Mapping Gothic France

My brother discovered the Mapping Gothic France website at a lecture. The site is dense with interactivity. The main interface allows you to overlay various historic maps with your choice of current base maps, click on churches and buildings and connect to more information than you can possibly absorb in one viewing.

Like a chef you can mix and match your ingredients as you see fit-below you can see King Philip II invading Normandy over a tasty layer of road map.

There are timelines, links to authors, stories and essays and lots of information about churches. Each church has its own page with images 360 degree panoramas and stereoscopic views (though I could not get those to load) that require 3D glasses. For dessert, some screen shots from a panel that allows you to select churches and compare images and floor plans.

Map of the Week-This Gaming Life

I'm not really much of a "gamer" but I'm also not one of those snobs that finds them offensive. I do like the cover of This Gaming Life by Jim Rossignol. Yes the book is two years old by now but I'm often late to discover things-especially when they relate to gaming.

I don't know why the cover makes me think of France. The resemblance is pretty weak.

Map of the Week-Tasty Wine Maps

I don't know much about wine. My keen sense of taste tells me that some wines are "better" than others. I do know that my local liquor store is decorated with some nice, colorful maps including this one.

This map is huge and takes a long time to download so I only show a section of it above. It is available online here (click the "Quality Wines map" link) if you want to wait for it. The store also has nice regional maps of France, but I could not find those online. However, I did find lots of other maps. Here is a nice general map of France for people like me who only know the most basic distinctions.


Those with a keener palette may want to dig into a detailed region such as the Loire.

If you're planning some wine tourism you might want a detailed map like the one below of Madera, California. I mainly included this map because it is, in my cartographic opinion, cute. You might get lost if you actually try to use this map as its accuracy seems to get lost in all the cuteness.

L'Chaim!

Map of the Week - Paris circa 1900

My wife gave me a "Vintage Maps" 2009 calendar as a Chanukah gift. This is the April map. Speaking in highly technical cartographic terms, I love the cool monuments as well as the details of woods, parks, forts and city walls. I stare at this map way too much at work and don't get other things done.
It is odd that no map credits are given in this calendar. There is just a title; "Paris Circa 1900". I usually like to have a link or give credit for the maps I post but in this case I must defer to the calendar's publisher Cavallini & Co.


Here is a detail of part of Central Paris for your viewing pleasure.

Schmap of the Week

Schmap is a Widget you can add to your website to post info about your team, band, city, or other interests. Better to show then tell.



Below you can see the latest exploits of my favorite pathetic hockey team - the Flyers. Click a puck and see how they did in that location - you can also look at the arena - this works better in baseball when you're not looking at roofs. If you don't like them, which you probably don't, you can change the team or even the sport by clicking the buttons up top. Above, for a more international perspective is everyone's favorite French league team Paris St Germain.



You can also put up a city tourist guide - I picked Baltimore in honor of the Baltimore Festival of Maps.



Or you can follow your favorite musician such as Avril Lavigne - well she's not really my favorite but I sure like that heart-bone logo.

MOTW #6

For Armistice Day - a map of the Western Front during WWI.