Sunday, August 15, 2010

'Via Marseille' & 'Via Troisvierges' to Diekirch

 

001

Incoming international mail to Luxembourg almost always transited Luxembourg-Gare or Luxembourg-Ville for delivery to outlying towns.  But here is an exception.

This well-preserved UPU postal card emanated from Weltevreden in the then-Netherlands East Indies, January 18, 1888, addressed to Diekirch.  The Dutch rectangular auxiliary marking reads 'NED: INDI/VIA MARSEILLE,' so we know that the European port of entry was Marseille.  But the incoming postmark on the morning [10:00 to 11:00 a.m.] of February 22, 1888, is that of Troisvierges!  The  postmark of Diekirch [7:00-8:00 p.m.] shows that the card arrived later the same day.

We will never know why this card managed to travel from the  south of France by rail through Luxembourg-Ville (and presumably past Diekirch) to Troisvierges in the far north, only to be routed back to Diekirch in central Luxembourg for delivery. 

Ah ... if postal cards could talk, what a delightful story many of them could tell!

002

Well, they can sort of "talk."  Take a look at the cross-writing on the back of this card.

See also:   Outbound mail to Sumatra (1901) & Java (1924)  (posted July 5, 2009).

 

 

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