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.

SKYWATCH--through the trees

A couple cuddles while watching the sunset from a knoll in Kalemegdan Park.

Check out more skies an maybe more cuddling couples on SKYWATCH.

Inspired

This little boy played the accordion while his sister played the violin, and both were very good. These kids were most probably inspired by the Piler children I showed you before, who were lucky enough to win first place on the TV show, "Serbia's Got Talent." They are now pursuing a music career abroad.

I wish this brother and sister well; they too have talent.

ABC Wednesday "Q" is for "quizzical"

Was stuck in photographic doldrums the other day and went out to search for something new. I wasn't disappointed, and couldn't believe what I was seeing when I looked up at the facade of the now 'for sale' Zvezda (Star) movie theater. A cherub photographing another cherub?? This, for a blogger, was too good to be true!

Intrigued, I Googled "Zvezda movie theater" and found out that the building dates from 1890. Part of it was a studio of the first royal Serbian photographer, Milan Jovanovic, and the other part became one of the oldest cinemas in Belgrade. The building is protected by the Institute for protection of cultural monuments. If you click on the link above, you can read more about this building...and buy it, if you want.

Anybody want to invest in a City Daily Photo Bloggers' Hall? :)

See other Q's at ABC WEDNESDAY.

Pretty but pesky pests

"Aren't they cute?" is what I said to my friend when we saw scores of these ladybugs on a tree in the province of Vojvodina (VOY-vo-deen-a) north of Belgrade. They are cute and they are ladybugs, but not the domestic kind, as you can see by their variations. They're Asian ladybugs and were imported for use in greenhouses to control aphids, a common pest. These ladybugs have become pests themselves, since they weren't happy being confined just to greenhouses. They apparently threaten the domestic ladybug, they bite (so people claim), and when squashed they release a yellow powder which leaves a stain.

I think they look like bumper cars on this photo.

Fashion....

This girl was attractive and she knew it, as she struck a pose while texting on Knez Mihailova, Belgrade's pedestrian street. What she didn't know is that I was taking one of my hip shots of her.

Those of you who read Serbian will note that 'volim te' on the popcorn stand next to her means 'I love you.' I'm sure a lot of guys will say that to her!

Sunday Bridges--The Bridge on the Drina

I did not take this photo myself. I downloaded it from the Internet right here where you can read more about this Nobel Prize-winning novel by Ivo Andric. We have this book in our library at school, but I was unable to take my own photo, since I've been downed by a flu bug this past week. I hate to be sick.

Check out more bridges on Louis LaVache's Sunday Bridges.

Reflections Weekend...Oblivious...

Gosh, what to say? This window washer is concentrating so hard on cleaning the windows that he doesn't even notice the ladies behind him want to lend him a hand...and an arm....

These mannequins remind me of their New Belgrade cousins I photographed here a while back.

Check out other reflections at Newtown Daily Photo.

SKYWATCH--The Victor's buns...

Shameful title, I admit, but I couldn't resist. Click here, though, to see why this naked statue is in this very place, and not in the originally intended location. P.S. Want to see some California pseudo-Roman buns? Click here to see what Tash posted at Palos Verdes Daily Photo.
And...just when you thought you had it all, here's a nifty little book I recently received as a present. I carry it in my purse. You get points for each kind of cloud you see, and there are lots! The ones above The Victor seem to be some sort of cumulus clouds (15 points), but I got 30 points for these altocumulus, plus another 15 because I caught them at sunset....what fun. Get yourself a copy!

Check out (and maybe identify...) other clouds (and their skies) on SKYWATCH.

Baka Jelka's hands

Yesterday we saw Baka Jelka's (YEL-ka) pigs, who are unknowingly awaiting their sad fate.

Baka Jelka also has chickens and of course fresh eggs, and these are some of them. But the real reason for this photo is her beautiful hands, which tell a tale of their own. Do they remind you of her son's hands? I think so.

ABC Wednesday--"P" is for "Poor Porker"

Went out to my daughter-in-law's grandmother's home last Saturday. "Baba Jelka" (YEL-kah) made us homemade soup with her homemade noodles, mashed potatoes, meat, her own cabbage salad, homemade bread, and dessert. This lady is a wonder. She has a number of chickens and three pigs. I'm sorry to say that despite all their cuteness, these little porkers aren't going to be around long... :( They'll probably end up like this.

See other P's on ABC WEDNESDAY.

Sharing the load...?

I had to chuckle as I took this photo....this couple is indeed sharing a load, but perhaps not quite fairly. They looked happy though, and didn't seem to mind. Genie published a similar photo last Saturday at Paris and Beyond.

Theme Day--Transportation

November already and a new theme day! This photo is a drive-by shooting. I was stopped at a red light and noticed this urban still life beside me. The tires on this bus look pretty good, and I love the bus's color, but that rust....

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