Sending Mail Art during the A.C. Times...(Age of the Coronavirus, Age of Covid-19)

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

Today I waited two hours with many others outside the HELLenic Greek Post Office (with my special "certificate of movement")as a security guard checked and then issued us "priority numbers" in order to go to the postal clerk. I had run out of my postage stamps, my usual stock pile, and the little mini market across

from the post office had no longer its share of postage stamps to sell, either.

I had earlier last week found a few Greek stamps that had never been franked and had used

them to supplement the new postage fees...from 

90 cents it went to 2 euro for First Class International mail, ha!

But only 1 euro for "B" class, at 20 grams, of course, thank goodness:

The Hellenic Post has put restrictions on mail going outside Greece, we can send only to:

ALBANIA, AUSTRIA, BELGIUM, BULGARIA, CANADA, CZECH Rep., DENMARK, FINLAND, FRANCE, GERMANY, GREAT BRITAIN, HUNGARY, ICELAND, ITALY, LATVIA, LITHUANIA, LUXEMBOURG, Ν. MACEDONIA, NETHERLANDS, NORWAY, POLAND, PORTUGAL, ROMANIA, SLOVAKIA, SLOVENIA, SWEDEN, SWIRTZELAND.

basically to European countries, and Canada...

However, NOT to Spain, Ireland, Russia, Australia, etc.

But last week, when I had my mail art ready and stamped, I did not need to to wait to go inside the post office, I just put it all in the drop box outside. Then later I discovered that ALL the mail art to the States, etc., would not be sent. However, the kind postal clerk had not collected the mail and cancelled the stamps, but just put all those aside in a packet with my name.

So when I went to her today, she had them all ready to return to me...now I have them, and only have to wait until...whenever...the restrictions are lifted. Amazingly, the postage, which amounts to more than 20 Euro is still valid and good to go, someday :-)

And I have today purchased 40 more stamps so as not to have ANY reason to be outside and  wait at the post office, and not have to get a daily "permit" er, "certificate of movement":

"Movement restrictions are in place throughout Greece through April 27 and will be enforced this Greek Easter weekend.  Media reports indicate that if you are caught traveling by car for the Easter holiday for entertainment or a visit to friends/family, you will be fined 300 Euros and your license plate taken for 60 days.  For necessary local travel, you must carry your passport,I.D., or other identification at all times and have a certificate of movement indicating your reason for being out. "

Sooo, STAY HOME...STAY SAFE :-)

I am able to make and send mail art...at least to Europe. And all those that I have on hold...well, one day, someday, they will be in the mail to you all!

So Happy Spring, Happy Easter, Happy A.C. Times!

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

Yes, Finnbadger, that "parrot" envelope with moons and planets was sent on May11, 2020, in the Age of Covid! So happy to know that it arrived finally...perhaps by ship, like in the ol' days? "Snail" pace...for "snail mail" :-)

[FinnBadger]

The fab parrot envelope arrived today! The postmark is a bit hard to read - maybe May 11? May 31?

Wow, it has been a long time since anything made it here from Thess :)

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

Hope mail can still arrive in Greece, but, so far, there has not been mail delivery since April 12.

I am making mail art, recycling security envies, addressing and stamping the envelopes,

and storing in my "blue box", until the day comes when the Greek Post (ELTA)

allows me to send out to all the countries in the world.

So....wait for it :-)

[Nancy Bell Scott]

Hard to imagine anything stopping Katerina from making mail art, and it's good to know this isn't stopping her either. I sent you an envelope, Kat, as Greece isn't on the USPS no-go list. Maybe one day you'll receive it, probably with 274 mail arts from others. :--}

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

Thanks folks, and know that I will continue to make mail art for you, but I'll just keep it all on my desk top until the Greek Post says we can send it out. The problem seems to be with international flights, and how can mail art go "air mail" if there are no planes . I realized why the Greek Post cannot send to Ireland, because Ryan Air has stopped its flights to and from Greece...and everywhere, i think?

If you send to Greece I am sure it will arrive here, somehow, some day...but we will have to be patient and not expect it for weeks and weeks, or even months. All in good time...one day :-)

[Sabrina S]

Thank you from me to, Katerina. Interesting to read how life is in the current situation elsewhere... Recently I read a very interesting article about the situation in Greece where the journalist wrote that the Greek government does great to protect the Greek people with strict rules as the Health Care System is very fragile due to the economic situation in Greek in the last years... Wishing the best to you! Happy spring and happy Easter to you, too!

[FinnBadger]

Certainly nice to see the preview!

Thanks for continuing to blog, and I hope you continue to receive mail. I check the USPS site before I send anything, and currently it is OK to send to Greece, they will receive it. How long it takes to deliver is another story - certainly longer than normal.

[PATRICIA LANDON]

how sad,so can u receive from usa?  or did i miss something?