Thursday, December 31, 2015

Sweep my chimney...


When she saw a handsome man, my grandmother used to say, "He can put his shoes under my bed any time!" (Go, grannie, go!)

I'll paraphrase her by saying this chimney sweep can sweep my chimney anytime....oh, if I only had a chimney....

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

ABC WEDNESDAY--"Y" is for "yesteryear"


"Yesteryear" is nearly upon us, with only one more day left in 2015.

These teddies were undoubtedly much loved by someone long ago.

Did you have a similar one, or other favorite stuffed toy?

See other Ys on Mrs. Nesbitt's ABC WEDNESDAY.

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Biscotti!


On the way to a friend's house the other day, I browsed through one of Belgrade's open markets and found this lovely young woman and her charming daughter who were selling homemade biscotti.

I bought a pack and they were delicious!  I've sent them a copy of the photo!

Monday, December 28, 2015

Stairway to Heaven....and back.


Ah, beams of light....from above, to be sure, but only from the entrance to this underground passage below one of Belgrade's main streets.  And the escalator isn't working....

Sunday, December 27, 2015

SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY--walk on by


I wonder if the passers-by took time to notice these lovely shadows.

I know I did....

See other shadows on SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY.

Saturday, December 26, 2015

WEEKEND REFLECTIONS--Invite me in....


I think this man was not actually watching me, but the little dog who lives outside this bistro, who was playing with Bibi.

Or maybe he was watching me.  But no invitation to come in for a mulled wine or coffee...

See other reflections on James' WEEKEND REFLECTIONS.

Friday, December 25, 2015

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Loading his sleigh...uh....car....


This fellow reminded me a bit of Santa loading his sleigh with toys for kids....  He's got quite an assortment of  other things.

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

ABC WEDNESDAY--"X" is for "eXceptionally tall..."


 Cheating a bit on the X this week...

This tall fellow caught my eye the other day....and then when I showed someone the photo, they told me he is Predrag Drobnjak, a former basketball player for the Serbian team Partizan.

 Anyway, he's tall..six feet eleven inches, yes....I looked him up.

See other Xs on Mrs. Nesbitt's ABC WEDNESDAY.

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Beauty through the window



Had coffee the other day with a friend, and while sitting inside, I caught this lovely young girl crossing the street.


Monday, December 21, 2015

Gotcha!


Mila is now four and a half....and may be following in my footsteps....   Time will tell!

Say 'cheese'!

Sunday, December 20, 2015

SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY--fog in the park


A bit film-noir, but this is pretty much what the park looked like....not too much color.

See other shadows on SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY.

Saturday, December 19, 2015

WEEKEND REFLECTIONS--SHINY SHOES


One of Belgrade's old artisan shops; they're fast disappearing.

Hand-made shoes and repair, too.

See other reflections on James' WEEKEND REFLECTIONS.

Friday, December 18, 2015

SKYWATCH--lots of fog and a bird


Not much of a sky to see, but that's how our skies here have been looking recently.


See other skies on SKYWATCH.

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Homeless....


There's a person, not sure if a man or a woman, who is under the blanket.  Sad to see.

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

ABC WEDNESDAY--"W" is for "wrong"



...'W' is for 'wrong' way to bend over, or else right way to 'wreck' your back.

Public park workers weeding.... (another couple of ws for you...)

See other Ws on Mrs. Nesbitt's ABC WEDNESDAY.

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Bird lovers



About two weeks ago I caught the older gentleman feeding pigeons in Kalemegdan Park. I printed out a photo and have been going back to the park to find him, but so far, no luck.  The sweet lady in the bottom photo was very happy I took her photo....gotta print one out for her, too.


Monday, December 14, 2015

MONDAY MURALS--"Who's that singing over there?"


A mural dedicated to the film "Who's that singing over there?" (Ko to tamo peva?) that you can read about in English on this link.

The film is a dark comedy about a group of travelers in a bus to Belgrade in 1941, during the last days of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, just before the Axis occupation.

See other murals on Monday Murals.

NOTE:  I should have pointed out that this mural isn't advertising the film itself, but rather a restaurant by the same name.  

Sunday, December 13, 2015

SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY--Just me and my shadow


That's who it is:  just me and my shadow, though you can really only see my shadow...and the tree.

See other shadows on SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY.

Saturday, December 12, 2015

WEEKEND REFLECTIONS--rainy reflection


Just a walk in the rain. They were oblivious to the reflection, but I was not.

See other reflections on WEEKEND REFLECTIONS.

Friday, December 11, 2015

SKYWATCH-- 'Scene' from a little higher up


There's an observation tower in Kalemegdan Park that is usually closed when I walk early in the morning.

Got going a bit later one day recently, and it was open. Seeing the same views, or almost, from higher up, is a thrill.

See other skies on SKYWATCH.

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Accidentally....


One of those times when I took a rather good accidental shot.  Somehow I switched on my double exposure button....  Not sure how I did that....

Anyway, the first shot I think was of a pigeon flying off and the second (which I had no idea would be part of a double exposure) was this hooded crow who had been perched on that 'pedestal'.  Like many birds I want to photographic in still position, as soon as he saw my zoom, he took off. I am convinced birds think it's a gun.

Anyway, here's the result.

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

ABC WEDNESDAY--"V" is for "Very unusual"


Both 'very unusual' and 'eye-catching are these girl's tights.

I have no idea why she hopped up on top of a trash bin.  She stayed there for quite a while, thank you, girl, for me to photograph her in her wild (literally) tights.

See other Vs on Mrs. Nesbitt's ABC WEDNESDAY.

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Aligned


From foreground to background:  the Old Fairgrounds' tower, later used by the Nazis as a watchtower; the Bridge Over Ada, and some unknown building on the hill....

Monday, December 7, 2015

MONDAY MURALS--Make money, not art....?



What do you think?  Would you rather make money or art?  Mind you, no one says you can't do them together.

See other murals on MONDAY MURALS.

Sunday, December 6, 2015

SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY--nearby, downtown


Was coming home from a class and caught this pedestrian in the doorway's light.

See other shadows on SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY.

Saturday, December 5, 2015

WEEKEND REFLECTIONS--Just pour; don't ask....


I liked this bar front and its reflections. The name of it could be loosely translated as, "Just pour; don't ask..."

See other reflections on James' WEEKEND REFLECTIONS.

Friday, December 4, 2015

SKYWATCH--playing with filters and birds


Just fiddling around with an otherwise ordinary bird photo. Forget which Photoshop filter I was fiddling with, but I kind of like the effect.

See more skies, real or fiddled with, on SKYWATCH.

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Too much noise!


The couple on the billboard are actually advertising a new sitcom here, but the juxtaposition with the kiosk bearing the name of the street in front of it, with all the cars and roadwork, makes it appear as if the couple can't stand the noise.....

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

ABC WEDNESDAY--"U" is for "unequaled'



Both are pretty much unequaled (or unequalled, if you're British).  Novak Djokovic, the tennis champ, and Nikola Tesla, the 'electric' champ.

And I guess Spiderman is pretty unequaled, too; not sure about Peppa Pig on the left.

See other Us on Mrs. Nesbitt's ABC WEDNESDAY.

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

THEME DAY--shop window


Here you go. I love this eyeglass shop, since they have the most creative displays. You might remember this poster on their door from a few years back.


 See other interpretations of this theme on Theme Day Home Page.

Monday, November 30, 2015

Pea? What pea?


This cat looked so comfortable that he or she couldn't possibly feel even a pea below all those pillows.

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Sweeping


A seemingly unending task.  He's doing it the old-fashioned way, with no leaf blower. I hate those things.

Friday, November 27, 2015

SKYWATCH--the seagull


An early morning flight over the Sava River in New Belgrade.

See other skies on SKYWATCH.

Thursday, November 26, 2015

HAPPY THANKSGIVING


An assortment of some very tasty brandies and wines for your Thanksgiving table....


Wednesday, November 25, 2015

ABC WEDNESDAY--"T" is for "trompe l'oeil"


"Trompe l'oeil" indeed, since if you walk right in, you'll bang your nose.

See other Ts on Mrs. Nesbitt's ABC WEDNESDAY.

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Masha and the Bear



The Russian cartoon, Masha and the Bear, is tremendously popular here.  My granddaughter adores it, and has a Masha doll and the Bear. To quote Wikipedia:

"Masha is depicted as a precocious, happy, kind, and mischievous little girl, while the bear is a fatherly retired circus performer that tries to keep Masha out of trouble but often ends up the unintended victim of her mischief. There are a number of supporting characters in the series, including Masha's cousin, a penguin adopted by the Bear, a young panda cub who is the Bear's cousin, a tiger that worked with the bear in the circus, and a female bear that is the object of the bear's affections, along with a rabbit, squirrels and hedgehogs, two wolves who live near the bear's house, and a pig, goat, and dog who live in Masha's front yard."

 Have a look at this cute video.





Monday, November 23, 2015

MONDAY MURAL--Tea Time!


It was a coffee pot yesterday, now it's tea time.

This mural is so cheerful that even if you didn't want any tea to begin with, you feel like a cup.

See other murals on Monday Murals.

Sunday, November 22, 2015

SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY--Turkish coffee


Not much of a shadow, but it's there.  Two Turkish Ç†ezve against a typical Pirot rug.  Remember, Serbia was under Turkish rule for 500 years...

See other shadows on SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY.

Saturday, November 21, 2015

WEEKEND REFLECTIONS--Lace curtains


Old window, lace curtains, blue sky, yellow leaves....though since I took this a few days ago, the weather has turned wintry....but it's about time.

See other reflections on James' WEEKEND REFLECTIONS.

Friday, November 20, 2015

SKYWATCH--gloomy


A gloomy view, like something from the beginning of a film noir.

See other skies on SKYWATCH.

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Love it


I have to say that I like this mural....I wonder if the people who live there did it or had it done, or did they just awaken one morning, walk out the door, and....?  But it's still there, so they like it, and so do I.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

ABC WEDNESDAY--"S" is for "Save the Sparrows"


The population of Belgrade's mascot, the sparrow, has been declining, due to too many pigeons and crows, which overpower the little guys in a struggle for food.

Recently in Tasmajdan Park these sparrow houses were placed in several trees.  At least the sparrows won't have to hustle for housing; tiny holes!

See other S-es on Mrs. Nesbitt's ABC WEDNESDAY.

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

The hat shop


This is one of those shots taken totally without looking, a hip shot, lest the woman notice me.

Turned out pretty well, I think.

Monday, November 16, 2015

Jovan Ćirilov


Came across this mural of the late Serbian theater expert, philosopher, writer, theater selector, poet, and significant contributor to Serbian culture, Jovan Ćirilov, who died on this day in 2014.

See more murals on Monday Mural.

Saturday, November 14, 2015

WEEKEND REFLECTIONS--paddling through a reflection


Two males and a female duck paddle their way through a reflection from a floating restaurant on the Sava river in Belgrade.


See other reflections on James'WEEKEND REFLECTIONS.

Friday, November 13, 2015

Skywatch--Beware the comet!


Not a real comet, but a jet plane, I think, or perhaps I've spotted a UFO and didn't know it.

I opted to say it was a comet, since today is Friday the 13th...  Historically, comets were thought to be harbingers of bad luck.  For example, the Bayeux Tapestry shows a comet when Harold of Essex snatched the English throne from William of Normandy, soon to be known as The Conqueror.

Are you superstitious?  Will you be cautious today?

See other skies on SKYWATCH.

THROUGH A BUS WINDOW

 Another shot from my failed bus trip to Romania (soooo many buses at the border, would have waited for many hours). Not to make the entire ...