Postcrossing Blog

The writing prompts invite postcrossers to write about a different topic on their postcards’ messages every month. These are just suggestions though — if you already know what you want to write about, or the recipient gives you some pointers, that’s great too!

Every country has inventors, talented people who brought something new to the world. Maybe it’s a novel product or an ingenious process, a breakthrough in some field of science… or maybe a cultural invention, like a new musical instrument or a different way to look at things! This month, we’re exploring these inventions and sharing some of our country’s creative heritage with the world.

So, I’ll go first. It’s a hard job to pick one of the Portuguese inventions… but I think one of the earliest ones we’re taught in school is the sea astrolabe.

This is an instrument that was used by sailors to determine their location at sea, based on the altitude of the sun at noon or of a known star at its peak, during the night. By measuring the angle of the star with the horizon, they could calculate the latitude of their ship in the globe, thus getting the information they needed to guide the ships to the right destinations. The oldest Portuguese astrolabe was discovered a few years ago in the wreck site of the ship Esmeralda, which sank in 1503 off the coast of Oman.

What about your country? Which inventions did your fellow citizens bring to the world, and which are you most proud of? Do share these in the postcards you write this month… and also in the comments below, if you can — we’re always curious to learn new things! 😊

The writing prompts invite postcrossers to write about a different topic on their postcards’ messages every month. These are just suggestions though — if you already know what you want to write about, or the recipient gives you some pointers, that’s great too!

We’ve all seen our habits and routines changed to some degree these past few months, so we thought it would be a good idea to stop and reflect on these changes. Let each postcard become a small time capsule of this time, that we exchange and share with others.

So… how was or is the lockdown going for you? What habits have changed and which memories in particular will you take from this time? What do you miss, what is the hardest bit and which part of the experience have you appreciated or felt grateful for the most?

Although some restrictions have already been lifted around here, we still choose to stay home for the most part. We definitely miss hugging our friends and family, but are grateful for their good health so far. Unexpectedly, we’ve rediscovered the joys of gardening these past few months, and I’ve collected my first cherry tomatoes just a few days ago. 🎉

What about you? Share your thoughts and stories on the postcards you send this month!

The writing prompts invite postcrossers to write about a different topic on their postcards’ messages every month. These are just suggestions though — if you already know what you want to write about, or the recipient gives you some pointers, that’s great too!

Architecture is everywhere around us… but beyond its practical purpose to provide shelter and security, the buildings we inhabit and walk by everyday often say something about our culture, and can be works of arts in their own right. How do these look like, where you are? Are there architectural styles or details that are special to where you live?

So, I’ll go first! Our town of Tavira has a peculiar architectural detail that makes it unique: the special pyramid-shaped rooftops, called “telhados de tesouro” (or treasure roofs)! You can see some of them on this photo:

They’re very intriguing in a southern seaside region with little rain, where most of the houses have terraces instead of clay tiled roofs (so that fish can be dried in them). The treasure roofs came from the time of the great sailing expeditions, and the style is said to have been brought by adventurous sailors returning from the East, where it was adapted to the monsoon weather. They thought it was fashionable, perhaps, and tried it out. A few centuries have gone by, but these special roofs still exist today, giving the town a unique skyline that locals have come to recognize as home.

What about you? Is there something in your region or country that stands out, architecturally? We invite you to share it with others on the postcards you write this month!

The writing prompts invite postcrossers to write about a different topic on their postcards’ messages every month. These are just suggestions though — if you already know what you want to write about, or the recipient gives you some pointers, that’s great too!

So Eurovision isn’t happening this year… but we thought we’d stick to the musical theme nonetheless and ask everyone to share some musical instruments from your country.

Which instruments from your country sound like “home” to you?

There are quite a few musical instruments that come to mind for us here in Portugal, but the guitarra Portuguesa (aka, Portuguese guitar) is probably the most iconic one, the one always makes us a little sentimental to hear. It’s a complicated type of round guitar, with 12 strings and tuners in the shape of a peacock tail that is commonly associated with fado and serenade songs.

The most famous artist of this instrument was called Carlos Paredes, and to this day I cannot hear him play his guitar without getting a little weepy…

What about your own country? Which instruments are part of the national heritage, and what makes them culturally significant to your people? Share them on the postcards you send out this month, and on the comments below as well, if you’re inclined to — we’d love some tips to discover new sounds! 😊

The writing prompts invite postcrossers to write about a different topic on their postcards’ messages every month. These are just suggestions though — if you already know what you want to write about, or the recipient gives you some pointers, that’s great too!

I don’t know about you, but to me it feels like a whole year has passed in the last 30 days… So many things changed and have been turned upside down that I have trouble remembering what life was like back in February. 😳 These days, the motto is “Stay Home”, and we thought this would be an appropriate topic for April’s writing prompt too.

Even if your country is not in strict lockdown mode, all of us have some activities that we prefer to do inside… so let’s talk about them! What are your favorite things to do around the house? If you’ve been having more free time at home lately, what have you been spending it on? And what tactics have you used to keep your family sane in a time of social distancing?

Around here, we’ve started doing dinner dates with friends, catching up on video calls while we eat our respective meals. It feels really good to see our friends and talk to them for a while, as if they were sitting just across the table. They always make us laugh, and make the evenings a little lighter. Give it a try, if you can!

What has been keeping you and/or your little ones busy these days? Share your best tips on the postcards you send out this month, and on the comments below.