OFFICIAL Card - France

Audrey lives outside of Grenoble, France. She shared with me her favourite quote from the book The Little Prince. I have lost count the number of "Little Prince" references I have come across the last few months. I must read it soon to feel like I am a bit more with it! Either way, her quote is great! "One sees clearly only with the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eye." So true!

Greetings from France - Direct Swap with Veronique

Veronique from France responded to my post in the Postcrossing Forum looking for the various "Greetings from..." cards. I was happy that she agreed and even happier when her card arrived. Veronique took a moment to help a explain a previous blog post of mine. She wrote that it is the back of "Hospice Comtesse", an old hospital and now museum. Nice to have the additional information - thanks Veronique! The amount of wine and cheese produced according to the card is staggering!

OFFICIAL Card - Netherlands

Anne-Lies might live in The Netherlands but she found and sent this great card showing the map of the Paris Metro to me. I am pretty good at reading a map but wowza that looks a bit confusing!

Direct Swap - Guadeloupe from Gosia

Gosia lives in Italy and was travelling to Guadeloupe for vacation. She kindly offered to swap with a few people and I was in the right place at the right time with the right card. As I sit and write this post it is high noon, sunny and -27C with the wind chill. When will winter end. It is beautiful palm trees and a beach like this that remind me that warmth and summer still exist. Only 20 days until Spring, on paper at least!

OFFICIAL Card - France

This card from Lille, France arrived in December and was sent from a family of 5. They used super fun Christmas stickers and washi tape and wished me a Merry Christmas. I must admit the view on the card has me a bit stumped. When I translate it the words in English say "Lille, the Island Countess". I cannot find anything when I google and the text on the back if I am translating correctly talk about a hospital?!? I think I have a bit more researching to do with this one.

OFFICIAL Card - France

Estelle studies geography and has a passion for climbing and mountaineering. She sent this card to me showing views of the mountain where she went climbing that morning. How cool is that! Looks beautiful.

OFFICIAL Card - France

Nathalie chose this card for me because it shows some symbols of France, namely the Chateaux of the Loire Valley. She writes that her favourite is the castle in Chambord and asks me which one mine would be. I don't think I could pick just one they are all beautiful for different reasons.

Lottery Win - Sabina from France

Sabina was travelling to Lille, France to see her family and was offering a lottery to one lucky winner. Guess who that was? Right - me!!! This great view card came showing the City Hall in Lille. Extra bonus for me that she sent me a wish list card. Thank you Sabina!

Random Act of Smiliness - Eileen from England

Eileen is one of the kindest people I have never met. I know that probably sounds strange but only knowing her through postcards and emails, in reality we have never met. Back in May after the meet-up she attended she continued on to Paris for a few days. She sent this card to the kids showing gargoyles atop of Notre Dame Cathedral. So thoughtful! Funny thing - the card was addressed to "39" a number that does not exist on my street and my post office knew when sorting it to try us. Maybe they've noticed we get a lot of postcards!

OFFICIAL Card - France

Alexandra sent this card back in June and it arrived in a quick 5 days. The views shows a sandy area within the Forest of Fontainebleau. This is the forest that surrounds her hometown which is about 70kms from Paris.

OFFICIAL Card - France

Laurent lives in the town of Montelimar in the south of France. The town is well known for nougat, a candy which I don't have often but like most candy I do enjoy. It is on the road "Nationale 7" and the views within the card are shaped to look like the famous candy boxes from the town. Love the looks of that carousel.

OFFICIAL Card - France

Some days you just have to wonder what adventure cards take when travelling to you. Personally, I like to draw a name one night and think about the card I am going to select overnight. Then the next morning after the kids go to school I sit down to write them to then post when I go into town. Everyone is different. While my address was drawn at the beginning of February this card wasn't postmarked until April 24 and then arrived two days later. So....what happened that it then took "80 days" to travel to me? Did it get stuck in a mail box? Get caught up in some papers at home and forgotten about? Left on the scanner bed until the next time you send cards (yes, I've done this more than once!) What do you think?

Either way, Melanie sent this card with some great views of her hometown. She writes that it is right on the Atlantic Ocean. That beach looks very inviting, especially that it is just hovering above freezing here, windy and wet.

OFFICIAL Card - Latvia

Both of my kids are on-again, off-again Postcrossers. One of the countries my son received a card from was Latvia. For some reason, the country short form for Latvia - LV - always stuck with him. He even started to call Las Vegas "the LV". It became a running joke between us. So, because we would go through periods where it was discussed more than most households I too was hoping to get a card from "LV".

In mid-March my brother in law was travelling to Latvia for work. I was excited as he said he would send me a card. Imagine my surprise when on the day he left this card arrived in my mailbox from "LV"! I couldn't have scripted it better.

Skilla, sent me this vintage view card of the Centre of New Industries and Technologies in France. She wrote on the "Here is French architecture. Latvia ...good buildings...I did not have postcards with them." Kind of different, kind of bubble bursting but at least the stamps are from Latvia!

Thank You Card - Eliette from France

At the beginning of February I drew Eliette's name to send an official card to. I had just received an on-line order I had made and sent her this card, as she had asked for "funny/crazy" and I figured what was wackier that a cat doing yoga! She must have really like it as she sent me this lovely card of her hometown Nice, France. So very thoughtful of her - thank you for the thank you!

OFFICIAL Card - France

Agnes sent this card to me a few weeks ago. It shows the L'Ain region of France and several little scenes of the area. Agnes has lived in there for 13 years. She says the area is famous for Chicken of Bresse, (which I'll be honest I have never heard of but after reading that article I know why) and also frogs legs, which I had many moons ago, once, enough said. Agnes also chose a great stamp for her card.

OFFICIAL Card - France

When I first started Postcrossing this is exactly the type of card I thought and hoped I would receive. I love it! The Eiffel Tower is such an iconic image  and to see it like this - especially at night - just is so beautiful to me. Great choice Nadia - thank you!

OFFICIAL Card - France

Jean- Jacques lives in the southern part of Alsace, France which he tells me is the most beautiful part of his country. Check out those flower baskets in the lower right. They are wonderful!  Reminds me of the baskets they have in Victoria, BC. I could only dream about having flowers that beautiful. The stamp he used is really neat, I can't see that it is an Olympic stamp but nice nonetheless.

OFFICIAL Card - France

Last week I received this beautiful card from Jean-Robert in France. The card shows 9 different lakes in the Pyrenees, the area which he lives in. The mountains look stunning. I included the back of the card as it tells the name of each lake.

OFFICIAL Card - France

I received this card from Martine in Lyon, France last July. It is an ad-card for an outdoor hotel as seen here. That could be a really comfortable or really weird nights sleep or both!

OFFICIAL Card - France

I would love to receive a map card of each US State and Canadian Province. So far, I haven't received too many but one can live to dream, right? I received this card at the end of October. While I am thankful for all cards, I must say at the same time this one was a touch disappointing. First, it came from France. The Eiffel Tower may seem boring to someone there but I've never seen it LOL! Also, South Carolina is one State I already have a map of. Of well, at least I received it. Another Postcrossing coincidence -  Meghan had just sent a card to the same person who sent me this one only three weeks prior. Once again, the world is smaller than we think.