Tag Archives: postcard

Lost postcards

10 Jun

Darn the postal service.

For once, the USPS isn’t entirely to blame. I’ve experienced equally poor service from the Royal Mail.

Once, while standing in a long, slow Post Office queue, I heard a lady say, “the Queen would be ashamed.” The English, at the least the over 60s, really believe the Queen runs the mail. In fact, an effort underway to curb pensioner fraud had to address the misperception that anything that comes through “the Queen’s mail” is trustworthy.

We know better. As you can see, some of the postcards I sent were lost in the mail and have only recently surfaced. There are more out there, but at least the postcards from Brussels, Hvar, Vieques, Casablanca, Bath, Paris and Cambridge finally showed up.

More postcards to come, if the Queen ever bothers to deliver to them.

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Postcard from Cambridge, England

5 Jun

Clare Bridge across the River Cam, in Cambridge, England

Hi-

Pinch me, I live here. I’m looking for Harry Potter and his friends around every cobble-stoned corner.

Surprised (and annoyed) to find this town is a major tourist destination. I need to stop projecting the tourist vibe so that the guys in straw hats no longer me if I “fancy a punt” every time I enter the market to buy groceries.

Lots of love,
A

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Postcard from Paris, France

30 May

Inside Musée du Louvre in Paris, France

Hi-

Remember how we always made fun of the French? Well, now I sort of love the place*, but I’m embarrassed and disappointed that I didn’t fall in love with Paris during our first visit. Perhaps it was too much hype?

For Nick, it was love at first sight. My feelings are trying to catch up, but sometimes the love that take longer to develop is the most deep and lasting. (Ew, maybe this City of Love stuff is getting to me after all.)

Miss you,
A

*In particular, I love the wine, chocolate, pastries, butter…

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Postcard from Bath, England

22 May

Roman Baths and Bath Abbey, in Bath, England

Hi-

Another beautiful town ruined by tourist traps. The proliferation of High Street shops is nauseating. (Zara and H&M are the CVS & Starbucks of Europe.)

We’ve opted to skip the shopping and are instead running the risk of pickling ourselves by trying to fit in as many spa treatments and thermal bath time as possible in 48 hours.

Lots of love,
A

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Postcard from Casablanca, Morocco

20 May

Deconsecrated L’Eglise du Sacre-Coeur in Casablanca, Morocco

Hi-

This place is like the Roman ruins of Art Deco.

It seems the culture values the old ways, but not old things. We walked through/around/over construction – street rails being installed in the central city and business parks near the port – but progress was hard to see. Perhaps the Casablanca of the past and the future is better than its current iteration.

Lots of love,
A

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Postcard from Vieques, Puerto Rico

17 May

Beach in Vieques, Puerto Rico

Hi-

The only traffic jams on this island are caused by goats and horses wandering onto the two paved roads.

Took the Jeep to the old U.S. military base and did donuts before heading to down rutted, unpaved, overgrown paths to the beaches on both the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea sides of the island. But for the feeling that the smoke monster from Lost would start trailing us, we had everything to ourselves.

It’s only a matter of time before this place is spoiled, but we got to experience it before it is.

Lots of love,
A

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Postcard from Hvar, Croatia

15 May

Harbor on Island of Hvar, Croatia

Hi-

If you want to buy an ancient stone building, sans roof, on a beautiful island in the Adriatic, I saw some for sale. For a moment, I tried to imagine what the real estate listing would say, but from the back of a scooter, my mind was quickly distracting by the sweeping views.

I’ve never been on a motorcycle before – do you think riding on the back of this scooter counts?

Lots of love,
A

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Postcard from Brussels, Belgium

9 May

Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert in Brussels, Belgium

Hi-

This city has multiple personality disorder and I don’t like most of them. What do you expect from a city that made a peeing little boy its icon?

Drinking would be an option, but Nick insisted that we visit a lambic brewery, where they take incredible pride in their flat and bitter beer that should be drunk warm. I need more Delirium and less madness.

Lots of love,
A

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