Russian Doll Letter

Heleen (the Netherlands) got this envelope from Germany, and she was thoughtful enough to send it to me. So, she put it inside a transparent bag, hid the stamps with some tape, and and the due postage.

For some unknown reason (an invisible barcode, as the sender suggested?) the envelope was returned to her.

So, again, she put inside a third (handmade) envelope and sent it to me. This time it arrived safe and sound. And, of course, I am not unhappy with the whole matter, because I got some extra stamps and another beautiful envelope. And it was very entertaining to reach the contents, after opening three covers!

My Fault

I sent this envelope to Catherine France a year ago: on 25 November 2021. It contained a letter and a Christmas card, but never reached its destination. 

Ten months latter, on 23 September 2022, it landed in my mailbox. Only then I realised that I had made a big mistake: I had written the name of the street and the country... But not the town neither the post code! 

(I cannot show you the evidence, because I do not want to display the recipient's address on the blog.)

Crossing the Ocean... Thrice

One of the letters I published yesterday as part of the Beer Appreciation Day post, was sent on 15 August 2021. 

On 3 December 2021 I found it in my mailbox, with the dreaded label:

Return to sender

Not deliverable as addressed

Unable to forward

The address was correctly written, but maybe too much decoration confused the postal machines. 

I resent it few days later, inside a new envelope. It arrived in twenty days.

Creatures

Illustrated envelope of a letter sent to Phillip (the USA).

Fishus Globetrottus

Letter sent (and re-sent, because it was returned the sfirst time) to Heleen (the Netherlands). You can see all the details in her Weird Existing Animals blog.

Letters from Penelope

«Així la Penèlope escrivia cartes a l'Ulisses i les enviava a adreces desconegudes només perquè les hi tornessin i sentís totes les mans que l'havien estat buscant.»

Joan Barril, 201 contes corrents

Windows to the World

Sent to Eduard (Russia) for the mail art project Windows to the world.

Unhappily the envelope was returned due to lack the postage (the post office says, but it is not true), so I needed to re-sent it. Finally it reached its destination!

More Sent Snails

Envelope sent to John (the UK). Unluckily it was returned due to lack of postage, so I re-sent it.

And here more snails I sent to the snails-lover Annick (France):

I made this collage with a box which contained a new pen (with snails, so perfect for writing letters!), washi tape and a sticker. I put more snails on the envelope. Also published in her blog.

Returned

 

Sent by Heleen (the Netherlands).

Also published here. 

This letter spent a lot of time to reach my mail box. It was not a surprise: mail works differently in Morocco, you know. But maybe there is an extra reason. The sender tell us in her blog: "(...) to my surprise the Dutch post first had watched on the (stamp-free!) back side of the envelope and delivered it initially... to me!.. I put it in the letterbox again, and hope it now is on its way to you!". For that reason she added the arrows, I suppose.

Finally it arrived with an amazing picture of La Vieille Lighthouse inside. It is not an unknown shore. I have seen this famous lighthouse in many pictures. And... I have also seen the real one (from the coast). It was during a trip in Brittany (France) in 2003. It was a very nice trip from lighthouse to lighthouse...

Heleen also added some Australian used stamps with different lighthouses: Cape Naturaliste, Troubridge Island and Wollongong Head.

And the artistamp is about a novel by the Spanish writer Carlos Ruiz Zafón.

NB I adore the fact that I can include five countries in the same post: the Netherlands, Morocco, France, Spain and Australia!

Return to Sender

Return to sender

Elvis Presley

Return to sender

Return to sender

I gave a letter to the postman

He put it in his sack

Bright and early next mornin'

He brought my letter back

(she wrote upon it)

Return to sender

Address unknown

No such number

No such soul

We had a quarrel

A lover's spat

I write I'm sorry

But my letter keeps coming back

So when I dropped it in the mail box

As any special deed

Bright and early next morning

It came right back to me

(she wrote upon it)

Return to sender

Address unknown

No such person

No such soul

This time I'm gonna take it myself

And put it right in her hand

And if it comes back the very next day

Then I'll understand

(The writing on it)

Return to sender

Address unknown

No such number

No such soul

Return to sender

Return to sender

Return to sender

Return to sender

Returned

I sent this letter to Oman before Christmas, and it was returned ten weeks later... from  the United Arab Emirates (?). So I put it in an bigger envelope and sent it again. And I hope this time it will reach the recipient's mail box safe and sound!