Category Archives: Europe

Goodbye, Columbus

Posted on May 10, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

My experience of Christopher Columbus’ hometown of Genoa, Italy is tainted by the memories of a cold, windy and rainy autumn day and a night spent in a drafty, unheated pensione. I hopped a train the next morning and crossed … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art, Europe, Film, Public Transport, Tourism | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Sweet Travels

Posted on May 8, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

All of my life I have suffered from what we in the U.S. call a “sweet tooth”. This is not a uniquely North American dental disorder—although it can lead to one. It is simply the ongoing craving for candy and … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Tourism | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

See Venice And Die (or take a number)

Posted on May 7, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

I feel very lucky to have visited Venice before the advent of cruise ships and budget airlines. During my earliest trips to La Serenissima, it was possible to enjoy the city without hoards of cruise ship passengers and daytrippers. In … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Maps, Public Transport, Restaurants, Tourism, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Unforgivable

Posted on May 5, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

I’m usually drawn to street art that is amusing, snarky, or lyrical, but I was blown away by Cuban artist Erik Ravelo’s series “Unforgivable”. These heartbreaking images use street art to challenge  the world’s complacency, and the inaction of our … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Temples of Knowledge

Posted on May 3, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

I first ran across the exceptional architectural photography of Ahmet Ertug earlier this year when I was at the Hermitage Museum store in Saint Petersburg. His book on the dazzling palace museum was extraordinary. Now he has released his latest … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art, Books, Europe, Libraries, Museums, Photography | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Gulliver’s Travels

Posted on May 2, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

From a distance, it looks as though a zeppelin has landed on the roof of Prague’s DOX Centre for Contemporary Art. On closer examination, it’s apparent that the airship is actually a clever architectural installation. Gulliver, named for Jonathan Swift’s iconic … Continue reading →

Posted in Air Travel, Architecture, Art, Europe, Museums, Tourism | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Life Is Better With A Book

Posted on April 26, 2017 by Brian D. Butler
Posted in Books, Bookstore Tourism, Europe | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Blue Monday

Posted on April 24, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

h/t Michael Moon

Posted in Books, Bookstore Tourism, Europe | Tagged , | Leave a comment

A Travel Guru To Follow

Posted on April 23, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

For more than three decades North American travelers have been getting advice on European tourism from a folksy, easy-going travel writer named Rick Steves. Over the years, Rick’s best-selling guidebooks and popular Public Television travelogues have encouraged millions of Americans … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Europe, Freedom of Speech, Public Transport, Tourism, Travel Writing, USA | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Hey, It’s Still Poetry Month

Posted on April 20, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

h/t to Robert Montgomery

Posted in Art, Europe, Writing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment