Collecting Postcards

March 8, 2015February 27, 2015 / Julie M. McKinnon / Leave a comment

I've long loved Victorian postcards, especially those from Halloween and Christmas.

I’ve long loved Victorian postcards, especially those from Halloween, Easter and Christmas.

I’ll never forget how excited I was going through the postcards my Mom had picked up at a garage sale. They were stored in one of those gold plastic hospital wash basins, and they told stories of people visiting far-flung places or sending loved ones touching greetings. I was 10 at most, and I enjoyed reading the handwritten notes on the back of the postcards as much as admiring the photos or illustrations on the front.

That wash basin was the start of my first real collection, one I have expanded on in the decades since. Mom and Dad often went to auctions, antique stores and junk shops, so they liked that I had something to look for and buy with my allowance. Even today, all but the rarest postcards are fairly cheap.

Victorian holiday postcards, especially for Christmas, Easter and Halloween, have always been among my favorites. I also liked postcards from where I grew up and other places where I have lived:

Linen postcard with Our Lady of Consolation statue from my hometown of Carey, Ohio.

Relatives and friends have helped me add to my postcard collection through the years. My oldest sibling, Carol, goes way out of her way to try and make sure I have postcards from every country she visits on vacation, and she has also picked up vintage postcards for me. This historic postcard was in a shoe box with cards Carol bought at a garage sale:

Jack Dempsey Knocks Out Jess Willard: Postcard commemorating the “Champion of the World” fight held in Toledo on July 4, 1919.

Antique or vintage postcards are favored souvenirs when I travel. Poking through dusty antique shops and markets beats souvenir shops any day, although I do buy and send my share of new postcards. I’ve found fantastic old postcards at postage stamp markets in Madrid and Paris, including this one:

I picked up this Eiffel Tower postcard at a postage stamp market in Paris.

At first I felt guilty about reading people’s notes on postcards, but I quickly got over that. Nosiness prevailed because postcards contain real stories in a very appealing package.

Viewing the World

February 15, 2015February 15, 2015 / Julie M. McKinnon / 3 Comments

View of the Alhambra in Granada, Spain.

After spending several hours on the grounds of the Alhambra, site of the last Moorish palace in Spain, you would think I could have called it a day. I was in the mid-13th century fort, the sultan’s gardens and the museum in Charles V’s Palace. I stood in the Palacios Nazaries room where Queen Isabel told Christopher Columbus he could set sail in 1492.

Still, I wanted to see what the Alhambra looked like at sunset from the San Nicolás Viewpoint, reportedly one of former President Bill Clinton’s favorite spots.

Savoring such views, getting to them and the surrounding atmosphere have made a huge impact on my travel experiences. I like to stroll through neighborhoods and really see how people live, not just the tourist sites. I favor grocery stores, parks and markets over endless souvenir shops. I like to look over listings in the windows of real estate offices.

To get to San Nicolás Viewpoint after visiting the Alhambra, we took a roundabout walk on winding streets in Granada’s Moorish district, passing homes and neighborhood businesses. The little park was a bit of a party, with street performers providing entertainment and dreadlocked women selling jewelry. The view of the Alhambra alone certainly was worthwhile, but I recall the climb and ambiance, too.

Climbing often seems to be a requirement for getting a good view. In Salzburg, it wasn’t enough for me to get up to the Hohensalzburg Fortress for a look around. I trudged up another hill to the Museum der Moderne Mönchsberg to see the view recommended by a tour guide. Sure, I could have used the funicular to get to the fortress and an elevator to the modern museum. But then I would have missed many sites and views – and the anticipation. This is the picture of the fortress and Old Town below that I snapped near the modern museum:

Salzburg, Austria

Once again, the view was definitely worth the extra effort. And a beer garden, tapas bar or other welcoming establishment always seems to be waiting at the bottom of the hill.

A Different Toledo

February 5, 2015February 12, 2015 / Julie M. McKinnon

View from Museo Victorio Macho in Toledo, Spain.

As a longtime Toledoan, my first visit to Spain had to include time in Toledo. I felt duty-bound.

Actually, the three-day stop in the medieval Spanish city was a glorious highlight of a very memorable trip. Picturesque is only the beginning. Sunset, for example, made the view from Museo Victorio Macho spectacular, bathing the nearby buildings and river gorge in a fiery glow.

My first good look at Toledo, Spain, was on a Sunday night; the quiet added to the mystique. Narrow streets wound by dark shop windows until coming to Toledo’s Cathedral, lit up and surreal towering over the neighborhood.

The Cathedral with its daunting interior and rich art collection is a major tourist attraction. So are the Alcázar, Plaza Zocodover and the old city’s numerous gates and bridges.

Many Americans just take a day trip from Madrid, but Toledo is worth more time. Here are a few other travel tips for Toledo:

See El Greco’s “The Burial of the Count of Orgaz” in Santo Tomé. Study the masterpiece, and especially enjoy the artist’s depiction of his son.
Stroll around Santa Cruz Museum. Soak in some of the city’s history.
Find an artisan who does traditional damascene, black steel inlaid with silver, gold or copper wire for pendants, plates and other decor. Ask for a demonstration.
Interact with locals at the market, which is held on Tuesdays. Pick up a scarf or other bargain souvenir.
Don’t forget to look for Calle de Toledo de Ohio. It does exist.

Calle de Toledo de Ohio street sign in Toledo, Spain.

Calle de Toledo de Ohio sign in Toledo, Spain.

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