ABC WEDNESDAY--"Z" is for "zen"

Another year gone by, and unfortunately, this is the last post for our meme ABC WEDNESDAY.
Like a lot of other bloggers, this meme will truly be missed.

Many thanks to its creator, Mrs. Nesbitt, and to those who took it over after her.

Roche Harbor, Washington

This beautiful little  harbor, also favored by many as a wedding location, is called Roche Harbor, and is located on San Juan Island, Washington.

Beats me why they still pronounce it 'Roach' Harbor...

See other reflections on James' WeekendReflections.

SKYWATCH--sailing into the sunset

Holiday pressures get me stuck for photos. I promise to do better in the new year.

Here's another from Golden Gardens beach in Seattle.

See others on SKYWATCH.

The wall outside

The wall of a building visible from the small park downstairs from me.  

Not a shadow...

This looks so much like a shadow of a cat, but it is actually a real (black) cat sitting on a wall downstairs.  Trompe l'oeil or better yet, like that painting by Magritte of a pipe with the title "Ceci n'est pas une pipe".  Because it isn't....it'a a painting of a pipe.

WEEKEND REFLECTIONS: ANTIQUE SILVER SERBIAN JEWELRY

This display immediately caught my eye. So pretty, but for the most part today so impractical.

See other reflections on James' WEEKEND REFLECTIONS.

SKYWATCH--Gulls at Golden Gardens

Another one from the US.  But beautiful skies are to  be seen everywhere.

See others at SKYWATCH.

Still at it...

Belgrade's air quality is just awful.   Mind you, it isn't just this one guy who contributes to the lack of clean air, but multiply him by lots more...  You can have a look at this page.

Of course the bigger polluters are vehicles. Like many laws, Serbia has 'enforced' a prevous law on older vehicles like the one belonging to Yours Truly.  These laws are conveniently ignored if palms are greased...

ABC WEDNESDAY "X" is for "kisses" and "Christmas"

Xs are often used at the end of a message or letter for 'kisses'.  X is also used to replace the word Christ in a shortened version of Christmas, since the letter X in Greek stands for the first letter 'chi,' which is the beginning of their word 'Christos" or Χριστός.

In any case, granddaughter Mila is deeply in love with Madhu, and covers her with kisses, while both wait for Christmas.

See other Xs on ABC WEDNESDAY.

Nikolai Krasnov

Ah, the pleasures of having a dog again. Now with little Madhu, I spend more time outdoors and revisit parks I used to walk Bibi in. Sometimes I find new things there, like this monument to Nikolai Krasnov, whose info I found on the Internet.  Oh, the things you learn!

"Nikolai Petrovich Krasnov was a Russian Yugoslav architect and painter, who served as Chief Architect of Yalta, Crimea, between 1887 and 1899. From 1922 he lived and worked in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, and was a key figure in the architectural development of Belgrade."

Slava cakes

More brioche than cake, these beauties appear in Serbia for various saints' days during the year. The next saint's day is Saint Nikola which, according to the Serbian Orthodox calendar, falls on December 19th.

SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY--Patriarch Pavle

I always wondered about the oddity of this statue.  It would seem like Patriarch Pavle is sitting on air...which I guess he is.

Looked it up and found info:  

In June 2018 it was announced that a monument to Patriach Pavle, head of the  Orthodox Church from 1990 to 2009, will be erected on the green area between the newly finished plateau and the tram stop in Tašmajdan Park. The 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) tall bronze monument was authored by Zoran Maleš. It was placed in the park on 13 November 2018 and dedicated on 15 November, an anniversary of Pavle's death. Maleš said that he wanted to show the etherealness of Pavle, who was deemed among Serbs as the "walking saint". He also added that he was influenced by the photos of patriarch commuting by the trams – it showed his mundane approach to life, using the public transportation, and he indeed often travelled to this spot when he was visiting the Saint Mark's Church. However, the sculpture of the patriarch in the sitting position, but without a chair, throne or anything that he is sitting on, garnered negative public reaction. The Serbian Orthodox Church said that this is a public monument and that they will not judge it, but that it plans to erect a proper, monumental sculpture of Patriarch Pavle in the churchyard of the Rakovica Monastery , where he was buried.

See other shadows on SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY.

WEEKEND REFLECTIONS--kitty in the window.

Another from Seattle. I was walking by my favorite used book store, TWICE SOLD TALES, whose owner is a cat lover. Store was closed, but kitty conveniently posed himself before the book of cat cartoons...

 My faint reflection is there...

 See other reflections on James' WEEKEND REFLECTIONS

SKYWATCH FRIDAY: GOLDEN GARDENS

A bit of Seattle for you today. This was taken at Golden Gardens Park in Seattle.  Aptly named, at least at this time of day.

See other skies on SKYWATCH.

Hurt finger...

How he hurt his finger is anybody's guess....  What's yours?

ABC WEDNESDAAY: w is for 'winter'

No, no, it doesn't look like that here now...nor do I hope it will. This is an archive photo of over a year or two ago.

Brrrr....

See other Ws on ABC WEDNESDAY.

Coconut cake

Another easy Serbian cake, though I never make it since I would probably eat more than I should.

This one was served to me by my friend Boba, with whipped cream on the top, along with lemonade.

It was yummy.

Wall art

Not a recent photo, but then again, I haven't been out and about much recently with camera in hand.

So this one dates from last summer. I think it is a fairy or nymph struggling (?) with the plant on the relief.

I did it....

Here I am again with Katya, whose photograph I have posted several times, in the past.  If you want to see more than just in the link I've given you, type Katya (or I may have spelled it like it really is, Katja) in the search box on the upper right.

I took the plunge....I waited two years after Bibi's passing to adopt this little pearl whom I have called Madhu (Hindi for honey), because that's exactly what she is.  She had  been given to Katya to be her own personal pet (she's 3 mos. old), but Katya wanted me to have her, and so....  She is a shorkie (half Shih-Tzu, half Yorkshire terrier!

I love her to death.

Seasonal reader?

Here we go....my feeble attempt to get back at my blog, shamefully neglected since late August when I was in the US.  My reasoning was that I was not 'in Belgrade,' but then Yankee can move around, so you might be getting photos from here and there.

It was a nippy morning when I saw this fellow at one of Belgrade's remaining iconic cafes, Poslednja Shansa (last chance), in Tasmajdan park.  Rumor has it that it has been bought by a chain of cafes, and oh, there we go....another piece of history bites the dust.

ABC WEDNESDAY "H" is for Happy Husband

Spotted this seemingly harmoniously happy couple on Queen Anne in Seattle.

See other Hs on ABC WEDNESDAY.

SKYWATCH-- the blue hour

L'heure Bleue by Guerlain is my favorite perfume, but lacking that fragrance at the moment, I've settled for an early evening blue hour at Seattle's Golden Gardens.

See other skies on SKYWATCH.

REST IN PEACE

Lovely mural on Capitol Hill here in Seattle. I don't know who this represents, but he apparently is no longer of this world.

ABC WEDNESDAY--G is for Golden Gardens

Golden Gardens is a large park in Seattle where I am currently visiting family. It is indeed well-named.

See other Gs on ABC WEDNESDAY.

ABC WEDNESDAY "F" is for "Flowers"

Where are the flowers, you might ask?  Only a mini-splotch of red the square that is called "Square of Flowers"....it was renovated, but "Where have all the flowers gone?"

See other Fs on ABC WEDNESDAY.

Tuk-tuks in Belgrade

This is Milan who drives this maxi tuk-tuk here in Belgrade. 12 euros per person for a sightseeing tour of about an hour and  a half. I am sorry I am leaving Belgrade this Saturday for a US visit, but will definitely tour around at a later date.

In the woods....

Nice white mushrooms....but I think they're not edible and am not about to try....

Alone and maybe forgotten

A lonely little lion cub, forgotten (who knows for how long) at Raca monastery. Someone's keeping an eye on him, though.

SKYWATCH--leavin' on a jet plane...

This is an early morning shot of Saint Sava's Church here in Belgrade, taken just before I boarded a train for a short three-day trip in-country.

 But what about 'leavin' on a jet plane..."? Well, tomorrow I'm off for the US, and not by train.

 See other skies on SKYWATCH.

Impractical?

Another one from my short train trip recently here in Serbia.

This railroad employee's uniform looks really impractical, especially the shoes.

ABC WEDNESDAY - "E" is for "entomologist'

Caught this entomologist calling in to report a very large ladybug on the pole next to me in one of my favorite cafes....

I went back the next day...it's still there, haha.

See other Es on ABC WEDNESDAY.

The flag bearer

If I hadn't looked up, I wouldn't have seen this flag bearer...or maybe he is a pole vaulter, in which case he might have vaulted down right in front of me.

MONDAY MURALS--Senior Day Centers and Clubs

Cute mural advertising senior centers and clubs.

Fails to say where they are, though....

See other murals on MONDAY MURALS.

SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY: Road trip

A three-day trip to visit some friends in Uzice (OOO-zheet-say), a three+ hour train ride from Belgrade.

Had a fantastic time; lots of nature walks, sights, good food!  

Here's a shadow for you...see more on SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY.

WEEKEND REFLECTIONS--Srbija Voz

Took a short road, or rather, train trip last few days.  I had not traveled on a train in Serbia for YEARS, and the one I was on was a vast improvement. In the reflection you can see old train wagons reflected in the window of my new train.  "Srbija Voz" means "Serbia Train."

See other reflections on Weekend Reflections.

SKYWATCH--the selfie

No, I'm not in the selfie, but this pair was deeply engrossed in taking selfies on a nearby rooftop. Little did they suspect that I was around.

See other skies on SKYWATCH.

THEME DAY AUGUST--Black

This month's theme is:  black. Not a color we usually associate with August. This labrador has enjoyed a dip to cool off, and is now 'parked' to dry off.

See other interpretations of 'black' on THEME DAY.

ABC WEDNESDAY "D" is for 'disorderly'

"Disorderly" may not be the best word to describe this urban mishmash, but it begins with D!

See other Ds on ABC WEDNESDAY.

Injured

Sometimes I go to a cafe downtown on a side street where they serve Turkish coffee with a Turkish Delight like this man has.

He has hurt his finger....

Bubbles and balloons

Another mural from Belgrade's up and coming Savamala district by the river Sava.

See other murals on MONDAY MURALS.

SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY--the double garage

Kind of spooky....

See other shadows on SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY.

WEEKEND REFLECTIONS -tired of waiting...

This is part of the line in front of one of Belgrade's best bakeries....looks like the lady with the blond hair is fed up, but not with buns.

See other reflections (and there is one in this photo!) go to James' WEEKEND REFLECTIONS.

A saint in her own right

Older readers of mine may recognize 'the dog lady,' Katya, who for years and years has homed hundreds and hundreds  of dogs. My late and very sweet dog, Bibi, came from her.  

I went to visit her yesterday. She is now 76 and still going strong.  She has moved from the place you will see if you click this link and is now about 30 kilometers from Belgrade, in a small village where people are less likely to dump dogs on her. She still has 12 dogs, some of whom are awaiting adoption in Germany and France, thanks to two organizations who have helped her.  She now also has several cats, chickens, ducks, geese, and a nanny goat!

I was always surprised over the years (and she had 300 dogs at one time...) that she knew all their names, and they responded to their names!  For them, Katya is indeed the patron saint of canines.

It's 'hot town, summer in the city..."

Ah, I envy these people with this terrace on the building across the park from me. Not fancy, but definitely a place to cool off.  She's got a hose....

It's been in the 90s here and all this recalls the Lovin' Spoonful's hit Summer in the City.

ABC WEDNESDAY "C" is for "classy"

A late-night discovery while I was returning from a wine bar. A beautiful entrance.

See other Cs on ABC WEDNESDAY.

MONDAY MURALS

I love turtles and tortoises. I know there's a difference, but I call them all turtles.


See other murals on MONDAY MURALS.

SHOE REPAIR

This shoe repairman (obucar=O-boo-char) offers various services from changing heels to dyeing leather.

It's the sneaker that attracted me...

ABC WEDNESDAY "B" is for " bršljan"

" Bršljan" (BURSH-lyan) is the Serbian word for "ivy," and it's perfect for today's ABCWEDNESDAY.   These shots were taken of two different houses, but each appears to be lived in. Ivy is really desctructive for walls, though...