Category Archives: Europe

Kafka : On The Cheap

Posted on January 29, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

During the summer of 1911, Franz Kafka and his friend Max Brod took a railway journey through Switzerland and France. While they were hanging out in Lugano, Switzerland, Kafka hit on a novel notion for “reforming” the traditional staid travel … Continue reading →

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Hashtag Tourism

Posted on January 28, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

The always inventive urban transit cartographer Jug Cerovic has teamed up with graphic designer Andrea Rohner and software engineer David Goldwich to create a new travel website featuring metropolitan transit maps labeled with popular Instagram hashtags rather than subway stations. … Continue reading →

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Don’t Be Like These Tourists (Warning: Intense Images)

Posted on January 27, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

Many years ago, I chose to cut short my visit to the Terezín Concentration Camp in the Czech Republic due to the obnoxious behavior of groups of adolescents who laughed, joked, and generally clowned around with total disregard for the … Continue reading →

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Intellectual Raves

Posted on January 26, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

Beginning tonight and running through the early hours of Monday morning, the Institut Français will be hosting a series of all-night marathon “intellectual raves” in dozens of cities around the world. The 2017 La Nuit des Idées or Night of Philosophy and … Continue reading →

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Here Comes The Bloom

Posted on January 25, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

This week the Netherlands celebrated their annual Nationale Tulpendag, or Tulip Day. Every year, flower growers set up temporary gardens around the country and invite everyone to come and pick bags of tulips. The Tulpenpluktuin in Amsterdam’s Damrak Square offered … Continue reading →

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Taking It to the Streets

Posted on January 24, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

Most tourists who visit Paris take some sort of souvenir home. Many choose the cliché mini Eiffel Tower or even spring for some gourmet treats from Fauchon. Now travelers truly smitten with France’s capital can own an actual piece of … Continue reading →

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Europe on $5 a Day

Posted on January 19, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

The notion of traveling around Europe on $5 a day seems preposterous in 2017, but back in 1957 it was a reality for frugal savvy travelers. This year the guidebook, which came before Let’s Go Europe, Lonely Planet, or Rick Steves Guides, is celebrating … Continue reading →

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No Porn Involved

Posted on January 16, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

When I was in Amsterdam a few months ago, I got to spend some time in the rapidly evolving NDSM-werf section of Noord Amsterdam. Not long ago, this area, which once was home to an enormous shipbuilding and warehousing complex, … Continue reading →

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Imagine No Borders

Posted on January 14, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

If you are a regular follower of TBTP, you’ve likely noted that I’m a bit of a map and globe geek. The fascination probably began with a globe/lamp combination that sat on my bedside table as a young child. I’m … Continue reading →

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No More Leftovers

Posted on January 13, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

On my most recent international trip I visited three countries that all used different currencies. By the time I got home, I had a baggie full of miscellaneous coins and bills that may never get used. Now, all of that … Continue reading →

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