Sunday, November 28, 2010

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.

8 comments:

Louis la Vache said...

Very interesting Sunday Bridge post, Bibi. «Louis» remembers seeing many Gypsy encampments similar to this in France.

Luis Gomez said...

This a a great image. I like the raindrops and the composition of it Bibi.

Melissa Enderle said...

Thanks for reminding people about this discrimination that continues to openly happen in Europe. How often I had looked down on their settlement while driving over the Gazelle Bridge.

jennyfreckles said...

The soft focus effect from the rain is rather nice. I think many countries have yet to find a satisfactory solution to living in harmony with displaced and travelling peoples.

Olivier said...

belle photo sous la pluie

Chuck Pefley said...

Bus riding accounts for the raindrops softening this otherwise sad view. Poverty is a world problem. Seattle has a tent city that moves every few weeks from place to place ... at some point the city says it will find a permanent location ... we'll see.

Alexa said...

The raindrops seem very apropos here.

Genie -- Paris and Beyond said...

Compelling photo and I appreciate the link. I agree with Alexa about the raindrops.

SPRING FASHION

 This is a post that would be better in color, but maybe not. These colors were soooo pale.