This postcard arrived with Happy New Year wishes from Ocean Park, a small hamlet of around 1,800 people on the Long Beach Peninsula in western Washington State. Although it is a quiet coastal community today, Ocean Park has an interesting past that reflects the history of the peninsula. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Ocean Park was a stop on the Ilwaco Railway and Navigation Company, a narrow-gauge railroad that operated along the Long Beach Peninsula from 1889 until 1930. The railway connected the small communities scattered along the coast, carrying passengers, freight, and holidaymakers to the peninsula's beaches. While the tracks have long since disappeared, the railway played an important role in the development of the area and remains an important part of its local history. Today, Ocean Park is known for its relaxed pace of life, sa ndy beaches, and easy access to the Pacific Ocean. It's the kind of place where people come to enjoy nature, whether t...

This postcard features a delightful scene titled "Marooned at Five Acre" by Rowland Emett. At first glance, it looks like an ordinary countryside illustration, but the longer you look, the more charming details begin to emerge. Emett's work is full of gentle humour and imaginative touches that invite you to linger over every corner of the picture. I was curious about the artist, so I did a little reading. Rowland Emett (1906–1990) was an English cartoonist and the creator of whimsical kinetic sculptures. His fantastical machines, often built from gears, wheels, and unlikely contraptions, seemed to celebrate ingenuity for its own sake rather than practicality. They became so popular that he was commissioned to create moving sculptures for exhibitions and public spaces, and some of his wonderfully eccentric creations can still be seen today. Knowing a little about Emett makes this postcard even more enjoyable. The illustration captures the same playful spirit that made his ...

This is a portrait of Frida Kahlo, the famous Mexican painter. It was painted by Atelierschulze (that's what written on the card).  This postcard comes from Düren, a city in western Germany with a history stretching back more than two thousand years. Long before the Romans arrived, the region was home to the Eburones, a Celtic tribe that lived between the Meuse and Rhine rivers. They are perhaps best known for their leader, Ambiorix, who led a successful revolt against Julius Caesar's Roman legions in 54 BC. Following the Roman conquest, Düren developed as a settlement along an important Roman road linking Cologne with the city of Tongeren in present-day Belgium. Its location helped it grow into a centre for trade and travel, laying the foundations for the city that exists today. Over the centuries, Düren became known for its paper and textile industries, taking advantage of the clean water provided by the River Rur. Although much of the city was destroyed during the Second Wor...

This postcard was sent by someone originally from Perth, Ontario, but it was mailed from Kingston, Ontario, not too far away in distance, but distinct in character. Perth is a small historic town in eastern Ontario, known for its well-preserved stone buildings, heritage architecture, and quiet riverside setting. It has a slower pace of life, with a strong sense of local history and a compact, community-focused feel. It’s the kind of place where old mills, small shops, and tree-lined streets give the town a timeless quality. Kingston, where the postcard was posted, sits on the shore of Lake Ontario at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River. It has a much larger, more energetic atmosphere, shaped by its history as a former capital of the Province of Canada and its present-day role as a university and naval city. Limestone buildings, a busy waterfront, and the presence of institutions like Queen’s University give it a more urban and historic character compared to Perth. What I like about thi...

This postcard comes from somewhere just outside Colorado Springs, in the United States, but the sender’s home sounds far removed from the city itself. They describe living in a remote cabin about a half-hour drive from Colorado Springs, high up in the mountains at an elevation of 2790 metres. At that altitude, life takes on a very different rhythm. The sender mentions they experience what feels like nearly nine months of winter each year, which is not surprising given the height and the mountain climate. Snow can linger well into spring, and early autumn likely brings the first reminders that winter is never far away. It’s easy to imagine long, cold seasons, crisp air, and heavy snowfall shaping everyday life. Colorado Springs itself sits at the base of the Rocky Mountains, but places like this cabin are part of a much more rugged and isolated landscape. The nearby peaks and forests create a sense of quiet separation from the city below, where weather, wildlife, and terrain still play ...

The sender sent this card on New Years Day 2026. He said he bought the card while on vacation in Portugal. He is from Kraków. Perched on the hill are the magnificent Wawel Royal Castle and Wawel Cathedral. For centuries, the castle was the residence of Polish kings, while the cathedral served as the site of royal coronations, weddings, and burials. Many of Poland's monarchs, national heroes, poets, and political leaders are buried there, making it one of the country's most important national monuments. Wawel Hill is also closely linked to one of Poland's best-known legends: the tale of the Wawel Dragon. According to the story, a fearsome dragon lived in a cave beneath the hill until a clever shoemaker defeated it by feeding it a sheep stuffed with sulphur. Today, visitors can explore the Dragon's Den, and a dragon statue outside the cave even breathes fire every few minutes.