Halloween Time

Tonight, upon your pillow
Close your eyes and hide your head,
For the fairies and the goblins
Will be hovering round your bed.

A traditional Halloween postcard sent by Bryon (the USA). I am glad it arrived on time!

And another one sent by Phillip (the USA). The stamps with the vilains are perfect for a scary card!

If you want something really frightening... What about these real mummies? The postcard show a mummies museum in Guanajuato (Mexico). On the picture, there is supposed to be the smallest mummy in the world. 

As a curiosity, the postcard arrived with this paper attached (with a staple). I had never seen a customs declarations form for a postcard.

The postcard was sent on 11 August, and arrived on 26 October.

Confusing Halloween

And a postcard I got from Heleen soon after Halloween 2022. Sent from Belgium, although the meet-up was in the Netherlands:

And another one from a meet-up in Belgium... But the postcard travelled first to the Netherlands, then to my country!

This one came with a wonderful (favourite!) stamp on the back:

Sunday Stamps | Black and White Portraits

 Some portraits for today's Sunday Stamps, dedicated to Black and White stamps:

Margaret Atwood, writer
Canada, 2021

Kata Beke, writer
Hungary, 2019

Kathleen Ferrier, contralto
United Kingdom, 2012

Katharine Hepburn, actress
United States, 2010

Ilse Losa, writer
Portugal, 2013

Pumpkin Beer

I think this is the only Halloween-themed envelope I sent last year. It was an envelope decorated with a beer label, and it went to Byron (the USA).

Cozy Autumn

Illustrated by Katie Turner

Actually, still waiting for it to arrive. We are enjoying an endless summer.

Postcard sent by Laura (the UK).

Thursday Postcard Hunt | Winter City

Thursday Postcard Hunt means today Winter. I am sharing one of my favourite winter postcard, featuring iced Amsterdam. I have got it at least thrice, sent by different people!

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Thursday Postcard Hunt

October theme: SEASONS

• Week 1 - Autumn
• Week 2 - Summer
• Week 3 - Spring
• Week 4 - Winter

Everyone is welcome to share their postcards!

Hungarian Literature

Csönd. A bútorok csöndje
(='Silence. The silence of the furniture')

I like multiples on postcards, and I find this one very original. If I understand it, these are the silhouettes of different chairs belonging to famous Hungarian writers (or representing them?). Including Sándor Petőfi (1823-1849), who gives his name to the museum where the postcard was bought.

This stamp, issued to commemorate the bicentenary of the author, depicts one of his works: the epic poem János vitéz (='John the Valiant').

And still another literary stamp on the back, dedicated to the birth centenary of Hungarian poet János Pilinszky (1921-1981).

And I thought this label was also a sort of poem...

... but I copied it on an online translator and it gave: "A letter sent after the extension deadline or on a day of rest or public holiday."

Three Months from Bali

Both the sender and I were convinced that this postcard had been lost on the way. It was sent from Bali on 23 June (although the postmark suggests 23 May -- ??), and arrived on 28 September. That makes more than three months! Sometimes, one just has to be pacient with the postal services, and trust.

It shows the Kecak dance.

Մենք ենք մեր լեռները

We Are Our Mountains is a large monument north of Stepanakert (Khankendi) in the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan. It is known colloquially as tatik-papik (տատիկ-պապիկ) in Armenian  which translates as "Grandmother and Grandfather".

The sculpture is widely regarded as a symbol of the Armenian heritage of Nagorno-Karabakh, and even Armenian identity as a whole. 

I got this postcard, actually, from Georgia (inside this envelope).

Sunday Stamps | Isaac Newton

Science is the theme of today's Sunday Stamps. I have chosen two stamps belonging to the 1987 series dedicated to Issac Newton's works: The Principia Mathematica and The System of the World. 

Can You Stick More Stamps, Please?

It is a real pleasure when a postcrosser takes the time of decorating or adding a lot of stamps. This picture shows the back of yesterday's Great Wall postcard. 

One of the stamp arrived bended and half unstuck, but safe anyway.

WHS on Postcards

The Great Wall
(China)

UNESCO World Heritage Sites appears often on the postcrossers wish lists. I do not collect them specifically, but they land in my mail box from time to time. No wonder, as they refer usually to beautiful and very interesting places (or cultural manifestations). 

Gathering the whole list might be an impossible undertaking. Also, because they add new names to the list every year. However, there are very famous places, like the Great Wall, that should be relatively easy to get on a postcard. I eventually got it! 

Bath Abbey at night
(United Kingdom)

Telč
(Czech Republic)

Postcards sent by Ming (China), Laura (the United Kingdom) and Arnošt (Czech Republic).

Thursday Postcard Hunt | Spring Flowers

Some flowers sent by Laura (the UK) for today's Thursday Postcard Hunt, dedicated to Seasons - Spring. I like to see all these together!

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Thursday Postcard Hunt

October theme: SEASONS

• Week 1 - Autumn
• Week 2 - Summer
• Week 3 - Spring
• Week 4 - Winter

Everyone is welcome to share their postcards!

Fancy a Beer?

I got this postcard through the Postcrossing site. The front shows a Japanese beer named Kirin, so I added it to my Beer album of postcards. 

Apart from the front picture, the back of the postcard is what fascinates me. Such a beautiful collage including tape, rubber stamps, a cutting, wonderful handwriting… One of the Postcrossing gems I get from time to time!

There is even a silvery fish on the shaped stamp!

475

Letter sent by Alan (the UK), with one of the stamps issued to celebrate King Charles III's Coronation.

The Commonwealth
Depicting an outward-looking United Kingdom, global trade, cooperation, democracy and peace. The stamp features an imagined Commonwealth meeting, a representation of the Commonwealth Games, some of the flags of the Commonwealth nations, a scene depicting trade and commerce and a Commonwealth War Graves cemetery.

Cincinnati Union Terminal (and More)

This letter completes the series of Historic Railroad Stations. On this envelope:

• Santa Fe Depot opened in San Bernardino, California;
• Cincinnati Union Terminal, Ohio (Also on the postcard);
• Main Street Station, in Richmond, Virginia.

Letter sent by Phillip (the USA).

Sunday Stamps | Red Iron Lighthouses

Sunday Stamps is today dedicated to my favourite theme on stamps: Lighthouses.

Campen Lighthouse is an active lighthouse in the village of Campen, by the Ems estuary, in the East Frisia region, state of Lower Saxony, Germany. At a height of  65 m, it is the tallest lighthouse in  Germany.  The lighthouse was built in 1889 and went in service two years later. The stampwas issued in 2019.

The Stavoren Lighthouse is a lighthouse near Stavoren on the IJsselmeer, in the Netherlands. It was built in 1885, and restored in 2001. These are personalized stamps from 2016.

And this is the Lightship 12 Noord Hinder, currently a museum ship located in the harbour of Hellevoetsluis.

Postbox Saturday | Horta de Sant Joan

Visiting Horta de Sant Joan, I spotted two post boxes: one in the bus stop, and another one (below) in the main square. I guess there is a post office somewhere, as well.

The Graceful Envelope Contest: Mapping the World's Cities

Karen Burgess (one of the 2023 winners)

The world’s great cities have distinctive landmarks, cultures, histories, cuisines, or geography that are said to put each town “on the map.” There is even a tradition of depicting such characteristics on actual maps. Your challenge is to pick a city and consider what contributes to its unique character. For example, what makes New York bustling, Paris romantic, Tokyo energetic, and Sydney beautiful? Then—using artistry, lettering and the integration of postage stamps—create some sort of map on your Graceful Envelope that captures the spirit of the city of your choice. Artistically address your envelope to:

The Graceful Envelope Contest, P.O. Box 3688, Merrifield, VA 22116

(Read here all the details of the contest)

Thursday Postcard Hunt | Summer in Mallorca Island

Thursday Postcard Hunt's topic is Summer. Some favourite places from the beloved Mallorca island to remember happy summers (years!) there.

Es Pontàs - Santanyí

Port d'Andratx

Colònia Sant Jordi - Es Trenc

Porto Colom

Formentor

Postcards sent by Lluïsa and R.

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Thursday Postcard Hunt

October theme: SEASONS

• Week 1 - Autumn
• Week 2 - Summer
• Week 3 - Spring
• Week 4 - Winter

Everyone is welcome to share their postcards!