Taking a break....

I haven't posted since the end of September....that's a long time ago. The reason was that I have been in India or nearly three months, and since I was most of the time without Internet, it was nearly impossible to post.

That said, I am back now....but realize I need to take a blog break. "I shall return," as General MacArthur said, but I honestly don't know when.

Right now, I am going to devote myself to a bit of editing and writing. If you see me around Belgrade, I will still have my camera....that I will not put down.

See you one of these days...  Should anyone reading this want a photo of some specific place, perhaps a street or building where they once had lived, for example, write to me and I'll do my best.

One-third for sale...

Inheritance laws are a bit weird here. If you have no specific will, your property will be divided equally between your family. For example, the wife will get one third, and if you have two kids, each child will get one third.


Looks like somebody wants to sell their one-third....  Awkward....

WEEKEND REFLECTIONS--the mailbox

Well, there IS a   reflection in the door window here, not a knockout one for sure, but I think the mailbox is really cute.

See other reflections on James' WEEKEND REFLECTIONS.

SKYWATCH--clouds over Zemun

This photo in color, was just so-so, but I think it looks much better in black and white.

See other skies on SKYWATCH.

The Green Door

I have a thing for old doors.....  This one I found in Belgrade's adjacent municipality of Zemun.

ABC WEDNESDAY "K" is for "Kelpie"

 A kelpie is defined as "a water spirit of Scottish folklore, typically taking the form of a horse, reputed to delight in the drowning of travelers."   

No kelpie in sight here, since these folks might not be so safe....

See other ks on ABC WEDNESDAY.

The Walker

As I type this a few days early, it is raining...but will it be when you're reading this?  "Setac" means "walker".

MONDAYMURALS -- Joe Strummer

I had no idea who Joe Strummer was until I looked him up.

See other murals on MONDAY MURALS.

SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY--country fellow

Almost all of this photo is a shadow, except for the ray of light on the grass.

This typical country fellow was standing in the garden of a restaurant in the village of Irig, Serbia.

See other shadows on SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY.

WEEKEND REFLECTIONS--the ceiling on the spoon

Said it before, and I'll say it again:  "I am never bored when I have my camera," which is just about always.  Had lunch in a lovely restaurant just outside of Irig, about an hour's drive from Belgrade.  Definitely a 'slow-food' place, not that I was in a hurry, but like I said, I'm never bored, and will find a decent photo just about anywhere.

See other reflections on James' WEEKEND REFLECTIONS.

SKYWATCH--clouds

Nothing noteworthy here; just pretty, with a little Orton effect....

See other skies on SKYWATCH.

Tilt...

Last weekend I took a day trip with some friends to the small town of Irig, about an hour's drive from Belgrade.

The main street was beautifully kept-up, and even this tilted lamp post looks good.

ABC WEDNESDAY "J" is for "Just say YES!"

A lot of people I know (elsewhere than here) do not eat a lot of garlic or hot peppers, but they are both very good for you.  All  kinds of health benefits, if you get used to them.  Here people chomp them all the time.

Garlic keeps vampires away, too, or so I have been told....

See other Js on ABC WEDNESDAY.

HAND-PAINTED....

While some friends were in town, we took an open-top bus tour of the city and passed by this building with a hand-painted wall ....  I admire the person's attempt to  beautiful the facade, which needs a good cleaning (now and before...), but maybe a second coat would have been a good idea....

MONDAY MURALS....the floating restaurant

Belgrade has lots of floating restaurants, cafes, and night clubs, but not all have colorful murals...

See other murals on MONDAY MURALS.

SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY--THE GATE

On my way to the Indian Embassy the other day I passed by this elaborate gate.  Something I would not have noticed if I had been driving....decided to not fight the traffic and so took the trolley.

See other shadows on SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY.

David Lynch in Belgrade....

Went to an exhibit of photographs by David Lynch, the well-known producer, screenwriter, film maker, and photographer, too, best remembered (at least by me) for his hit series Twin Peaks.

The photos were both inspirational and a bit kinky at the same time.

See others at WEEKEND REFLECTIONS.

SKYWATCH--across the river

Summer is drawing to a close....one of its last sunsets...almost.

See other skies on SKYWATCH.

ABC WEDNESDAY "I" is for "itchy"

Sitting in the bus on the way to the Indian Embassy (another I) and caught this fellow giving his head a little scratch.  He was perhaps itchy, but I also had an itchy shutter finger.

See other Is on ABC WEDNESDAY.

THEME DAY--Photographing the photographer

Wow, did August go by fast....

Caught this fellow a while  back (had to dig into my archives....) at sunset....

See other contributions at CITY DAILY PHOTO THEME DAY.

ABC WEDNESDAY--"H" is for "hoping"

Bad phone photo, taken at night while passing a closed bakery.

This little teddy gazes out the window and waits, hoping that his little person will come back for him....

See other Hs on ABC WEDNESDAY.

The DNA fountain revisited

This DNA has been modified....the double helix is a DNA molecule and I posted another photo seven (Gasp!) years ago that you can see right here.

MONDAY MURALS--Betty Boop

Betty Boop was of my mother's generation, and I was introduced to her very young. I still get a kick out of watching her old cartoons.  This mural graces a wall of a children's park.

See other murals on MONDAY MURALS.

SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY--the broom

A broom and the shadow of its handle at Novak Djokovic's Family Tennis Center.

See other shadows on SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY.

SKYWATCH--empty benches....

A bit symbolic....my daughter and family have returned to the US, and the silence is deafening.

Empty nest....

See other skies on SKYWATCH FRIDAY.

Novak Djokovic Tennis Center

My eldest granddaughter and eldest grandson stare out at players practicing their serves at Novak Djokovic's Family Sport Center here in Belgrade.

ABC WEDNESDAY--"G" is for "Goin' along the tracks...."

Kind of stretching it a bit for a G this week, but it's chaotic here for the moment; family visits, departures....

Caught this fellow going along the railroad tracks near Belgrade's sports center.

See other Gs on ABC WEDNESDAY.

SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY--Parasol hat!

Vacation is a time when you can dress like you want and not worry what people think. To an extent, of course.  

This lady is sporting a parasol hat, something she may not wear at home.  Maybe. See other shadows on SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY.

SKYWATCH--the old tram bridge

Taken from the quay below the Old Tram Bridge (Savski Most) in Belgrade. This area is being poshed up...quite controversial....more photos of that later on.

See other skies on SKYWATCH.

Chillin' on the beach

Very early every morning and later in the afternoons this dog would lie in this same spot.  Too hot for him during the day. I believe he is a Greek Shepherd or mixture thereof.

ABC WEDNESDAY--"F" is for "feet"

And very sandy feet at that, belonging to my youngest grandson.

Greetings from Nikiti, Greece.

See other Fs on ABC WEDNESDAY.

Toit et moi

Who climbed up there to write those three words?  Some romantic, pun-loving Frenchman?  (Toi et moi=You and I vs. Toit et moi=the roof and I.)

What a contraption!

Glimpsed this contraption from the porch of my son's apartment. The girl on the right got on the seat, swung back and forth to make it advance, and toured the park.  That was it....

SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY--petunias in Greece

There certainly is enough sun here in Nikiti, Greece....and it casts lovely shadows over these vibrantly-colored petunias.

See other shadows on SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY.

SKYWATCH--Nikitis, Greece

On vacation in Nikitis, Greece, and because I'm lazy on vacation, I didn't stand up to take this photo, thus avoiding the rocks in the foreground, which of course are blurry because of my unwillingness to 'rise to the challenge'.

See other skies on SKYWATCH.

My friend's rooftop terrace

If you've been following me, you will know I have posted a number of photos taken from my friend's rooftop terrace.

Here's one of a 'still life' taken on her terrace.

ABC WEDNESDAY--"E" is for "eye-catching"

It's hard to pass by the Faculty of Drama in New Belgrade without taking a good look...quite an eye-catcher.

See other Es on ABC WEDNESDAY.

MONDAY MURALS--a bit of culture

A bit of culture for you. These two gentlemen grace the wall of a farm-type restaurant not far from Belgrade.

The man on the left is Milos Crnjanski, poet, author, and diplomat. The other is Ivo Andric, who won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1961.

Culture and good food!

See other murals on MONDAY MURALS.

SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY--the submarine captain

Okay, it's not a real shadow....but part of the play submarine is a shadow and the boy, my grandson, is a silhouette....

See other real shadows on SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY.

WEEKEND REFLECTIONS--in white wine

The city seen through white wine...

See other reflections on James' WEEKEND REFLECTIONS.

ABC WEDNESDAY--"D" is for "dinosaur"

Visited the dinosaur exhibit in Kalemegdan Park and was surprised to see that there was a dinosaur called the Irritator. Who knew? Certainly not me.

I had my picture taken with the sign, since some close to me think I am an irritator.

See other Ds on ABC WEDNESDAY.

THEME DAY--Young at heart

Had to dig for this one. Too much going on now with family visits.

This elderly gentleman was enjoying a lollipop.... Why not? They're ageless.

See other takes on this meme at THEME DAY.

MONDAY MURALS--the baker king

Despite the sign on the right that says 'furrier,' this man represents a baker....there's a  bakery nearby.

See other murals on MONDAY MURALS.

SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY--the lily

A morning walk yielded this lily for SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY.

WEEKEND REFLECTIONS--tulips in the window....

Tulips in the window and a reflection of greenery from across the street.

See other reflections on James' WEEKEND REFLECTIONS.

SKYWATCH--sailing

A sailboat's mast and sail echo the bridge in the background.  Taken while crossing the Sava River to Ada, Belgrade's largest river island.

See other skies on SKYWATCH.

Canine consideration

...or rather, Consideration FOR Canines.  Someone thought of this clever water dish and stuck it on a tree.  Sidewalks get really hot for little padded feet.

ABC WEDNESDAY---"C" is for "Chillin''

He may be just out there chillin', but he's definitely not cool, at least in the temperature sense.  He'd be better off in one of those apartments with the air conditioner on.

See other Cs on ABC WEDNESDAY.

When it was cooler

A bit of an older shot from the days when you had to wear a jacket. Now it's  blazing hot....

MONDAY MURALS--Outer space in an alley

This brightly-colored mural caught my eye while I was walking. Almost shouted to me to come down the alley, but I didn't.

See other murals on MONDAY MURALS.