Building Our Future Together

The United Nations is a global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations on 26 June 1945 with the articulated mission of maintaining international peace and security, to develop friendly relations among states, to promote international cooperation, and to serve as a centre for harmonizing the actions of states in achieving those goals.

24 October is United Nations Day: it marks the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter. 

To mark the 80th anniversary, some postal administrations issued special stamps, like the one Bryon sent. 

I am not especially fond of the Spanish design, tough.

Women on Postcards | W Is for Women on Stamps

Postcard made by Fabienne (France), out of Women on Stamps from Denmark, France, Germany and the USA. 

Some of this women had already appeared on the Women on Stamps section of this blog: Virginia Apgar, Cilly Aussen, Madeleine Brès & Alice Hamilton and Fanny Hensel. The rest will we added soon!

[Women on Postcards - 2026]

Thursday Postcard Hunt | The Moomin Game

Today's theme in Thursday Postcard Hunt is Maps. At first sight, I though this postcard was a map of Mumminworld. But it belongs to the first game based on the Moomin books: a boardgame released in 1957, with both the Finnish name Muumipeli and the Swedish name Muminspelet on the box, both translating to 'The Moomin Game'. One of the most notable things about this particular Moomin game is that it is the only one that was actually designed by the creator of the Moomin characters herself, the  artist and author Tove Jansson, alongside her brother Lars “Lasse” Jansson.

Anyway...it is a map! Sent by Micu (Hungary).

Off-Season

Envelope made out of a page of a magazine, sent to Phillip (the USA).

Women on Postcards | C Is for Collage

Collage made by Fabienne (France), out of reused materials.

I like the original way she write my address (although the typewriter suffered from some accident in way). This is not the first time the character Hermione Granger has appeared on a stamp...

[Women on Postcards - 2026]

Hydrangea

Collage on an envelope sent by Laura (the UK).

Sunday Stamps | Red Machin

Some shades of read for today Sunday Stamps. The theme being, you guessed... The colour red.

Flame

Aug 23, 1988

Flame

Sep 4, 1990

Royal Mail red

Jan 3, 2013

Sunset red

March 21, 2017

Garnet red

March 17, 2020

The Poetry

Collage on envelope sent by Laura (the UK).

Women on Postcards | R Is for Rouge

Postcard sent by Fabienne (France).

[Women on Postcards - 2026]

Thursday Postcard Hunt | Illustrated Places

Thursday Postcard Hunt is dedicated to Illustrations this week. Have not you noticed that lately, finding illustrated postcards when you travel is easier than finding traditional photos? Which ones do you prefer?

Qibao Old Street is located in Qibao Ancient Town, Minhang District, Shanghai. The entire street boasts a rich variety of local snacks and antique architecture. Qibao Ancient Town, like many other ancient towns in the Taihu Lake region of southern China, is a picturesque town within a city, and also the closest ancient town to downtown Shanghai. Qibao originated in the Later Han Dynasty, developed in the early Song Dynasty, and flourished in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, boasting a history of over 1000 years. As a historically important town known as Songdu, Qibao possesses a profound cultural heritage.

The Tudor Gatehouse. The Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great (Smithfield, London). From the COVID lockdown sketchbook of Peter Delaney.

Stable Yard. Hatfield House (the UK).

Cass Art. Hamspead (London, UK). Illustrated by Nina Cosford.

Minster Church, Thanet (UK).

Ohio (USA).

Postcards sent by Yingzhen (China), Laura (the UK) and Heleen-Phillip (the Netherlands-USA).

Distance Is Not a Problem for a Letter

«Behin, amari gutun bat idazteko eskatu nion, eta idatzi zuen. Biak batera joan ginen Konakryko geltokira eta han beste norbaiti eman genion herrixkaraino eraman zezan. Ez dakit bizikletaz joan zen edo autobusean, baina badakit iritsi zela. Distantzia ez da arazoa gutun batentzat.»

Amets Arzallus Antia & Ibrahima Balde, Miñan

Are You Buying Letters?

A few years ago, when letter subscriptions started popping up here and there, I tried a couple out of curiosity. The first one never really got off the ground, for sad reasons. I received six letters from the second one, but I did not renew the subscription afterwards.

I cannot say the letters disappointed me (although the fact they did not choose better stamps was a bit of a letdown). I just discovered that buying letters is not my thing. Not because of the letters themselves, but because faking the connection is, quite simply, impossible. If buying things gives you any pleasure, it cannot compete with the experience of having something —however brief—sent specifically to you.

Before reading this blog post, perhaps because I do not use Instagram, I had not realised that letter subscriptions were so popular. And I had never thought they could turn into a sort of addiction!

What do you think? Have you tried these services? Would you do it?

Gartenzwerg

Little garden gnomes are a fun tradition in Germany. The classical ones remind us of medieval mine workers, and they are a symbol of hard work and reliability. 

Julia (Germany) sent this postcard trough the Postcrossing site. The stamp seems a place where the gnome could live...

Sunday Stamps | Sweet Canada

Butter tart and Nanaimo bar are Canadian traditional deserts. As stamps, they belong to the series Sweet Canada, issued in 2019. 

Go to Sunday Stamps to see more Food on stamps!

Postbox Saturday | Freshly Painted

Freshly painted. Do not touch

I know you were really eager to hear about the latest adventures of my mailbox. Well, this week it got a new outfit. Does not it look great?

Women on Postcards | M Is for Matryoshka

Сергиев Посад or Sergiyev Posad is the Orthodox capital of Russia and the birthplace of the matryoshka dolls during the 1890s, which have become one of the symbols of the country. Matryoshka is a diminutive form of Matryosha (Матрёша), in turn an affectionate form of the Russian female first name Matryona (Матрёна)

The postcard was sent by Eduard (Russia), and included on the back two matching stamps: more matryoshka dolls, and the coat of arms of the city. 

 

The shape of the postmark is very curious!

[Women on Postcards 2026]

Thursday Postcard Hunt | Water & Moon

The Water and Moon Guanyin Bodhisativa (Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, USA). Received from China through the Postcrossing site.

Thursday Postcard Hunt is dedicated to Sculptures or statues this week. You are welcome to share your postcards!

There Is Nothing Better Than a Typewritten Letter

This is one of the typewriters I own, and the one I use more often for my letters (actually, this photo is taken from here and shows the same model and colour; mine is a bit more worn). It has been in use for over 60 years.

Olivetti Lettera 44

Typewriters have always fascinated me. I just love the sound of the keys and how they allow me to fous solely in writing. Today I came across (old) article about Ten Ways a Typewriter Will Improve Your Writing, with most of which I agree.

Do you use a typewriter? And, in any case, do you like receiving typewritten letters, or do you prefer handwritten ones?

Is Your Mailbox This Rusty?

Herberto Smith, from the exhibition Interferências. Culturas Urbanas Emergentes ('Interferences. Emerging Urban Cultures') in the MAAT (Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology), Lisboa.

Postcard sent by Pedro (Portugal).

Send It Anyway

«Sometimes we hesitate to write because we think we do not have enough to say. Write anyway. Sometimes we think a birthday card is too ordinary. Send it anyway. Sometimes we think a short note hardly counts as correspondence. It counts. The card you almost did not send might remain on someone’s nightstand for months. The note you wrote quickly at the kitchen table may become something someone reads several times.»

Renee Palting, "Writing Letters With My Mom"

Sunday Stamps | Birds in Motion

Today's theme in Sunday Stamps is Birds.

Autumn Flowers

Autumn Flowers wallpaper by William Morris, 1888. Sent by Laura (the UK).

Women on Postcards | I Is for Illustrated Magazine

Postcard sent by Bryon (the USA). I like the mise en abyme technique.

[Women on Postcards - 2026]

Thursday Postcard Hunt | Giants

Processional giants are costumed figures in European folklore, particularly present in Belgian, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Catalan, Italian and English folkloric processions. The main feature of these figures is typically their wooden, papier maché or -more recently- synthetic resin head, whilst bodies are covered in clothing matching the costume's theme.

Several such processions are recognised by UNESCO as forms of intangible cultural heritage, including Belgian and French processional giants listed as Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity and Catalonia's Patum de Berga.

On this postcard sent by Imma (PC), you can see the giants of Olot, existing from the 15th century (the current giants are from the 19th century).

This week's theme in Thursday Postcard Hunt is UNESCO. Everyone is welcome to share their postcards!

The First Letter Café in Europe

Café Pli is a coffeeshop (two addresses, in fact) located in the center of Paris. They offer drinks and pastries, but also a letter writing experience:

Over a pastry or a drink, write a letter to your future self. Confide in yourself with an open heart, encourage yourself, wish yourself certain successes or describe a memory... and receive your letter in 1 year, 5 years or 20 years. You can also write to a loved one for an important day to come: surprise him on a specific day in the future, with a card written by your 10 fingers especially for her/him.

They offer different packages. For instance Pli & Drink:

It includes:

• 1 drink of your choice
• 1 card
• 1 envelope & wax seal
• 1 stamp
• 1 tracking number

Storing your letter, to be sent in the future... Prices vary depending on the timing of the fold:

• To be sent within one year : €15
• To be sent in 5 years : €25
• To be sent in 20 years : €45

Additional charge for international shipping: +€4

Have you ever been to a letter café? Would you use the "letters to the future" service?

Every Week Is "Thinking of You Week"

Collage on an envelope sent by Laura (the UK). The postmark made it even more interesting.

Send A Card
Deliver A Smile for
Thinking Of You Week
21-27 September 2026