Category Archives: Europe

Reading Room

Posted on July 13, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

The British Museum in London has reopened its famous circular Reading Room for visitors with free tours .The historic Reading Room was built between 1854 and 1857 to a design by Sydney Smirke using cast iron, concrete, and glass. Much of … Continue reading →

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secret from the river

Posted on July 12, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

“Have you also learned that secret from the river; that there is no such thing as time? That the river is everywhere at the same time, at the source and at the mouth, at the waterfall, at the ferry, at … Continue reading →

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Alien Picnic

Posted on July 11, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

I recently ran across a reference to the fantastic Russian Sci-Fi classic Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky that included a link to a free online version of the novel. You can read or download the book here. The Strugatsky brothers … Continue reading →

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Welcome to the city of love

Posted on July 9, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

The BBC has released a new promotional video to gin-up some excitement for the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Titled ‘Welcome to the City of Love,’ the short weaves a heartwarming narrative that blends Parisian romance with the passion … Continue reading →

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“Ricordare è rivivere” (“to remember is to relive”)

Posted on July 5, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Sigmund Freud returned again and again to the problem of memory as he formulated his theories of psychoanalysis during the 1890s. “What is essentially new about my theory,” Freud wrote in this letter to fellow physician and confidante Wilhelm Fliess, … Continue reading →

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Souvenir for writers

Posted on July 4, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Over the years I have been both the giver and recipient of some quite silly travel souvenirs, so it’s heartening to find that even the ancient Romans weren’t above bringing home the occasional humorous gift. The Museum of London Archaeology … Continue reading →

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Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old

Posted on July 3, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Franz Kafka, born on this day in 1883. “You do not need to leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. Do not even listen, simply wait, be quiet still and solitary. The world will freely offer itself … Continue reading →

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Banishing Evil

Posted on June 29, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

This short New Yorker documentary about a Bulgarian tradition of dancing evil spirits away reminds us of the traditional rituals that are slowly disappearing, of the ways people develop coping mechanisms and lasting community. It’s a moving portrayal and a … Continue reading →

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Is It Even A City

Posted on June 26, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

The simple creativity in the new video below for VisitOslo is rare in tourism ads these days, most of which blend into each other. This is different, a typical understated Norse dry sense of humor.   

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Bookstore Tourism: Il mio tipo di posto

Posted on June 23, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

It’s been more than a decade since I’ve visited Florence, so you will have to forgive that I missed the grand opening to the amazing Libreria Giunti Odeon. This fabulous mash-up of a cinema, bookstore and cafe premiered in November … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Books, Bookstore Tourism, Europe, Film, History, movies, Restaurants, Tourism | Tagged , , | 1 Comment