Tag Archives: Finland

More Fun With Maps

Posted on September 26, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

Did you know this? The city of St. John’s, in Newfoundland and Labrador (Canada), holds an impressive geographical curiosity: despite being in the same country as Vancouver, in the far west, St. John’s is closer to places like Finland, the … Continue reading →

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The Last Bookshop of the World

Posted on August 19, 2023 by Brian D. Butler

I was recently directed to a film that is likely to appeal only to bibliophiles, writers, and cinephiles. So, of course, I assumed that it was right up your alley as they say in oldtimey America. Most booklovers that I … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Bookstore Tourism, Europe, Film, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Christmas In Europe

Posted on December 23, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

The Christmas holiday season can be magical throughout Europe. You can experience a  flying tour of nine European nations with the video below from the National Geographic. The 45-minute-long episode gives heartwarming glimpses of places like Finnish Lapland, where half a … Continue reading →

Posted in Air Travel, Architecture, Art, Europe, Film, Tourism | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Psychedelic Santa

Posted on December 15, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

I have long held suspicions that all of this Santa stuff was somehow rooted in mindaltering substance use. This short animated video below explores how the Psychedelic Amanita Muscaria Mushroom may have inspired the Santa Legend of Lapland. NB: if … Continue reading →

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In The Garden of Death

Posted on September 10, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

I’ve been a fan of the Symbolist painter Hugo Simberg (1873-1917) since I first saw his work in his native Finland decades ago. His best known work The Garden of Death (above) was created for the Tampere Cathedral along with a … Continue reading →

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Another Tolkien Surprise

Posted on September 15, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

As a collector and bookseller, I’ve seen many versions and editions of J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved novel The Hobbit over the years. However, it wasn’t until recently that I was aware of Swedish and Finnish language editions that were illustrated by the anti-Fascist … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Europe, Writing | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Climate Crisis

Posted on April 17, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

Finland’s Helsingin Sanomat newspaper has created a free and downloadable variable font that aims to make the urgency of climate change tangible by mirroring the declining amount of Arctic sea ice in its disappearing letterforms. While a regular typeface has … Continue reading →

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Worldwide Live

Posted on March 11, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

When I have felt especially claustrophobic during the Pandemic lockdown, I have checked out some of the amazing live camera feeds from around the globe. Recently, I found the wonderful Rolling Cam World on Youtube and I think that I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Asia, Europe, Tourism, USA | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

The Geography of Happiness

Posted on February 5, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

Just in the nick of time, the Copenhagen-based Happiness Research Institute has opened the world’s first museum dedicated to that elusive thing we all need more than ever. The museum is located in the heart of everyone’s favorite Nordic capital. which currently … Continue reading →

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Coffee Makes The World Go Round

Posted on December 11, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

 

Posted in Europe, Restaurants | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments