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!

Summer Mail | Total Solar Eclipse (OUT)

I enjoyed sending some eclipse-themed mail on the due day. 

At least one of them travelled fast!

Thursday Postcard Hunt | Old & Modern

The Ponte 25 de Abril (='25th of April Bridge') is a suspension bridge connecting the city of Lisbon, capital of Portugal, with the municipality of Almada on the left (south) bank of the Tagus River. It has a main span length of 1,013 metres.

At the time of its inauguration in 1966, the bridge was named Ponte Salazar (='Salazar Bridge'), after the Portuguese dictator António de Oliveira Salazar, who ordered its construction. After the Carnation Revolution in 1974, the bridge was renamed for April 25, the date of the revolution.

Postcard sent by Pedro (Portugal).

Pont de les Mores in Olot is a bridge built in the second half of the 19th century over the Fluvià river. It is made with volcanic stone, while the five arches are made of brick.

The sender told me this is a beautiful city but an ugly postcard. What do you think?

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Thursday Postcard Hunt
September theme: BRIDGES

• Week 1 - Over land
• Week 2 - Over water
• Week 3 - Railway
• Week 4 - Moveable

Everyone is welcome to share their postcards!

Summer Mail | OUT

Storks Migrate South...

Letter sent by Imma (PC).

Snail Mail Forever!

Sunday Stamps | Geological Formations

Basalt Island or Fo Shek Chau (火石洲) is an island of Hong Kong. Notably, despite its name is “Basalt Island”, the rocks that forms the island are indeed rhyolitic tuff.

The Grand Bénare is a volcanic peak on the island of Réunion, located in the western part of the island. It is the third highest peak on the island. Its name is believed to come from the Malagasy word Benara meaning 'where it is very cold.'

The Coves del Drac ('Dragon caves') are four great caves that are located in the island of Mallorca, extending to a depth of 25 m and reaching approximately 2.4 km in length. They were first mentioned in a letter dated 1338. The four caves, called Black Cave, White Cave, Cave of Luis Salvador, and Cave of the French, are connected to each other.

Les Gorges du Verdon (Verdon Gorge) is a canyon carved by the Verdon River, separating the Prealps of Castellane and the Prealps of Digne, in France.

Today's theme in Sunday Stamps is Geology.

Summer Mail XI | Warm Hugs

Mini-letter and envelope illustrated by Erica Fustero. It might be that I buy her postcards and zines to receive them inside one of her illustrated envelopes... (Like this one and this one).

Too Many Letters Waiting to be Answered...

Etc.

(You know who you are.)

Women on Postcards | F Is for Family

On this postcard, several (female and male) members of painter Salvador Dalí's family.

Postcard sent by Imma (PC).

[Women on Postcards - 2026]

Do You Get a Lot of Postcards of Volcanoes?

Just asking because I received two in May:

Mount Fuji (Japan)

Volcanoes in Olot (Catalonia)

Postcards sent by Yuki (Japan) and Imma (PC).

Women on Postcards | E Is for Enxaneta

A castell (literally "castle") is a human pyramid built traditionally at festivals in southern Catalonia, now also found in the rest of Catalonia, and in the Balearic Islands. At these festivals, several colles castelleres (teams that build towers) attempt to build and then dismantle a tower's structure. On 16 November 2010, castells were declared by UNESCO to be amongst the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity

The enxaneta is the casteller who crowns the human structures. Generally, the enxaneta is a boy or girl, between 5 and 10 years old.

The assembly is complete once all castellers have climbed into their designated places, and the enxaneta climbs into place at the top and raises one open hand. The enxaneta then climbs down the other side of the castell, after which the remaining levels of castellers descend in highest to lowest order until all have reached safety.

[Women on Postcards - 2026]

Thursday Postcard Hunt | Big Catholic Churches

Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família

(Under construcion)

Barcelona, PC

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Holy Assumption
Valladolid, Spain

Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar
Zaragoza, Spain

Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady
Guadalajara, Mexico

Postcards sent by Imma (PC), Bruno (Spain) and Bryon (United Nations).

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Thursday Postcard Hunt
July theme: ARCHITECTURE

• Week 1 - Churches
• Week 2 - Houses
• Week 3 - Palaces
• Week 4 - Stations
• Week 5 - Shelters

Everyone is welcome to share their postcards!

Postcard from València

Some people may do not like it, but for me it is always a pleasure to receive a postcard from a place I know well. To get a new insight, to see how the place has changed, to see which postcard people choose...

Pedro sent this postcard from València, with a matching stamp and a postmark with the image of the Central Market (also on the postcard). It you want to know his impressions of the city, you can read them on one of his blogs.

Postbox Saturday | Rossell

The postbox of Rossell, next to a street mural that say: Planta't contra la violència (='Stand up against violence').

Postbox Saturday | La Galera

 

The postbox of La Galera. Usually, it is a lonely one: the bar is a temporary one, because of a fair.

Year of the Fire Horse [V]

Back of a big envelope sent by Imma (PC). 

The front is equally nice, drawn by the sender:

Come on, Postal Services

People make efforts to send nice envelopes: drawings, stickers... Then the postals services add these wonderful oversized white labels!

From Catherine (France) and Erica Fustero.

Women on Postcards | Y Is for Years

I got this postcard for my birthday. I have no clue about the author or the title of the illustration. I like it though. The first thing I thought when I looked at it was that a birthday is like a mirror standing between the years lived and the years to come.

[Women on Postcards - 2026]

Thursday Postcard Hunt | Illustrations of Northern European Cities

Cologne (Germany)

London (United Kingdom)

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The London Eye on the South Bank of the Thames

is 135 metres high and gives a spectacular view of London by night.

Text and illustration: Jason Brooks

Canterbury (the UK)

Postcards sent by Bruno (PC) and Laura (the UK).

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Thursday Postcard Hunt
February theme: CITIES

• Week 1 - Asian
• Week 2 - Southern European
• Week 3 - Northern European
• Week 4 - North American

Everyone is welcome to share their postcards!