08 April 2017

#AtoZChallenge | G is for Giant


Postcard  sent by Gian Luca (Italy), featuring the Colosseum, in the centre of the city of Rome. It is the largest amphitheatre ever built. The Colosseum could hold, it is estimated, between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators. Colossus, in Latin, means 'statue bigger than the model'. The name Colosseum has long been believed to be derived from a colossal statue of Nero nearby (the statue of Nero was named after the Colossus of Rhodes).

As someone pointed out in the comments, Gladiators and Gian would be also good titles for the post.

I like when one of those coincidences occurs in the mail world. Three weeks ago I wrote that I would fly to Italy. Then this postcard arrived, along with a (big, A5) mail art envelope from Philippe (France):



It is a watercolour (yes!) freely interpreting the Roman Villa Medici on one of the stamps. And with a pun that I didn't grasp at first: Mes dix sis (literally: 'my ten sixes') sounds exactly the same as Medici, in French.

Some days mail is just great... do you agree?




49 comments:

  1. The Colosseum is giant and imposing. I love the water colour house.

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    1. I was really happy with the mail that day. The envelope is impressive, it is a wonderful mail art work. And it included a nice letter inside!

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  2. And for Gladiator! I tealize when I see the Colosseum. Having read Asterix and Obelix and having had a lot of fun seeing the drawn comic characters, I find it hard to realize what tragic the real gladiators must have been into in this arena, and wonder why for Roman families it must have been amusement..

    Anyhow a nice and original choice, 'giant' for the letter G!

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    1. I hadn't thought of Gladiator,but it would be a good title for the post, too.

      I'm reading a lot about Rome right know, hoping to visit the city one day. And yes, I can't put Asterix and his friends (and ennemies) out of my mind!

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  3. Great Giant mail from Gian. And of course Philippe's card is a wonder itself.

    Phillip | G is for Gnome Calendar

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    1. Philippe's is a big (A5) envelope. It is impressive in person, as all his mail art.

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    2. Oh, of course. I didn't read carefully enough. I have been wondering if we were going toes any envelopes during the challenge, given your postcard theme :)

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    3. I've focused in commercial postcards, but maybe there will be other bonus. so it is nice that you focused in mail art!

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    4. I didn't plan to change my blog for the challenge. Truthfully, I didn't plan to do the challenge at all :)

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  4. Hmm.

    Roughly translated, the French means "the village of my ten sixes". I'm afraid I don't quite get it either, although a lot of puns and sayings don't translate to other languages. It's fun art though!

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    1. No, it's untranslatable. "Mes dix sis" ('my ten sixes') sounds exactly the same as "Medici" (the house of the stamp), in French. That's the joke!

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  5. More cards that make me sigh happily. :-)
    (Altho' I could probably be even more happy if I were the one sending the cards! But receiving is good, too.)

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    1. That's curious, because most people would prefer to receive the postcards and (mail in general) than send them. I must say that I enjoy both getting and sending mail. In this case, I was the happy receiver.

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    2. Well, if I were sending them, I'd be in Rome!
      ;-D

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  6. Very appropriate to receive a card from Gian.
    Quite a coincidence that an answer in a crossword today is Medici - but I really like that postcard pun.

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    1. I didn't realised about the G in Gian... Silly me!

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  7. What a beautiful postcard to receive. You seem to have a good exchange going here. When I have a minute, I will have to see how you do it.
    Finding Eliza

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    1. I have some penpals, and also friends who live snail mail like me, that's it.

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  8. I've been to the Colosseum in Rome, but none of my photos are as beautiful as the postcard.

    Trudy @ Reel Focus
    Food in Film: Grilled Cheese Sandwich

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    1. That usually happens... postcards are made by professionals :D

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  9. Beautiful mail art, how fun. The postcard is wonderful as well.

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  10. I love coincidences like that! :D

    Vanessa @Vanessence

    My "theme" - A Thirty-Word Story, revealing one word of the story each day of the challenge.
    #AtoZChallenge The Letter G

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    1. Little coincidences that make us happy, aren't they?

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  11. "Great" post for "G" I'm enjoying your A to Z offerings.
    Graphite

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  12. Filled in "Pun" on my A-Z BingoCard. Woohoo!
    xxox
    The G Truck:
    https://annembray.wordpress.com/2017/04/08/atozchallenge-g/
    The G Shoe:
    http://repeatsamb.blogspot.com/2017/04/atozchallenge-g-vogglenham-ifjm2017.html

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  13. Famous landmark today! Rather cruel things happened in there though. I'm like the poster above, rather be sending than receiving this one ;-) Rome is a city one can't visit enough!

    Nilanjana
    Madly-in-Verse

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    1. And who doesn't want to go and send dozens of postcards like this? :)

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  14. I love looking at these. Nice mail!

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  15. Visiting from A to Z. My mother in law (Italian heritage) has been to Italy twice. She may have gotten the pun right away. As for me - I am worthless with puns.

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    1. I didn't get it at first either. I think it is difficult if you are not a French-native speaker (that's what I say to myself...).

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  16. The Colosseum card is so beautiful! It took me some to figure out the Medici pun but it once I did I had a hearty laugh!

    Shubhangi @ The Little Princess

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  17. Some days it IS great. Others, it's just junk. :/

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    1. Agree. But don't worry... I'm not posting junk for J!

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  18. The Colosseum is amazing...even more imposing when you see it first hand.

    Such a lovely theme!
    I wish I had more time to peek at the other cards...maybe after the A to Z Challenge...
    Writer In Transit

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    1. Thanks! I really would like to see this building in person!

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  19. I'd love to go to Rome and one day, I will. I actually love receiving mail and I received a lovely letter just the other day

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  20. The Colosseum is truly grand - a sight to behold. And I love the watercolour painiting. You made me want to go back to Rome and bring out my watercolours again. Rome is one of my favourite cities.

    Suzy at Someday Somewhere

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  21. Love the "Villa de Mes dix six" Très français, ça. :-)
    A-to-Z-er Jetgirl visiting via Forty, c'est Fantastique

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Thank you for coming. All your comments make me extremely happy.