Category Archives: Europe

Art Makes The Trip

Posted on December 29, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Anyone who uses public transit, especially subway systems, knows that artfully designed and decorated stations make travel less tedious, and even enjoyable. Metronapoli, in Naples Italy, has taken this notion very seriously and has initiated a long-term project called “Art … Continue reading →

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Just In Time for Christmas Shopping

Posted on December 23, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Harry Potter fans have flocked to London’s King Cross Station for years in search of the secret Platform 9 3/4 . Now they can part with a few pounds at the new Harry Potter Shop appropriately situated between Platforms 9 … Continue reading →

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It’s A Very Dickensian Christmas

Posted on December 20, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Following an extensive eight month, £3 million restoration and redevelopment project, London’s Charles Dickens Museum reopened on December 10th just in time to celebrate a Dickens Christmas and to top-off the Dickens 2012 Bicentenary year festivities. The beloved author’s Bloomsbury … Continue reading →

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A Christmas Miracle (almost)

Posted on December 19, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

The English North Yorkshire town of Malton seems a likely place to figure in a Charles Dickens tale and this year it does. When residents of the old Roman town learned that a rare specially bound and signed copy of … Continue reading →

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Crime and Punishment

Posted on December 18, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

I was gobsmacked by Polish filmmaker Piotr Dumala’s extraordinary animated version of Dostoyevsky’s classic novel. This pared down version of the story is told without dialog and takes place entirely at night. Trained as an painter and sculptor, Dumala has … Continue reading →

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Polar Express

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Last weekend a passenger on a Szczecin to Warsaw Poland regional train got a very chilly reception when she visited the train’s lavatory. She was shocked to discover that the toilet was encased in a three-inch thick block of ice. … Continue reading →

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A Tale of Two Bridges

Posted on December 16, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

I can’t explain my interest in brilliantly designed bridges and I don’t feel the need to explore it. So, here’s a tale of two more way cool new bridges in Europe. Designed by Amsterdam-based NEXT Architects, this stunning span connects … Continue reading →

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No Pine Scent Whatsoever

Posted on December 13, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

For decades, the Flemish city of Hasselt, Belgium has erected a lovely, traditional Christmas tree in the city’s Grotemarkt main square. But this holiday season has brought a charmingly novel approach to the tradition. Working with local residents, the Belgian … Continue reading →

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I’ll Drink To That

Posted on December 10, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

When the private company that provided night bus service in Ghent, Belgium stopped the operation, the municpal government found an innovative solution with an unlikely partner. In the new collaboration, the Antwerp-based brewery De Koninck agrred to cover the cost … Continue reading →

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Underground Books

Posted on December 8, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

By now most bibliophiles have participated in, or at least heard about, bookswapping programs. The latest book give-away scheme is London’s Books on the Underground. All that’s necessary to be a participant is to visit the project website, request some … Continue reading →

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