Portugal

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With love from Lagos, Portugal (1991)

With love from Algarve

Dear Hilary & Simon It’s really lovely here, and although we waited a long time – the holiday was worth waiting for! We are off to Lisbon tomorrow for two days – really looking forward to that. Hope all is well with, and look forward to seeing you on the 25th. Take care. Love Doreen & Jimmy x

This long anticipated trip to the Algarve is meeting expectations!

Carrying a 60 escudos stamp from the Portuguese Navigators series issued in March 1991 and featuring an aerial shot of Lagos, the card is postmarked 2-10-1991

Doreen used to work with my husband, Simon. They stayed in touch after Simon left the company and we used to see Doreen & Jimmy quite regularly. We have not seen them for some time as we no longer live so close, but we still exchange Christmas cards and news once a year 🙂

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With love from Algarve, Portugal (1986)

with love from Portugal

Dear Hilary & Simon, Weather lovely Having a good time I suffered losing a stone for my holiday I will put 25 stone on the food is fab Love Auntie Laura

A short and sweet note featuring our favourite topics of the weather and food!

The card is postmarked ’25-VI 1986 Armacao‘ and carries a selection of stamps, two of which are from the Traditional Portugal Architecture series and one from the Development of Technology series, issued in 1978

Auntie Laura was my great aunt, she was married to my Nan’s brother. We saw them regularly at family gatherings when I was young, and they were fun to be around. Auntie Laura was a rock within her own immediate family; she died some years ago.

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with love from Armaçāo de Pêra, Portugal (1986)

With love from Portugal

WED Sun very hot but a constant cool breeze – just right. Being very lazy this week but will try and be a bit more energetic next week and look around the area.  Love Jo & John

A brief status update that concentrates on the weather 🙂

Armaçāo de Pêra is in the Algarve region of Portugal, on the southern coast.

The clear postmark reads ’20H 26-VI-1986 ARMACAO DE PERA’ and the card carries stamps to the value of 37.50 escudos (the currency in use before the euro was introduced in 2002).

The 25.00 escudos stamp is from the Traditional Architecture series issued in 1985 and the other two are from the 1978 Instruments Working definitive series.

Another card from Jo & John; as well as being my Mum’s cousin, John was also cousin to Betty and Ted.  (Family trees are always much easier to understand in diagrams rather than words!)

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with love from River Tagus, Lisbon (c1982)

With love from River Tagus, Portugal 198

Hello Hilary, Happy Birthday. Yes it’s 27th Oct so hopefully this will get to you in time Hope to see you all at Christmas Take Care Love Sue xxx

Sent in plenty of time for my birthday, this greeting does not contain even the briefest of status updates – there is no clue as to why, or for how long Sue is in Portugal.  She hopes to see us ‘all’ at Christmas, suggesting that Sue knew the whole family, rather than just me. Look closely, and above ‘Miss’ she has written, in brackets, ‘I THINK’ Is she wondering if I have got married?

The crucial final number of the post mark date is missing ‘Lisbon 27 Oct 8?’ so I am guessing at ’82, but it could be later.  The stamp is from The Development of Working Tools series issued on 2nd January 1980 and in circulation until 31 August 1989.

The atmospheric picture on the front is of the mouth of the River Tagus, Lisbon.

 

This is the third Sue that has featured; sadly, also the third that I am unable to identify and with whom I have lost touch 😦 If your name is Sue and you think you recognise your own handwriting, please leave a comment – it would be lovely to reconnect… Here is the first Sue, and the second Sue. 

 

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with love from the Algarve, Portugal (1983)

With love from Algarve

8.07.83 Hallo Hilary! I send you a lot of greetings from the Algarve. Portugal is a marvellous country with very friendly people and a great landscape, especially in the Atlantic coast. The Algarve isn’t that nice, (too many tourists) and so we leave Portugal tomorrow to spend some days in Spain. I hope you also had a nice holiday & lots of ☼ (sunshine) Best wishes! Claudia

A beautiful sunset over the cliffs of the Algarve which, despite the charms of the landscape, seems spoilt by tourists!

The postmark ‘11.07.83 Vila Real St Antonio‘ suggests that it was dropped in the post box just before Claudia and her companion crossed over the river to Spain. The stamps are from the 1978-1983 definitive set of twenty two, illustrating work tools.

As previously mentioned, Claudia and I exchanged letters and cards between Germany and the UK for many years; however, it is now a long time since I last heard from her.