Email 0, Letters 1

«A drawback of email was that you could only delete it once: couldn't crumple it up, fling it to the floor, stomp on it, rip it to shreds, and burn it.»

Jonathan Franzen, Purity

Universities

I was pretty sure that John (the UK) was going to find postcards for my album of Universities...!

King's College, Aberdeen

Newcastle Upon Tyne

And Laura sent another postcard of Trinity College of Dublin (almost the same postcard, indeed!). This time, she posted it from Dublin (Ireland):

On the back, it says:

Trinity College, Dublin City, was founded by Elizabeth the 1st in 1592. Amongst it's most famous graduates are, Samuel Beckett, Oscar Wilde, Jonathan Swift and Bram Stoker. It is also home to the Book of Kells, a priceless A. D. 800 Celtic manuscript.

Musical Night Bird

I am sure that you have already seen a lot of post about Stripygoose's project The 365 Birds Migration. I should have written long time ago, because this postcard arrived on 24 May. Only ten days after it was posted in Raynes Park (London, the UK)... along with other 364 birds! 14 May is the International Migratory Bird Day.

The musical night bird was posted in the blog The 365 Birds Migration, along with the rest of arrivals. Is not this a really really amazing mail project?

It arrived wrapped in a plastic bag:

PTT of Rabat

I took advantage of another trip to Rabat (earlier this summer) to take new (better?) pictures of the main post office building, and more street art on mailboxes.

Washi Tape Girl

Handmade postcard sent by... Washi Tape Girl (the UK).

And this time I had the right postcard to answer her:

This was designed by Hannah (I just added a bit more of tape). You can find this postcard and other nice designs for stationery lovers in her Etsy shop, Thoughtful Types.

Please Do Not Bend

This parcel was packed with care and sent by Hannah (the UK). Do you think the postal workers in my post office read that big red Please do not bend? You bet! I found it completely bent inside my post office box, which is clearly too little for it... But luckily, everything was ok.

I Receive Mail Therefore I Am

«Tres días más tarde me llegó una carta. Era la primera vez que recibía una carta. En el sobre ponía mi nombre y mis señas. Era como ser descubierto, como nacer. Alguien me había encontrado. Esa carta había sido llevada a través de la ciudad y metida en el buzón correcto. Antes de preguntarme por el remitente, pense: ¿Llegará a tener valor algún día este sello? [...] Barnum Nilsen, ponía con letras alargadas y estrechas, y la dirección debajo; pues sí, me habían encontrado, yo era una persona, ya no cabía duda, era una persona con la que se podía contar.»

Lars Saabye Christensen, El hermanastro

Veles e vents

Postcard sent to Eutrapèlia (the USA). I made the envelope of a page of a calendar.

The Jolly Postcards

Some postcards from the wonderful book The Jolly Postman, sent by Bryon (the USA).

Blue Dutch Stamps

I have received more of these stamps, and I feel like uploading all together. It is a great design, in my opinion. They look really gorgeous on envelopes and postcards.

Greetings From

This was sent by Heleen (the Netherlands). These Greetings from postcards from Postallove have become quite popular among postcrossers.

I am not in love with this collection. But, in general, these are nice designs, don't you think so?
(And especially if they feature windmills...!)

Here and there I have read complains about the facts on the postcards. I guess everybody loves the designs for other countries but has a lot to say about the choices for their own country. For instance, I disliked the former design for Spain, luckily not in sale any more. This is the (new?) one, that I have received from the same sender:

It was sent from Spain, with one of the most original (in my opinion) stamps issued by Correos. It promotes an important value: creativity!

By the way, I found also very original the way that they cancelled the postcard:

Railways

Usually summer is for me a time to travel. So a good time to show train postcards, even received long time ago. From Eutrapèlia (the USA) above, and from Heleen (the Netherlands), below these lines.

Real Casino de Murcia

Postcards sent by Heleen (Spain).

Even if I was once in Murcia, I have never been to this colourful building. It was a social club erected in 1847, with a sumptuous interior that includes a Moorish-style patio inspired by the royal chambers of the Alhambra near Granada.

From My Other Country

Tanners of Sidi Moussa, Fez, Morocco, 1984
By Bruno Barbey

And it is still less usual that I receive snail mail from my other country, i. e., Morocco. Sorry, I cheated: the postcard was actually sent by Laura (the UK).

From My Country

It is not that usual that I receive postcards from my country. These were sent by Bruno. I love all of them!

A postcard sent by Ana:

And also a stamp from there, sent by Heleen:

(Update 4/03/2017: I added this post to Maria's link Postcards for the Weekend. The theme this week is From your home country.)

Do You Mind If Your Letters Arrive?

«Hola, Ocell que dóna corda,

No sé si aquesta carta t'arribarà.

Si t'he de dir la veritat, no estic segura que t'hagin arribat totes les cartes que t'he enviat fins ara, ja que sempre hi he posat una adreça aproximada i mai no hi he posat el remitent. Per tant, pot ser que les meves cartes estiguen perdudes en alguna oficina de correus, arreplegant pols a la pila de les cartes amb destinatari desconegut. Però pensava que tant me feia si no t'arribaven. Jo només volia transformar les meves idees en paraules escrivint-te cartes a tu.»

Haruki Murakami, Crònica de l'ocell que dóna corda al món

Mail Is a Treasure...

... sometimes, in the full sense of word!

Of the 132 Spanish ships that set out in 1588 to invade England, over 20 of them were wrecked off the North and West coasts of Ireland. The Ulster Museum owns the excavated remains of three of these ships. On the postcard above you can see silver coins and some pieces of jewellery, like that salamander of gold set with rubies, found in the galleass La Girona which was wrecked at Lacada Point, near the Giant's Causeway.

The second treasure arrived by mail is more ancient: the magnificent Hunterston Brooch. Usually it brooch is on display in the Early People gallery, National Museum of Scotland. But my friend saw it in the Celts exhibition).

Both postcards were sent by Laura (the UK).

Lighthouses on Postcards

I hope you are not tired to see lighthouses on stamps... I have said only five hundred times that lighthouses are one of my biggest passions.

IJmuiden

Sent by Heleen (the Netherlands)

Red & White Lighthouse,
from an original driftwood painting by
Martin Wiscombe
Sent by John (the UK)

In case you are wondering... the sticker was, as usual, easily removable:

Logos of European Postal Services

Source: Daily Infographics