I love postcards. I love receiving them, I love displaying them, I love finding them cheap from some souvenir/camera/coffee shops. What I hate doing is sending them or, more correctly, finding the right stamps and remembering to have them on hand when I happen upon a postbox. I’ve had a few interesting ‘postcard incidents’ while I’ve been traveling.
New York – every second shop sells postcards but if you’re stuck, try a camera shop, they seem to double as souvenir stores. If you’re not fussy about size or quality, you can get them pretty cheap. I think the best deal we dot was 18 for $1. We saw someone advertise 10 for $1 – my sister’s reaction? Tell him he’s dreamin’ So 18 written, addressed postcards – check, now … stamps? Many of these souvenir places advertise that they sell overseas stamps BUT it is cheaper (albeit by only cents but they can add up if you’re sending lots) to get your country specific stamp from the post office. The final step REMEMBER TO POST THEM! I ended up in Canada with 10 postcards all dutifully stamped with USA stamps. I ended up posting them from a postbox at the airport in Canada in the hope that some lovely Canadian postal worker would think I was a dimwitted Aussie who though that USA and Canada was the same country! Hopefully they were sent and if not, well … at least they were 18 for $1.
Toronto – the truth be told, I didn’t send many postcards from Toronto mainly because I was too busy absolutely enjoying the place! That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy myself in places from which I sent many postcards but in Toronto I wasn’t near many ‘touristy’ sort of areas so I didn’t have the reminder of ‘send a postcard – make your friends jealous’ stalls everywhere. The couple of postcards I did get were great because for a little extra cost they include international postage. So, okay, it probably would have been cheaper to buy a country specific stamp but I didn’t have time to go to a post office in Toronto so hence … the ‘postage paid’ postcards dropped into the nearest postbox – brilliant!
Stratford-on-Avon – this is a special little note for my fellow Aussie traveler. Yes, sending postcards can be tricky. One needs to have a pen that works, find a post office for stamps (unless you’re savy to buy the aforementioned ‘postage paid’ postcards), have correct addresses for recipients AND be able to tell the difference between a stamped that needs to be licked and one that’s a sticker. CLUE: the ones that have a slightly gummy texture on the back need to be licked the others peel off the page. Recognize the difference and you can spare minutes if not hours of confusion!
London – the only place where I’ve found postcards featuring the head of state. Not only the Royal Family but Obama postcards feature heavily on my stands. Buying postcards here is not a problem … if you don’t see a stand immediately just turn the corner and you will. No, the problem here is the post office. I naively went in thinking … oh, ten minutes should do it. No the post office here is like a medicare office back home. Upon entering you a greeted by a machine asking what service you require. You press the button and are assigned a small slip of paper with your number on it. 122 okay and they’re up to … 37! Fortunately there are comfy couches and me with a book. 45 minutes later I have my five stamps. Success! But there will be no more postcards coming from London!
No doubt I will write many more postcards in my journey so I look forward to many more postcard experiences!
