Category Archives: Europe

Helvetia’s Traum

Posted on November 11, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Back before the astronomical value of the Swiss franc made long visits to Switzerland cost prohibitive, I was lucky enough to spend some quality time in glorious Helvetia. So, it will come as no surprise that I’m smitten by this … Continue reading →

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Border Land Hides Street Art Museum

Posted on November 10, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Border Land is an odd appellation for a park in the the heart of a city, but Torino, Italy‘s Parco Ignazio Michelotti now bears that name. Situated along the banks of the River Po, just across from the University of … Continue reading →

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Hey Taxi

Posted on November 9, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

While traveling in Europe I try to use public transportation whenever possible, however sometimes a taxi is the best option for a time-sensitive trip. A new Finnish start-up booking service called Cabforce offers taxi services in 25 European cities. Users … Continue reading →

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No Dikes Yet

Posted on November 5, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

In 2009, the RTL television network in the Netherlands filmed a feature in New York City on a proposal to construct a Dutch-style storm barrier across New York harbor. In light of last week’s visit by Hurricane Sandy, it seems … Continue reading →

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Travel Randomly

Posted on November 3, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Are you a spontaneous traveler? Would you trust a website to randomly plan your travel? If the answer is yes, you might want to give the oddly named “adventure generator” Drungli a try. Pick your departure city and dates that … Continue reading →

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My Kind of Mayor

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

I recently heard about  an interesting initiative by the French railway company SNCF. To celebrate its new high-speed line direct from Lyons to Brussels, SNCF recently set up a giant cube to introduce the citizens of Lyons to Belgium’s capital … Continue reading →

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The Worst Hotel In The World

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

A dirty, cold, tiny hotel room can put a damper on your trip. But for the Hans Brinker Budget Hotel in Amsterdam, those attributes are essential to the promotional pitch. That’s because the Hans Brinker is proud to be dubbed the “worst … Continue reading →

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Happy Halloween

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

One of the first true horror films that I saw as a child was F.W. Murnau‘s 1922 silent vampire flic Nosferatu. When I was a little older and I finally read Bram Stoker’s classic Dracula, I realized that the Murnau’s … Continue reading →

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Above Paris (revisited)

Posted on October 28, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

The first time zeppelins flew over Paris, it was to bomb the city during World War I. Now, a German zeppelin company says it is nearing agreement with a company in Paris that plans to offer flights around the Eiffel … Continue reading →

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Before Baumgartner

Posted on October 27, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

One hundred years before the Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner took his leap, there was another Austrian daredevil– Franz Reichelt. According to French magazine Nouvel Observateur, this tailor from Vienna had moved to France as a young man and become a … Continue reading →

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