Bonjour! This week’s carte postale features Moselle Bay and the Cathedral in Nouméa, New Caledonia, the French overseas territory located in the South Pacific.

  • Nouméa Cathedral is a Roman Catholic Church dedicated to Saint Joseph, the husband of the Virgin Mary
  • New Caledonia was discovered in 1774 by British explorer, James Cook, who thought the island looked like Scotland
  • In 1853, France annexed New Caledonia
  • France sent over 20,000 prisoners between 1864-1924 when New Caledonia was a penal colony
  • In 1946, New Caledonia was named an overseas territory of France
this postcard was printed in Berkeley, California!

In April 1974, the sender wrote to his sister to express his appreciation for her Easter wishes. He adds that he believes Valéry Giscard d’Estaing (1926-2020) should be elected president. (He won by a margin of 1.6%, the closest presidential election in French history!)

I like how the postcard was originally printed in California, then sent from New Caledonia to France, and now that I have it, it’s back in California!

Over the years, I have accumulated hundreds of postcards from around the world, which I’ve either purchased from my local antique shops or received from thoughtful family and friends who know I collect them. When I travel, I also like to send myself a carte postale just for fun!

I hope these postcards will make you want to revisit a favorite vacation spot or to embark on a journey to the destination of your dreams (when it’s safe to travel freely again, of course!)

And if you’ve been to the destination featured, tell me about your experience there – I’d love to hear from you.

Until the next Wednesday Postcard, take care!