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| The Post Office in Krakow -- I think I'll have to go inside. Want to come along? |
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| Guess what? I could take photos at the Main Post Office in Krakow, Poland. Yes! Poland and Russia are postal-photo friendly. |
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| Want to come inside with me? Looks promising, doesn't it. And I have a couple of secret weapons. I took my Postal Love zine with the Polish translation asking to get airmail stickers (for free) and buy local stamps. But just in case that didn't work..... A very special friend of mine lives in Krakow and she escorted me to the PO and was my official translator. |
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| OooOoo this was a really nice post office, as you can see...there was a special section for postal supplies and a whole room for philatelists. I explored the whole place. |
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| You just take a number and wait your turn.... |
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| We didn't have to wait for very long. US Post Offices would do well to have you take a number and have a place to sit to wait. I just stood in a very long line waiting to mail some Xmas boxes here in San Francisco. |
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| Poczta Polska shopping bags? I might need one. |
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| Actually, I just might need two or three.... |
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| Besides buying the regular, local Polish stamps there were displays of special stamp-collecting stamps to ogle. And of course there were all those free postal forms I like to load up on for booklet-making and Postal ATC's. I think you knew that already. |
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| This Polish Postal worker really didn't know what hit her when I showed up. At first she was kind of mystified but with the help of my zine, my pal's translations and of course, my charm, she really got into the spirit and started pulling out stamps for me to buy. And she let us tear up the sheets to get however many I wanted (picture that in a USA post office). And she gave me a bunch of (free) air mail stickers -- in Polish. Maybe she'll see this post. Wouldn't that be nice? |
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| She didn't seem to mind me snapping photos like crazy. And she took my zine! |
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| Thank you to my special friend. You know who you are. |
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| This is the old main post office right down the street....I kind of wish they kept that one but the new modern one is pretty nice too. |
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| And, here is another little PO right around the corner from our hotel. |
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| Post a letter and buy a Pretzel -- one stop shopping. |
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| If the day wasn't great enough already, after the PO tour and stamp excitement , my friend gifted me with her childhood stamp collection album. How lucky am I? I will certainly treasure it and think of her every time I page through it. |
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| I think these are stamps commemorating the Polish Postal Service -- with post office building on them. I have lots of happy Postal Memories from Poland! SEND A LETTER -- GET A LETTER! |
oh those stamps are so so so fabulous. yum! i am dying to get to krakow and soon. love reading about your travels. also... cute outfit you were wearing!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mary Ann!
DeleteWow, what a treasure your friend gave you! And I love that Polish post office, what a cool place. So, you can't take photos in P.O.s here?? That's amazing. Love that phot of you. Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteConnie--I know -- my friend was so lovely and generous to give me that amazing stamp collection. She knows I will treasure it. And no, you aren't supposed to take photos on post offices here (but I have been known to do it).
DeleteWonderful! No need to say more.
ReplyDeleteBig thank you, TomoyoHime.
DeleteThe zine seems to be very useful for travelling (for postal lovers at least). You might publish/sell... Or maybe you did and I missed?
ReplyDeleteHawwa -- I did sell the zine but it is sold out at the moment. I need to do another printing.
DeleteLooks like a fascinating place...Love all those stamps. xox
ReplyDeleteIt was fascinating, Corrine -- and not just the post office either!
Deletelove all of this, but esp. love this: And I have a couple of secret weapons. !!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Miss Polly -- I did have secret weapons and they worked too!
DeleteWhat a cool trip that was. Their PO is great, love that center area where you can sit and wait or write or people watch. Their stamps don't look real exciting, are they more colorful in person? And what a score that stamp collection is. You'll have fun with that!
ReplyDeleteThe stamps are pretty cool, Leslie. I have a better close-up of some I will post on the blog's Facebook page.
DeleteWow! That's extremely nice. Swanky!
ReplyDeleteI like the take-a-number-and-sit system--that would be great, especially this time of year!!!
ReplyDeleteNo kidding, Cindy. The lines are so long. I wonder why our post offices don't have numbers and seats -- and sections for stamps collectors -- like the European PO's do?
DeleteA beautiful post office! And, you take a number?!?!? My mind is now blown.
ReplyDeleteNo numbers are the Diamond Heights PO, shams!
DeleteWhat a great post! I felt like I was traveling with you. What is your zine about?
ReplyDeleteThanks, Else. Glad you could tag along on the trip, so to speak. I made a zine called Postal Love and another about mail art. Both are 'sold out" but I am thinking of re-printing them and also making one about typewriters.
ReplyDeleteSomehow I missed out on you making those! I hope you decide to reprint them. And the one about typewriters sounds divine!
DeleteI love the idea of benches to sit on while I wait my turn at the PO...especially this time of year! And postal shopping bags...too fun! I love how friendly and open the postal worker was to you. What a treat!
ReplyDelete