Variations on a theme

Drawn envelope sent to Philippe (France), with some matching stamps.

Sent to John (the UK).

The Moon

Today's theme is Sunday Stamps- II is Stars or Moon or Planets. I am sure you had seen this stamp before: 

But I had to show you how perfect it looks combined with the reused page of a calendar as envelope, and a rocket mail label! It was sent by Phillip (the USA). You can see more creative uses of this stamp on Phillip's blog.

I replied with a handmade collage. Actually, it was one of those strange cases in which the answer was written before receiving the letter...

Beautiful UK: Rye

A bunch of postcards of Rye sent by my friend Laura (the UK):

The Landgate

Church of St Mary the Virgin dating from 1150,
 and its graveyard (And that pink old house!)

Ypres Tower & Gun Garden

Lamb House (18th century)
Henry James and E.F. Benson lived here

Mermaid Corner Tea Rooms in Mermaid Street
(Included in my album of mermaids, of course!)

Rye town model (made by a coupe of retired teachers!)

The cobbles Tea Room

Gloria

Envelope sent to Laura (the UK), made of a poster of a poetry reading I attended. The woman on the envelope is Spanish poetess Gloria Fuertes (1917-1998), born this day 100 years ago.

The Postal Museum of London

Euston Station: Loading the Travelling Post Office
Grace Golden (1948)

The Postal Museum of  London (the UK) is opening tomorrow. I have been so lucky that I have already received one of the postcards they sell! With a matching stamp (or Post & Go labels, as they call these):

Actually, I have received a lot of them lately, all with mail-related themes:

Letters to Antonio Machado

Antonio Machado (26 July 1875 – 22 February 1939) was a well-known Spanish poet in the 20th century and a leading cultural figure. When the Spanish Civil War broke out in July 1936, Machado had to move from Madrid with his elderly mother, and eventually across the French border to Collioure. It was here that Antonio Machado died, just three days before his mother. In his pocket was found his last poem.

Machado is buried in the little village of Collioure and his grave is visited every year for lots of people. I was there last summer, even if visiting cemeteries isn't a habit of mine. It seems that there are always fresh flowers, and poems, and... letters. The box on the tomb caught my attention. Because... Who pick up the letters addressed to Machado?

Update 4 Feb. 2019: About the man who put the mailbox [in Catalan]

Blue Memories

Postcard sent by Lluïsa (PC). I used to go to this beach when I lived in the Mallorca island...

The Non-Post Office in Rome

When I was in Rome, I visited two modern post offices. I guess there must be an old beautiful building hosting the main post office anywhere, but I didn't see it. However, I found something stranger... a non-post office!

I Want to Visit This Museum

Bronze statue of Poseidon found in the sea to the east of Livadostra Bay, Boeotia, dated around 480 BC. The eyes were inlaid in a different material. Poseidon, as master of the seas, was primarily worshipped at seaside locations. To the left, the name of the god is written in Linear B script, as it appears on the clay tablets from the Mycenaean palace of Pylos, dated around 1200 BC. 

This is one of the 6-stamps set that Hellenic Post dedicates to the 150 years of the National Archaeological Museum, the oldest museum in the country, the largest archaeological museum of Greek territory and one of the most important in the world.

The blue and the golden of the stamp are far better in person. I would like to see the rest, and also the museum itself. So I chose it for today's Sunday Stamps - II's theme: A place or building you want to see.

A mail adventure as a bonus: I received it by snail mail, but not directly from Greece (via the USA).

-----
Update Aug. 2017: Visited!!

Put as Many Stamps as You Can on the Back of the Postcards

Back of a postcard sent by Bryon (the USA).

The Postcards Make You Travel!

Postcard sent by Laura (the UK)

Swimming Pools on Stamps

This should be an essential topic for all the postal administrations every summer...

Dear Friend

Dear Friend is a letter-writing project celebrating women in public life and struggles for liberation. It is based in Manchester (the UK), and this is how it works:

Write a letter to support a woman who inspired you or who made a difference in an area of equality: such as the fight against slavery; racial discrimination; or the ongoing fight for peace.

We'll digitise and transcribe it, put it on the website, and help raise the profile of whoever you think we need to celebrate. You can write anything from a postcard to a full letter, and hand-write it or type it.

How to contribute?

Mooi Nederland

Stationsplein ('Station Square') in Utrecht

Het Binnenhof, in The Hague
(What is a hof?)

Rijksmuseum, in Amsterdam

Postcards and matching stamps (How nice is that?) sent by Heleen. 

2017 Europa Stamps Competition

Today's theme in Sunday Stamps - II is Statues or Monuments. I thought immediately in castles, because this is the theme of the 2017 EUROPA Stamp Competition.

I have received only the beautiful Dutch castles so far. The 10-stamp sheetlet contains two stamp varieties and was designed by Hague-based graphic designer Bart de Haas. It features images of two Dutch moated castles, Doornenburg and Ammersoyen

Here you can view the rest and vote for you favourite until 9 September. It is quite difficult to choose only one!

The Mountains or the Sea?

Postcard sent by Laura (the UK). This is Errigal Mountain in "the rugged and beautiful" County of Donegal. With a scratch that I thought was part of the picture, at first sight.

Mama's Beach, by Jan Kasprzycki. The real beach is on Maui's North Shore. This is another postcard that arrived thanks to the #AtoZChallenge. It arrived just two days after someone from Maui commented on the blog. It is my second postcard from Hawaii (but actually this was sent from Canada, by Rosemary).

But it is more likely that I visit the Mediterranean Sea, like on this postcard of the Costa Brava sent by Mom. Beautiful beaches near home! 

14 Juillet

This envelope to Philippe (France) is my first attempt of sending mail related to the French National Day or Bastille Day, celebrated on 14 July. I tried even to find a French-like stamp: it is not a Gallic rooster, but it is a rooster! I must say that the result was more naïf that I expected.

Letter Delayed by...

The Witches of Letters

Sent to Eva (Germany)

Sent to Tara (Canada)