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| Gran in Singapore 1976 |
In a letter (dated 7th April 1991) Gran wrote me about her favourite travels "The most beautiful city I've ever seen happens to be in Germany - Rothenberg. There's St Peters, the leaning tower, Colosseum and of course Venice, but I got meat hungry in Italy. I am not a big meat eater but pasta and those things are like porridge; filling but don't last. All the meat we got was some chicken.
Holland was nice. France - no! We made ourselves understood in most places, but they gave us the impression - if you can't speak French, you are a half wit. And we thought they were too. It's a dirty place, and dogs in the cafes - yuk! The poppies are the only attraction.
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| Postcard from Gran 27-6-1977 |
I liked the Tudor houses in Chester, England, also palaces and castles. There was a garbage strike in London; and papers and rubbish, even on the road to the palace. There's a little place called Clovelly near the sea, which is pretty but one has to walk down or ride a donkey. Stone Henge is interesting. Stratford on the Avon is also very pretty.
There's a Portland in Scotland. I like their stone fences, castles and lochs. We saw very little heather - wrong time, July. Didn't see a Scotch thistle there, but did in England.
Gretna Green, the Isle of Skye and Llangollen Valley (in Wales) are all nice.
I missed Switzerland, I'm sorry to say; and I would have liked to visit China and the Holy Land, but I got old too quick or started too late."
"London 27-6-1977..........."We have been to Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Holland, Belgium and England. Tomorrow we leave for Scotland and then Wales"
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| Post card from Honolulu |
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| Postcard from Gran 30 - 5 - 1978 |
This is only a small selection of the wonderful collection of postcards that my Grandmother sent me. There is a photo of my grandmother and some friends dressed in the Kimono style bathrobes in Kyoto but Gran looks really sheepish, hiding in the back, so I don't think that she would like that photo on here!
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| Gran also sent me souvenirs, including this San Francisco Fan |
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| This post was inspired by Sepia Saturday - click for more posts |
Those are great postcards and summaries of a HUGE vacation tour. I can tell you two had a special relationship.
ReplyDeleteThank you Wendy. I only saw Gran once (or twice) a year as we lived away but we kept in contact by letters so not as close as some.
DeleteSeems there was a lot wrong in a lot of places on that giant tour.
ReplyDeleteIt does seem that way but the postcards were always positive. Gran was very particular and did not like mess and was intolerant of laziness and rudeness.
DeleteA lovely post that illustrated both last week's and this week's theme. I particularly liked the Japanese postcard. Funny that both you and I mentioned Llangollen in our posts this week!
ReplyDeleteThank you Sue. Last week I had so many different directions that I could go.
DeleteHopefully I can get to Japan at some time in future
What a delightful post, and isn't it interesting how our own future plans are fuelled by such simple things. In my case it was postcards and treats from the elderly lady across the road. I wonder what a disservice we are doing to our descendants to not send more letters, cards and postcards.
ReplyDeleteHopefully photos and comments on Electronic devises have the same impact as postcards?
DeleteHoping that I have grandchildren in future to inspire :)
My goodness but your grandmother did love to travel! How lucky she was able to visit many of the places she wanted to see. I laughed at her words about France. I've heard similar stories from friends who've been there - especially about Paris. A cousin, however, toured the south of France & had only wonderful things to say about the people there. And how nice your Gran sent you postcards & brought back souvenirs for you.
ReplyDeleteAnd she did it all on the pension! She was always very frugal but it did inspire me to not waste money and save for holidays also.
DeletePersonally we really enjoyed Paris but we were more tolerant of the perceived rudeness and dogs in restaurants.
Such wonderful keepsakes Sharon, your Gran sounds like an amazing lady
ReplyDeleteThank you Kerryn. I am surprised that I kept that fan for over 30 years but I suppose it is only small.
DeleteI have all the postcards and most letters I sent home from a family European vacation in 1983. Hope that in years to come my family appreciates them as you do your grandmother's.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jill. I have seen (small) indications that my son and cousin's daughter may have an interest in family history in future.
DeleteDoes anyone in your family show signs of being interested?
I wish now that I'd kept more postcards and letters. What a treasure you have.
ReplyDeleteI think we all have regrets Lorraine. Although I have always been a collector/hoarder, there are things that I have thrown or given away in house moves, which I wish I had retained.
DeleteI saved all the postcards my uncle sent from his vacations. Nothing exotic--mostly places in the western U.S.
ReplyDeleteTo a young girl, living in the country (and never having visited a city), the images on the postcards were very exciting and exotic!
DeleteA lovely post - such postcards are a great time capsule of people and places and other times. And next week we are off on holiday and one of the places we will be visiting is the very same Clovelly.
ReplyDeleteAnother coincidence! Think I am definitely supposed to visit Llangollen and Clovelly with the coincidences this week.
DeleteAs Alan says, a lovely time capsule. And a fan to match too.
ReplyDeleteI really am a hoarder keeping that fan! I had forgotten all about it and was surprised that I still had it! Never ever thought it would be used for anything! Glad it was though :)
DeleteThank goodness for your grandmother, the souvenir hunter! I admire the way she summed up her travels so succintly.
ReplyDeleteShe was definitely a direct and to the point type of person
DeleteHow wonderful to have these cards with the writing of your grandmother. I have little writing from my maternal grandmother, but years ago my uncle gave me my paternal grandmother's travel diary when she traveled back to Scotland for the first time since she'd left in the late teens or early 20s. It's so wonderful to have.
ReplyDeleteYes I understand how you feel.
DeleteGran wrote me so many letters that I would recognise her writing anywhere. I did notice it become shakier in time.
And you kept the best for last. That fan is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteNot really! The photo must make it look better than it is! It is a cheap plastic souvenir! But it is the memory and meaning behind it, that is important to me.
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