Category Archives: Europe

Bed, Breakfast and Books

Posted on February 17, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

If you visit Lille, France after March 21st, you will be able to browse a new bookstore, have a coffee, and even stay the night at Place Ronde – Bed, Books & Breakfast. The project is the brainchild of Fabienne van … Continue reading →

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Why Bibliophiles Hate Cristiano Ronaldo

Posted on February 15, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Cristiano Ronaldo, the famous Portuguese footballer, has purchased the historic Casa del Libro bookstore building in the heart of Madrid with plans to convert it into a luxury hotel. The 95 year old bookstore is housed in a beautiful building … Continue reading →

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Isn’t It Romantic

Posted on February 14, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Happy Valentine’s Day ! This beautiful edition of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s romantic poems Sonnets from the Portuguese was published in Venice in 1906. The lovely miniature book was handset and bound in vellum. H/t to the University of Iowa Special Collections Library.

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Gulliver’s Travels

Posted on February 12, 2018 by Brian D. Butler
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Mind The Gap

Posted on February 10, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Those of you who visit this blog on a regular basis already know that I have an inordinate interest in travel posters, graphic design, and especially public transport system safety posters. So it will come as little surprise that I … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Europe, Public Transport | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Middle Earth Parks

Posted on February 7, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Dan Bell is a very talented amateur cartographer who loves J.R.R. Tolkien’s iconic Middle Earth maps and national parks too. He has combined his interests in a wonderful series of Tolkien-style maps of parks in the U.K. and the U.S.. … Continue reading →

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KLM Cares

Posted on February 2, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Last year I posted a story about KLM’s trial run for the airline’s Care Tag audio-equipped GPS tourist guide device. Now, the Royal Dutch Airlines has rolled-out the tiny tech travel guide for flyers who act fast. When you book a flight … Continue reading →

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March of the Penguins

Posted on January 29, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Paper penguin sculptures have been popping-up in cities around the world to raise awareness about protecting Antarctica from exploitation. The penguins were created by German artist Wolfram Kampffmeyer for the new Greenpeace campaign titled March of the Penguins. The sculptures have been … Continue reading →

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My Kind of Recycling

Posted on January 22, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

During the last eight months, the trash collectors in the Çankaya District of Ankara, Turkey have rescued more than 5,000 books from the garbage. Thanks to their diligence, a lending library has been created in the townhall. The library is open … Continue reading →

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Europe by Rail: The Definitive Guide

Posted on January 16, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

For the last two decades, many pundits and self-appointed experts have predicted the imminent demise of printed books. Travel guidebooks were voted most likely to disappear. While there’s no doubt that the travel genre has been impacted by digital books, … Continue reading →

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