Category Archives: Europe

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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No Library Card Required

Posted on October 24, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

A cleverly converted Leyland Olympia double decker bus nicknamed Maggie has been recyled into the world’s first Bicycle Library. Located in London’s Hackney neighborhood, the innovative library offers seven types of bike for loan or sale, including a popular electric … Continue reading →

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Journey to Atlantis

Posted on October 23, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Today’s guest post is by travel writer Richard Clark: A Journey to Atlantis If you have the time while staying on Crete, the capital, Heraklion is the ideal place to board a boat for Santorini, and believe me it is … Continue reading →

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Every Dot On The Map

Posted on October 21, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

“Every dot on a map interests me.” “unless the sun inside you is burning your gut, don’t do it.” Samizdat is here. Sometimes we all want to run away and live in cave.

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Pleasures of a good bookshop

Posted on October 20, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Waterstone’s, the last large bookstore chain standing in the UK, is launching a clever print ad campaign to encourage bookshop browsing. The ads are set to run in the London Underground, in national newspapers, online and in outdoor locations. It … Continue reading →

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Lotus Dome or Soft Machine

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Inside Lille, France‘s beautiful Église Sainte Marie Madeleine, the Dutch design team Studio Roosegaarde has installed an intrguing dome-like structure composed of metalic petals that responds to the physical presence of visitors. The Lotus Dome is constructed of hundreds of light-sensitive flowers … Continue reading →

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