Here are the postcards!
I’ve been collecting postcards since 2008. Since then, I’ve sent and received over 1800 postcards from all over the US and dozens of countries. I respond to every postcard I receive, so I’m always open for private swaps.
My origin story: Back when I was a young boy, I got the idea to write a letter to several world leaders, but I only ever ended up writing the US president and the Queen of England. I was so tickled to receive responses from President Bush and then Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II! Well, they weren’t directly from the world leaders, but rather from their staff members. President Bush sent me an autographed photograph (which I lost later in a show-and-tell accident).
One of the Queen’s ladies-in-waiting sent me a very detailed letter, typed on Buckingham Palace stationery, answering all of my questions about the Queen’s horses and her corgis and her favorite foods. I marveled at the strangely-sized paper, the texture of the embossed coat of arms centered at the top of the page, and the stamps on the envelope. A real person had spent time reading my letter, responding to it, folding it and placing it in an envelope, and then more real human beings had taken the time and effort to transport it from London to some mail distribution center, to an airport in England, to an airport in the US, and back through the various USPS chains until it arrived in a plastic mailbox at the foot of my driveway in southeast Michigan.
I’m still fascinated by this process today, and all for less than the price of some chocolate! So I maintain correspondence with about a dozen penpals across the world, and send and receive postcards. At last count, I have a little under 2,000 postcards that I’ve received. Keep scrolling to see the most recent postcards that have arrived in my mailbox.
la Petite Pierre (France)
Sometimes it’s the place and sometimes it’s the company - in this case, it’s both! Dominique spent a lovely evening with friends in this town listening to the many stories of a career flight attendant on long-haul Air France flights. Oh, the stories she can tell, I bet!
The back says (translation is mine): Built in the 7th century, the Petite Pierre castle was rebuilt in the 16th century. Today it is the administrative seat of the regional Vosges du Nord Natural Park.
Girl with a pearl earring (Netherlands)
I think everyone in the US, at least, knows this painting! Perhaps they’ve seen the movie about its mysterious subject? But how many have actually been able to see the painting itself in person? I know at least two people who were able to do so - former students of mine - who visited the Mauritshuis in the Hague. They also rented bicycles and visiting tulip fields! What a delight!
Great Lakes Brewing (Pennsylvania)
One of the fun surprises about PostCrossing is you never know where your postcards will come from! This one came from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - my old stomping grounds! I have a very soft spot in my heart for Pittsburgh, as it’s where I first discovered PostCrossing, and more importantly, where Andy and I first met!
Key Lime Pie (bis) (Florida)
This recipe looks so simple! Can it actually work? And you don’t even need to bake it; you just chill it. Maybe I’ll give it a try! Thanks to Pat for reaching out to me about a private swap.
Bundeskanzler (Germany)
Here is another terrific postcard from Germany. Dominique has been able to travel quite a bit lately, taking advantage of long weekends and of course the proximity of Germany to Alsace. This is another comic from Willy Brandt Stiftung; I’ll ask my niece to translate it for me and post the translation soon!
Tiroler Landes Museen (France)
Cette choque purpre vient - j’imagine que vous sachiez déjà - de mon ami Dominique, envoyée de la France mais en provenance d’Autriche. Elle a été designée par le Musée Tiroler Landes à Innsbruck. Il y a un jeu de paroles mais n’en parlant pas l’allemain, je ne le comprends pas! Peut-être c’est le mot “identität” (qui peu être écrit “identitaet”) avec les lettres colorisées pour écrire un mot qui est homophone avec le français “tête”? Mais je ne vois pas s’il y ai quelque chose de plus là-bas.
handmade collage (Japan)
Sometimes, a PostCrosser will send such a beautiful, handmade postcard that I immediately feel bad about the staid, store-bought postcards that I buy and send. But Andy reminds me that this may just be how people express themselves, and everyone is out there doing their own best thing. Well, this postcard from Japan is certainly one of the best I’ve received!
Baden-Baden (Germany)
Dominique sent another great postcard from Germany (this is the twelfth!), this time explaining to me an interesting fact about Alsace. Apparently, Good Friday (Vendredi Saint) is a holiday in region, unlike in the rest of France, due to a commemoration of the Bismarck Regime. Due to this, many Alsatian people take advantage of the long weekend to travel to Germany to do some shopping and sight-seeing, especially in the Catholic areas where shops and restaurants stay open (in contrast to those in Protestant areas)!
running of the bulls (Spain)
Certainly among the most iconic of all Spanish practices, the running of the bulls has a long and varied history. I can’t say that I would be brave enough to attempt this, despite my recent successes in running. But I might be convinced to watch from a balcony two or three stories up!
Maison Kammerzell (France)
Voici une carte postale d’un restaurant très celebre an France, dont les recettes mon ami Dominique m’a beacoup écrit. Comment j’ai hâte de le visiter! Ce qui me plaît tellement de cette carte postale est la manière de coloriser la nourriture et pas la cuisine ni le cuisiniers. Ça fait briller l’étoile d’un tel restaurant: le repas!
Monterey (California)
Our friend ran another event! She was just in Canada not too long ago and now she completed the Big Sur International Marathon - finding time somehow to send this terrific postcard! It’s hard to read in this scan, but look at the amazing subtitle: “Monterey, California, in 842 - before the gringo came.”
Lisbon (Portugal)
Given its proximity to Spain, it’s a shame I haven’t yet been to Portugal. But many of our friends have traveled there, including Maribel and José who sent this hello from their recent trip! The tiles, the food, the landscapes - it all just sounds so enticing!
Donostia (Spain)
Recibí esta postal de otro miembro de PostCrossing quién me invitó a intercambiar postales. Cómo él vive en el País Vasco, yo querría recibir algo de las ciudades muy famosas de esta región, y me mandó esta postal panorámica de la ciudad de Donostia (conocida en español como San Sebastián). Esta región nunca he visitado, pero siempre he tenido una gran facinacion por ella desde que aprendí sobre los euskaldunak y su cultura (y claro su idioma - ya sabeís bien que me fascinan los idiomas minoritarios).
samovar (Russia)
There’s something magical about a samovar, isn’t there? The idea of a huge pot of tea just waiting for a group of friends or family to sit down and enjoy the afternoon together with some cakes and sandwiches. This postcard arrives from Russia after 70 days (not unusual for postcards coming from or going to different parts of the world). It was a great surprise in the mailbox this week.
Hamburg (Germany)
Here’s another postcard from Germany, this one I can translate on my own (but I hope our niece will correct me if I’m wrong): Fishmarket! I’m not even going to check it with a robo-translator. This visit to Hamburg was the first in 15 years for Dominique and brought lots of new sites/sights!
Haguenau (France)
Cette carte est venue de mon ami Dominique, qui vient de m’envoyer ce poème allemand qui a été traduit par ma nièce. Voici une vue de sa ville et je vois les traces des villes du nord-est de la France. J’éspère ne pas causer de l’offense en notant les similarités entre les deux régions.
“A Few Figs from Thistles” (Nevada)
I too love this postcard from my brother-in-law who writes that it reminds him of another time. I agree! I love how the ends of her hair are so distinct but her forehead fades into the background.
Willy Brandt Stiftung (Germany)
This terrific postcard comes from Germany, courtesy of my penpal Dominique. I sent the front and back to my niece-extraordinaire who translated it bravely for me:
“Nothing comes from self. And only a little comes from waiting. That is why Evan reflects all of your strength and thereupon every age seeks to respond in its own way and one has to be at one’s height if good things are to take effect.“ I think it’s terrific; I hope she adds poetry translator to her resume, too!
Earth Day (is every day) (Indiana)
My penpal Kimberly sent this great postcard as a nice reminder of how important it is to be responsible and generous stewards of the planet.
Highland Park (California)
Earlier this month, we spent the first weekend apart since before the pandemic. Andy attended a friend’s wedding in Los Angeles that co-occurred with our hosting a family member here for the week, so I stayed here. Despite the quick trip down to LA and back in just a few days, Andy of course found a store with these great postcards and sent them to me! I even got one of them the day before he returned. <3