Category Archives: Europe

First Impressions

Posted on April 15, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

On April 15, 1874, thirty artists, including Edgar Degas, Paul Cezanne, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, Camille Pissarro, Pierre Auguste Renoir, and Alfred Sisley, held an exhibition of their works in Paris, at the Boulevard des Capucines, the vacant studio of the photographer Nadar (Gaspard-Félix … Continue reading →

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Speaking Of

Posted on April 12, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

 

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Smoke Signals

Posted on April 11, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

 Mt.Etna‘s Southeast Crater has begun emitting countless graceful vapor rings (“volcanic vortex rings”), a phenomenon never seen like this before. Someone said “maybe because we receive so much bad news lately, Etna has decided to do something simply beautiful”.  

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You may want to see this (or not)

Posted on April 10, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

The Abandoned/Ghost station project captures those mysterious stations throughout London which are long closed and disused. Many remain fairly intact and some even feature time capsule-like qualities, such as WWII propaganda posters hanging from the platform walls. The Museum of … Continue reading →

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Bookstore Tourism: A bit of France in NYC

Posted on April 7, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

La Joie de Vivre, a bookstore and café selling titles in French and English, has opened in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. Forbes reported that the shop, located at 145 W. 27th St., “offers a quick getaway to France. 50% of books sold in the … Continue reading →

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Around The World

Posted on April 5, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

I am a complete sucker for the rediscovered and digitally enhanced old films and travelogues from the late 19th century. The YouTube channel Lost in Time has taken footage from the renowned Lumière brothers that was shot in 1896, then enhanced and … Continue reading →

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Making Space for Everyone

Posted on April 2, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

I have been visiting the Netherlands for more than 40 years and have been truly impressed by the transformation in the way the country manages public transportation. I only wish that the U.S. would begin to follow their lead. If … Continue reading →

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A Kafka Centennial

Posted on April 1, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Kafka: Making of an Icon is an upcoming exhibition that will mark the centennial  of the great writer’s death and celebrate not only his books and creativity, but also his continuing inspiration for new literary, theatrical and artistic creations around … Continue reading →

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Are you strawn

Posted on March 30, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

I have been fortunate enough to have visited glorious Scotland many times, but I only recently heard about the Scottish term thrawn. So, thrawn is a Scottish word that means ‘stubborn’ and unbending. Sometimes it’s an insult but increasingly an admirable characteristic. … Continue reading →

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Not Just a Phone Booth

Posted on March 29, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Like many other overseas Anglophiles, I was dead chuffed to finally get to make a call from a genuine red phone box on my first visit to London many decades ago. So, I had a tinge of nostalgia watching the … Continue reading →

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