Welcome to the Heart of Europe

Parallels, Similarities,
Look-Alikes and Déjà Vu's

...and other things that are hard to spell form the topic of this page.

Does this page ring a bell? Anything that seems familiar, something that you recognize, but can't quite place?

Reluctant Replay. Brand-new, out now, available soon… sound familiar? Killer slogans promote products as the never-seen-before and better-than-ever, groundbreaking, next best thing since the ingenious invention of the wheel (and the book). At second glance, the most mind-blowing innovation may reveal itself as ruthless repetition of been-there-before ideas in a new outfit. What matters is the unprecedented application of the creative variation.

Regular Repetition. History is said to repeat itself and also we do similar things once in a while. To highlight similarities is the purpose of this page. Showing what is paralleling each other, possibly years later. One of the most difficult spelling words at schools as a catch phrase for pictures that belong together, just as some people do. It all started with a picture of my daughter pulling a wagon in the middle of these endlessly wide open spaces overseas.

Some things ring a bell... like that radio in retro-look and that bread with homemade apricot jam.

And there was the same girl pulling the same wagon ...a couple months later!

The bubble bath baby kind of reminded us of that grape boy.

Horse riding outdoors... and indoors.

From a Viennese Cafe ...to breakfast in L.A.

Brothers like peas in a pod ...and still the same baby clothes! And these Christmas cards below all seem to say: You can leave your hat on!

All Over Again. The topic of this page came back to me, when I discovered that old fashioned wooden radio at a media store. It reminded me of that old radio in our living room at a time when I was, uhm... smaller? Back then, there was no CD player hidden under the top cover. One song text by CCR-legend John Fogerty, who had also been around for ages, seems especially fitting: "Did you hear them talking about it on the radio? Did you try to read the writing on the wall? Did that voice inside you say I've heard it all before? It's like Deja Vu all over again!" Sometime later, Iron Maiden redefined "Deja Vu": "When you've been particular places that you know you've never been before, can you be sure? 'Cause you know this has happened before..."

Periodic Payback. Old pictures are something unbelievable. Looking at them again after some time, you may wonder: Was it really that way? As much as "the archive is the revenge of the journalist", a photo album may be the blow back of time. Afterwards, you may end up staring into the mirror in disbelief: Is that really you? Indeed, you may find several parallels, such as birth marks or shoe size. And maybe the one or other hobby including... pictures!

So much for that! Time to leave these images of the past behind and move on. Let's now discuss the nature of that Smile.

A human sandwich and other ways to capture parents.