Bitburg is an ancient city with roots going back 2000 years. It was a stopover for traffic from Lyon through Metz and Trier to Cologne. The first time it is mentioned in documents is around 330 when Emperor Constantine the Great expanded the settlement to a road castle. It's been a part of many different rules over the years including Luxembourg, France, and Prussia.  Spangdahlem Air Base, a NATO airbase is nearby. The United States Air Force is the tenant. It is home to the 480th Fighter Squadron and the 726th Air Mobility Squadron

There are a couple of things I would like to highlight on this card. Firstly, this is a night shot of the Brandenburg Gate. It is, of course, one of Berlin's best known landmarks. It was built between 1788 to 1791 under orders of King Frederick William II of Prussia. It is the former city gate and it marked the start of the road from Berlin to Brandenburg an der Havel, which was the capital city of Margraviate of Brandenburg. During the Cold War, the gate marked the division between West Berlin and East Berlin. Today, it is considered a symbol of unity and peace in Europe. Secondly, the postage stamp commemorates the Special Olympics World Games, which were held in Berlin in 2023. At my lawn bowling club, we actually held a regional bocce tournament for teams from Medicine Hat, Calgary, Edmonton, and Whitehorse. One bocce player from this tournament was going to be chosen to represent Canada at the games in Berlin. I wish I could report it was a local bocce player. I'm not sure...