Old London Cards

Old Postcards

I was going through some of my family's photos the last time I was in Canada and I found these interesting postcards.  They are all blank and I have no idea when they were bought.  I was the last family member to go to Britain, and that was in 1983 or thereabouts, but I think these are from before then. I hope you enjoy them!

Admiralty Arch And the Mall

Aerial View of Tower Bridge and the City of London

Hyde Park Corner and Hilton Hotel, London

I wish that whoever had bought them had dated some of them, it would have been nice to know just when these were from.  Sadly, the last postcard in particular has had a bit of a rough life, and they do smell a little mildewed.  Fun to look at though!

Ukraine

October 31, 2013

Val sent his greetings from Kiyv.  He says this is one of the rare Ukrainian fantasy palaces overlooking the Black Sea.   He loves castles, he visits as many of them with his wife as he can, but they are mostly in Europe, although the Ukraine has some great fortresses too.

Swallow's Next Palace, Crimea

There were two really interesting stamps on the postcard.  They were overlapped a bit, but you get the idea!

Russia

October 28, 2013

Alesya from Russia said, "Hello Helen!  Greetings from Moscow!  This year in Russia the Olympic games are holding. Last week we met the Olympic fire on the streets of Moscow.  Now it is going through the country to the last point--Sochi.  Best wishes!"

Thanks Alesya.  My sister watched the Olympic flame go by once upon a time in Canada--she was so excited about it.

Ballerina and movie actress Irina Baronova in a muslin dress with a Pekinese in her arms in a scene in the movie Florian, Hollywood, 1940

Great Olympic stamp-Thanks!

Finland

October 26, 2013

Kimmo sent this very long card from Finland.  He wrote,"Hello and greetings from Finland.  This postcard shows Yyteri, which is about 20km away from our city centre.  It's a beautiful sand dune. It's over 6 km long white sand beach.   It's very unique place and it's nature preserve area.  "

He finishes with a Happy Postcrossing greeting.


When he sent the card it was only +2 degrees Celsius, but it was sunny too.

The stamp looks quite autumnal, perhaps a special stamp for the harvest season?  I'm not sure what the fruit is.  If you have an idea what it is, please let me know.  

It's a big stamp!  I love it.

Taiwan

October 25, 2013

Cindy marked that the weather was sunny on her card when she sent it.

She writes that she's Cindy from Taiwan.  She lives in Taipei, it's a small city but it is very developed.  She says that many people live here.  She hopes I like this postcard. (I do!)

Yushan Rhododendron - Taiwan

China

October 25, 2013

I received this rather postal-scarred card from Liu in China recently.
She wrote that she lives in Zhenzhou of Henan Province, where the Shaolin Temple is located.  The card she sent shows the Wuhou Memorial Temple which is one of the famous views in Henan.

She sent her best wishes to me too.  

Wuhou Memorial Temple at Nanyang

Ukraine

October 23, 2013

Alisa from Kyiv, Ukraine sent this card to me.  She writes that this card shows a famous monument house with chimaezas.  She tells me that it is located in the center of Kyiv.

She also writes that she has many favourite movies such as Casino Royale.  She finishes by wishing me Happy Postcrossing and tells me the temperature when she wrote the card it was 15 degrees Celsius.

House with Chimaeras

The stamp is quite nice too.  It's small but interesting.

Germany

October 23, 2013

This little black and white card comes from Germany. Gitta writes that she is a grandmother of 67 years and she lives in a small town with her daughter and grandson and a lot of animals. She continues," I enjoy postcrossing because I have the whole world in my life.  I have no chance to travel, so I hear so much about lifes(sic) all over the world."

Happy Postcrossing and a lovely week!

Torfkahn-Armada

Spain

October 21, 2013

Luis in Spain wrote," Helen.  A postcard from a little village in the north-east Spain, near to France.  Best wishes..."

There was an interesting stamp on the card.  I like the cancellation stamp too!

International Year of Cooperation in the Field of Water

Netherlands

October 21, 2013

This card came to me from the Netherlands.  Greta sent it and says, "This card shows a typical Dutch delicacy: poffertjes. A tiny pancake variation."

She continues, "My name is Greta. I live in the city of Groningen."

The Dutch Connection: Cooking Poffertjes

Thanks for the delicious looking card, Greta!

Finland

October 21, 2013

Brian sent this comic book cover card to me from Finland.  He's Irish, but lives in Finland.

He writes,"I find this fascinating. I have visited Japan 5 times, all work related.  Always in Osaka/Kansai.  I love the country/culture and would love to know what you think.

War At Sea #26
July, 1958
Charlton Comics
Charles Nicholas and Vince Alascia

There was a beautiful stamp on the card too.  The odd thing is that it looks like there may be another stamp underneath!

Taiwan

October 21, 2013

Lucia sent this very cool card from Taiwan.  I've honestly never seen one like this before.  It is basically a big slide.  The detail and the colours are very beautiful and the actual picture is very clear.

Lucia sends her greetings from Taiwan.  This is Taipei City so she decided to share this postcard with me.  She hopes I like it.  She wishes me a nice day with love.

Germany

October 21, 2013

Jana sent a movie card from Germany.

She writes that she lives in a small village without sights with her husband, 3 children and 2 cats.

She loves to write postcards and to receive them from all over the world.  She sends her kind regards.

I'm not a fan of the Twilight series, but of all the characters in the film, she sent me the card I would appreciate most!

Germany

October 19, 2013

I received this interesting card from Herbert.  He writes that he lives with his two daughters in Germany near Bonn.  He says there is a famous valley with great red wine nearby.  He was recently in Spain and saw the museum in Figueras of Salvador Dali's works.
He wishes me all the best.

Salvador Dali
Mercuri i Argos, 1981
Teatre-Museu Dali, Figueres

Japan - Gotochi Card

October 17, 2013

Kayo sent me this great Gotochi card from Saga.  She writes that a Hot Air Balloon fiesta is held in her city annually.  She also invited me there to join the festival.  It runs from October 31 to November 4th, but as I just returned from overseas I can't afford any more trips!  

Thanks so much Kayo!  I love your card.

Gotochi cards cost a little more than a regular letter to send within Japan.  Kayo used one of the lovely International Letter-Writing Week stamps from last year to send the card.

Thank you so much!

Russia

October 16, 2013

Tatyana said that she sent this card to me because she saw it in my favourites.  Thank you for that!

Her favourite movies are Point Break, Knockin' On Heaven's Door & many old Soviet movies.

She closes by wishing me a happy postcrossing.

Czech Republic

October 14, 2013

Peter sent this card and wrote,"Hello, I send my greeting, from Czech Republic.  My name is Peter and I live near city of Liberec situated on North part of my country.  It is 5th largest Czech city."
He finishes by wishing me a nice day.  Thanks Peter!

I wasn't able to find any information about this stamp.  Does any reader have an idea?

China

October 11, 2013

Sadly, there isn't very much to say about this one.  The sender didn't write anything on the back of the card, not even Happy Postcrossing! There are a few rubber stamp stamp-marks on the back, but that was it.  

The card itself is wacky and a little wild! 

A Special Card

From South Africa, 1968

When I was a child, my father worked for various oil companies.  One of the companies was in South Africa.  He went there to work and my mother and sister and I followed him a few weeks later.  

Recently, I was in Canada and was going through old photos and I found this special card.  My father sent this card to us to let us know how he was and to say how much he missed us.  It was a lovely look at the early part of my parent's relationship.

Koeberg National Road Intersection, Devil's Peak, and
Table Mountain, Cape.