Kenya Safari

Back in the day, when I first started collecting postcards, I used to yearn for a card from Kenya. Before postcrossing, I tried (and tried!) to find someone on Interpals who would swap with me, but no one did and eventually I gave up. So when postcard pixie Ruhan (god, I love that man!) organised this swap for me out of the blue, I was over the moon! This card comes from Mary who lives in Nakuru and she tells me this card says all that you need to know about the country: it is beautiful. I just love it! Beautiful scenes, beautiful wildlife, beautiful culture! Fantastic card!

Turkey Via Belarus

This stunning card comes from Oly in Belarus who bought it whilst on holiday with her boyfriend in Turkey. It is really stunning! I have never been to Turkey but cards like this make me want to visit! She tells me she is happier now than she has ever been before in her life, so I wish her and her boyfriend all the best!

My 100th Country!

I finally did it! I hit 100 countries! What a success! And what a country to receive as my 100th! Bahrain! Before going any further though, I must thank my little postcard pixies: Ruhan and Dilyana who collaberated in secret to get this card sent to me so I could hit 100 – and from my understanding of it, it wasn’t an easy feat. I just love how postcards can bring people together! This card is from Edwin and shows the oldest mosque in Bahrain, apparently it has recently been under scaffolding to protect it from damage by nearby roadworks but it is just stunning! Love it!

Vintage South Africa

Ruhan says these cards aren’t in print anymore – that makes it vintage, doesn’t it? So, here’s an old South African card to show you all. It’s also my housewarming card from my wonderful friend who is grumpy because he wasn’t invited to the housewarming. My bad. Ruhan, if you want to come, you’re absolutely invited! Great card!

The Tsymlyanskoye Lighthouse (Try Saying That Quickly Ten Times)

Ignore the title, try saying it quickly once! This card comes from Marina in Moldova and she tells me that this fantastic lighthouse can be found on the Tsymlyanskoye Reservoir in Russia. She tells me that Moldova used to be in the Soviet Block (which I knew) and that as such it has a lot in common with other ex-Soviet countries. Its wildlife is apparently very similar to Romania, the Ukraine and Southern Russia. Marina herself is Russian and her husband is Moldovan and she says she moved to Moldova after their wedding, twenty five years ago but that she still doesn’t feel at home there – mainly because she misses the sea. I can understand missing home, but it does seem a beautiful country! What a great and informative card too!

Table Mountain

My first card from South Africa that isn’t from Ruhan! This one comes from Lyn who lives in Cape Town so I now have another stunning view of Table Mountain. She doesn’t say much other than how beautiful her town is (figured that one out already!), but ever since I received my first card from South Africa, I’ve been falling more and more in love with the place.

Les Mouches et Les Elephants

This lovely card comes from Olia in Belarus and shows a French print by Claude Gillot called “Les Mouches et Les Elephants” or “flies and elephants”. Olia seems like a genuinely lovely person. She tells me I am a “wonderful woman” to follow my heart and live in Guernsey with my boyfriend. Who said flattery will get you nowhere? I’ve already had a little ego-boost from this card! Olia says she studies architecture and that she has even named her favourite building in Minsk ‘Gertruda’ – her favourite girl’s name! Brilliant! What a lovely card!

A Ukrainian City Hall

This pretty card comes from six month old Misha in the Ukraine who is aided in his postcrossing feats by his mother Sveta. The card shows the city hall in Kamyanets-Podilskiy – an old city in the west of the country and on the back I am told all about his big brother Denis and their cat Spilya. Very cute.

Enchanting Taiwan

There’s something about this spooky postcard, sent from Vivien in Taiwan, that really appeals to me. As she points out, it is eery but captivating and I couldn’t agree more! The colours and the image itself are all very peaceful. Vivien tells me she lives in Taiwan’s oldest and fourth largest city: Tainan and that her favourite food is Japanese. Awesome card!

One For The Collection!

Any long-term follower of my blog may well remember Igor from the USA with whom I did a direct swap and then postcrossing picked him for me to send an ID card to, initiating further swaps and a new follower for my blog! He has always been very helpful with my deciphering of some of my eastern European (specifically Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian) cards and I really appreciate his kindness. So it was a wonderful surprise to receive this hilarious card from him in the mail the other day to add to my creepy/awful/strange postcards collection and isn’t it just great? He bought it in Tombstone Arizona which was apparently renowned for its ‘justice’ system in the 1800’s… hmm! I just love these tombstones though! Awesome card! I’d be interested to know though (maybe Igor can help here…?) what came first – Tombstone’s name or its nature?