ABC WEDNESDAY = "C" is for "curtains"

Kids always seem to think they're invisible when standing behind a curtain. My grandson, Luka, now 14 months, thinks so, and is so delighted when someone 'finds' him.

See other Cs on ABC WEDNESDAY.

Time for a drink....

 It was a record 103 degrees here yesterday....  This hamburger stand owner still took the time to refresh his list of soft drinks...  Bet he sold a lot.

Mounted Police

Two of Belgrade's mounted police unit patrolling Kalemegdan Park.  The Belgrade Mounted Police has existed for 60+ years.

What I wanted to do....

What I really wanted to do with this photo was to Photoshop out that tree on the right just a bit in the distance. I think the photo would be better that way...but alas, I have guests and can't get to my big computer where Photoshop lies.

WEEKEND REFLECTION--Through the looking glass

This may look like it was taken through a cat's eye marble, but this is a view of my street through a magnifying glass, where the colors of neon signs, street lights, and passing automobiles are reflected.

I have guests...desperate for a photo....

See other reflections at James' WEEKEND REFLECTION.

SKYWATCH--the grasshopper who came in from the heat

It's hot, hot, hot here, and next week it's supposed to be in the high nineties-low hundreds.   Too hot for the city.

I found this grasshopper on a tea kettle next to my air conditioner....too hot for him outside, but that's right back where I put him; on my window sill.

See other skies on SKYWATCH.

And you might remember this song...

Plum cake and cherry juice

Another cell phone photo for you...it's too darn hot to lug my biggie....  Quality suffers, but hey....

This scrumptious plum cake was made by my friend Nena, whose other cake you might remember seeing right here. I should mention that she made the plum jam in the cake herself...and the homemade cherry juice was courtesy of one of her friends.

ABC WEDNESDAY--"B" is for "beggar"

Back to Paris for this one.  My Belgrade shooting isn't back on schedule, what with family visiting.

This man had staked out a section of Paris' fashionable Avenue Montaigne and was looking up toward my daughter, who was about to give him some money.

See other Bs on ABC WEDNESDAY.

A horse of a different color

A cell phone photo of a horse of a different color....or texture, depending on what's behind this metal sculpture in Kalemegdan Park.

Interlude....

I've been a bit behind in good shots of Belgrade....travels, family visits (still ongoing, so bear with me).  These carnations I bought for my dining room table. I love their scent.

Caught ya!

This corner of King Alexander Boulevard (Bulevar Kralja Alexandra) and the top of Knez Milosa Street (Prince Milosh) is a hot spot. You're not allowed to turn right off of of Prince Milosh street onto the boulevard....but many do....and many are caught, like this fellow.  While sitting at a nearby cafe, this policeman caught two more unfortunate drivers in the space of 15 minutes.

SKYWATCH--pale pink and blue over green

Not too much of a sky here, but what there is looks rather pretty.  In Takovo, Serbia.

See other skies on SKYWATCH.

It's a dog's life....

It's a dog's life, and it might be a short one, too, for some of Belgrade's stray dog population. Despite spay/neuter encouragement, there's still a large number of homeless dogs. I have to harden my heart.....

ABC WEDNESDAY "A" is for "Across the way"

Playing Peeping Tom.  Neighbors across the way are putting in new windows, and these are the workers on a break.

See other A's on ABC WEDNESDAY.

Electric guitars and.....

A cell phone photo snapped at Hotel Moskva.  Watch out where you put that tape.

Long

Back in Belgrade!  Snapped this girl who was leaning out to see if the bus was headed her way.

Beautiful long hair, but hard to maintain, I think.  But then, Mother used to say you had to suffer to be beautiful.

Happy Bastille Day.....

Leaving France very soon...never can spend enough time here.


Love the bleu, blanc, et rouge of these chairs. 

Summer sweet

Bottles of flavored syrups at in a delicatessen's window in the Les Halles neighborhood of Paris.

See other reflections at James' WEEKEND REFLECTION.

SKYWATCH FRIDAY--Le Sacre-Coeur

 An early morning sky....at the Sacre-Coeur in Paris, when there wasn't a soul around. Just the way I like it.

See other skies on
SKYWATCH.

No need to say where....

This smaller red Eiffel Tower was part of an ice cream stand's display. It wasn't for sale. I wish it had been. I suddenly have the desire to buy myself a very large Eiffel Tower....  I'll be here for several more days, so just maybe....!

ABC WEDNESDAY--"Z" is for "zahvalna"

I'm stretching it again for a "Z" word, but in Serbian "zahvalna" means "thankful" and I am to my newly-met but known-in-cyberspace friend, Therese.

For several years now I've been commenting on Therese's blog, originally photos from Chandler, Arizona, but now she's moved back to France and is currently in Tournefeuille, a community near Toulouse. Check out her blog at Tournefeuille A to Z. Our 'something in common' was our love of photography, France, and a connection to Serbia, as her husband is from Belgrade.

Therese and her husband were so kind to welcome me (and how!) into their home during my trip. I was picked up at the station, taken back, fed a scrumptious cassoulet, preceded by an aperitif called pousse-rapiere, which is Armagnac mixed with champagne...  The next day, after croissants and pains au chocolat (called 'chocolatines' in Toulouse!), Therese took me on a walking tour/photo shoot of Toulouse, before taking me to the airport to Paris.

Therese and Dejan, merci infiniment de votre acceuil. I hope that you will both visit Belgrade sometime soon.

See other Zs on ABC WEDNESDAY.

Please honk

While cruising through the country side in the Perigord region of France (known for its goose products and especially for its foie gras), we came to a screeching halt to photograph this gaggle of geese, who came honking over for a photo.

Not sure they'll be there next year....

In Sarlat--Monsieur Hirondelle....et des macarons

His name is not Monsieur Hirondelle, and I don't know his real name. What interested me was the little packs were on his window. He replied that they're little bags of suet and seeds for the larks (hirondelles) that visit him. 

Sarlat and neighboring areas are known for their goose products, including the famous foie gras, but in recent years, 'macarons' have increased in popularity, and here's a sampling....

SUNDAY BRIDGES--The bridge on the way to Sarlat

From the backseat of my friends' car I snapped this photo...Not sure if it is an aqueduct or a railroad bridge....it's on the D803 on the way to Sarlat, France, coming from where I'm staying in St. Cirq-Lapopie.

See other bridges on Louis La Vache's SUNDAY BRIDGES.

Weekend Reflections--dans l'eau

Reflections of trees in a pond near Lemogne, France. (Lot)

See other reflections on James' WEEKEND REFLECTION.

SKYWATCH--St. Cyr and his mother, Juliette

Early morning in St. Cirq-Lapopie, which is nearly always foggy then.  This is a silhouette of the church St. Cyr.  St. Cyr and his mother were martyred in 304 a.d.  You can read about that right here.

See other skies on  SKYWATCH.

Babyfoot!!

No one playing Babyfoot today...  It's usually a guys' game, but I loved to play when I was a student in France.  Seen in a bar in Limogne, France.

ABC WEDNESDAY--"Y" is for "Yum"

Yum is a word that comes to my lips (usually as something is going in) that I use a lot here in France.  I bought some fresh baquettes and my favorite 'rillettes' du Mans (Bordeau Chenel brand; the best, I think). One slice of bread had demi-sel butter, the other rillettes....and the apricot is to make me feel guilty for consuming so much fat, but hey, I'm in France and you only live once.

See other Ys on ABC WEDNESDAY.

I shoot, they shoot

 From the window of the house where I'm staying in St. Cirq-Lapopie....I shoot tourists.

THEME DAY--Facade St. Cirq-Lapopie, France

Here I am (well, not visible in the photo) in St. Cirq-Lapopie, a village not far from Cahors France. St. Cirq-Lapopie was voted most beautiful village in France in 2012.  My in-laws and I are staying at a private house that can be seen at www.theresaplaceinfrance.com. It's incredibly beautiful here....you want to take a photo every ten steps. Bring lots of memory cards...

See other facades on  Theme Day.