An old argument is always likely to resurface, if it's not 'drowned' the first time. You may remember this floating restaurant named Argument that was barely afloat when I showed it over a year ago right here. It's been righted, and it appears that it's going to be fixed up.... Dinner, anyone?
Dutch painter Piet Mondrian developed a non-representational form of art that he called Neo-Plasticism, which consisted of a white background upon which was painted a grid of vertical and horizontal black lines and the three primary colors. There's no grid here, but somehow this composition reminded me of his work. If you click on the Neo-Plasticism link, scroll down the page and see if you agree.
Open is what this window is, and while I was driving (I stopped briefly, much to the consternation of the hurried driver behind me, but hey, it's for my blog) and snapped this photo of a disembodied arm with its dimpled elbow.
Filip Višnjić (VEE-shnyeech) was a popular Bosnian Serb poet and gusle player, known by some as the "Serbian Homer," both because he was blind and for his poetic gift. Last Sunday my son took me for lunch 'abroad,' i.e. in Bijeljina (BEE-yell-yeen-ya) Republika Srpska, the Serbian section of Bosnia-Herzegovina, which lies only 1 1/2 hours from Belgrade. In this town, also incorporated on the town's coat of arms and on one of the country's banknotes, stands this statue of Filip Višnjić. He was a lyric poet, who accompanied his ballads on a gusle. If you go to Youtube and type in gusle, you will hear some samples of contemporary songs/poems accompanied by this instrument.
Two fellows share a look through a telescope to see New Belgrade from Kalemegdan Park.
Four for the price of one to join in Louis La Vache's BRIDGES meme today. These are walkways to some of Belgrade's floating restaurants along the Sava River.
This is for James's Reflections Weekend, and I' hope you'll pop over there to see what others have posted. Here I am fiddling with the HDR program I was sent by my fellow Belgrade blogger,Vlada, who posted a similar one a few days ago. I truly think we must have taken the photos within hours of each other, although it's not the same boat..... (see his photo.)
This one makes you squint, doesn't it? This is a sight that greets me on a late winter's morning when I leave for work, aargh. Now it's pleasantly sunny when I leave, hurrah.
This is a mystery post, for try as I might, I cannot find out what this wall represents. The faces are carved on the ends of wooden beams. No sign on it, and Googling all sorts of combinations yielded no results. I can only hope one of my readers, Knez, is reading this and can help! He seems good at finding things out, so if you're there, Knez, what is this? In any case, this wall/monument stands at one end of a park at the intersection of two main thoroughfares, not far from Tito's Tomb. Most likely it is to those who died in one of Yugoslavia's many wars, but which one exactly, I do not know.
The store you see, open round-the-clock, is a 'Sarajevo Burek' place where you can buy yummy burek all day and all night. The burek you see when you click on the link isn't the Sarajevo kind, which is similar, but rolled and not baked in a round pan.
Almost looks like a French cafe scene, n'est-ce pas? Except now you can't smoke in French cafes, I think. There's been a law passed here (not sure when it goes into effect) that a percentage of restaurants have to have a non-smoking section, hurrah. However, like most laws here, unless someone complains about the smoke, people just light up. Caught this lady in the act on Saturday after my SlowArt Walk afternoon downtown in a popular pizzeria, whose name I will not mention, but should, and not because of the smoke. We all sat down at 1:00 and our food did not arrive until over an hour later!!! Anyway, I got a photo worth taking, but won't return to that restaurant.
Well, not really, of course, but Vincent might have felt at home here with all these sunflowers. Caught this shot on Saturday while walking from one museum to the next while participating in SlowArt Day. As you can see, I found my own serendipitous art.
It's a drawbridge! Once upon a time there was water under it that was used to supply the city, but that was long ago. The gate you see is part of the Kalemegdan Fortress, and is known as the Zindan Gate, built in the mid-15th century.
I love these trees that stand in the river and have taken lots of lots of photos of them, but most I do not keep. I managed to grab this photo in a break between storm clouds the other day.
Wow, it's Friday already. Here's a zoomed-in shot of the three figures atop the French Embassy in Belgrade, built in 1930, which stands literally a stone's throw away from Kalemegdan Park. They represent 'liberté, égalité, and fraternité.' That's the steeple of Belgrade's Orthodox Cathedral in the background.
Ah, spring. With the flowers and the sun come allergies, for some of us. I wonder if this fellow has allergies...not too many flowers near him, but he has strategically placed his Kleenex in case he gets that tickly feeling while he's soaking up some rays, or maybe just warming himself up, since it was rather cool when I took this photo a short while ago. Achoo.
A bright mishmash of architecture for you, snapped from my car at a red light while stuck in traffic.
Many times I have passed by these columns which stand on a knoll on an otherwise flat area in the park next to Hotel Jugoslavija. I finally walked up the knoll and found a section of train tracks! I asked a passer-by what these were, and she told me they were all that was left of an old train station. There was no plaque and my Googling was to no avail. I fiddled with the contrast and highlights here, for it was such a dreary photo (and day.)
I fulfilled the wish of the child in me and went to see Walking with Dinosaurs at the Belgrade Arena. It was everything I thought it would be, and more. They walk, they roar, they 'breathe,' accompanied by sound/video effects; all so real. Read about it on the link above, and if they come to your town, do yourself a favor and go....it's for kids of all ages.
I'm back in Belgrade now, but here is one more collage from Cracow. On the left you see the tower on Saint Mary's church. On right is a close-up where you can see a pair of hands holding a trumpet. Legend has it that in the 13th century the church trumpeter, whose job it was to play the Hejnal, or Hymn to our Lady, was the first one to notice the Tartars advancing on the city. He warned the citizens of Cracow of the upcoming invasion by playing the Hejnal over and over, but unfortunately, a skilled Tartar shot him in the throat with am arrow, cutting the hymn short. Now, every hour a real trumpeter (as opposed to a recording) plays the Hejnał, but stops abruptly where the original trumpeter was cut off.
Cracow....what a beautiful city. I took soooo many photos, it was hard to choose just one, so I have made you a collage. Moving clockwise from the upper left you have a detail of the ceiling at Saint Maria's church, a basket of ewe's cheese, a detail of the wailing wall made of shattered tombstones from the Jewish cemetery, and a display of tulips in the window of the Camelot folk art cafe....where I ate a delicious rose-flavored ice cream.
Just another two days in Poland. Here are some colorful pinwheels against a backdrop of the Royal Palace in downtown Warsaw, and of course, the sky.
Yum. I am having a super time in Poland trying out all kinds of Polish foods. Above are some potato and mushroom pierogi that my friend bought fresh and that we fried and ate with thick yogurt. All that was missing was the vodka...I still have time.
I am here in Poland for a few more days. Yesterday my friend and I went out to an outdoor regional museum where there are several village houses that display various aspects of Polish rural life. Some interiors were of a village old school house; others were of farmers or craftsmen. Still others showed kitchen scenes where it appeared as if everyone had just hastily departed, leaving set tables, freshly-baked bread, and sliced meats. Artisans, dressed in folk outfits, displayed and sold their wares, like papercuts, paper flower bouquets, and wood carvings. There were also games for children all along the road, such as egg-rolling, hoop, and this custom of water spraying. Dousing passers-by is what really takes place on Easter Monday, or as it is called here "Lany Poniedzialek." Using targets keeps innocent bystanders dry and still lets kids have fun.
I am here in Poland visiting a friend for several days. I swore I would not buy hardly anything (notice the 'hardly'), but indulged myself in a few pieces of traditional Polish Boleslawiec pottery. Anya, a friend of my friend's, runs this shop in Warsaw and sells these beautiful ceramics at very, very reasonable prices. Next time I must come to Warsaw by car, not by plane....
The other day my NYC blogger friend, Daryl, at Out and About in New York City posted a photo which reminded me of this one I took about a year ago while I was sitting a a bus stop. I guess I was just waiting for the right inspiration to post it! That's the Belgrade Arena across the street, where I'll be going to see Walking with Dinosaurs this coming Friday. I am currently in Poland, and hope to have a Polish photo for you tomorrow. No joke.
A bouquet for those bloggers who celebrate Easter or Passover, and of course even for those of you who do not. Enjoy your Sunday.
This photo was my second choice for April's Theme Day of RED. This ring-necked dove is a frequent visitor to my very good friend's window sill. She puts out some grain and he or she comes right over.
It's been so nice recently that I took a trip down to the village to see my little traveling buddy, Radovan, who has traveled with me to Greece, the US, and India. He was all excited to show me this little 'lizard,' as he called it, that he found in his yard. He also complained that all his chickens are missing....
The news is in! Serbia has forsaken its national hat, the Šajkača, for the sombrero! (Okay, April Fool!)Well, not the entire roof. Just the back side, which is not visible here. Every year I make a gingerbread house. Notice I said 'made,...
