Author Archives: Brian D. Butler

Lonely Louvre

Posted on January 14, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

I’ve visited the Musée du Louvre in Paris three times in the last two years and not surprisingly it was ass-to-elbow, chockablock, bursting at the seams, swarming with throngs of tourists each time. Between the French school groups, enormous Chinese … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Europe, Museums, Photography, Tourism | Tagged , | 4 Comments

They Heart NYC

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

Growing up in the New York metropolitan area in a family composed of 100% native New Yorkers, I always expected everyone to love New York City. So, it was no shocker to find that a survey of travel journalists voted … Continue reading →

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Syrian Museum

Posted on January 12, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

Syrian artist Tammam Azzam left his home in Damascus at the start of the Syrian civil war. Losing his studio, he turned to digital art to call attention to the horrors unfolding in his homeland. Early last year, his piece … Continue reading →

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I Want A Ziferblat (and you will too)

Posted on January 11, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

Have you ever been made to feel that you’ve overstayed your welcome in a coffeeshop while reading, working or just sucking up the free wifi? Then Ziferblat is the place for you. Ziferblat is a brilliant concept—a place where you … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Tourism | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Are You Experienced

Posted on January 10, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

Years ago I was disappointed to discover that the Mayfair London townhouse where Jimi Hendrix lived in 1968 was being used as office space. Now it’s a relief to find that it will finally be converted into a true Hendrix … Continue reading →

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Maps from the Mind

Posted on January 9, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

I love maps—antique maps, impossible to re-fold tourist office maps, old gas station maps, even Google Maps. So it won’t be a surprise that I think that Archie Archambault’s handcrafted, minimalist letterpress maps are pure dead brilliant. Three years ago, … Continue reading →

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It’s Elementary

Posted on January 8, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

Arthur Conan Doyle’s fictional detective Sherlock Holmes first appeared in print almost 127 years ago. The subsequent novels and short stories inspired more than 200 films and television series. The recent legal ruling in the United States on Sherlock Holmes … Continue reading →

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Books of Dublin

Posted on January 7, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

Dublin, Ireland’s capital city, is a popular travel destination for a myriad of reasons. But for book lovers and bibliophiles Dublin is synonymous with great literature and a must visit for its renowned libraries, amazing antiquarian and indie bookshops and … Continue reading →

Posted in apps, Books, Bookstore Tourism, Europe, Libraries, Museums, Tourism, Writing | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Adieu to all that

Posted on January 6, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

Those of us from the pre-Internet Age fondly remember the joys of a great set of encyclopedias. Before the web if you needed to know about cuneiform writing or what the capital of Namibia was, you turned to the Encyclopedia … Continue reading →

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Monkeys on a Plane

Posted on January 5, 2014 by Brian D. Butler

During the 1950s,60s and 70s, Danish painter and illustrator Otto Nielsen produced a treasury of marvelous illustrations for periodicals, books, travel guides and advertising posters. He is well known for his wonderful posters for Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, but some … Continue reading →

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