Unter den Linden - Berlin

At the turn of the century, Unter den Linden was Berlin's most elegant street, with lots of sidewalk cafes, restaurants, and nightlife. I visited Unter Den Linden in East Berlin when the wall was still up and went to see an opera at the Staatsoper. The street seemed sad and desolate. Most of the Linden trees were cut down for firewood during World War II. New ones were planted in 1950, but the street has never really regained its stature.

Here we are at the corner of Unter den Linden and Friedrichstrasse. On the left-hand side of the card, you can see the famous Cafe Bauer, where the proprietors had 800 European daily newspapers available for patrons to peruse while they sipped coffee and ate delicious tortes with whipped cream. The Cafe Kranzler is shown front and center on the card. Here's a close-up of the detail at the entrance of the Cafe Kranzler.

Click on the link to see a picture of the same place in 1933. There is still a Cafe Kranzler in Berlin, but it's a newer incarnation in a totally different location.
Here's the back of the card.

More Dutch Stereotype

These funny cards arrived as a surprise gift from Pamela Gerard of the Cappuccino and Art Journal. Every time I look at dem I must laff so hard my belly does hurt.

Here are ze backs of ze cards.

Ho-Hum Motels

Five miles from beautiful Lake Champlain, where swimming, boating, and fishing are tops. Beautyrest beds and private showers. This is not the only Ho-Hum Motel. Here's another one in North Dakota.