Post Office Fun

Recently we got two holiday cards, and one package. Completely different result!

Honestly, I am amazed when we receive anything at all. Streets here can have the same or similar names but be in different areas, there are often no street signs or significant markers, and the house numbering system can be…..baffling. These towns are centuries old, the streets are often carved into steep hillsides in an incredible feat of engineering, so it’s not exactly like a new build in a Phoenix suburb that is on a grid system. And it always amazes me when a single letter makes it way halfway across the globe.

When we first moved, we had a ton of things delivered, and then during the lockdown, home delivery became quite common for everyone. Our house is on a little dead-end street, an offshoot of a slightly larger street — which is still only big enough for one lane, and large trucks are prohibited. At first we had a little trouble, some of our packages ended up at a house with the same number and street name one town over; but for a long while now we have great success receiving packages that are mailed from within the EU.

And we have been lucky so far, that "surprise" packages mailed to us by family or Little Roads Europe readers have gotten through, and sometimes even duty free! Usually, when a package is mailed, we will get a knock on the door, and in order to accept the package, we have to pay customs on it, which can be anywhere from one Euro to a zillion Euro, apparently.

Yesterday we got these two Christmas cards, and also this package, which cost us about 9€ to accept. We opened it, to discover that it was empty, except for some shredded and ripped aluminum foil. When it was mailed, it was full of Christmas cookies. There is definitely a story here, and I am certainly curious, but it is one of the mysteries of the Post that we will just never know.

Posting this story for your amusement, but also to say: While we love packages, we really must advise against sending us anything from overseas. Maybe someday it will get easier, less confusing, and less expensive… but for now, if you want to send us something, a simple letter or card is the way to go.

We love getting mail, we only get about 15 pieces of mail in an entire year, including bills! I have to remind myself to check the post box, so when we open it to discover a nice card it is really a special treat.