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.
flammeküeche (France)
I first encountered flammeküeche when I moved to France in 2004. There was a restaurant in Lille where you could order it. It struck me as a very Teutonic pizza, and I suppose it’s not that far from what one might expect. I always understood it to be impossible to make in the US because it required that most French of ingredients: crème fraîche (there isn’t even a translation for it in English; it’s known simply as that: crème fraîche).
But more and more supermarkets carry crème fraîche now, so it’s easy to make! Now the bottleneck is lardons, which are difficult to get in the US. I substitute bacon when I’m getting impatient for it, but now I’m lucky that there’s a restaurant just a few blocks away that serves it, and well!
So thanks to Dominique for sending this, the eightieth postcard from France, and reminding me of a dish I love so much!
El Alamein Fountain, Kings Cross (Australia)
This postcard comes from northern Australia, but the postcard itself depicts the El Alamein Fountain in Kings Cross, Sydney. This area, according to the sender, is also known as Potts Point, and is gay enclave, apparently! Never having been to Australia, I have no first-hand knowledge of it, but of course, Sydney is famous for its gay life.
Lego baking (Indiana)
I have always loved Legos - they’re such a creative toy and they featured prominently during my youth, especially at Christmas. We would often get a large Lego set as a group gift to my brothers and me (and somehow my dad always joined in, too!). And then we would spend several happy hours assembling the set together and running the train. One year, we got the lunar monorail set and we. were. smitten. Nozomi sends this baking one from her collection of Lego postcards. I adore it!
Wissembourg (France)
Comment j’adore l’architecture de l’est de la France (et, je suppose, l’ouest de l’Allemagne) comme c’est peint ici! Elle est tellement typique et me fait penser toujours aux petits villages avec leur ruelles coincées, à chaque passe un autre secret à découvrir. Il y a plein pour être heureux ici, mais j’admets un fort désir de voyager au moment donné. Merci à Dominique pour cette carte postale. J’ai l’impression de tout apprendre sur l’Alsace avec ne plus que ses cartes postales!
Oh. Happy Day! (Germany)
I’m not sure if the post office has been harder on postcards lately, or if I’ve just had bad luck - but this postcard is a bit worse for wear after its travels from western Germany. Nonetheless, its happy message resounds!
Nations Unis - New York
Voici une vue des Nations Unis à New York, envoyée par mon amie Sylvia. J’y suis allé il y a presque 30 ans et je pense que j’ai également envoyé des cartes postales avec leur poste. Les Nations Unis ont leur propre poste avec des timbres et tout. Cette carte postale-ci en a deux (il y a l’edifice et la drapeau de Vanuatu).
Eiteljorg Museum (Indiana)
There are only two disadvantages to lenticular postcards such as this one: a) they’re expensive, and b) they don’t scan well. So all you, dear readers, get is a blurry image of some deer maybe in front of a beige building. I guess you’ll have to visit the Eiteljorg Museum, like my friend Nozomi and her husband.
“Slava Ukraini” (Lithuania)
Unfortunately, this card was damaged in the mail, so it even came in its own envelope (I’ve seen this before from the post office). Luckily, it made it intact enough to be delivered! It’s a great postcard from my penpal in Lithuania - he says this postcard was issued by the Lithuanian post in support of the Ukrainian people. It’s really beautiful!
two recipes (Russia)
I won’t scan the sender’s message or the letter they wrote, tempted though I am. They translated the recipes for kocovik and skantsy. So lovely! They even drew little figures as schematics for how to shape the dough!
books and cinnamon rolls (Pennsylvania)
I love watercolors and the soft pastels of this card are really great! It arrived from another houseplant enthusiast; I’m envious of her schefflera! Unfortunately, it’s toxic to pets, so I don’t think I’ll be getting one!
peace and pride (Finland)
I’ve been trying to keep my PostCrossing queue up and running, but I admit that I’ve let it lapse these past few weeks due to some overwhelming work requirements. But this lovely peace symbol over the pride flag is a great reminder of how much I love PostCrossing!
Eagle Newel Post (Oregon)
We just recently spent a weekend in Vancouver, Washington with my in-laws and took the opportunity to visit my dear friend Linda. In response to that visit, she sent this captivating postcard!
The legend says (hyperlinks mine, of course): Eagle Newel Post, Timberline Lodge, Oregon. Designed by Florence Thomas, the Eagle Newel Post is located at the South stairway landing to the Main Lounge on the first floor. The Newel posts were carved from old telephone poles which were recycled by the WPA for this purpose. Twelve plaster castings from Paris were copied by WPA workers between 1935 and 1937, and all of the carvings are featured throughout the lodge.
board meeting (Hawai’i)
My brother-in-law is a frequent visitor to Maui and sent this terrific postcard from a recent visit there. Who doesn’t love a great pun? I’m sure one never attends a bored meeting in Maui. Eh? EH?!
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.