Filmmaker Alex Soloviev directed, filmed and edited this wonderful visual poem to Berlin. Using handheld cameras, he followed locals and tourists alike to create a charming slice-of-life ode to Germany’s exciting capital.
Way back in 2015, a neat old map detailing how long it took to travel from London to diverse destinations in 1914 was all over the internet. Now, the helpful Australian travel search engine Rome2rio has created a companion map that shows how long the same journeys take today by sorting data from 750,000 travel routes to 144 countries. The big surprise is how long it still takes to get some places even with jet travel.
A book buyer just requested some images from this fantastic 1908 edition of Egypt And Its Monuments by Robert Hichens with illustrations by Jules Guérin so I thought I’d share them here as well. Over the years, I’ve bought and sold at least ten copies of this amazing title. It’s a popular title with collectors, but I always hate to part with the books. Guerin’s wonderful illustrations stand alone as fine art. He traveled extensively in Egypt and Israel with Hichens in the early 20th century and collaborated with the writer on a number of book and magazine projects.
We have a thriving, diverse coffeehouse culture here in the Philadelphia area, but it just got even more interesting and diverse with the opening of Amalgam Comics & Coffeehouse in the Kensington section of Philly. Owned and managed by Ariell R. Johnson, the new, crowd-funded shop is the first comic book store in the region run by an African-American woman.
Johnson told the local press that “I got the idea for the shop when I was attending Temple University…I would buy my books at Fat Jack’s, go across the street to Crimson Moon, and read everything I bought.” She plans to use Amalgam to host book signings, film screenings, community nights, and diverse workshops.
If you’re in Philly and want to check out the store, it’s located at 2578 Frankford Avenue and is open Monday through Saturday.
I’m always pleased to discover an abandoned ecclesiastical building that has been transformed for a higher purpose. In this case, the 16th century former Convento de San Augustin in Pátzcuaro, Michoacán Mexico was restored and turned into a public library. Dedicated to the 19th century independence leader Gertrudis Bocanegra , the library also houses an extraordinary fresco mural by Irish-Mexican artist and architect Juan O’Gorman.
Completed in 1942, and ironically funded by American entrepreneur E.J. Kaufmann, the 46 by 42 foot mural tells the history of the indigenous Purépechao people from pre-Colonial days until independence.
If you’ve been tempted by glossy travel magazines to pay a visit to Reykjavik during the winter season, you best take a look at this video first. Filmed by Austrian journalists Sarah Brugner and Michael Luger, the short film captures a winter solstice day in Iceland’s capital. By the way, it’s in English.
Travel Between The Pages 