Scriptor's Postcards: Spain

Showing posts with label Spain. Show all posts

Friday, 15 January 2016

A Spanish New Year

3009 - Eating Twelve Grapes to the chimes of the clock at midnight on New Years Eve has been a Spanish tradition since 1909. In December that year, some vine growers from the Alicante area came up with "The 12 Grapes" as an idea to sell huge amounts of grapes from an excellent harvest. Since that time Spanish people have kept up the tradition as a way to celebrate New Year's Eve. On the last day of the year, the 31st of December, they wait until twelve p.m. Everybody has to have twelve grapes ready to eat when the clock starts to chime. It is traditional to listen to the clock from Puerta del Sol in Madrid and in other town squares around the country. The tradition consists of eating a grape with each bell strike and Heleen, who was in Spain at the New Year, sent me this mail art made from two packets of seedless, peeled grapes sold especially for the occasion.

Wednesday, 13 January 2016

Murcia

3006 -3008. Three cards from Murcia in Spain from Heleen.

Friday, 1 January 2016

Happy New Year

2989 - From Irina, a friend in St Petersburg, came this New Year card and a great frank on the back.

2993 - Susanne in Germany has just sent me this beautiful card. I expect there will be plenty of card and letter writing going on in 2016.

2988 - There will be many different postboxes used over the next twelve months but this card from Eva wasn't posted in the box shown - it is situated in Madrid and only used for postage within that city.

2990 - I expect cats will feature on a number of the cards I receive. Thanks to Susanne for this one.

2991 - And, of course, cats come in all shapes and sizes. Another from Susanne.

2992 - No doubt the subject of 'Reading' will feature on a number of cards like this one, also from Susanne.

Tuesday, 29 December 2015

Bye bye clocks...

I am disappointed that I did not manage to blog many of the dozens and dozens of lovely clock cards I received during 2015. I had not anticipated getting so many but that is really no excuse. Life simply took over... The same applies of course to the hundreds of other postcards I received during the year, only a fraction of which made it onto this blog.

So in future I shall not attempt to keep the clock postcard blog running. I shall, however, try to post more frequently on this blog.

Just as a reminder of how great everyone has been contributing to my clock collection here is a piece of mail art I received today from Eva in Spain.

Sunday, 10 November 2013

Some late October cards

965 – Damien, who has sent me so many super French maps, has now sent me some Spanish ones -

961 - Damien

963 - Damien

962 - Damien

964 - Damien

Some of the stamps used by Damien.

966 - Georgette (US-2438196) sent me some postboxes from the Smithsonian but, sadly, it doesn't show which countries they are from.

967 - Along with hugs, this came from my Russian friend Irina. The Cultural and Historic Ensemble of the Solovetsky Islands is a World Heritage Site.

The Solovetsky archipelago comprises six islands in the western part of the White Sea, covering 300 km2 . They have been inhabited since the 5th century B.C. and important traces of a human presence from as far back as the 5th millennium B.C. can be found there. The archipelago has been the site of fervent monastic activity since the 15th century, and there are several churches dating from the 16th to the 19th century.

The Solovetsky complex is an outstanding example of a monastic settlement in the inhospitable environment of northern Europe, which admirably illustrates the faith, tenacity and enterprise of late medieval religious communities.

These stamps are wonderful. Notice that the Solovetsky monastery is on them.

Wednesday, 2 October 2013

October - a new start

October is only 2 days old and already it has brought me nine cards. How wonderful is that?

945 – Eva in Morocco - La Llotja de la Seda, Valencia, Spain – a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Built between 1482 and 1533, this group of buildings was originally used for trading in silk (hence its name, the Silk Exchange) and it has always been a centre for commerce. It is a masterpiece of late Gothic architecture. The grandiose Sala de Contratación (Contract or Trading Hall), in particular, illustrates the power and wealth of a major Mediterranean mercantile city in the 15th and 16th centuries.

946 – Eva in Morocco – The Alhambra Palace and Fortress, Granada, Spain – a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Rising above the modern lower town, the Alhambra and the Albaycín, situated on two adjacent hills, form the medieval part of Granada. To the east of the Alhambra fortress and residence are the magnificent gardens of the Generalife, the former rural residence of the emirs who ruled this part of Spain in the 13th and 14th centuries. The residential district of the Albaycín is a rich repository of Moorish vernacular architecture, into which the traditional Andalusian architecture blends harmoniously.

947 – Eva in Morocco – The Medina of Tétouan, Morocco – a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Tétouan was of particular importance in the Islamic period, from the 8th century onwards, since it served as the main point of contact between Morocco and Andalusia. After the Reconquest, the town was rebuilt by Andalusian refugees who had been expelled by the Spanish. This is well illustrated by its art and architecture, which reveal clear Andalusian influence. Although one of the smallest of the Moroccan medinas, Tétouan is unquestionably the most complete and it has been largely untouched by subsequent outside influences.

948 – Eva in Morocco – The Tower of Babel by Otto Munch in Zurich Cathedral’s door.

The back of these four cards from Eva in Morocco formed a letter. One of the nicest I have had in a long time!

949 – Carol from Washington but in England – St. Albans, England.

A pictorial plan of the medieval monastery. Carol (from Washington) sent this while she and her husband Rob toured England. Rob is English and visiting St Albans allowed him to explore some of his old haunts.

I don't often get the chance to show a British stamp. This one is part of a series of six Merchant Navy stamps recently issued by the Royal Mail.

950 – Susanne in Germany – Detail from Fray Jeronimo Perez by Francisco Zurbaran (1598-1664). As you will know by now I love pictures of writing implements and hands writing. This is one of the best I have received.

The back of this postcard had four stamps on it of historic postal uniforms from 1850 from different parts of Germany. Aren’t they grand!! I shall have to put a colour photocopy of these into my postal scrapbook.

951 – Santa in Latvia (LV-119434) – Treasures of Latvia

Men’s jewellery and weapons from the 5^th to the 14^th centuries.

952 – Amit in India – Mahabalipuram - a UNESCO World Heritage Site

This group of sanctuaries, founded by the Pallava kings, was carved out of rock along the Coromandel coast in the 7th and 8th centuries. It is known especially for its rathas (temples in the form of chariots), mandapas (cave sanctuaries), giant open-air reliefs such as the famous 'Descent of the Ganges', and the temple of Rivage, with thousands of sculptures to the glory of Shiva.