Category Archives: Tourism

There and Back Again

Posted on November 4, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Air New Zealand —the official airline of Middle Earth (really)—recently released a new safety video. Titled An Unexpected Briefing , the video was produced in conjunction with WETA Workshop, which created the special effects for Lord of the Rings and … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Film, movies, Tourism | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Travel Randomly

Posted on November 3, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Are you a spontaneous traveler? Would you trust a website to randomly plan your travel? If the answer is yes, you might want to give the oddly named “adventure generator” Drungli a try. Pick your departure city and dates that … Continue reading →

Posted in apps, Europe, Tech, Tourism | Tagged | 2 Comments

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 →

Posted in Europe, Tourism | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Europe, History, Tourism | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Travel Trends 2012

Posted on October 25, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

I was intrigued by this very informative infographic on travel industry trends for 2012. One billion international traveler arrivals—wow that’s amazing ! And why doesn’t anyone want to vacation in Moldova or Tuvalu ? Take a look:

Posted in Tech, Tourism, Travel Writing | Tagged , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Europe, Libraries, Tourism | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Architecture, Europe, Tourism, Travel Writing | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

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.

Posted in Art, Books, Europe, Maps, Tourism, USA, Writing | Tagged | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Art, Europe, Tech, Tourism | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Berlin Lights Up

Posted on October 13, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

The annual Berlin Festival of Lights is one of the largest illumination events in the world. For 12 nights every October, Berlin‘s iconic landmarks, historical buildings, cultural sites, streets and squares are transformed by stunning illuminations and lights shows. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art, Europe, Tourism | Tagged , , | 1 Comment