Do You Know the Handwriting of Your Friends?

«About six months ago, I realised that I had no idea what the handwriting of a good friend of mine looked like. I had known him for over a decade, but somehow we had never communicated using handwritten notes. He had left voice messages for me, emailed me, sent text messages galore. But I don’t think I had ever had a letter from him written by hand, a postcard from his holidays, a reminder of something pushed through my letter box. I had no idea whether his handwriting was bold or crabbed, sloping or upright, italic or rounded, elegant or slapdash.»

Philip Hensher

(The Missing Ink: The Lost Art of Handwriting, and Why it Still Matters)

Oldest Working Post Office in the World

I've recently learnt that the oldest working post office in the world, as recognized by the Universal Postal Union and the Guinness Book of Records, is located in Sanquhar (Scotland). It has been operating continuously for more than 300 years, since 1712.

The second oldest working post office is located in Stockholm (Sweden; 1720) and the third in Santiago (Chile, 1772).

I wonder how old is the post office I use regularly, but I am sure is not that old!

Which Year?

Sent by Olga (Ukraine).

Unluckily I can't read Ukrainian. I guess this fine postcard I received trough Postcrossing wish me a happy new year. But... 2012?

Join Hands

Join Hands! by Rabindra Bajracharya.
Sent by Christina (Germany).

I received this postcard trough Postcrossing. I like the picture and I like the reason for what she chose this postcard: "I like the card because it is connecting. I think it is a big support in life if you feel connected with other people or the whole human family". I completely agree with this ideas. And I think it is just one of the Postcrossing purposes, isn't it?

Calendars 2013

Sent by Heleen (the Netherlands).

One of the pleasures of starting a new year is to hang new calendars on the wall...

Write Me Only Once a Week

«Write to me only once a week, so that your letter arrives on Sunday - for I cannot endure your daily letters, I am incapable of enduring them.»

 

Franz Kafka, Letters to Felice

Gorgeous Envelope

Sent by Postmuse (the USA).

Gorgeous envelope. And inside the last postcard I've adopted. Do not you know the Orphaned Postcard Project yet?

Phrases from Shakespeare

 

Handmade postcard with a quotation of one of the less known Shakespeare's works: Cymbeline.

And collage postcard with a phrase from The Merchant of Venice.

Both made and sent by Laura (the UK).

Lovely Envelope

Sent by Heleen (the Netherlands).

Alexine Tinne

Received from Heleen (The Netherlands). Re-sent to Paquita (PC).

It says, in Dutch: "Do you join the travel?". It is a postcard from the exhibition "Alexine Tinne. Afrikaanse avonturen van een Haagse dame" (='African adventures of a lady from The Hague'). It seems that this courageous lady (1835-1869) was the first European woman to attempt to cross de Sahara (but it ended tragically).

Update: I received later the stamp featuring Mrs Tinne

Distributing Mail

Awful Drawings #228, by Matthieu Barrère. You can see more Awful Drawings here.

The Romantic

The Romantic

Sent by XX Jones (Austria).

Collage. Also published here and here.

The envelope:

Mermaid by Fiep

Sent by Heleen (The Netherlands).

Postcard related to one of my favourite themes (mermaids!) and one of my favourite illustrators: Fiep Westendorp!

Multiview Chester

Sent by Cristina (the UK).

I visited Chester last summer. The day I was in this city it rained, and rained, and did not stop the rain... Now my friend is spending some months there in order to improve her English. I was happy to receive this postcard because it is so sunny on it!

Christmas and New Year Mail (4)

Sent to Sandrine (France)

I've already shown you this collage and this one, but in fact I made a lot of collages (with washi tape, press cuttings and the rubber stamps I carved). All they are slightly different. I'm not sure which one I prefer. I hope my friends are happy to receive them and have a Happy New Year. And also you!

Sent to Ester (PC), Eva (Germany), Laura (the UK) and Lluïsa (PC).

Sent to Mercé (PC), Chi Ho (Taiwan), Ximo (PC) and Émilie (France).

Etc.!