Orphaned Postcard Project

Snowy Greetings

2011-12-25T09:13:00.000-05:00

This postcard has a bit of history. I found it while cleaning out a desk about a year ago. The back was addressed to a long ago penfriend, and I think I had meant to get a Yosemite postmark and mail it to her. Judging from the postage on the back, the card was addressed in 2004 because that's when that postage stamp was released. I guess I put the postcard aside, meaning to find a way to get that postmark, and then forgot. That year was also quite crazy for me because I had just moved to Pennsylvania, leaving all my family in Massachusetts. I knew I had made the best move, but it was still a bit odd being so far away.

So, when I discovered this card, I decided I wanted to get that postmark and add the card to OPP. I sent it off to "Postmaster" at Yosemite National Park, with a note, and within a couple days, it was back in my mailbox, with a message from Postmaster Bill Carroll at Yosemite National Park.

I don't celebrate a traditional Christmas, but I do enjoy the lovely cards and other trimmings of the season. I wish everyone a lovely day today and a happy and healthy New Year.

The Other Bridge

2011-12-20T09:32:00.006-05:00

The top picture is the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in California during construction in the 1930s. Marie-Therese writes that the picture makes her all the more amazed at how bridges are building. It looks like the middle section is flying!

San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge is not nearly as glamorous as the other San Francisco bridge, the Golden Gate, but it is quite an engineering feat. It is actually two bridges that intersect at Yerba Buena Island. And it was opened before Golden Gate.

When Marie-Therese visited San Francisco two years ago she took Golden Gate out of the city and came back via Bay Bridge, which was lovely because she could see the entire city before her and the Golden Gate, too.

I remember my first trip across Bay Bridge. I was in high school and on my first trip away from my parents. I remember thinking the bridge was way too long and worrying about how it stayed up.

City Under Ash

2011-12-03T19:18:00.000-05:00

Pompeii, Italy, famously buried by volcanic ash nearly 2000 years ago, still captivating visitors with its glimpses of life and death. The ruins are Temple of Jupiter and the Forum, which were both destroyed by an earthquake 17 years before Mount Vesuvius erupted. I believe that is the volcano in the background.

Kathy visited Pompeii while she was an exchange student in Italy. She writes that it is her favorite travel experience to date. Eerie and sad, but with history and well preserved architecture ... a place that takes visitors back in time.

Tick Tock Two

2011-12-02T20:17:00.000-05:00

Today's clock is from Rouen, in Northern France. This astronomical clock, called Gros Horloge, dates to the 16th century, though the clockwork is much older, perhaps 12th century. This postcard is also quite old. It was published in France and the captioning on the back looks handstamped. From the fashion, maybe 1940s?

Marie experienced a first in Rouen. In 1986 she left her sunny south of France home and went to work in Rouen. It was raining when she got there, and the next morning she awoke to fog. Marie hadn't ever experienced thick fog, and, to make matters worse, she had to drive in it! She crept along at a very slow speed and wonders now at how many other drivers cursed their luck that morning.

Clocks are one of my favorite collecting themes, but the reason I decided to have back to back clock "orphans" yesterday and today is because they were both adopted by Maries. And they both arrived back here right around the same time. And the two Maries have similar handwriting. I always have to check the postage to see if it is German or French before I'm 100% sure which Marie is writing :-)

Tick Tock

2011-12-01T19:07:00.000-05:00

This beautiful black and white postcard shows the astronomical clock in Lund, Sweden. The top part of the clock shows the phases of the Moon and sunset times. In the center, figures representing the Three Magi and their servants circle out and around a Mary and Joseph. The clock plays twice a day, except on Sunday, when it only plays once. There is also a calendar at the bottom which allow for calculating the days of moveable holidays, like Easter. The calendar is only set up to work through 2123. After that, according to Wikipedia, "a new one must be obtained so that the clock can be used." Love the optimism that sees the clock still being used in more than 100 years!

Marie's boyfriend studied in Lund and she visited him there a few times. While he was in class, she took a bike and toured the city. She writes that Lund in a lovely "student city," and she is so captivated that she and her boyfriend are considering going back for an extended visit in a few years. And she wants to make a point of seeing this clock! No worries ... it has another 100 or so years before it needs to be upgraded :-)

In English, clocks go "tick, tock." I wonder what the sound is in other languages?

Meep Meep

2011-11-30T20:16:00.002-05:00

This Charley Harper artwork of the roadrunner bird is called "Tall Tail." I love the geometric design in many of Harper's animal portraits. Walter lives in Texas, where roadrunners are quite abundant. He writes that the bird can eat rattlesnakes, which I didn't know. Courageous bird!

This card was originally scheduled to post yesterday, but as I was looking up information about roadrunners, particularly the cartoon version that featured a very clever roadrunner who is constantly outsmarting a coyote, I read a bit about the coyote's creation being inspired by the description of coyotes in Mark Twain's book Roughing It. I knew I had Twain's study planned for posting today, on his birthdate, and thought it quite amazing that I had coincidentally scheduled this card for the day before. I had no idea there was a connection prior to my research yesterday.

So, I decided to hold onto the card until today so I could write a bit about Roughing It. I read the book many years ago for an American Literature course in university. It is a travel story, which I always enjoy, but I think I enjoyed it all the more because it wasn't Tom Sawyer or Huckleberry Finn. Earlier in the course we had been assigned the very traditional Little Women, which I read as a child, and didn't enjoy at all as an adult. I think I'd probably feel the same about reading Tom Sawyer or Huckleberry Finn as an adult. But Roughing It is great fun. You can read Roughing It online, for free, through Project Gutenberg.

Twain In New York

2011-11-30T11:29:00.000-05:00

This lovely retreat is on the campus of Elmira College in Elmira, New York. Mark Twain is a much loved, though often controversial, late 19th century/early 20th century American author. He was born 176 years ago today. Twain wrote some of his novels, including Tom Sawyer, in this study during summers spent in Elmira. And he is buried nearby.

I've read a number of Twain's books and essays. His work is pretty much required reading in most US schools, except where his work is banned. And it often is because of themes that run counter to prevailing philosophies. I would love to read his autobiography, which was only released last year, 100 years after his death.

Google honors Twain with a Google Doodle today that is very charming. It features a large panoramic painting of a scene from Tom Sawyer. Google doesn't allow their Doodles to be linked, but this is an article at the UK's Telegraph with an image.

Debra lives near Elmira and sent this postcard back with a charming little fact ... Twain named his cats "I Know," "You Know" and "Don't Know."

Traffic A Half Century Ago

2011-11-28T21:05:00.000-05:00

Leslie was so surprised by the age of this card, which looks to be early 1960s from the models of the cars. My resident car enthusiast picked out a few cars that couldn't be any older than 1960s.

The bridge is Atatürk (Unkapani) Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey, and it was built in the 1930s. Leslie writes that there is much more traffic these days on this bridge.

The postage features an image of Whirling Dervish, a dance performed in ceremony by the Mevlevi Order in Turkey. The ceremony is included on UNESCO's list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. It's a fascinating list, and one where I could spend hours clicking through links. The US doesn't have anything on the list, though that isn't too surprising given the acrimonious relationship between the organization and the US.

From East To West And Back Again

2011-11-27T20:31:00.000-05:00

Strolling along a beach sounds wonderful about now. It isn't cold here yet. Very mild in fact. But it is gray now that all the leaves are gone. The back caption of this postcard promises all sorts of activities and fun in the sun. South Carolina isn't exactly balmy this time of year, either, but the beaches would be empty, and since I'm not into sunbathing, a walk along an empty beach, dressed for the winds off the ocean, would sure do wonders for blowing out the cobwebs in my head.

This is another card Molly, who lives out here on the East Coast in South Carolina, donated to Orphaned Postcard Project. Cindy, who lives in all the way out in California, adopted it. She writes that while all the promised delights in the caption are wonderful, what draws her all the way from the West Coast is nearby Brookgreen Gardens. The site was once a large plantation but is now a beautiful setting for sculpture and flora to live side by side in an outdoor setting.

In December the Gardens host an event called Night of a Thousand Candles. The grounds are illuminated with more than 5,500 hand-lit candles and countless sparkling lights and visitors are encouraged to stroll the paths with warm cider and enjoy the lights and carolers. The hand-lit candles are particularly appealing to me. I love the glow of real candles. In the southwest luminarias are very a common sight this time of year. The idea of lit candles inside a paper bag is a bit too much for me to handle. I'd be sitting vigil for fear of the bag catching fire.

Pretty in Purple

2011-11-26T18:32:00.002-05:00

This is one of my favorite views of Grand Canyon. The postcard caption doesn't give the exact location, but it does note that Grand Canyon National Park is UNESCO World Heritage, which is a rare occurrence for US postcards. Carol also noted the World Heritage status in her message.

I think this card is particularly attractive because of the purples. I'm quite fond of the color purple. But I also like the portrait orientation over landscape.

The Grand Canyon postage is part of a series called Celebrate the Century issued in the late 1990s. There were ten sheets, one for each decade of the 20th century, issued over a period of two years. Each sheet had 15 postage stamps that highlighted significant events, places, and people for the decade. This one commemorates Grand Canyon becoming a National Park. In 1998 the cost for Domestic Letter was 32¢. Next year that will be the Domestic Postcard rate. Sending a postcard anywhere in the US is still a bargain at 32¢, though.

Carol took this card with her on a visit to Grand Canyon last April. Every National Park in the US has a "passport" stamp for anyone to use. There are official National Park "passports" that have spots for the stamps and other collectable ephemera, but I prefer to use the stamp on postcards. I love it when I see others do the same. I have never had a Park Ranger tell me I couldn't use the stamp on postcards, even when the postcards haven't been purchase at the Park shop. Although, I always spend money in the Park shops. They usually have the prettiest postcards.

To Infinity And Beyond!

2011-11-25T09:47:00.000-05:00

Sam adopted this postcard because her two boys love Toy Story and Sam particularly enjoyed the scene in Toy Story 3 when Buzz Lightyear (pictured here) has a bit of a mechanical mix-up and goes Latin. He dances salsa and sings in Spanish, wooing the lovely Jessie. It is a delightful scene that also had me giggling when I saw the movie.

Lots of toys will be bought in the next few weeks. Lots of toys will be donated through various organizations. Many toys will sit idle in the days, weeks, months after the holidays. My wish for the new year is that everyone finds a way to play with toys, if even for a short time. Spend some time with a child, any child, and let them open the best present of all, a shared moment with someone who cares about making them happy.

Traditions

2011-11-24T20:39:00.000-05:00

Many years ago, when I first visited Munich, Germany, I came dangerously close to buying a dirndl, the traditional folk dress common in Bavaria. The shops had such lovely selections, and I reasoned I'd certainly find an excuse to wear a dirndl in Small Town, USA. Some wee part of me stood her ground and prevented me from buying the dress, reasoning it would be a huge expense and I still had another week and a half of travel, with a backpack, and a dirndl would take up a lot of room.

Nolleke writes that when she lived in Zwolle, Netherlands, she often saw the women from nearby Staphorst, a very traditional community where people wear folk dress like the ones pictured on this postcard. Wearing traditional dress is something that is not very popular in Netherlands, like many other countries. Young people don't like conformity. Nolleke's husband's great-grandmother was the last to wear the traditional Katwijk fisherman's wife dress.

Traditions are always traditions, even when they are only a memory. And new traditions are born everyday. I don't ever lament the passing of one tradition. It is part of the human existence, and it seems that when a tradition "dies," it is soon revived by a cadre of young people. Just look at lettering writing ... the media has written it off as a "lost art," but my very full correspondence bag begs to differ!

All Dressed Up

2011-11-23T08:30:00.002-05:00

This postcard features Prazsky Hrad (Prague Castle) and the snow frosting makes it all the more beautiful. Amanda has been to Prague twice and between the two visits, logged twelve weeks in this gorgeous city. She dreams of returning again as the city has given her a thirst for more knowledge of history and archaeology. Amanda toured the permanent exhibit "The Story of Prague Castle" and got a 1000 year immersion into this remarkable building's history. I've only been to Prague once, but would jump at the opportunity to go again. It is a wonderful city.

Ancient Forest

2011-11-22T09:35:00.022-05:00

Lost Man Creek, Redwoods National Park

It has been two years since Marie took her roadtrip through the Redwoods in California, but she still enjoys looking at the pictures from the trip. She writes that the massive trees are most beautiful when still dripping slightly from a passing shower and the sun is streaming through the forest. Magical!

Marie's parents had Giant Sequoias in their yard and Marie supposes that those giant trees gave her a love for these giant trees. Unfortunately, the sequoias began to lift Marie's parents' house from its foundations!

I read a bit about the trail that follows Lost Man Creek, looking for the history behind the name. I didn't find anything but I did note that at one point along the trail is a place where you have to cross the river. The crossing is rated "moderate," which I take to mean you will get wet. I'd have to think twice about hiking such a trail, unless it was very hot and there was promise of a lovely picnic on the other side of the river.

Québec Musing

2011-11-21T09:58:00.002-05:00

So many wonderful images of Québec! The picture right above the C is the one that intrigues me the most. It really looks like a photo taken somewhere in Europe. In fact, Annie, who lives in Montreal, Canada, was surprised to find Québec has a "foreign" feel for her, even in her own province. She writes that it has a very European feel.

I haven't been to Québec ... it would be a thirteen hour drive from here and that would mean it couldn't be a weekend trip because it would require two extra days for travel. I haven't been able to save up that much time off. Every time I earn time off, I take it to go to Massachusetts to visit my family. Flying is out of the question. There is too much security theatre at our airports right now.

Annie traveled to Québec from Montreal to see a favorite band, Muse. It is a three hour drive but she was happy to make the trek. She spent a day touring the city in the rain, and when she arrived back at her hotel to get ready to go to the concert, she read a tweet from the band members that had a photo of them in front of the Chateau Frontenac (green topped castle in many of the photos) taken just moments after she had been at the very same place. She wonders how close she came to a brush with fame.

I actually know of the band Muse. Their music comes up occasionally on the Pandora Radio station I named "Moody and Trippy."

Who's a Hoosier?

2011-11-20T15:51:00.003-05:00

A couple years ago Carissa set out from California with her boyfriend and another friend to attend Dudefest in Indiana. She writes that she had never seen such tall corn as she did on that trip, and she still doesn't know what "Hoosier" means. She does, however constantly crave the homemade donuts her friend's mom made for the trip.

Carissa doesn't write about the actual Dudefest, and I'm not 100% sure I know what it is, but I think it refers to an annual summer rock concert held in Indiana. My rock concert days are long behind me and though I still enjoy lots of contemporary music, I prefer to enjoy it without crowds.

Not Even Two Score Years Ago

2011-11-19T19:33:00.001-05:00

Erin lives in France, but is from the US and has visited the Gettysburg Civil War Battlefield in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, a number of times. She wrote this postcard while attending a Memorial Day (29 May 2011) service at Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, France. Though the war remembered that day was a different war, Erin writes that she thought the words Abraham Lincoln spoke here at Gettysburg accurately reflected the speeches of unity, equality and democracy she heard at the WW II service. Except, Lincoln's speech was only two minutes. The speeches Erin listened to were much longer.

Lincoln's speech starts with "Four score and 7 years ago" and refers the the American Revolution of 1776. "Four score" is equal to 80 years, so this 148th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address is not even two score. I imagine in 12 years there will be a huge two score anniversary, but this year marks the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War. The 150th anniversary of this speech in 2013 should be momentous.

Bad Hair Days

2011-11-18T09:44:00.002-05:00

I know my Barbies had bad hair days! I tried so hard to keep their hair nice and neat, but somehow (and by "somehow" I mean younger sisters) their hair always got messy. I never bought the dolls for my daughters but their aunts did. I remember keeping an inventory of all the clothes and accessories so I would be able to keep track of missing items.

Karen got her first Barbie when she was about 4 or 5, and her mom thought they were too grown up for Karen. But, Karen loved playing with the dolls. She made clothes for them and used tissue boxes for beds, and bedroom slippers for cars. The dolls themselves might be a bit grown-up for little ones, but if imaginative play is a goal, then Karen certainly got more than expected out of these dolls.

Last weekend I saw a clever storage solution for Barbies using an over-the-door canvas shoe organizer. If that had been an option when my girls were little, every pocket would have had a label for a specific doll, and the inventory of accessories and clothing would be in the bottom pocket.

No Going Up the Down Staircase Here!

2011-11-17T09:46:00.007-05:00

This massive castle was built as a "hunting lodge" for King François I in 1519. That's him up there in the right corner of the postcard thinking "The 21st century already!!!" I have a lot of cards in this series. They are really beautiful, but I love the comic touch, too.

Chambord is the largest of the Loire castles, but Sandrine writes it is not one of her favorites. The only thing she enjoyed about her tour is the double helix staircase. The helixes never meet, so someone coming down would never see someone coming up. That would be quite convenient if one had a secret friend one didn't want another to know about. Rumor has it that Leonardo da Vinci designed this staircase, but that has never been confirmed. Mystery is often the best thing about history.

Out to Sea

2011-11-16T06:49:00.002-05:00

You have to peer through the fog to see it, but the building is Outermost House, in Eastham, Massachusetts. The house was made famous in Henry Beston's book The Outermost House, published in 1928. The book details a year of living on this Cape Cod beach, in this house.

There's a wonderful story to go with the book's publication. Beston was engaged to married Elizabeth Coatsworth, but she told him that she would not marry him until the book was completed. The Outermost House was published in October 1928 and Beston and Coatsworth were married in June 1929 and honeymooned at Outermost House for two weeks.

Outermost House was a victim of the the Blizzard of '78 in February 1978. Cathy was living in Eastham at the time and remembers the storm and its devastation. She writes that there used to be lots of beach shacks along the Cape, but most have been taken by the sea during storms. She also leaves us with this quote from The Outermost House.

Nature is part of our humanity, and without some awareness and experience of that divine mystery, man ceases to be man.

Old Meets New

2011-11-15T06:55:00.001-05:00

The lovely sailing ship in the foreground was probably never considered a pleasure vessel in the same manner as the modern cruise ship in the background, but I think, if I could, I would pick the sailing ship today. As long as I didn't have to climb the masts! Or hoist the sails. I'm sure they are very heavy.

Helsinki is Finland's capital and largest city. Minna writes that Helsinki Harbor is a lively place, especially in the summer when the ferries take shoppers to nearby tax-free Estonia. I don't think I could pass up an opportunity like that ... a cruise to go shopping in another country!

In Our Hands

2011-11-14T10:02:00.002-05:00

I suspect the person standing between these giant trees is a child, but the awesomeness is still quite the same as if it would be if it was a full grown adult. These trees are the largest living things on earth. They grow in many places, but only occur naturally in groves on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, where this photo was taken.

Sue remembers being amazing by giant sequoias for the first time in 1976. And the postage stamp on the back of this card echoes her comment that she hopes we can keep these trees safe. Earth Day is officially the 22nd of April, however everyday should be Earth Day. Those hands are our hands.

A Train on a Bridge

2011-11-13T15:00:00.003-05:00

Anna is mad that this Northwestern Pacific Railroad train is not a passenger train. She attended Humboldt University in northern California and would have liked to used this train for commuting back home near San Francisco. At the time, this was only a lumber train. Anna writes that she would have been happy to share half the train with the lumber.

This postcard is vintage, probably early 1970s. The train theme was quite popular among collectors when I first got into postcard exchanges 30 years ago. I had one correspondent whose collection was mainly "trains on bridges." I used to make myself nuts finding those types of cards for him. But, I did enjoy the hunt. I always enjoy finding particular themes for folk. And sometimes I find a few cards that I love, which then get adding to Orphaned Postcard Project. I've got lots to add sometime this month.

More Blanco Than Verde

2011-11-12T11:13:00.002-05:00

Mesa Verde National Park

Mesa Verde, Colorado, is a huge centuries old site with more than 4,000 dwellings, including those built into the sides of cliffs. Only a few have been excavated and there is a lot of mystery about who built the amazing cliff dwellings and why they were abandoned.

Mesa Verde translates to "green table," perhaps because of the many evergreens topping the table-like geology. The snow-capped dwelling featured here is Spruce Tree House, so named because of a large spruce tree that grew in front of the dwelling when it was discovered by modern people in the 20th century. It was discovered on a snowy day, so it may have looked much like this view back then.

Juli writes that this is an amazing site, and it is. When I visited a few years ago, I went on a rather scary hike that ended up taking me along the flat area above the dwelling. Incredibly, the folk that lived here often climbed up that sheer cliff to get to the top. I walked all around the side of of the mesa, which took a long time, but only required a short rock climbing experience.

Juli currently lives in Wyoming, where snow arrives early, however, she will soon be returning to Florida, where snow is very rare. I wish her safe, and dry, travels!

The Truth is Out There

2011-11-11T11:55:00.000-05:00

Ksenia, who lives in Russia, adopted this card because she was a fan of the television program. She watched it with a friend and she writes that they didn't care about the aliens or government conspiracy themes. All they cared about was "will they or won't they?" in reference to romantic tension between the two lead characters, Scully and Mulder.

I always enjoyed the show, too, though I was really into the aliens and conspiracy, though not because I believed in either, just because it was fun. And, the usual connection to Ksenia is, in the last few seasons, I watched the show with a friend, too. However, my friend lived 700 miles away and we would watch and use on online messaging software to discuss the storylines.

NYC in November?

2011-11-10T19:08:00.000-05:00

Kathy, who, like me, lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has a strong desire to visit Carnegie Hall in New York. She has been to Carnegie Music Hall in Pittsburgh, which is named for the same man, Andrew Carnegie, a late 19th century industrialist who lived in Pittsburgh. In fact, his name is all over this city, from museums and libraries to a small town on the outskirts of the city.

A few years ago Kathy's mom took Kathy's sister to NY for her birthday and they attended a show at Carnegie Hall. Kathy regrets very much that she couldn't go, but she has her heart set on fulfilling that dream someday. I say "Go for it!" There's a bus (Megabus) that goes to NY and it is pretty cheap. Treat yourself for your birthday, which I know is coming up very soon.

And, thank you to all the Pittsburgh voters who voted a resounding YES to a tax hike to help the Carnegie Libraries in Pittsburgh. It makes me very happy to see that in a time of economic pain, people of this city still support the libraries.

Magnificent Courthouse

2011-11-09T15:47:00.000-05:00

Becky grew up near Fort Wayne, Indiana. She writes that Fort Wayne is a mix of farmers, immigrants and city folk, and it has the big city/small town thing going for it. She also writes about the man the city is named for, General Anthony Wayne, a US army general in the 18th century. A peek at the Wikipedia article lists many towns, counties, cities and other public sites named for this man! Wayne also named Becky's home county in Ohio ... Defiance.

The Allen County Courthouse was built in 1902 and is a National Historic Landmark. The lovely facade you see on this postcard is the result of extensive restoration that started in 1994 and was completed in time for its 100th anniversary in 2002.

Dragons Beware!

2011-11-08T20:26:00.000-05:00

Wawel is an architectural complex built over many centuries atop a limestone outcrop on the left bank of the Vistula River in Kraków, Poland. This lovely multiview shows many of the delights within the walls of this complex. There is a statue of a dragon in Wawel Cathedral. The Cathedral is featured in the photo in the bottom center. And there is also a legend associated with the dragon!

The tale takes place in 12th century Kraków, during the reign of king Krakus, the city's legendary founder. Each day the evil dragon wreak havoc across the countryside. Young girls were a favorite dragon treat and though the king sent his best knights to battle the dragon, none came back. Soon only one girl was left, the king's daughter, Wanda. The desperate king offered his daughter's hand in marriage to anyone who could kill the dragon, and, sure enough, a penniless peasant, Dratewka, met the challenge. He stuffed a lamb with sulphur and set it outside the dragon's cave, which the dragon ate, then, in order to quench his burning thirst, he drank half the Vistula River, and exploded! Dratewka married Wanda and they lived happily ever after.

Nolleke visited Kraków and writes that it is a beautiful city. She also used a postage stamp featuring other legendary characters, Ernie and Bert from Sesame Street. I don't know if they are called "Ernie and Bert" in every language, though. Do you know these two Muppets?

Wrong Dome

2011-11-07T20:16:00.000-05:00

This postcard, adopted by Rona in Ireland, is of St. Isaac's Square in St. Petersburg, Russia. When it came back, I noted it as "St. Paul (UK)" in my "pending" (that means pending blog post) file. I must have been a bit distracted by the dome and columns. They are similar.

When I came time to write this blog post, I went a bit crazy looking for a St Paul postcard. It took me a very long time and a lot of sorting of received postcards to figure out the postcard meant for today is St. Isaac. St Paul doesn't have a gold dome. I should know that. And a huge statue of Nicholas I of Russia would be very odd in London.

Rona adopted this postcard precisely because of Nicholas I. Well, because of her desire to visit the residences of the Romanov family. She has yet to visit Russia, but it is something she would like to do in the future.

A Postsecret of Sorts

2011-11-06T08:57:00.002-05:00

This aerial view of University of Nijmegen in Netherlands shows off its beautiful green campus. When Iiri was 16 years old, she spent a year abroad in Nijmegen as an exchange student. It was quite a bit of freedom and she experienced some things for the first time in her life that year. She smiles when she writes "don't tell anyone" so I'm smiling back and not telling :-)

Isle Idles

2011-11-05T07:29:00.002-04:00

Isle of Purbeck is not an island. It is a peninsula on the Dorset coast. And it has one of the most romantic castle ruins ... Corfe Castle. I spent a lovely, though wet, afternoon there about ten years ago.

Andy also spent a lovely afternoon on the Isle of Purbeck. He and his wife took a double-deck bus (eek! those things scare me!) to Swanage down in the southeast corner and enjoyed all manner of seaside activities. But the activity that most attracted my eye was the mention of "many" postcard shops.

I got more than a bit caught up in the William and Katherine wedding in April. It surprised me that I was glued to the wedding coverage because that is not something that usually captures my attention. If I had been in London, I would have been out on the streets that day, for sure. And this postage is so very sweet. I hope they are always this happy.

Grand Canyon In Your Hand

2011-11-04T07:11:00.039-04:00

When we were at Grand Canyon National Park last year, I couldn't quite wrap my head around our exact location. The official park map is overwhelming. I wish I had had this postcard with me at the time because it brings it all down to a nice palm size view.

We we on the North Rim, which you can find by following the red road from under the Y in canyon. The Colorado River is not as prominent from that side of the canyon, so someday I would like to actually go down and perhaps even take a rafting trip. First I have to get over my fear of edges.

When Carol visited last April, there was a bit of snow on the ground. The South Rim does stay open all winter and it would be wonderful to visit in January when there are few tourists. In the warmer months the South Rim is crazy busy.

This postage stamp was issued in 1990. It features an artistic rendition of the Grand Canyon as it may have appeared to the Francisco Vazquez de Coronado expedition (1540-1542), the first European explorers believed to have seen the canyon.

Matchy Matchy

2011-11-03T08:49:00.002-04:00

When Sarah wrote this card, on 14 April, 2011, the snow had just stopped falling and the sun was shining. I would hazard a guess that seven months later, the snow is falling again.

Sarah also writes that the mountains "never get old." I understand exactly what she means. We don't have mountains where I live in southwestern Pennsylvania, but we do have big, beautiful rolling hills, and no matter how many times I ride along the ridge on one of those big hills that leads to my home, I am always fascinated by the view. It never gets to be ordinary.

Sarah likes that the postage stamp matches the card exactly. I wish I had bought many, many more of these postage stamps when they were issued. But, postage "burns a hole" in my pocket. I can't ever save it. I would make a terrible philatelist.

The Essence of OPP

2011-11-02T10:00:00.003-04:00

Rila Monastery was founded in the 10th century. It is situated in a deep valley with Bulgaria's magnificent Rila Mountains surrounding it. When I first started collecting UNESCO World Heritage sites, this postcard was one of my dearest treasures. I think it was one of my first cards from Bulgaria, a country I considered exotic and mysterious.

Many years later I've come to realize it isn't really the picture on the postcard that is important ... after all, if I just wanted postcards from faraway places I could buy them. It is the connection to the sender which is why I started Orphaned Postcard Project (OPP).

This card had no message, and I only vaguely remember the sender. However, now that Katerina, who lives in Greece, has adopted it, not only do I have her recollection of having visited Rila Monastery 30 years ago, I have the delight of it being postmarked in Turkey since that is where Katerina was when she sent it back to me.

A Treat For the Eyes

2011-11-01T06:36:00.030-04:00

Pavlovsk Palace

Pavlovsk Palace is in Pavkosk, near St. Petersburg, Russia and was built in 1782. Ksenia writes that the picture on the postcard only shows about 1/3 of the palace and its grounds. And Ksenia feels the gardens are the most magnificent feature. They are man-made, but so beautifully designed that they seem natural. It is, as Ksenia puts it, a "treat for the eyes."

The palace was burned during World War II, but because the caretakers had been so very careful to either send what they could away, or bury when was too heavy to ship, the building was restored to look just as it had when the last matriarch died in 1828 and stipulated in her will that nothing be changed.

Here Be Spiders

2011-10-31T06:36:00.003-04:00

Even though Dora is very much afraid of flying, she was able to let go of the fear when she took a trip to see the Nasca Lines in Peru. The Lines are ancient geoglyphs created by the people who lived here between 400 and 650 AD. There are hundreds of them and they were first noticed in the 1930s when airplanes began flying over them. Dora writes that this is the most incredible experience of her life ... so far.

Spiders are beautiful, though I prefer they stay outside and not sneak up on me when I'm sitting quietly, enjoying a lovely glass of wine. It usually results in quite a mess, and a dead spider.

This year I decorated my mailbox with a huge spider that lights up purple (though I think the lights are more pink that purple). There is also a black mesh tree with the same light right next to the mailbox. I had a fake gravestone with R.I.P. (Rest In Peace), in front of the mailbox, but it blew away during a recent storm. I did make sure my mailcarrier knew the R.I.P. was not in any way a comment on the current financial distress of the US Postal Service.

And for those who abhor spiders, I recommend the children's picture book Sophie's Masterpiece by Eileen Spinelli. It is a beautiful read for everyone, not just children.

It Is All of Our Job

2011-10-30T09:58:00.003-04:00

This is one of a series of landmine postcards in my collection. Each card features an image of a different kind of landmine and details the kind of mine, its manufacturer and where it is used. This particular landmine numbers 11 million still in hiding as of the postcard's publication in 1994.

Snail Mail Fan in Manitoba, Canada, adopted this postcard and wrote one of the most powerful messages I've ever read on the back of a postcard.

When she was 12 years old in the mid 1990s, her parents did volunteer work for the Canadian politician Lloyd Axworthy, a very active proponent of banning landmines. While at the volunteer office with her parents, Snail Mail Fan picked up one of many bright red discs she saw on the floor. Upon turning it over, she read that she had just been killed and that the natural curiosity of children causes them to routinely pick up landmines every day. She never forgot that visceral experience. After reading it, I won't either.

This postcard is smaller than most and though Snail Mail Fan was able to fit her message on the back, she also emailed me to tell me of another connection to landmines.

A few years ago Snail Mail Fan began a correspondence with a man from the other side of the country. The correspondence was via the Internet, and they never met, but during the course of their conversations Snail Mail Fan came to learn that he had been wounded in the line of duty. He was an engineer who volunteered in the removal of landmines. She never knew if the injury was the direct result of a landmine, but she did learn that he did the work because he wanted to protect children.

Their friendship continued over the years, and though his tone was more rough than Snail Mail Fan would have preferred, she did enjoy hearing of his plans for opening a restaurant, and his poems and short stories. She often thought he was heading down roads that would lead him away from the life he wanted, but she didn't say anything because it "it wasn't my job anyway."

Snail Mail Fan's friend died in 2010 and it was only then that she thought she might have done more for him. A year later she is more active in landmine education and though the topic is not as prominent in the news, she writes, "If we're not going to do anything about it, then who is?"

The Punch Bowl

2011-10-29T10:00:00.002-04:00

I would not want to dip my cup into this punch bowl! The water is very hot, and smelly (sulphur). The Punch Bowl is a geyser, like Old Faithful, but it never erupts.

Karen and her family visited Yellowstone National Park in 2003 while on a three week road trip. They had to go to Old Faithful three times in order to get the videos and photos that Karen's husband wanted for their albums. They spent two days driving around the park looking at as many of the natural wonders as they could and Karen writes that they wish they had more time because she never got to see the waterfalls.

Of Bells and Pelicans

2011-10-28T09:59:00.004-04:00

This postcard is another donated postcard, but I can't remember who sent it. Whoever it was sent a lot of vintage bell and clock "orphans" and I'm very grateful. They are beautiful.

This pelican bell was cast in the 16th century and graced the top of Cathédrale Saint-Étienne de Bourges, France, though in 1995 the bell was moved to the bottom of the North Tower because it was in such eroded condition and a copy was placed at the top. This postcard is quite old, so I'm sure it is the original bell.

Sandrine visited Bourges last summer, and though it was a rainy night, she did enjoy the Les Nuits Lumière de Bourges, a nightly event when all the monuments are lovingly lit. They had also planned to visit the Cathedral, though Sandrine wasn't sure if she would see the Pelican. She writes that pelicans are a symbol of eternity, which is appropriate for a bell on a cathedral.

Pelicans in the US are mostly found in the south and they are not particularly lovely birds when they are sitting on a pier, but when they fly, oh my goodness, they are gorgeous. They fly low over the surface of the water and have a very impressive wingspan. I could sit on the beach and watch them for hours.

Tractor Girl

2011-10-27T07:12:00.001-04:00

The photo on this postcard is part of a collection called Children on the Farm and they are from the 1930s through 1950s, and mostly from Iowa. We don't have very many family farms left in the US, which is very sad. Our food is mostly grown on huge, corporate-run, farms now.

Cindy went to a baby shower recently and the mom-to-be got a John Deere (big American tractor company) themed gift with lots of baby items emblazoned with the Deere logo. The giver commented that they would "get that baby on a tractor in no time." Probably a really good idea. I think we should be teaching children to grow food, sew clothing and master any kind of computer.

Molly, Meet Brett

2011-10-26T08:17:00.002-04:00

Elliot Street, Charleston, South Carolina

This postcard is one of many Molly donated to Orphan Postcard Project. I love how she describes herself, "The dew has left the vine on this Southern Belle and she's okay with that. I'm now a bonafide Steel Magnolia."

The postcard was adopted by Brett, who writes that Charleston is one of his favorite places to visit. The architectural history and natural beauty he has encountered could fill a whole notebook. And, he particularly enjoys Hyman's Seafood on Meeting Street. I love getting restaurant recommendations on postcards!

Brett also took the time to send the postcard to Charleston for a hand cancel at the Old Main Post Office, the oldest continually operating post office in the Carolinas. I'm very happy to have this touch of history on this postcard because that post office is one of the many in the US that could be shut down because of the Postal Service's financial meltdown.

We Don't Grow Older, We Grow Riper

2011-10-25T11:35:00.001-04:00

Happy 130th Birthday Picasso! Really? It doesn't seem that so contemporary an artist could have been born in the 19th century! The subject line is a quote attributed to Picasso. I am getting quite ripe.

Marie-Therese admits that in high school she was not a fan of Picasso. She didn't much like having to draw in the cubist style. But she did like the blue Picasso because that is her favorite color. She also grew to love many of Picasso's other paintings, and also his sculptures, particularly Chicago Picasso because it looks like a poodle :-)

Google Doodle postcards are some of the most favorited postcards I've sent via Postcrossing. I've tried to buy more, but the Google Store no longer carries postcards. They have "Doodle on Demand" shop where you can get Doodles as notecards, postage, t-shirts, and even skateboards, but no postcards! I sent an email complaining. I probably should send a postcard. We should all send postcards. The address is:

Google Store c/o GatewayCDI
909 N 20th Street
St. Louis, MO 63106

Grand Memory

2011-10-24T08:26:00.006-04:00

Barb visited this beautiful National Park with her grandparents when she was four years old, and she is now 52 and still remembers the visit! What a beautiful memory and I'm delighted that this postcard holds that memory.

I want to take my grandchildren on a holiday to a National Park, but I have to wait until they stop arriving. My third grandchild was born 1 September 2011. She and her big sister and big brother will soon have a cousin as my fourth grandchild is due in March 2012. I'm already planning matching their outfits for the eventual grandchildren holiday.

History Lesson

2011-10-23T13:33:00.004-04:00

When Kathy was growing up her parents, who are history buffs, took her to nearby Philadelphia quite often. She was never fond of those excursions ... history is often so boring when you are a kid. But now that she is an adult, she loves visiting the area and learning something new every time.

I think time often offsets the "history is so boring" reaction with a "history is so interesting" reaction. The trick is just getting kids to historic places and not force the education ... then later, when they are older, they might just remember the visit and find reasons to think fondly on the memory.

The US Postal Service machines took a bit of the Independence Hall postage that was Pennsylvania's statehood stamp as part of its philatelic commemoration of the bicentennial of the United States Constitution in 1987. It is one of my favorite postage stamps and I wish I had hundreds of them.

The postcard features a vintage view of Independence Hall, but I don't think the card is actually vintage. I think it is a reproduction of a vintage postcard. I've got lots of postcards like this in my collection. I don't much care if the card is actual vintage or reproduction. I just care that the card connects me to the sender in some way.

Interlude XXXV - Terry Pratchett and D.C.

2011-10-22T18:52:00.005-04:00

Terry Pratchett, left, Rob Wilkins, right

Last weekend we went to Washington, D.C., to hear a favorite author, Terry Pratchett, at the National Press Club. Sir Terry (he was knighted in 2009) has written many wonderful novels, mostly involving an interesting place, that is much like Earth, called Discworld. He was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's a few years ago, but continues to write with the help of his wonderful assistant, Rob Wilkins.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Sir Terry talk about his writing process, his life, and philosophy. If you have never read a Discworld book, I highly recommend Going Postal as a starter. It was written only a few years ago, but many of the Discworld books can be read out of order and this is one of them. It is quite funny and its postal theme makes it a bit of required reading for mail enthusiasts.

While in D.C. we visited the National Postal Museum, which is about to undergo an expansion with funds provided by a very generous stamp collector. We also visited Owney, the unofficial mascot of the Railway Mail Service. The exhibit features the real Owney ... well ... the real preserved Owney. He died in 1897. It is a bit creepy, but I think preserving pets was quite ordinary back in the late 19th century.

As usual, I sent myself some postcards, and I used the new Owney postage stamp on the Owney postcard. I love the postmark it received! The postcard features the old Owney exhibit, but there wasn't one of the new exhibit. In fact, the National Postal Museum has very few postcards, or other Postal Museum stationery. It is quite bizarre, but is, in fact, one reason our postal service is in such dire straits. Officials can't seem to get it into their heads that to save the postal system, they have to focus on getting people interested in sending mail that is fun.

We also happened on a tour of the White House gardens. We were walking down the street beside the White House and a National Park staff member (I didn't realize the grounds are a National Park!) offered us free tickets. After walking through a simple metal detector, and having my backpack lightly checked, we were allowed on the White House grounds, right up close to the building itself! It was much, much easier getting onto the White House grounds than onto an airplane. It made me very happy to see that security theatre doesn't keep regular people from visiting the White House. And we could roam the grounds (without leaving the path, of course. It isn't that open!) without being rushed.

The grounds are lovely, though very much in keeping with the yards of many homes, our own included, not perfectly designed and not completely free of the occasional scraggly plant. I was most captivated with the White House Kitchen Garden, planted by Michelle Obama. It is certainly not the first vegetable garden on White House property, but it is quite a new idea in recent years. And it is not big, and I'm sure I can create such a garden next year in my own yard. I also love the White House Beehive, which is a first!

We didn't tour the inside of the White House, that would take a letter to our Congressmen, which I do plan on writing. I never had an interest in touring the White House, but after the garden tour I'm intrigued enough to want to see the inside. And I found a wonderful place to buy White House postcards ... 25¢ each! The White House Visitor's Center is in the Commerce Building right across from the White House. The National Park has a very nice place inside and the White House Historical Society runs the gift shop. It's fabulous and the folk working there are a delight. This will be a favorite haunt whenever we go to D.C.

Watch Out Boy

2011-10-22T11:30:00.002-04:00

I like this aerial view because it gives a wonderful view of how much green there is on the site. And how very large it is!

Leilanie visited Tower of London back in 2006. It was her first trip out of the US and her first time traveling without her parents. A very exciting experience for sure!

I love that Leilanie made a little error in her message. She writes that the guards at the Tower are called "Maneaters." They are actually called "Beefeaters," but should I ever get back to London and visit the Tower again, I will smile when I think of the guards as Maneaters.

Prevailing Winds

2011-10-21T15:28:00.002-04:00

Benjamin Franklin

Lynda Jo learned about Benjamin Franklin at the Sunnyside Library in Yakima, Washington. Franklin is credited with establishing Junto, a club devoted to discussing the morals, politics, and natural philosophy. Franklin devised a question format to get the discussion going. And there was a series of four questions asked of all new members. Two of the four require the applicant to respond that they do not hold religious beliefs in anyway whatsoever against anyone. We seem to have regressed in that aspect of life in the US ... disrespecting religious beliefs, or non-belief, colors too much of life.

Lynda Jo also notes that Franklin was quite interested in meteorology. There is an interesting story about how Franklin, on this very day in 1743, was cheated out witnessing a lunar eclipse because of a storm in Philadelphia, where he lived. He heard later from family in Boston that the storm did not hamper their viewing, and Franklin thought that odd since he had noted the storm in Philadelphia had northeast winds and Boston is northeast of Philadelphia. He deduced that storms do not always travel in the direction of the prevailing wind, a concept that greatly influenced meteorology.

Benjamin Franklin is one of my favorite people, partly because he was the very first Postmaster General, but also because his pursed lip smile reminds me of one of my sisters when she was a little girl.

When You Think of Gondola ...

2011-10-20T18:37:00.002-04:00

I suspect this postcard needs no introduction. St Mark's Campanile in the back ground and a gondola all but stand up and wave a banner with "VENEZIA." When I think gondola, I think Venice. I know there are gondolas in other areas of the world (like Brugge, Belgium), but Venice is the king. Or queen.

Monique visited Venice on her own for her 40th birthday. She took a ride on a gondola with the only female gondolier in the city and had the time of her life. What a fantastic memory!

Artistic License

2011-10-19T21:47:00.000-04:00

This beautiful artcard features an artist's view of Old Town in Warsaw, Poland. I love these sorts of cityviews. They are often overly romantic impressions of cities, but when I have many typical cityview postcards, it is nice to get one that shows an artist's view.

Annie visited Warsaw in 2008 and spent two days in Warsaw. She favored the Old Town over the more modern business district and wished she could have stayed longer. The city was heavily damaged in World War II, so it is remarkable to see how it has been restored.

In the background, the very tall building is the Palace of Culture and Science, which is the tallest building in Poland. It was built in the mid-20th century and not well received by the citizens of this lovely city since it was built by the Soviet regime and was considered too flashy.

Embraced By Branches

2011-10-18T14:57:00.000-04:00

The front of this card says "Greetings from Belgrade" and the lovely building that seems to be getting a hug from the trees is the Serbian Parliament. On the far right is the main post office, where Ana buys postcards and stamps.

Ana writes that this view makes her a bit nostalgic because the view is vintage and probably dates to when Serbia was Yugoslavia. She was 12 years old when Yugoslavia broke apart so photos from the "old days" remind her of her childhood when going into Belgrade with her parents was something really special.

All Aglitter

2011-10-17T19:54:00.000-04:00

Maaike wrote this postcard at the end of her first day visiting Edinburgh, Scotland. She writes about the long history between Scotland and England, and how each country remembers every single battle, victory and defeat.

This view is from Calton Hill, where the government offices are located. It must be a wonderful sight, walking out of work after a long day of government work to see this view before you.

Maaike visited Edinburgh Castle on her first day in Scotland. The castle is feature on the postage stamp she used on the card, complete with a lovely hand-cancel. I think the castle is also in the background, in the upper right, of the postcard.

Rugged Acadia

2011-10-16T10:18:00.001-04:00

Beautiful Acadia National Park in Maine is one of the more rugged National Parks in the US. It occupies Mount Desert Island, Maine's largest island.

Erin adopted this postcard just before leaving France for holiday in the US. She and her family had a lovely time exploring Acadia. The Park Rangers offer a variety of programs and Erin splurged on the 4-masted schooner, Margaret Todd, tour of Frenchman's Bay. The crew got the guests to help with the sails, and Erin writes the sails are much heavier that they would appear.

The National Park Ranger onboard was a marine biologist and she provided all sorts of wildlife details, as well as some historic background. They saw harbor seals and porpoises, which surprised me because I didn't think we had them on the Maine coast.

Erin also sent this postcard of "The Bubbles,"a natural landmark near Jordan Pond. On this card Erin related a wonderful story about the reproductive life of barnacles, the anthropoid the Park Ranger is most fond of studying. The story is adult, so the ranger turned off her microphone and told the story to the adults only. Apparently the barnacles are quite well endowed for creatures of their size. This sort of detail is the stuff that rangers love to impart. In every National Park I've ever been to, the rangers have always been keen on adding their own personality to their job. It is their passion that makes the National Parks a real treasure ... they aren't there just for the job ... they are there because they love it.

Awash in Blue

2011-10-15T09:33:00.001-04:00

This postcard shows off why Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey is known as Blue Mosque. All those beautiful blue tiles along the upper walls create such a serene mood. Leslie writes that this mosque caused quite a stir in the 17th century when it was built because it was the first mosque outside Mecca to feature six minarets.

The lights that circle the bottom of the postcard look to be candles, but I'm not sure. If they are candles, can you imagine how lovely this must be when they are all lit? And warm, too!

The lovely postage features Blue Mosque on the left, though it only shows four of the six minarets. The other structure in the postage is Galata Tower, which is also in Istanbul.

I'm Not So Sure About Ike

2011-10-14T10:53:00.001-04:00

This charming house in Denison, Texas, is the birthplace of Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States. He was born here on 14 October, 1890. He was the last US president to be born in the 19th century. Eisenhower is the man who created the Interstate Highway System in the US, for which I both applaud and criticize him. I love the Interstate for getting me from Point A to Point B quickly, but despise the Interstate for taking so many people off the small back roads and turning many thriving towns into ghost towns.

Walter adopted this postcard and notes that there are other interesting sites to see in Denison in addition to Ike's birthplace. It is the intersection of the MKT (Missouri, Kansas, Texas) Railroad and there is a wonderful museum filled with railroad history and lore. The world's largest rolled-earth filled (which means it is not made of man-made materials) dam is in Denison, too.

The card also carries two of the four postage stamps featuring Eisenhower. The US Postal Service has a rule that no living person can appear on a postage stamp, but that could change. There was an announcement that living people may soon grace postage stamps. At first I thought it would be great to have sitting presidents on stamps, and issue the stamp upon inauguration, but now I wonder if that might be a bit tacky.

Palace Harmony

2011-10-13T11:16:00.000-04:00

Lufra traveled to Seoul, Korea, last year on a business trip. She doesn't speak Korean, but didn't let that stop her from exploring the city via the subway system. She had a great time and writes that everyone was friendly and she got to experience the Seoul "never sleep" nightlife.

When Lufra visited the palace featured on this card, Changdeokgung, it was a snowy day and the view was much different. The grounds were covered in heavy snows, which delighted Lufra all the more because her native Malaysia doesn't see snow. To add to the magic, there is an arch called "Forever Young" that is suppose to restore youth to all who pass under it. I suppose it does work, because the beauty and harmony of this place would make one feel younger, at least in spirit.

Rambling Ruins

2011-10-12T09:58:00.007-04:00

Volubilis is the site of Roman ruins in Morocco and quite well preserved. Nolleke adopted this card because she recently made her first trip to Morocco with friends. Nolleke didn't get to visit Volubilis on that trip, but perhaps some future trip will bring her to exploring these ruins.

I love the postage Nolleke used on this card. It is a postcard, complete with its own tiny postage! Most of the Dutch postcards I get from Postcrossing carry plain postage, so it is quite a treat to have such special postage on this postcard. And today I learned that Netherlands is issuing its own Postcrossing stamp! Very, very cool.

And speaking of Postcrossing, as of today, I am retiring my Zmrzlina Postcrossing profile. I have been the top sender in the US for about a year and today the 3,000th postcard I've sent on that profile was registered. It is time for someone else to take the top sender badge. I plan to resume participation, but probably not until the new year and using my PostMuse profile instead. I got a bit crazy about keeping that top sender position and that takes the fun out of the project.

Spires Illuminated

2011-10-11T20:25:00.000-04:00

Kutna Hora was a Czech silver mining town beginning in the 10th century. The building featured in this lovely night view is the 14th century St. Barbara's Church.

When Amanda visit the town, the church was closed, but she did get to explore the Sedlec Ossuary, where a bit of dirt from Golgotha was sprinkled by a 13th century monk, connecting the that plot of land to land another world away.

Look at all the flying buttresses on the left! The architect must have wanted the whole building to take flight. And I love the spires ... they have a soaring look, too!

A Walk to the Mailbox

2011-10-10T14:25:00.000-04:00

"The Letter" by Henri LeRolle

Peggy returned this beautiful postcard at the halfway point of her year long correspondence project. That was back in July and she is well on her way to completing her goal of at least one letter every day for all of 2011.

Peggy doesn't blog her correspondence, but she has been documenting it which is probably the best part of such projects. I love documenting although sometimes it is the very documenting that consumes my creative energies and the project itself suffers.

The painting is from the late 19th century and the artist, Henri Lerolle, was a friend to Degas and Renoir. I love that the woman's face is shadowed. I can easily imagine being in her place ... taking a letter from the mailbox and reading it as I walk back to the house.

I read recently of another correspondence project called 52 Weeks of Mail run by a group of stationery sellers at Etsy. The idea is to commit to at least one letter/note a week and the project begins this week. I'm all for any project that gets people writing, so I hope this project does well. The project team has a blog that features their stationery, and some of it is quite lovely. I created a "treasury" of handmade stationery finds (not made by me ... some day I hope to sell my own stationery, but I'm not ready yet) on Etsy called My Stationery is Not Stationary. Perhaps some of those finds will find their way into my readers' mailboxes ...

Interlude XXXIV - BOO!

2011-10-10T13:40:00.000-04:00

Homemade Trick-or-Treat Bags for my grandkids and friends

I hope seeing a new post didn't scare you too much. It has been a very long time. My absence from blogging does not have a simple explanation, but it is enough to say that I am fine, and Orphaned Postcard Project is fine, and it is my hope that regular posts resume today.

I have many adoption requests to send out, and those are going out slowly. I have lots of thank you postcards to send for orphans returned. And I have many notes and letters from dear readers to which need a response. All that will happen. I've never, to the best of my knowledge, left a letter/note/postcard unacknowledged.

Thank you very much to all who have written to me throughout the summer to ask if all was well. Thank you to the many who emailed and wrote that they miss the daily posts here on the blog. I've missed the daily posts, too!

Surreal Sandwich

2011-07-25T21:31:00.000-04:00

This is another of William Rowe's "surreal" postcards. It is titled "In the Still of the Night" and as freaky as it is, it delights me. I'm thinking the sandwich is grilled cheese, because it looks like there is a griddle in the upper left corner. The plate has a fish design, and the sandwich halves sort of look like a fish opening its mouth to bite the pickles.

Wolfey found the image freaky, too. It reminded her of her last meal before boarding the airplane for India a few years ago. That sandwich was an apple and blue cheese sandwich, which sounds like it would be very interesting, but like most airport food, it was blah.

And, Wolfey provides us with one of her favorite sandwich ideas ... toasted French or Italian break topped with chopped avocado spritzed with lemon juice and sprinkled with sea salt. Nice and easy and it would be a very tasty breakfast!

Bus Tour Detour

2011-07-24T21:36:00.000-04:00

This view is looking down the hill from the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, where visitors may straddle the Prime Meridian.

Ruth spent her first full day in London at Greenwich in 2008. She had arrived in the morning, and promptly boarded a double-decker bus for a tour of the city. She noticed hundreds of London police near Parliament, and decided something must be up and she would detour from her plans and take a boat ride on the Thames up to Greenwich.

While in Greenwich, Ruth visited the museum housed in the building at the bottom of the hill, and she hiked up the hill to the Observatory. She had a lovely picnic lunch on the lawn pictured here, then headed back to London. It was then she learned the police were on hand to control protestors. US President Bush (the younger) was in town that day. Ruth thought it would be fine to sally forth with her bus tour since the crowds must have certainly dispersed by then, but, that was not the case.

Ruth's bus tour was diverted at every turn because of the protests and roadblocks. The tour guide took it all in stride and made up a script for all the unplanned sites they saw. Ruth writes that it was the "best tour of London ever!"

Montréal Lights

2011-07-23T20:57:00.033-04:00

It has been many years since I've been to Montréal, Canada. When I look at the pictures on this postcard, I'm tempted to jump in the car and travel north. It is a lovely city, and is about the same distance as the trip to Boston, which I take every other month or so. I'd actually like to be in Montréal in the winter, though. It is even more beautiful with the snow, and there is a wonderful winter festival every February. I like that instead of wishing away the snow and cold, they celebrate it.

Annie was born in Montréal, and though she found it difficult at times being one of the minority who didn't speak French as a primary language, she loves the city very much. She lives in a Montréal suburb now, but still travels into the city for concerts, museums, shopping and all sorts of other activities.

Castle in the Desert

2011-07-22T21:55:00.035-04:00

This "castle" is in Death Valley, California. Scotty's Castle was begun in the early 20th century, and was named for a con man named Walter Scott. Scott convinced a wealthy Chicago man, Albert Johnson, to invest in a gold mine in the area, and this home was to be Johnson's vacation home. However, the stock market crash put an end to that dream and eventually the land was bought by the National Park Service. The home is open to tours now, and it entertains about 100,000 people a year!

Carissa visited this landmark about six years ago with her mom and their dog, Guinness. The second Guinness stepped out of the air-conditioned car, he started to yelp because of the heat. Carissa bought a bag of ice and Guinness enjoyed an icy rest while his owner wandered the grounds for a bit. And, perhaps, Carissa enjoyed a glass of Guinness after spending time walking.

We are in the midst of a terrible heat wave in much of the mid to eastern US right now. I can't get enough icy cold beverages right now. Mostly just water on ice, but I could be convinced to drink a nice Belgium wheat beer, served much colder than it should be.

Pipes on Princes Street

2011-07-21T22:36:00.000-04:00

Look really, really close and you'll see a "pipe band" (according to the caption on the back) marching down Princes Street. Since this is Edinburgh, Scotland, it must be bagpipes.

The tall monument in the middle of the picture is Scott Monument, dedicated to Sir Walter Scott, the 19th century author. Heather writes that the monument is still a black from pollution as it is on this vintage postcard. And it is possible to climb to the top of the spire, but Heather did not partake as her travel companion was not up to that challenge.

The garden at the bottom is now an underground shopping mall, though, so not everything stays the same!

This baby polar bear postage Hannah used is absolutely adorable. I am quite fond of animal postage. And baby animal postage ... well, that just melts me completely. Wish the polar bears didn't have to worry about melting.

Wright in London

2011-07-20T22:01:00.000-04:00

Years ago, on my first trip to London, I visited the wonderful Victoria and Albert Museum and was very surprised to find this Frank Lloyd Wright designed room. Even more surprised to discover the room is directly from the office of the owner of Kaufmann Department Store (though now absorbed by a giant department store monolith) here in Pittsburgh, who was also the owner of Wright's very famous Fallingwater. This paneled room doesn't look very comfy, but lots of what I've seen of Wright's work doesn't look comfortable. But it is beautiful.

Maaike visited the Victoria and Albert and she loves its huge collection of cultural artifacts from all over the world, too. It is a rambling museum, and it is impossible to see all the treasures in one day, but sometimes it is nice to go to a museum and just stumble upon something amazing, like I did with this Wright display.

Pathway to Postcards

2011-07-19T23:04:00.000-04:00

I look at this view and all I can think of is walking up that pathway, finding a quiet spot, and writing postcards. I am always looking for a quiet spot to write postcards.

The fortress is not identified on the card and I was thrilled when Ana wrote that it is the Kalemegdan Fortress and one of the most beautiful places in Belgrade, Serbia. She also notes that there is a small astronomical observatory in the same town, and if you can manage the steep stairwell, you are rewarded with an amazing view of Belgrade.

The postage stamp Ana used also features Kalemegdan Fortress. I like this sort of photography ... framing a scene through an archway or window. I am sure I would spend way too much time just sitting in this fortress, soaking up the history and writing postcards.

Cartwheeling Giants

2011-07-18T20:56:00.026-04:00

I am quite the fan of the modern wind turbine. I think they look like cartwheeling giants. I'm very much aware that these elegant structures are a serious danger to birds and bats, though. Unfortunately, the research on such dangers leans more towards dumping the entire idea of turbines than to finding a way to make the turbines less dangerous. I don't know for sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if the bird and bat studies are funded by the oil industry.

The turbines are very, very tall and need lights at the top so airplanes can see them. While the wind farms are being built, the turbines aren't running on their own power, so they need an outside source to run the airplane warning lights. Ruth's brother rents the generators that are needed to run these wind turbines until they are in place and able to produce their own power.

A few months ago I heard a teeny tiny story on American Public Media's Marketplace show about painting turbines purple because that would attract less bugs, and, thus, less birds and bats. But, I never was able to find more about the study. It seems logical, and a fairly easy thing to at least try. And, I think a line of purple turbines would be fabulous! I love the color purple.

Hello South Africa!

2011-07-17T19:19:00.003-04:00

This is the first postcard featuring South Africa to appear on Orphaned Postcard Project. The city is Bloemfontein, and it is where J. R. R. Tolkien was born. Lida writes that this view is quite old, and the city is much bigger and more modern now.

The little blue hill way in the background has special meaning for Lida. It is the landmark that, when approaching from the south, signals home is near. It is also the place where Lida did her practical course in Grazing Studies while in university years ago.

I don't know what these insects are on the postage stamp, but the stamp is quite large, and I wonder if the insects are true-to-size! Though I'm not fond of insects when they occupy the spot where I occupy, I am completely fascinated by them. Only as pictures though ... I can't watch any video of insects. Video tends to bother me more than real life encounters!

Cultural Treasure

2011-07-16T19:18:00.002-04:00

Gate of Military Prowess, Forbidden City, China

Melissa writes that Forbidden City is not so "forbidden" anymore. She wandered the grounds with a friend for an entire day. They had a break at a Starbucks inside the "city," however that shop has since been closed by the government. Appears somethings still need to be forbidden. I do hope there are local coffee shops, though. That would be quite wonderful ... close the giant corporation inside the cultural treasure so that the places that actually do represent the culture can thrive.

Tomar Treasure

2011-07-15T23:22:00.000-04:00

This cloister is part of Convento de Cristo in Tomar, Portugal. Claudia writes that it is associated with Knights Templar, which I only know from legend and the movie Indian Jones and the Last Crusade. The line from that movie, where the last Knight Templar says, "He chose poorly," as the bad guy picks the wrong chalice as the Holy Grail, is one heard often in my house.

While looking for information about this building, I came upon a wonderful site called "Our Place," which celebrates World Heritage sites around the world. There are some very unusual, and beautiful photos of Convento de Cristo. The site doesn't have all the 900 plus sites listed, but there are hundreds of photos to admire.

Happy Bastille Day!

2011-07-14T19:08:00.005-04:00

This Google Doodle celebrating Bastille Day (14 July) in France appeared on the search page in 2007. Erin writes that in her village in the Brittany area of France, all the festivities associated with the holiday are on the 13th because that gives everyone the entire day on the 14th to not work, even if working means marching in a parade or working the fireworks.

Today is Bastille Day and since it is a Thursday, it means a very nice long weekend. And doesn't this postage look like fireworks!?

EDIT: I noticed the below comic on the 15th, though it was published on the 14th ... it is one of my favorite comic strips and this one fits in well with the theme of this post. Click to make larger.

Hide and Seek in Vatican City

2011-07-13T23:14:00.000-04:00

St Paul's, Vatican City

Erin lives in the Brittany area of France and traveled by train from Paris to Rome with her husband on their "babymoon," which I believe is a trip expectant parents take before their baby is born because they know that once the baby comes, there won't be much extensive traveling for a while. They took a night train, so they woke up in Rome. Erin writes that the whole city is a living museum ... a "historical and architectural feast."

Though the city is quite culturally rich, Erin and her husband found a treasure hunt of a different sort to pursue in Rome. They started counting all the Papal Insignia (Triregnum) they found throughout the city. It is on manhole covers, drain spouts, and even a fountain where tourists fill their water bottles (see Erin's photo on the right).

It is also on the roof of the Basilica (Erin's photo on the left), which also features a spot to buy postage. Makes for a convenient place to sit and write a few postcards after climbing up to the top of the dome!

I like these "supporting photos" very much. And the idea of searching for the marks. When searching for something small, the big picture becomes quite a bit less overwhelming. And such a wonderful memory, too!

Amazing Study Abroad

2011-07-12T21:23:00.000-04:00

Salzburg, Austria

Hannah spent her last university semester studying abroad in Salzburg. I can't even imagine what it was like to be an international student is such a beautiful, historic town! And this is such an international town because of its Mozart link. When I was there many years ago, I heard many different languages as I wandered the narrow, busy streets. Hannah writes that it was the most amazing experience of her life.

Peer Pressure From the Past

2011-07-11T19:11:00.001-04:00

This is Rumeli Fortress, in Istanbul, Turkey, and was built in the mid-15th century by Sultan Mehmet before he conquered what was then known as. Constantinople. Leslie notes that Sultan Mehmet was only 21 years old when he did all this. She writes that it makes her feel unproductive ;-)

In the early 19th century a residential neighborhood was built inside the fortress wall, but a few decades later, it was removed and the fortress was restored and is now a museum and open-air theatre in the summer months.

Rail Travel

2011-07-10T21:30:00.000-04:00

Red Square, Moscow, Russia

Anna lives a 16 hour train ride from Moscow, but she has visited the city several times. She likes Red Square because it is always filled with visitors speaking many different languages. I think that would be fun, too!

A 16 hour train ride sounds relaxing and fun to me. I've never taken a long train ride in the US. My only experience with long train rides was in Europe, and I traveled in very comfortable trains. Some of my UK friends think I'm crazy to enjoy long train rides ... they'd rather travel by car. Even when the train is old it seems a better choice than cars because there is room to walk about, and even write a letter or two. What is train travel like in your country?

Of Glaciers and Islands

2011-07-09T22:00:00.020-04:00

Heather lives about a 2.5 drive away from this beautiful lake. It is the headwater for the Bow River, which is one of the major sources of water for the communities surrounding it. Heather writes that there is concern about the continued supply of this natural resource because the glacier pictured in the background, the Crowfoot Glacier, is receding and as it melts, there is less water for the lake, thus less water for the river and communities.

The glacier got its name because one hundred years ago it had three ice "toes," so it looked like a crow's foot. One toe has completely disappeared, and the second will be gone soon, too. When they melt away completely, the water goes out to sea. And the sea rises. And island nations like Tuvalu start to wonder if their country will soon be below sea level. The postcard on the right is the one I received from the project linked about, sent by the children of Tuvalu.

London By Boat, Wheel and Foot

2011-07-08T21:22:00.000-04:00

Tower of London from the River Thames

Suzanne had a very busy vacation in the UK, with lots of travel, so during her last week, while she was in London, she spent some quiet time sightseeing by bus and boat. The bus was one of London's famous double-deckers and the boat was a ride down the Thames. She didn't have enough time to visit Tower of London, but she did get to go on a ghost tour, which was a bit more like a pub crawl, but still fun.

Vacations should always come with an extra week off to recover from the vacation :-)

Where Can I Get Seeds to Plant a Castle Like This?

2011-07-07T21:53:00.000-04:00

Looks like someone planted castle seeds and grew a castle along with the forest.

This beautiful Welsh castle is Castell Coch, which means "red castle." Lufra passed by this castle often on the train ride from Cardiff and Pontypridd, but never stopped to visit. That is, until one day when her friends got it into their heads to disembark and go visit the castle ... a spur-of-the-moment excursion. Lufra was not in agreement (she was wearing heels ... not the sort of footwear one wants to tramp through the forest in!), but she went along.

The walk to the castle was uphill, and quite long, but the castle itself is not very big and is beautifully furnished and decorated. Even though her feet were aching in those impossible shoes, Lufra also enjoyed wandering the castle grounds. If ever I go back to Wales, I shall visit Castell Coch, and I will wear sensible shoes. But, then again, I haven't worn heels in so long that I'm sure the ones in my closet are now considered "vintage."

Sculpture Wonder

2011-07-06T21:34:00.000-04:00

This statue is one of twelve that surround the Shrine of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos in Congonhas, Brazil. The soapstone statues are representations of twelve prophets from the Old Testament. The statues were sculpted by the legendary 18th century artist Aleijadinho. There are many stories about this man, some that say he is a myth and some that say he was a genius who lost his fingers to leprosy, but still continued to create his art.

Dora has seen the sculptures and writes that they are gorgeous. I think it doesn't really matter if they were created by a genius, or by an artist who sculpted just for the love of the art. As long as they bring joy to people, they are treasures.

Hitchhiking to Canterbury

2011-07-05T23:33:00.000-04:00

The cathedral in the background is Canterbury. In the foreground are the ruins of St. Augustine Abbey. It was founded in 598 at the start of Augustine's mission to convert the Anglo-Saxon to Christianity. St. Augustine is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site that includes Canterbury Cathedral, but I don't think many people take the short walk over to the ruins from the town center. It is a shame, because it is a very interesting site.

When AmyMarie was studying in UK, she and her friend decided to hitchhike from London to Canterbury, which she thinks of as her own Canterbury Tales. They took the "tube" and then another train to get outside the city, then found a spot on the A2 (big highway) to hitch a ride. It only took 5 minutes. And the driver went out of his way to take them to Canterbury. AmyMarie and her friend wandered the ruins and then visited the town. It took them several cars to get back to London, but they met several interesting people along they way.

I never hitchhiked ... I grew up in an era (early 1970s) when the news was full of horror stories about hitchhiking. These days I don't think many people hitchhike, at least not in this part of the US. It is illegal on most major highways here and the smaller roads don't get enough traffic. It may be different in other parts of the US, though. And I think it is more common in Europe. Have you ever hitchhiked?

All-American Ken

2011-07-04T15:40:00.006-04:00

The back caption on this card is funny ... "Grab your binoculars and join Ken on a safari! A swinging bachelor who's always on the lookout for fun, Ken sports the perfect outfit for his eco-adventure: light blue shorts and a leopard-print shirt with short sleeves sure to keep him cool in the hot sun. And after his exciting expedition, Ken will be ready to hit the dance floor in style . His accessories include matching scarf, sensible loafers and a fashion-forward gold belt."

Pixar movies are some of the few movies I insist on seeing in a movie theatre. Toy Story 3 was one of my favorites. I wanted to go up to Boston to see my grandchildren just so I could play with their toys.

My grandchildren don't have Barbie toys, and I sort of hope they never do. I'm not much of a fan of Barbie ... too many teeny, tiny shoes that get lost! When my girls were little, I used to inventory all their teeny tiny toys so I could make sure nothing got lost. Computers weren't in every home back then, so I did it on paper. I remember there were notes indicating the approximate date something went missing, and where I had already looked for it. I wish I still had those notes. They'd be funny to read now.

Emilie also enjoyed Toy Story 3, but her favorites are WALL-E and Up. I had forgotten about WALL-E until Emilie mentioned it. It is an unusual movie, and I did enjoy it, but I don't think children enjoyed it as much as adults.

I adopted one of Emilie's orphaned Penguin Book postcards and recently sent it back. She has already posted eight of the returned orphans, and I am thrilled to see some familiar names for the adopters!

Glimpse Into the Past, Looking Toward the Future

2011-07-03T17:48:00.011-04:00

This vintage postcard features a section of Bab Boujloud (Blue Gate) in Fes, Morocco. It leads into the medina, which is a large, car-free district of the city. This one is thought to be the largest car-free commercial district in the world.

Nolleke lives in Netherlands and she writes that Netherlands is the home of many Moroccan immigrants. Their weddings typically involve sourcing Moroccan wedding dress, and one of Nolleke's friends designs those dresses. The dresses are made in Morocco because the materials are less expensive, and Nolleke's friend flies to Morocco to pick up her collection. I imagine there are many brides anxiously watching for the return flight so they can finally see their wedding dress.

Morocco had elections just this last week to change the role of the monarchy and bring more voice to the people. It seems the ruling elite thought it a good idea to try to head off protests like those in other northern African countries this spring and summer. However, the country's youth is suspicious of such voluntary reform, and there have been protests, though not as strong as in other places. When I watch the youth of these countries protest their governments, I'm reminded of the youth of the US in the 1960s. There was much change in this country back then, but now, the youth in the US are fairly quiet. I keep wondering where they are.

Desert Adventure

2011-07-02T21:29:00.000-04:00

Wolfey spent a night on this very desert, Thar Desert, on a visit to the city of Jaisalmer in India. She first rode the Indian railways from the village she was living in for that summer and then, upon meeting two Scottish girls along the way, tagged along with them and rode a camel into the desert. The desert "safari" was guided, and the food and bedding provided by a local hotel.

The camels are awkward to ride, but entertaining when they run. And Wolfey got to practice her Hindi with the camel drivers.

Once camp was made, she got to run and jump all over the steep dunes and then watched a spectacular sunset. At night, the Milky Way glittered above as she enjoyed a traditional meal by firelight, including watermelons they picked along the way!

I'm quite the fan of camels (in art and craft ... I've never been close to a real one) and, lucky for me, Wolfey provided such a wonderful narrative to go along with this postcard.

Grand Old Post Office

2011-07-01T21:57:00.001-04:00

This postcard dates to the late 1940s/early 1950s and features what was then the "Most modern Post Office in the world. Can be reached by four modes of transportation: Motor, Rail, Water and Air." The post office was built in the 1930s, during the Great Depression, and operated for 73 years in this location. It was remodeled and is now a huge office for the Internal Revenue Service. The people who did the remodel did retain most of the old glory of the magnificent architecture.

Rachel is not very impressed with this building. She thinks this looks more like a prison, but she hasn't seen it in person. I suppose I could be enamored of just its postal history and see the architecture as magnificent, but really ... I think it is quite lovely.

I added this postage stamp before sending the postcard to Rachel. There was a series of stamps issued in 1989 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Universal Postal Union. The series is one of my favorites because they are all so detailed.

A Lot of Firsts!

2011-06-30T21:53:00.000-04:00

Algarve is in the southernmost region of Portugal, and is a very popular holiday destination. Its population triples during peak travel season! Maaike visited Algarve with her parents and enjoyed the "Mediterranean vibe."

There are small arrows on the mapcard where Maaike visited. The rocky coastline with dramatic cliffs would probably keep me happy for weeks and weeks.

The trip to Portugal was Maaike's first time on an airplane, and she loved it. Maaike is from Netherlands, and when she wrote this card, she was at an airport in Bremen, Germany, waiting to board an airplane to Scotland ... her first airplane trip alone. I love the little drawings of "airplane gymnastics" she drew on the back of this card. I certainly hope none of the airplanes I travel on decide to do gymnastics!

And there is a postscript about buying postage in a stamp machine for the first time. Stamp machines are hard to find in the US now. I haven't seen one in an airport in years. I don't know what cause the US Postal Service to remove so many stamp machine, but I suspect it is because postage calculations are complicated and based on so many variables in the US that people were sending mail with too little postage when they used the self-serve machines.

There is also a final note from Maaike ... she finished her Master Thesis! Congratulations!

Reflective

2011-06-29T23:00:00.000-04:00

April's family lives in the US Midwest and both times they visited her in New Zealand, she took them to Lake Matheson. The lake is renown for its beautiful reflections, and, indeed, if there was no text on the front of this card, I might have scanned it upside down. Oddly, the reason the lake is so reflective is because the water is dark brown. It isn't because the water is dirty ... just sediments from the forest that are drawn into the water.

And here are more of the wonderful KiwiStamp postage. I like the one this is a close-up of kiwi fruit, though I'm not too fond of the fruit itself.

Seasonal Scenery

2011-06-28T21:58:00.000-04:00

This image features swans in the Netherlands, and is an advertising card for a conservation organization called Natuurmonumenten. Netherlands is a popular rest stop for migrating swans and geese.

Louise adopted this card and sent it back just as spring was beginning in the Netherlands. The swans and geese have mostly flown to other places now, but this is the season for people to get out and enjoy the season. In a few weeks many of us in the northern hemisphere will be wistful for snowy scenes like this.

Capturing a Moment

2011-06-27T21:44:00.000-04:00

This postcard is an example of a style very popular at the turn of the 20th century called Real Photo. The style remained popular for quite some time as this one is from 1953 (the back is dated ... not common!). I think the collecting appeal of the Real Photo postcards is that they were not mass produced. Although, that appeal seems to be limited to serious collectors. My experience with Postcrossing shows that most of those folk want only the mass produced postcards. I rather like this captured moment, complete with pigeons and a little girl feeding them.

This view is St. Mark Square in Venice. Monique writes that it is magical. She has fond memories of listening to a band play while she sipped cappuccino in the Square, and that she can't wait to return.

Island Rivalry

2011-06-26T19:53:00.000-04:00

There are some 1500 islands belonging to the Baltic country of Estonia. Hiiumaa is the second largest of those islands. The lighthouse featured in the inset is Kopu and is one of the oldest lighthouses in the world. There are ferries from mainland to the island, but in the winter, people can use a 26.5 km (16.5 mile) "ice bridge," which is just the frozen Baltic Sea!

Iiri lives on the island just to the south, Saaremaa, and she writes that there is a friendly rivalry between to two islands. I suspect it is similar to the friendly rivalry that exists between my city, Pittsburgh, and the other big city in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

I love the many little postage stamps Iiri used on this card. They cover the entire back of the card!

Theatre With Another Name

2011-06-25T22:33:00.000-04:00

I have this view listed in my database as "Sofia Theatre (I think)." The captioning on the back is Cyrillic, but there is also German. It wasn't until getting this card back that I bothered to translate the German ... back when this postcard was published, the building was called People's Assembly. It is now called the Parliament. I guess since it involves government, it could also be considered theatre.

Katerina is one of my mailart friends and she lives in Greece but she was visiting friends in Turkey this spring and brought along this orphan to send back. She also met another of my mailart friends while in Turkey. That friend had traveled from Virginia in the US. People say the Internet killed mail, but I think it has done just the opposite. It is bringing a revival of mail enthusiasm. Slow moving revival, but it is growing.

Glittering City

2011-06-24T22:52:00.000-04:00

Salzburg, Austria

Salzburg was one of four German-speaking cities Juli visited as a teenager. She write that the Hohensalzburg Castle (at the very top of the hill) was built in 1077 and was never conquered by enemy troops.

I would love to go back to Salzburg, but this time I would spend more than a day. It is a small city, and very touristy, but it has a charm like few other places in the world. You just have to seek out the hidden spots. There is a very famous street, Getreidegasse, that is packed with high-end boutiques, but I remember there being lots of little side alleys that tourists rarely venture into, and the shops and cafés down those alleys are quite delightful.

Otherworldly Landscape

2011-06-23T20:28:00.000-04:00

This unusual landscape in southeastern Arizona was created twenty seven million years ago by a huge volcanic eruption. I've seen similar landscapes in other parts of the US southwest ... very eerie and dramatic.

Carol visited this park in April and got this wonderful National Park Service stamp on the back of the card. The stamps are meant for National Park Passports, a fun collecting interest, but I have avoided getting caught up in that because I know that way lies madness.

According to the National Park Service, Chiricahua is temporarily closed because of the wildfires in that area. The wildfires in the US are awful this year, and if it isn't fires, it is flooding. It has been a very rough spring.

Of School Days and Trains

2011-06-22T23:48:00.000-04:00

Look in the northwest section of this mapcard, near Barnstaple, and find Braunton. That is where Andy spent six years of his childhood. And, he went to school in Barnstaple, which is related to a small town in my home state, Massachusetts. Barnstable is a charming town on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The Cape Cod town was named for the English town. I don't know when, or how, the "p" was changed to a "b," but I bet it has to do with Bostonians lazy accent.

Andy used this fantastic Thomas the Train postage, which thrilled me because my grandchildren love Thomas the Train. I almost spent a small fortune at Royal Mail buying the postage and matching postcards. I resisted, though, because I don't think my grandchildren are old enough to appreciate such things. I hope to encourage the love of trains, but I can do that without splurging on postal items they don't really understand. Although ... I could save them for later ....

Midsummer

2011-06-21T17:16:00.004-04:00

Midsummer sunrise at Stonehenge ... this is how it might have looked this morning. There are a number of special events at Stonehenge to mark the summer solstice, including up-close-and-personal tours where visitors who pay about $200 each can go inside the fenced off area. If I was in UK, I just might have paid the fee.

Barb has not visited Stonehenge, but she writes that she would love to see it someday.

Summer solstice always causes a bit of anxiety for me. It means days begin to get shorter, and I start to worry that I won't have time to do all the outdoor things I want to do before the darkness accompanies my commute home from work at night. It's a rather silly anxiety, I know. I've got plenty of time ... and the shorten days will not be noticeable for months. But, nonetheless, I worry.

Surprise In the Mail

2011-06-20T21:50:00.000-04:00

I sent this postcard featuring Iguaçu Falls on the border of Brazil and Argentina to Michael in Utah expecting to read about a recent trip or memory when the card came back. I was very surprised when the card came back from Brazil! I don't think Michael was in Brazil this year, as he writes that his trip to the Falls was in 1996. I suspect he sent the written postcard all the way to Brazil to get mailed back to me. I am absolutely thrilled by this!

Michael notes that before visiting Iguaçu, one should visit another great waterfall, Niagara Falls in North America. The roar and magnitude of Niagara is indeed awesome, but after seeing Iguaça, the North American experience is put into perspective.

Beautiful Vienna

2011-06-19T21:37:00.001-04:00

This card comes back from Heather with a wonderful message. Schloß Schönbrunn (schöbrunn means "beautiful spring" as in spring water used for artesian wells) is a massive palace in Wien (Vienna), Austria. Heather and her husband have a deep love of music, and cultural history, and would love to visit Vienna for both those reasons. They would also like to visit for another, even more wonderful, reason. Their daughter is named Vienna, after this beautiful city of music and culture.

How To Love Shakespeare

2011-06-18T21:40:00.000-04:00

Leilanie visited Stratford-Upon-Avon in 2006 and she writes that she felt she had stepped back in time. This postcard is vintage, but I suspect the town doesn't change much.

I read a bit of Shakespeare in high school but I can't say that I loved it. I have seen some stage productions of the plays, and enjoyed them, but, again, didn't love them. I think I need to go to Stratford-Upon-Avon and immerse myself in Shakespeare. THAT I'm sure I'd love.

I was thrilled to be able to add the very old Shakespeare postage to this card before sending it to Leilanie to return. It was issued in 1964 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's birth. The first day release location was Stratford, Connecticut, which does have a Shakespeare festival every year, but doesn't much look like its UK counterpart.

Happy Hour

2011-06-17T21:19:00.001-04:00

One of my collecting interests is anything to do with food and beverage. This retro-look postcard with its chartreuse background is just the sort of card I love to receive. Some of these beverages could be soft drinks, but that one on the far left is most certainly a martini. I like the idea of martinis, but not the taste. I usually just eat the olive and move on.

Juli sent this orphaned postcard back soon after a visit to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (the other big city in my state), where she enjoyed a drinking establishment called The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co. Doesn't much sound like a place where one would enjoy a lovely beverage, does it? Back in the days of Prohibition (1920-1933) in the US, alcohol was against the law, but that just made it more interesting to get. Thus was born the "speakeasy,"a place that usually hid its actual purpose behind a legal sounding operation, like an investment company.

Interestingly, Juli also noted that Wikipedia has an entry that suggests the word "speakeasy" was actually born here in my city, Pittsburgh. The article linked in Wikipedia is a Wall Street Journal story from 2007. It's an interesting article about 21st century speakeasies. Alcohol is not prohibited in most places in the US, but sometimes making something seem forbidden makes it all the more attractive, and lucrative!

Tying Tongues in Knots

2011-06-16T21:43:00.001-04:00

Go ahead. I dare you. Try to say the name of this Welsh town. In case you can't read it, it is
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. According to wikipedia, it means "St Mary's Church (Llanfair) in the hollow (pwll) of the white hazel (gwyngyll) near (goger) the rapid whirlpool (y chwyrndrobwll) and the church of St Tysilio (llantysilio) by the red cave ([a]g ogo goch)." The town's name was a 19th century publicity stunt to get more tourists to the area. It worked. Lots of people go there just because of the name.

Lufra lives in Malaysia, but visited Llanfairpwttgwyngyll (the "short" version) because of its long name when she was in Wales. Her host made her say the long version, and Lufra writes that it is easier if you "break it apart and remember the Welsh words." I think vowels must have cost money when the Welsh language was invented because they seem to be rather rare.

There is a lake in my birth state of Massachusetts called Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg. It means, roughly, in the native Nipmuc language, "You fish on your side of the lake and I'll fish on my side and nobody fishes in the middle." My great aunt Doris lived near this lake and I remember visiting it when I was a child. I loved the name. I never could pronounce the Native American name, though.

Tower Hike

2011-06-15T22:41:00.000-04:00

This towering building is St. Vitus Cathedral in Praha, Czech Republic. I remember being awed by the size of this cathedral when I visited Praha many years ago. At the point of my travels I was a bit overwhelmed by so many cathedrals that I didn't pay enough attention to architecture or history surrounding me.

When Amanda visited Praha, she was chaperoned by her grandparents. One day they let her go out exploring on her own while they visited friends and Amanda decided to climb the tower at St. Vitus, all 287 steps. She writes that it was a frightening experience because the stairwell is narrow and steep and people were coming up and down it at the same time, but the view from the top is amazing.

I don't think I could climb anything of this height, except if I had about 30 or so postcards to write and lots and lots of time to climb. For every 10 steps I would sit and write a postcard. I suspect that would not be allowed because it would cause even more congestion in the stairwell.