SKYWATCH FRIDAY--HAPPPY NEW YEAR!

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all my photoblogger friends. May the New Year bring you much health and happiness and opportunities to make more wonderful photos.

See more skies on SKYWATCH.

FLASH: Couple shot in Kalemegdan Park!!

If you remember this classic post of mine, you'll know that Belgrade is a fairly safe place, and the only shootings you're likely to run into are the kind you see above. I believe these 'lovers' were advertising leather...earlier the photographers were very interested in their shoes, and now it seems they're focusing on their jackets...I guess.

ABC Wednesday "X" is for 'barber shop'?

Okay, I know those scissors aren't an X, but they sort of look like one, and I don't have another X....

This building apparently used to house a barber shop, founded in 1885, and lasting until I do not know when, for now below is a fast-food restaurant. Kind of sad, since the restaurant doesn't go with the building.

See other X's or sorts of X's at ABC WEDNESDAY.

At the 'kafana'

A 'kafana' is a special type of restaurant that serves traditional home cooking along with wine, rakija (brandy) or beer, looks like grandma's place, and usually there's lots of smoke....this has been somewhat reduced thanks to the new no-smoking ordinance. We have here a somewhat stiff couple sitting at a window table. Judging from the cigarette between the lady's fingers, this appears to be the smoking section. They DO look a bit pale...from the smoke, the lack of sunshine in winter, or not enough wine or brandy?

No pink poodles, please

I love this sign that I photographed on the bakery shop at my local market. Usually the 'no dogs allowed' signs here show a generic dog, no features, all in black. So, who knows? Maybe this shop allows others, but no pink poodles.

Sunset on the water....

Just a nice, peaceful photo for the day after Christmas.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all my blogger friends who celebrate that holiday. If you are a regular reader, you will know that I am currently in India, far from snow. I don't know if there is snow in Belgrade, and I used this photo from last year. I like the touches of red on the man's jacket and on the street light against the white snow.

Snip, snip

Tomorrow is Christmas, but not here in Serbia. Serbian Orthodox Christmas falls on January 7th, but perhaps these fellows are getting ready for New Year's Eve and want to beat the crowd. It's quite common that there are lady barbers here.

Take your pick.

If you've got a sweet tooth, you can easily satisfy it in Belgrade. See anything you like....?

ABC Wednesday "W" is for "winter wedding"

It's not only in June that couples get married, of course. This couple chose a rather wintry day for their wedding photos (not sure if they got married that day; sometimes photographers 'shoot' earlier), and they posed their little dog in each shot. I caught this spontaneous kiss as they moved on to another location.

P.S. As I posted this, I realized that the dog is a WEST HIGHLAND terrier, so that's another W.

See other W's on ABC WEDNESDAY.

The Tailor Shop

Need a new suit for the holidays? Some people here still prefer to go to a tailor or dressmaker, and there are quite a few of these shops around. Most appear to be traditional ones, like the shop shown here.

Radovan on the Road Again--India Part II

Just one year ago, I left for my first trip to India, with my little friend Radovan, shown here by his fireplace and with two of his friends from India. Little did I ever think I would get to India at all, and here I am going again. By the time you read this, I'll already be there...I'm not sure of my Internet connection, so I have uploaded photos until the end of the month. I hope I can post some from India, beginning January 1st. I'll be back on the 6th, and will resume visiting your blogs then!

Wishing you all HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

SUNDAY BRIDGES--Yellow Transport

No, it's not a Yellow Cab, but on the other hand it sort of is. This bridge leads to a platform from which depart yellow shuttle boats, taking passengers from one part of New Belgrade to an island in the Sava River. It's cold, and there are no takers....

See more bridges at LOUIS LA VACHE'S SUNDAY BRIDGES.

Classic

A classic shot for the holidays...

See more reflections on JAMES' REFLECTIONS WEEKEND.

SKYWATCH FRIDAY church tower

The tower of Belgrade's main church, located across the street from the patriarch's residence, stands out against a cold winter sky.

See other skies on SKYWATCH FRIDAY.

"My" House #2

A while ago I showed you another house that I referred to as 'my' house, though of course it is not. This is my second favorite old one. You can see that it is in a sad state, and represents a wide problem facing many of Belgrade's older buildings. This one has not been declared a cultural monument, though in my opinion it should be. It dates from the second half of the 19th century, and was built as a wedding present to his daughter Julka by Zivojin Blaznavac, a wealthy official, and was the first house in Belgrade to have a swimming pool (undoubtedly long gone.) During WWII, Julka was forced to give up most of the home to house German officials. Later, under communist rule, the building was confiscated and split into several apartments. Despite its appearance, it is still lived in.

ABC Wednesday--"V" is for "Vane"

N, S, E, and W are the letters I grew up seeing on a weather vane, but since I've been living in Serbia, I have to get used to seeing Cyrillic letters for 'sever', jug', 'istok', and 'zapad', which stand for north, south, east, and west respectively. In Cyrillic they would be: С, Ј, И, and З, and so they are here on this vane! And in Serbian, weather vane is: vetrokaz, so that's another "V".

See more V's on ABC WEDNESDAY.

Roll 'em!

Here we are on Republic Square again. That's the National Museum on the left, the statue of Prince Mihail in the middle, and the National Theater in the background. The black 'Baltimore Police' car is a prop for the filming of John Cusack's new film, The Raven, depicting the final days of Edgar Allan Poe, which is being filmed partly here in Belgrade. If you click on the link, you'll see that the actor has been enjoying Belgrade's well-known nightlife.

ADDENDUM: Below is a photo I snapped last Saturday when I saw the film crew, and this time the actor (seated), in Kalemegdan Park, waiting for 'action'.

Masha and Nikola

This is Bibi's new friend, Masha, a little mixed breed we met with her owner, Nikola. I was especially fascinated by her ears; don't you just love those long, straggly hairs?

Sunday Bridges--The Bridge to Pancevo

It's there....you just have to look hard for it.

See other bridges at Louis La Vache's Sunday Bridges.

Reflections Weekend - plate of toes

They grow 'em big here in Serbia. These feet belong(ed) to my Thanksgiving turkey. It weighed 17 kilos (37 pounds). My son had ordered a smaller one from a friend, to be cut up in pieces. Unfortunately, someone's signals got crossed, and he got the mega-turkey in one piece....and frozen.....and a week ahead of time.... There was no way I could fit the whole thing in my freezer, and even if I could have, I didn't want to roast a 17-kilo turkey.

A visit (with the turkey) to my local butcher solved the problem. He sawed it in half, and managed to saw off the two legs. I gave my son the whole half and I roasted the other. My share fed six of us at dinner, and leftovers were given to all.....lots of bird.

But we didn't eat the feet, nor did I use them like some do to flavor soup. Saved them for you!

See other reflections at James' Reflections Weekend.

Skywatch Friday --The lion keeps vigil

A statue of a lion, bearing a few carved initials, keeps watch over the Danube and New Belgrade. And I guess he's watching the sky, too.

See more skies at SKYWATCH.

Red bus, yellow balloon

Stuck in traffic again with my camera.

ABC Wednesday--"U" is for "unsettling"

I like this floor pattern in downtown hallway where a friend lives, I really do, but I find it somewhat unsettling to walk on...which way are those little blocks going to tumble? :)

See more U posts on ABC WEDNESDAY.

Why is this man smiling?

Well, I'd like to say it was because I told him he'd be on Yankee in Belgrade, but he was just a happy guy. Let there be more people like him!

On the floor, but in the air

Through a glass doorway I spied these swallows chasing a butterfly....I think they've been chasing it for some time....

Hey! Serbia won the Davis Cup yesterday, beating nine-time winner France 3-2!

1000!

This cute little pug in her winter coat seems to be saying, "What? Already?" when Bibi told her it was our 1000th post today.

I (along with Bibi, of course) would like to thank you readers for your visits these past thousand posts, and I'll hope you'll stay with me for at least as many more.

Cyber hugs to you all.

Reflections Weekend--Double window box

I took this shot only a few weeks ago, but now with our colder weather I'm sure the owner has taken in the flowers....and probably so has the person across the street, whose flowers you can also see.

Have a look at other reflections on James' Reflections Weekend.

SKYWATCH--Moon over the arena

A sliver of a moon over the Belgrade Sports Arena, soon to be the site of another Davis Cup.

See other skies on SKYWATCH.

Old hat, new hat

It's definitely wintry out now; cold, sleet, rain, and a teeny bit of snow. Do you like these hats? This shop has been around (and has not changed) since I arrived in Belgrade 33+ years ago. Of course these are newer hats, but their style remains the same.

Which one do you like?

Theme Day-Time and ABC Wednesday "T" is for "Time"!

Well, how cool is that? A Theme Day and an ABC Wednesday that really line up.

I have shown you the center clock before, but couldn't resist adding these two other happy clocks (the one on the left is winking....).

For Theme Day, click here to view thumbnails for all participants.

And click here to see more T's on ABC WEDNESDAY.

Watch the birdie!

Watch the birdie! Can you even see the birdie? This little sparrow, the symbol of Belgrade, is pretty hard to see, perched on this nearly leafless bush while soaking up some of the last rays of warmer sunshine for a while, I think.

You missed a spot.

One works, one 'helps', while two others just look down.

SUNDAY BRIDGES--home no more

Had to dig through my archives to get a bridge photo for you today. This photo was taken a few years ago and it shows some makeshift houses that stood under Gazela, one of the bridges across the Sava River in Belgrade. The gypsies who lived in these homes were joined at one point by Serbian refugees from Kosovo, who had nowhere to go. The settlement expanded literally to the bursting point, and measures were taken, some claim unsatisfactory ones, to resettle these people, since unsanitary conditions posed a major health threat. You can read about the plight of the gypsies in particular in Europe and in Belgrade right here.

P.S. That is the New Railroad Bridge you see in the photo; the photo itself was taken from Gazela Bridge, while I was riding in a bus.

See other bridges on Louis La Vache's Sunday Bridges.

REFLECTIONS WEEKEND--cellos waiting (Ooops--they're basses...)

Three cellos (and their friend the piano) patiently waiting to be played! Note: Leif said they may be basses...since I don't know much about musical instruments either, he may be right!

Check out other reflections on James' REFLECTIONS WEEKEND.

SKYWATCH = Belgrade Aviation Academy

Like with the ranks of the military personnel I posted on Monday, I am not good at naming aircraft. All I know is that this airplane is old (duh..) and that it stands in front of the Belgrade Aviation Academy. I think it is probably yearning to make a streak in the sky like the one above, but alas....it's forever grounded.

Check out other skies on SKYWATCH

It takes time to be beautiful

Near where I live there's a dog groomer who works late at night in the basement in an apartment building. He may work in the daytime, too, but I never pass that way then. He's got a jazzy salon and a fluffy clientele. I love to peek through the window at them.....and sneak a photo....

ABC Wednesday "S" is for "Senior in the sun"

This old man, walking along hands in his pockets, was deeply absorbed in thought, and I wonder if he appreciated the warm sunlight and the beautiful sky. Life isn't easy for old people just about anywhere, and pensions are shrinking....

Check out other S's on ABC WEDNESDAY.

The old-fashioned way

Some things are best done the old-fashioned way, like the spreading of this yellow paint along the sides of a crosswalk near Kalemegdan Park. I showed you this same crosswalk once before, but looking from the other direction.

I loved the 'ketchup and mustard' colors here, and don't you just love how their sleeves echo this combination?

Does he or doesn't he...?

....see me? Another hip shot on the sly, or maybe not. I am not so familiar with ranks of the military, so I will let you go to this site to figure out just who these young men are.

Sunday Bridges--twilight traffic

The traffic hardly ever ceases along the city streets and over its bridges. You can see three bridges here and the tower of the new one to be completed that I showed you right here.

Join Louis La Vache's SUNDAY BRIDGES.

Reflections Weekend--too frequently seen

A sad photo of a scene too often viewed in large cities. Belgrade has been enjoying unseasonably warm weather, but soon this unfortunate man will have to seek a warmer place, perhaps in one of Belgrade's homeless shelters.

Soon it will be Thanksgiving in the US; be thankful for what you have...

See other reflections at James'REFLECTIONS WEEKEND.

Skywatch--Cultural Heritage Preservation Institute

Bright blue sky, clouds, and an airplane trail over Belgrade's Cultural Heritage Preservation Institute.

Check out other skies on SKYWATCH.

"The end is near"

The end of what? Maybe the end of all the laundry to be done that day!

ABC Wednesday "R" is for "Razing"

Eleven and a half years later, the former Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, which was bombed during the NATO bombing of Belgrade in 1999, is finally being razed. Some say the embassy's bombing was not an accident, as NATO claimed, but was done deliberately. In any event, the Chinese now have a new embassy here in Belgrade in another location.

Find out what other R's are out there on ABC WEDNESDAY.

Texting

I was intrigued by these two pairs of legs draped over the back of this bench in Kalemegdan Park. I took the photo, then casually moved closer to see what was up...two teens texting!

'Old timers' Museum

This post goes out for Louis La Vache of San Francisco Bay Daily Photo, who loves cars. Belgrade has an automobile museum, affectionately known as the 'old timers' museum. I passed by the other day and took this photo of an old Opel (ask Louis what year....).

I must go in sometime....

Sunday Bridges--Through the arrow slits.

Seen through an arrow slit, a street cleaner carries a bag of trash to a dumpster across one of the bridges leading away from the fortress in Kalemegdan Park.

Check out more bridges at Louis LaVache's SUNDAY BRIDGES.

Reflections Weekend... À la recherche du temps perdu

This window of old clocks makes me think of Marcel Proust's À la recherche du temps perdu (In Search of Lost Time). I photographed this window when the shop was closed, but must really try to see if they'll let me take a photo inside. Stepping into the shop is like entering another era... I'll see what I can do. In the meantime, enjoy the reflections...especially the one of that cute little black dog.

See other reflections at James' Newtown Daily Photo.