Category Archives: Middle East

Maps Too

Posted on August 7, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

The other day we shared a group of wonderful, whimsical original travel posters created by Toronto-based artist JazzberryBlue . Who knew that there was also a fantastic series of equally colorful and amazing abstract maps of the world’s great cities. … Continue reading →

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Strange Bedfellows

Posted on July 31, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

Steimatzky is Israel’s leading bookseller with at least 160 bookstores and outlets around the country. Founded in 1925, the chain is anything but stuffy. They’ve been known in recent years for a series of clever and entertaining advertising campaigns. Their … Continue reading →

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Beach Reads

Posted on July 28, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

Enjoying a good beach read is one of the perks of summertime for booklovers the world over. The city of Tel Aviv has just made it even easier with the launch of their beach library on wheels. The colorfully painted … Continue reading →

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Home is The Navel of the World

Posted on June 29, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

Sergio Miranda is an Argentina-born, Bahrain-based photographer usually known for his work in fashion and advertising. So, his series called Ombligo is a bizarre departure. The amusing project is based on photographs of maps printed on stomachs. Each image prominently … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Maps, Middle East, Photography, South America | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Sleep Like an Egyptian

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

Located at Egypt’s Siwa Oasis, just thirty miles from the Libyan border, the handsomely restored Adrere Amellal Hotel is an unlikely luxury eco-lodge. Set lakeside, the hotel was built at a site that has seen human habitation on and off … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Hotels, Middle East, Tourism | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

The Pods Are Coming

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

The ‘GoSleep’ is the latest, state of the art chair that converts into a private flat bed. Ten sleeping pods have now been installed in Terminal 3 and in the Al Dhabi Lounge in Terminal 1 at Abu Dhabi International … Continue reading →

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Looking at a gift horse

Posted on March 31, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

One of the perks of running this little travel/book/art blog is that I receive lots of free books. Some are advance reader copies, some are uncorrected proofs and others are just pre-release copies. I’ve been sent novels, memoirs, reference books, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Asia, Books, Canada, Europe, Middle East, South America, Tourism, Travel Writing, USA, Writing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Geography Is Always In Fashion

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

We have featured diverse and miscellaneous maps and cartographic forms, but this is probably the most fashionable use of maps to date. London-based artist and designer Elisabeth Lecourt painstakingly created her marvelous series titled “Les robes géographiques” from prints of historical … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Asia, Europe, History, Maps, Middle East | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Start Saving Your Pennies

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

VeryFirstTo is a British upscale product and experience website whose motto is “Be the very first to know about and have newly launching luxury products and experiences”. Now they are offering the world’s most expensive vacation package: a £990,000, two-year … Continue reading →

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What Do We Have in Our Pockets

Posted on January 29, 2013 by Brian D. Butler

The short film below, which premieres this week at Sundance, was directed by Goran Dukic and is based on Israeli writer Etgar Keret‘s short story “What Do We Have in Our Pockets”. The tw0-page story is included in Keret’s terrific … Continue reading →

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