Frankfurt am Main up in smoke

Berlin or Frankfurt?

The skyline of Frankfurt am Main is glowing and blanketed in black (toxic) clouds of burning cars. Even bicycles are used as barricades. Huge anti-austerity demonstrations erupted at the European Central Bank's (#ECB) new headquarters (also known as the 'cathedral of money') in Bankfurt. The #Blockupy protests are directed against the austerity polices of the European Commission, ECB and IMF.

The tenor was summed up here:

"They want capitalism without democracy; we want democracy without capitalism." via JeromeRoos

In times of temporary peace cyclists gather for breakfast or Kaffe und Kuchen at Cafe Kante, in Bornheim.

Being in a car-centric environment - Unter den Linden

Being in a car-centric environment dwarfs the human. Unmotorised people walking or cycling have to move with the dictate of the machines moving. They are forced to breathe the exhaust and the dust of the asphalt. They run for their lives to not be squashed by the ever bigger cars.

Unter den Linden ("under the linden trees") is a large boulevard in the Mitte (middle) of Berlin. There was a time when flâneur wandered in the shady place. At other times it was a playground for military machines and parades. Today, many trees have disappeared and the place is studded with building sites and pipes.

Despite all the obstacles of this car-centric city 'design', one can dodge most hassles with a bike on this multi-lane parade. There is always time for a cup at Café Einstein Unter den Linden.

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