Category Archives: Tourism

Make Yourself at Home

Posted on July 24, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Travelers with time to kill at Charles de Gaulle Aéroport in Paris can now kickback and relax in a new IKEA sponsored (and furnished) lounge. The 220 square meter lounge offers a homey escape from the hectic airport public waiting … Continue reading →

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Is Manhattan Just a Theme Park ?

Posted on July 23, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

The brilliant folks at Black Sheep Films have magically transformed New York City’s iconic buildings and public spaces into amusement park attractions. In a reality bending mash-up, diector Fernando Livschitz has combined Manhattan’s renowned sites with rides from Coney Island‘s … Continue reading →

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What the Phonics

Posted on July 22, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

WTPh? What the Phonics is a neat project that helps confused travelers with the frequently tricky pronounciation of street names in Denmark. Artist Momo Miyazaki and sound engineer Andrew Spitz created the interactive installations that are scattered around the heart … Continue reading →

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Library Himmel

Posted on July 21, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

I can never resist a collection of great library photographs. So, I was thrilled to stumble across a wonderful series of photos of libraries from around Northern Europe. Professional photographer Christoph Seebach is based in Köln, Germany, where he is … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Europe, Libraries, Tourism | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Starbucks’ Progenitor

Posted on July 20, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Some of us seem to think that travel is just an opportunity to hangout at new cafes and coffeehouses. Thanks to the British Museum we can trace the Western roots of our coffee obsession back to England’s very first public … Continue reading →

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Better Than a Pub Crawl

Posted on July 16, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

Yesterday bibliophile bikers inaugurated Chicago’s first annual Bookstore Bike Crawl and Art Show. The participants pedaled from Powell’s Bookstore North to Bookworks Used and Rare Books, on to Unabridged Bookstore in Lakeview, then to Open Books (Chicago’s nonprofit bookstore) and … Continue reading →

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Room for Art

Posted on July 15, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

The Clarion Hotel in Stockholm‘s happening Södermalm district, loves art so much that they inaugurated a scheme this summer that offers artists the opportunity to pay for their accommodations with a work of art. The offer is good for a … Continue reading →

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Paris: free wi-fi and more

Posted on July 14, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

All photos © Felipe Ribon The Mairie de Paris commissioned the firm JCDecaux to create the clever Escale Numérique , a “green” free wi-fi/gadget charging station/information kiosk at the Rond Pont des Champs-Elysées. The Escale Numérique’s sheltered hotspot is equipped … Continue reading →

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The Palace Under the Alps

Posted on July 12, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

I foolishly sold my first edition copy of Bill Bryson’s The Palace Under the Alps (Congdon & Weed, 1985) a few years ago. So, I was dead chuffed to stumble across this blog with the same handle that posts excerpts from … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Europe, Museums, Tourism, Travel Writing, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Alpine Mountain High

Posted on July 11, 2012 by Brian D. Butler

It’s been quite a few years since I’ve visited the Vierwaldstättersee region of Switzerland around Lucerne. Last week’s news that they’ve inaugurated an amazing new double-decker, open-air cable car on the Stanserhorn has me planning a return visit. The way … Continue reading →

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