Category Archives: Architecture

How it’s built in a timelapse

Posted on April 28, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

I am not much of a cruise ship kind of guy, but I was fascinated by this timelapse video.  MK Timelapse GmbH recorded the entire construction process of the AIDAnova, an 1105-foot-long cruise ship that carries 6600 passengers. The footage from Germany’s Meyer … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Europe, Film, Tourism | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Barcelona’s Basilica Battle

Posted on March 27, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

La Sagrada Familia is one of the most famous religious structures in all of the world. Alomost every visitor to Barcelona makes a pilgrimage to this extraordinary church. The last time that I was in the city I went once … Continue reading →

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

Slightly bigger than my home library

Posted on March 4, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

I have been waiting for my personal invitation to visit the extraordinary Walker Library of the Human Imagination in Ridgefield, Connecticut, but alas it does not seem to be forthcoming. However, I have discovered that it’s possible to take a virtual … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art, Books, History, Libraries, Maps, USA | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Worth the price of admission

Posted on February 20, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

The City of Paris has offered residents and visitors alike free access to 435 public toilet facilities, but today it is officially opening a public lavatory that charges a 2€ admission fee. From what I have seen so far, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art, Europe, History, Public Transport, Tourism | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Going Underground in NYC

Posted on February 9, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

Both sides of my family emigrated to New York City shortly before the city’s subway system was inaugurated in 1904. So, I literally rode New York’s underground trains before I was born. Like most residents of the world’s greatest city … Continue reading →

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Archives of the Planet

Posted on January 17, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

In 1908, French financier Albert Kahn created a project that aimed to photograph the diversity of humanity across the planet. He hired 12 photographers to capture images of everyday life and culture around the globe. His staff traveled to 50 … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art, Asia, Europe, History, Middle East, Museums, Photography, USA | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The price of popularity

Posted on January 9, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

The Shore by Rob A. Mackenzie It’s why the tourists arrive and why Time Out called Leith “one of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods”; why the sky is permanently blue and the sun flaunts the burnished stonework; why a red light area … Continue reading →

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Mystery of the Big Book

Posted on December 30, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

Over the years, the photograph above has appeared on numerous blogs and websites, usually captioned as “man with large book at Prague Castle, 1940s” or “c. 1940s: Man with books.” However, bibliophiles and antiquarians have long questioned the image’s description … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Books, Europe, History, Libraries, Museums, Photography, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Christmas In Europe

Posted on December 23, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

The Christmas holiday season can be magical throughout Europe. You can experience a  flying tour of nine European nations with the video below from the National Geographic. The 45-minute-long episode gives heartwarming glimpses of places like Finnish Lapland, where half a … Continue reading →

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

The Most Beautiful Bookstore in the World ?

Posted on December 6, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

Over the past few decades nearly every listicle on the world’s “most beautiful bookstores” has included the incredible Livraria Lello in Porto, Portugal. I am embarassed to admit that although I was briefly in Porto, I never made it to … Continue reading →

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