Monthly Archives: August 2015

It’s A Small World

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

When I was a child one of my most treasured possessions was a small globe. Of course it was an inexpensive, mass produced model, nothing like the beautiful, handcrafted globe above from Bellerby & Co. Globemakers. Founded in 2008 in … Continue reading →

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City Reading

Posted on August 30, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

Since 2009, StadtLesen—or City Reading—has been bringing book-focused experiences each summer to select cities around Austria, Switzerland, Germany, and northern Italy. This year the project created a very neat reading lounge on historic Mozartplatz in the heart of Salzburg’s Altstadt. Residents … Continue reading →

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A Booklover’s Dream

Posted on August 29, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

It’s not unusual for bibliophiles to daydream about chucking it all and opening their own bookshop. Now, Airbnb, Scotland’s National Book Town, and The Open Book bookstore are making it possible—if only for a week. Situated in the southwest Scottish … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Bookstore Tourism, Europe, Tourism, Writing | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Whoopsie Daisy Indeed

Posted on August 28, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

This week, a 12-year-old Taiwanese boy tripped on a museum display and accidently punched a hole in a $1.5 350-year-old painting. Flowers, by Paolo Porpora, is part of a traveling exhibition called “Face of Leonardo: Images of a Genius”. No … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Asia, Museums | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

A Day Without Cars

Posted on August 27, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

On September 27,2015, Paris is going car-free (sort of) for one day. Une Journée Sans Voitures , sponsored by the Paris municipal government, will temporarily pedestrianize streets and boulevards in the 1st through 7th and the 10th,11th and 16th arrondissements. … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Tourism | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Go take a hike

Posted on August 26, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

Summer may be winding down in the Northern Hemisphere, but there’s still time to get out there and take a hike, spend some time outside, and even pitch a tent. The very cool website Hipcamp —the Airbnb for campers—offers a … Continue reading →

Posted in Tourism, USA | Tagged | 1 Comment

Micrographia

Posted on August 25, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

Los Angeles-based artist Charlotte Price created this engaging short film for the renowned Huntington Library in San Marino, California. Here’s what she had to say about the project: As a filmmaker, I spend many hours examining the world through a … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Film, History, Libraries, Museums, USA | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Harry Potter Underground

Posted on August 24, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

Diehard fans of the Wizarding World now have an actual London Underground map detailing the landmarks from JK Rowling’s books with fictional Tube stations—except for King’s Cross and Paddington of course.

Posted in Animation, Art, Books, Europe, Film, Maps, Public Transport, Writing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Not so secret, but worth a look anyway

Posted on August 23, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

Love Home Swap, a popular home exchange website, analyzed more than 700,000 travel tips from 70,000 site members to create a list of travel recommendations. here’s the result in their “Top 150 Secret Destinations” infographic. Maybe not so secret, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Asia, Canada, Europe, Museums, Restaurants, South America, Tourism, USA | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Welcome to Dismaland

Posted on August 22, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

I have never been to the UK seaside resort town of Weston-super-Mare; it’s just not the kind of place that usually attracts foreign visitors. But I’d make an exception to visit Banksy’s new Dismaland “theme park”, which opens today for … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art, Europe, Film, Theater, Tourism | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments