Summer Mail - IV

In Welsch mythology, Dylan the sea god lives under the waters of Cardigan Bay. He envies an old man with three daughters. He calls up a great storm, and sends a huge wave to steal the girls. Their father is heartbroken. Regretting his evil deed, Dylan turns the girls into seagulls, belonging both to the sea and the land. Since that day, when the old man walks on the beach and call their names, three white gulls fly to him from the sea.

Illustration by Daniel Mackie. Sent by Phillip (the USA).

Sunday Stamps | Dreamy Blue Landscapes

Go to Sunday Stamps to enjoy more Blue stamps!

The Wonderland Postage-Stamp Case

Lewis Carroll, the author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, was a bit of a mail fan. In 1889 he invented "The Wonderland Postage-Stamp Case," a little case with twelve separate pockets in which people could keep stamps of different denominations. The stamp case was sold with a little booklet called Eight or Nine Wise Words about Letter Writing.

It seems you can still find one of these online for an exorbitant price.

The postcard was sent by Bryon (the USA).

(Pictures taken from this post.)

Tusello

Tusello is a service that allow you to turn your images into Correos stamps. There are some restrictions regarding images of people, but most illustrations are permitted. So, if you are willing to pay the extra fee, you can design your own stamps and even appear on them.

I got this stamp from a pen pal who works as a postal deliverer. She received the stamps as a gift for her 50 birthday. How cool is that?

Thursday Postcard Hunt | Expensive

I was hesitant to upload a postcard to this week Thursday Postcard Hunt, the theme being A place you would not like to visit (for whatever reason). Ont the one hand, I did not wish to offend anyone, sender or reader. On the other hand, my first thought when I get any postcard is often: "What a nice place to visit!". 

However, two weeks ago I got this postcard from Denmark (thanks to Phillip & Brian!). Lately, news from Danish postal service are too sad. Getting mail from there would become more difficult (or impossible?) after 2025, so I was more than happy to receive this one.

The city seems really beautiful but... Have you noticed the price of the postage?

50 DKK = 6,70 € = 7,87 USD = 10,68 CAD

Surely, the prohibitive price of postage or the impossibility of sending mail from there are enough reasons not to visit a place!

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Thursday Postcard Hunt
July theme: TRAVEL

• Week 1 - Your Own Country
• Week 2 - A place you'd like to visit (but haven't)
• Week 3 - A place you would not like to visit (for whatever reason)
• Week 4 - Getting around (train, bus, plane, stations, airports)
• Week 5 - Your happy place (beach, mountains, parks, cities, islands...)

Everyone is welcome to share their postcards!

Summer Mail - III

Sent by Fabienne (France).

Only Talk about You

I guess in the penpalling world people can be as narcissistic as everywhere. However, throughout my correspondance years, my experience is exactly the opposite.

This finely ironic postcard made me laugh!

Is There Anything More French?

I had seen this stamp online, and Fabienne was thoughtful enough to send it to me. Plus, on a hand-made envelope that perfectly match with the theme.

Outside France, the baguette is often considered a symbol of French culture. It is curious to know that there are some myths associated to its origin. 

Sunday Stamps | Vilains

Sunday Stamps is today dedicated to Stories and folk tales. This is a recurrent theme on this blog, and I have used it for recent Sunday Stamps (here and here). So, I thought I was run out of stamps, but I remembered these Disney vilains. I am sure you recognize most of them!

Honest John (Pinocchio)
Gaston (Beauty and the Beast)
Captain Hook (Peter Pan)
Scar (The Lion King)

Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty)
Lady Tremaine (Cinderella)
Queen (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)

Cruella De Vil (One Hundred and One Dalmatians)
Ursula (The Little Mermaid)
Queen of Hearts (Alice in Wonderland)

Who Would Not?

Back of a letter sent by Imma (PC).

It Is So Nice When People Appreciate Your Letters

Front and back of a letter sent to Pedro (Portugal), with my first mailzine.

Thursday Postcard Hunt | Formentera

La Mola

Formentera is a small island next to Eivissa. I have never been there. From the postcards I have been receiving lately, it seems the paradise to me.

Es Pujols

Cap de Barbaria

Platja des Migjorn

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Thursday Postcard Hunt
July theme: TRAVEL

• Week 1 - Your Own Country
• Week 2 - A place you'd like to visit (but haven't)
• Week 3 - A place you would not like to visit (for whatever reason)
• Week 4 - Getting around (train, bus, plane, stations, airports)
• Week 5 - Your happy place (beach, mountains, parks, cities, islands...)

Everyone is welcome to share their postcards!

Aniva Lighthouse

The Aniva Lighthouse is an  abandoned lighthouse located on Cape Aniva in the very south of Sakhalin Island in the East of Russia. The height of the building is 31 meters, the height of the light is 40 meters above sea level. It was built by Japan in 1938-1940, and abandoned in 2006 after an eventful life. Since then, it is gradually destroyed by water and wind, and has become a tourist attraction.

The first postcard was sent by Veniamin (Russia) after a visit to the lighthouse. The postcard below was sent by Eduard two years ago.

See more pictures and information here.

Angry Machine

I got this postcard from China through the Postcrossing site. It shows, according to online translators, the Orange Island bridge in the city of Meili Xingcheng. 

There are always many special details in mail that travels from so far away. On the back of this postcard, the commitment of the postal machine surprised me!

Chinese Hwamei (Garrulax canorus)
New Year Greetings stamps
2011

The Great Wall (Ming dynasty), Yumenguan
2016

(Printed on the postcard)

Summer Mail - II

Postcard sent by Bryon (the USA), with a watermelon label.

Some stamps do not seem stamps at all:

From Phillip (the USA), I have got the complete series! And the First Day cancellation.

Sunday Stamps | Backyard Games

On August 12, 2021 the USPS issued Backyard Games stamps in eight designs. They celebrate  the many games Americans play for outdoor recreation. Some of the games are not common here!

Go to Sunday Stamps to see more stamps about Summer Fun.

Old Mail Adventure

My husband sent me this postcard from Canada in 2006. I joined Postcrossing in 2008, and I found out that it had also been the first postcard ever sent through Postcrossing (July 2005). 

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Postcrossing, a special edition of this postcard was added to the Postcrossing shop. Which, of course, sold out in no time!

Happy Fourth of July

"We ask but for Peace, Liberty and Safety."

First Continental Congress, 1774

Mail sent by Bryon & Phillip (the USA).

Thursday Postcard Hunt | Eivissa

I rarely receive postcards from my own country. However, this month I received some from the island of Eivissa. It has been years since I last visited it, and these postcards make me dream!

Eivissa, port

Vila d'Eivissa

Es Vedrà

Portinatx

Punta Moscarter Lighthouse

Punta Moscarter Lighthouse

Cala Benirràs

Cala de Sant Vicent

Santa Eulària des Riu

Santa Eulària des Riu

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Thursday Postcard Hunt
July theme: TRAVEL

• Week 1 - Your Own Country
• Week 2 - A place you'd like to visit (but haven't)
• Week 3 - A place you would not like to visit (for whatever reason)
• Week 4 - Getting around (train, bus, plane, stations, airports)
• Week 5 - Your happy place (beach, mountains, parks, cities, islands...)

Everyone is welcome to share their postcards!