Category Archives: Architecture

Amsterdam Says No To Overtourism

Posted on January 15, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

Amsterdam has long been one of my favorite cities in the world, but on recent visits I have been put off by the sheer volume of tourists. The notoriously tolerant residents of the city seem to have finally had enough … Continue reading →

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Art Mystery or Art Prank

Posted on December 10, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

You don’t have to be a street art sucker like me to be intrigued by the tale of the Cookie Monster “мир, земля, печенье” (“Peace, Land, and Cookies” in Russian) mural that popped up on a commercial building in Peoria, … Continue reading →

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Bookstore Tourism: World’s Oldest Bookshop

Posted on December 5, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Although I have only visited Lisbon once, I had the serendipitous experience of staying in the Chiado district which is home to some of the city’s best cultural attractions, cafés, and the world’s oldest continuously operated bookstore. Livraria Bertrand, which … Continue reading →

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Philly becomes electric

Posted on November 28, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Just in time to brighten up our gloomy holiday season, Philly’s newest street art mural has been unveiled. Electric Philadelphia! was created by muralist David Guinn and light artist Drew Billiau with help from Mural Arts Philadelphia and Visit Philadelphia. The 8,500-square-foot art installation can … Continue reading →

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Here Stood Mayakovsky

Posted on November 14, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

The Brooklyn Bridge literally loomed large in my Brooklyn family’s history for a century, so I was intrigued when I stumbled upon this impressive limited edition volume. The accordion-fold book Brooklyn Bridge with a poem by the 20th century Russian poet Vladimir … Continue reading →

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When book-lovers dream of luxury…

Posted on November 4, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Drifting into dreamland after the ultimate reading experience… When book-lovers dream of luxury, they dream of Detroit’s Book-Cadillac Hotel–at least according to this fabulous ad copy from 1928. The curtains flutter, the readers snuggle, and service is swift and silent. … Continue reading →

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Halloween Travel Haunts

Posted on October 31, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

I have to admit that I was surprised to discover that Larnach Castle in Otago, New Zealand was on a list of 45 haunted travel destinations in a Condé Nast Traveler article on the spine-tingling subject. When I visited the … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Asia, Canada, Europe, Tourism, Uncategorized, USA | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Welcome to Planet Word

Posted on October 26, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Last week a long-awaited new museum opened in Washington, D.C. that will be a must-see destination for readers and language lovers. Planet Word is promoted as “a revolutionary museum dedicated to the power, beauty, and fun of language and to … Continue reading →

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Building Bridges

Posted on October 20, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

I’ve crossed the historic Charles Bridge in Prague dozens of times and never stopped to consider what an amazing feat of engineering it took to build this beautiful structure.The animation below details how the  famous 14th-century Charles Bridge was built … Continue reading →

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Accidentally Wes Anderson

Posted on October 12, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

I have been a fan of Wes Anderson’s off-kilter films ever since Rushmore. I’d have a difficult time picking my favorite, but The Grand Budapest Hotel will do in a pinch. The creators of a wonderful Instagram account called  Accidentally Wes Anderson  which collects … Continue reading →

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