I was randomly browsing Iceland photos when I stumbled upon these amazing images from Italian photographer Guiseppe Lo Schiavo. The aptly named series “Wind Sculpture” was shot last year around Iceland with just a simple thermal weather rescue blanket a prop.
all images © Guiseppe Lo Schiavo
Readers of TBTP know that I am enamored with London. Over the years, I have had the good fortune to spend quite a bit of time there and I even wrote a budget travel guide for the British capital. So, I’m always on the look out for new and inventive travel books about the great metropolis. Curiocity, written by Henry Eliot and Matt Lloyd-Rose, offers readers an intriguing take on lesser known curiosities, historical sites, landmarks, and unusual aspects of London.
The new guide, literally a London A to Z, is published by the Penguin Random House imprint Particular. The book is handily divided into 26 chapters, one for every letter of the alphabet. Along with fascinating details, the authors have included wonderful charts, maps, and original illustrations.
Although it may seem that George R.R. Martin’s now iconic series A Song of Fire and Ice has been around forever, this week actually marks the 20th anniversary of the publication of the first book A Game of Thrones. You may be surprised to learn that it was not an instant success. Sales were OK, but it wasn’t a bestseller by any measure. Martin has been waxing nostalgic about the novel that changed his life over at his personal blog— Not A Blog.
If like me you have always wondered what it would be like to visit the North Korean capital Pyongyang, world traveler Jacob Laukaitis’ video below offers a glimpse of life in the secretive city.
I was disappointed that I missed the artist Christo’s installation on Lago Iseo this summer. Fortunately, filmmaker Dorian Iribarren made this neat hyperlapse video of The Floating Piers project. Shot from a participant’s perspective, the video consists of 8,900 individual images.
London mayor Sadiq Khan has announced a new series of commissioned artwork by British and international artists for the #LondonIsOpen campaign. Works by ten diverse artists will be displayed throughout the Tube system. The mayor’s initiative hopes to show that London is still welcoming to all despite the Brexit debacle.
Helsinki-based artist Aino-Maija Metsola, who is best known for her exciting textile design work for Marimekko, has created six captivating covers for upcoming Virginia Woolf re-issues. The new Vintage paperbacks are scheduled for Fall publication.
Riffing on each novel’s title, Metsola has incorporated abstract painting, graphic design, and illustration for her book covers. The vibtrant covers reflect Finland’s strong polychromatic design tradition.
The Last Bookstore in Los Angeles is on every traveling bibliophile’s must visit list. The 12-minute documentary below, directed by Chad Howitt, explores the history of Southern California’s largest indie bookshop and the inspiring story of it’s owner Josh Spenser.
Thanks to the East Coast Greenway Alliance, in the near future it will be possible to ride your bike along a dedicated bike path 3,000 miles from Key West, Florida to Calais, Maine at the Canadian border. Thus far more than 850 miles of connected trail is in place. Funded by state and local groups, much of the East Coast Greenway takes advantage of former railway lines, park trails, and riverside walkways.
Here in the Philadelphia area we already have a 25 mile stretch along the scenic Schuylkill River Trail, which connects to local tourist sites such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Boathouse Row.
