. Thank you, Thomas!

Cover from Belgium

Received on 23 October 2008 a very nice letter from Ieper, Belgium, with a statuette stamp (Musée en Piconrue, Bastogne) and a special cancellation related to another stamp in this series (Nationaal Schoeiselmuseum in Izegem) from October 2008 dedicated to small Belgian museums. The letter reached me in 5 days in an excellent condition. Thank you T.