Category Archives: Europe

Worth the price of admission

Posted on February 20, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

The City of Paris has offered residents and visitors alike free access to 435 public toilet facilities, but today it is officially opening a public lavatory that charges a 2€ admission fee. From what I have seen so far, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art, Europe, History, Public Transport, Tourism | Tagged , | 5 Comments

The Earl of Cattenborough owns Caturday

Posted on February 18, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

THE EARL OF CATTENBOROUGH ONCE upon a time there was a miller who had three sons, Charles, Sam, and John. And every night when the servant went to bed he used to call out: “Good-night, Missus; good-night, Master; Good-night, Charles, … Continue reading →

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Bookseller’s Regret

Posted on February 15, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

Regular visitors to Travel Between The Pages may know that I have been a bookseller for most of the 21st century and an avid book collector for many decades. Like many booksellers, I sometimes have pangs of regret over books … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Asia, Books, Europe, Middle East, Travel Writing | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

A Brief History of Vampires

Posted on February 14, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

What could be more romantic on Valentine’s Day than the debonair modern vampire who was born with the publication of the gothic horror novel Dracula (1897) by the Irish author Bram Stoker. In the video below from the Victoria and … Continue reading →

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Only in the Netherlands

Posted on February 11, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

Utrecht is one of my favorite cities in the Netherlands. Fortunately it is over looked by the hordes of tourist who mob Amsterdam. Like most folks in the country, the residents of the beautiful city love bikes and books. Now … Continue reading →

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Cover to Cover

Posted on February 10, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

Over the years, I have featured posts on the clever work by German graphic designer and animator Henning M. Lederer. He recently released a mesmerizing video for his ongoing “Books & Sleeves” project where he manipulates abstract geometric patterns featured … Continue reading →

Posted in Animation, Art, Books, Europe, Film | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Mapping History

Posted on February 1, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

Perspicacious followers of Travel Between The Pages will have long ago noted my interest in history, cartography, archeology, and the city of London. All of these subjects serendipitously come together in the Archaeology of Greater London website, which has interactive maps … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, History, Maps, Museums | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Literature vs Traffic

Posted on January 30, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

Regular visitors to TBTP are likely aware of my enormous regard for the brilliant installations from the Madrid-based street art collective Luzinterruptus. Somehow I missed their most project titled Literature vs Traffic that they created in one of my favorite cities, Utrecht, … Continue reading →

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“what I said was that writing makes everything clearer and worse.”

Posted on January 27, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

“Not His Best” by Joy Williams from 99 Stories of God Franz Kafka once called his writing a form of prayer. He also reprimanded the long-suffering Felice Bauer in a letter: “I did not say that writing ought to make everything … Continue reading →

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Around the world in just 72 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes, and 14 seconds

Posted on January 25, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

On this day in 1890, New York City police cleared a path through a cheering throng for reporter Nellie Bly as she stepped off a train just 72 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes, and 14 seconds after setting sail east … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Europe, History, Public Transport, Tourism, Travel Writing, USA, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments