Zelhem, Netherlands

NL-1454925

Despite being a multiview, I really like this card. Artistic, nice font, well-designed!

Zelhem is a village in Gelderland, Netherlands. Apparently it's not famous for much, but is known for the good witch Smokshanne, who in the 19th century flew around Zelham on a broom backwards, with only one clog, the other having been lost in flight. The village's 1200th anniversary party was Smokshanne-themed.




The stamp on the right is familiar to us. I can't find any info on the stamp on the left.

Nijmegen, Netherlands

I got this card from Desiree for the October "surprise me" round robin. Nijmegen, near the German border, is the oldest city in the Netherlands, having celebrated its 2000th anniversary in 2005. This card is a map of the center of the city. Nijmegen is famous for its International Four Day Marches, held every year in July since 1916. Participants walk 30, 40, or 50 kilometers each day for four days. Originally it was mainly a military event, but nowadays civilians greatly outnumber military participants. Those who finish are showered with gladiolus flowers and receive a medal. Naturally, there are also festivities to accompany the march, drawing as many as a million visitors to Nijmegen.

The stamp on the right features Petrus Plancius, a Dutch cartographer of the 1500s. I think this stamp was issued in 1996. The stamp on the left is dated 1992. Thank you Hans for the information on this stamp! (See comment below.)