What’s that? No blog update in over a year about our guides? Exactly where did the time go? Brief announcements are made regularly via Twitter, but this seems to be a better format to review all that’s happened in 2013… what a year!
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Several personal factors affected the time & energy I could dedicate to business matters. Early in 2013, a possible move from Buenos Aires to Montevideo fell through… we ended up in Esquel instead. Packing & unpacking was required all the same! Next came a promise to design two editions of an academic journal along with its webpage. Lots of personal travel (Liverpool to Marrakech & everywhere in between) took time as well. But a large chunk of 2013 was spent in Spain working on guidebook research & several tours for Rick Steves. I had a blast, but those commitments meant less time for Endless Mile; nonetheless, good things were accomplished!
JAN ● Evasões —a glossy, Conde Nast-style travel magazine— recommended our tile guide to Lisbon as #10 of the Top 100 ideas for Portugal! Such an honor.
FEB ● Final Buenos Aires guide released: Art Nouveau. 33 pages of the most beautiful survivors with 75 listings, biographies, historical background & muchos mapas.
MAR ● Good press: cited in the BBC travel article “Preserving history in Buenos Aires” and photos published.
MAY ● More good press: “A guide to Buenos Aires architecture” published in the Time Out Insiders’ Guide (Autumn/Winter 2013). Difficult to condense into 1,400 words but very pleased with the final version.
JUL ● While the Lisbon tile guide had already received various accolades, I felt it could be taken up a notch. So while staying in the Portuguese capital for a few weeks, I set out in search of more info. Various tile exhibits (Art Nouveau in Sacavém & Maria Keil in Cascais) provided inspiration.
AUG ● Updated version of the tile guide released with 21 additional panels & 10 extra pages, including photos of every listing. Original guides for Endless Mile were designed as print-friendly documents (little color, vector graphics instead of photos). But mobile technology has advanced to a point that tablets & smartphones are used as much if not more than print. New paradigm = new design 🙂
SEP ● Updated version of the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos guide released (5 extra pages, more photos + fancy, new artwork). Projecto SOS Azulejo & the official government organization for preserving tiles (PISAL) recommended our tile guide. Obrigado!
NOV ● Website redesign so it looks good & behaves well on any size screen… 100% responsive. Major content updates in almost every guide reflecting the year’s changes: dismantling the Christopher Columbus monument in Buenos Aires, train accidents, tile panel destruction, etc.
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Sales are up slightly from last year, so that’s a good sign especially with little time for marketing & fewer releases than in 2012. As always, big plans are in the works for 2014. I’ll continue to work for Rick Steves & the academic journal, so new guides won’t come fast & furious; that’s ok because quality is important. Even more surprises in store —big ones— so stay tuned!