Postcrossing Blog

The writing prompts are an ongoing experiment that invites 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!

With Halloween just around the corner, this seemed like a good suggestion from ColorfulCourtney:

Not being overly superstitious myself, I confess I had to do a bit of research about the topic but found out something interesting in the process! The typical houses in the south of Portugal are white, with a colorful band around the windows and doors, traditionally in yellow or blue but often found in other colors as well. Like this photo from the nearby town of Castro Marim:

Turns out, that colorful band of color is said to be there to ward off bad spirits from entering the house! The buildings are also often whitewashed with a lime solution every year, and supposedly this task must be carried out by women for maximum efficiency in its “protectiveness” … 🤔

These might seem like silly superstitions, but since the majority of old houses here are still whitewashed and have colorful bands, a lot of people sure used to believe in it! 😅 What about your area? Are there any superstitions that are unique to your region or maybe country? Let others know about them on the postcards you send this month!

The writing prompts are an ongoing experiment that invites 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 suggested book and music-themes for these writing prompts before… but what about movies? Cinema is a popular past-time, with many people enjoying a movie now and then.

At the time I’m writing this post, the last movie we’ve seen was Coco, a fun animated movie about a music-loving boy who accidentally finds himself in the Land of the Dead… and gets into all kinds of adventures trying to find his way back to his family. It’s beautifully done and I promise that after you watch it, you’ll never be able to see a “Remember me” checkbox on any login page again without humming the corresponding song from the movie… 😜

What about you? Was the last movie you’ve seen any good? Share your big screen tips on the postcards you write this month!

The writing prompts are an ongoing experiment that invites 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!

August at last! Longer school breaks in the northern hemisphere typically happen in these hotter months, with families traveling together for their holidays… Which got us thinking about a suggestion from Norway_girl on the forum:

Sounds easy enough, and it could be anything: a favorite attraction or viewpoint, or perhaps your preferred café? If you live in a big city, don’t be afraid to point out more unusual places, or something out of the beaten path.

So I’ll go first: if you ever visit Tavira, I would take you to see one of the oldest olive trees in Europe. It’s over 2000 years old, and still carries on bearing fruit, making shade, and putting our tiny human lives into perspective. 😊

What about you? What is special or unique about your hometown? Let others know on the postcards you send out this month!

The writing prompts are an ongoing experiment that invites postcrossers to write about a different topic on their postcards 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.

Everyone has a few dreams that they’re aiming to accomplish in their lifetime, right? They can be big or small or even a little crazy. For some, their dream could be to climb a big mountain, or to visit a special country… or maybe meeting the Queen!

Following this line of thought, July’s writing prompt comes from a suggestion that Sprinkledonut left on a blog comment:

Personally, I’m a serial list-maker and have so many plans on my bucket list that I don’t even know where to start. I want to eat all the egg dishes in the world, knit a temperature scarf, sleep on a mountain hut, see some of the fantastic places featured on the postcards I’ve received… I could write about a different goal on every single postcard this month, and I don’t think I would run out of crazy ideas. 😜

Whatever your dreams may be, they’re special to you for a reason. So we invite you to share something your bucket list and inspire others this month!

The writing prompts are an ongoing experiment that invites 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’re big fans of the “Think global, act local” motto, and though we don’t usually read newspapers these days, we still keep an eye on our local news online or through the town’s radio station. While the local headlines are definitely small-scale in the national or global context, the issues covered are interesting and offer a glimpse into the life of the region.

June’s writing prompt comes from Jetske's suggestion on the forum, which resonated with us:

So let’s see… at the time I’m writing this post, the headlines are focused on the prevention of forest fires before summer starts, a controversial new offshore drill off the coast of Algarve, as well as the local soccer team being promoted to the second tier championship over the weekend. Not terribly exciting stuff, but a mix of environmental concerns and entertainment which seems characteristic of our region. I could easily write a bit more about these topics.

What is concerning the people in your area at the moment? Let’s make the world a little smaller by sharing some of the local stories on our postcards this month!