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...

Twins

These two ladies live across the street from me, and I often see them out on their balcony. They're always neat as a pin (ok, as pinS!), not a hair out of place. This time they were out watching the weekly demonstration that takes place every Friday...protesting the current government, of course. No end in sight, so I'll be seeing a lot more of them.

MONDAY MURALS--The Mermaid

A mermaid sadly surrounded by plastic bottles...

See other murals on Monday Murals.

SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY -- Turret

There are a number of turrets on corners of older buildings here, and I find them fascinating. Would like to live in one....

This one was rather ordinary looking, but it made for a nice shadow.

See other shadows on SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY.

WEEKEND REFLECTIONS--Staint-Remy-de-Provence

Short on local reflections and this is a baaad phone photo. Bear with me.

Beautiful cafe facade in Saint-Remy-de-Provence where I traveled recently.

See other reflections on James' WEEKEND REFLECTIONS.

SKYWATCH--Friday Harbor, Washington

Running short on local skies, so here is one from my friends' place in Washington state. I'll be visiting them again soon!

See other skies on SKYWATCH.

Bread and buns

There's a chain of bakers in town called Lebovski, perhaps referring to the cult film "The Great Lebowski," but also because the Serbian word for 'bread' is 'hleb,' often said rapidly as '  'leb.'

In any case, they make terrific bread. Here's their site, only in Serbian, if you'd like to have a read/look.

ABC WEDNESDAY: "A" is for "Alone, but not bored...."

This little old lady was deeply engrossed in a crossword puzzle, and didn't notice I was taking her photo. I love  how she daintily holds her cigarette.

See other As on ABC WEDNESDAY.

Urban still life

I have a whole section of my photo files entitled Urban Still Life...and here is one spotted just yesterday.

Happy School

I think this is a  high school...not sure who painted this jazzy mural, but it's an eyecatcher.

See others on MONDAY MURALS.

SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY--Where'd my human go?

Sorry, I just couldn't resist this. Of course the  black figure is not really a shadow (but there ARE shadows in the picture!)

It looks like a shadow wondering where his human went...

See other shadows on SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY.

WEEKEND REFLECTIONS--plum brandy, anyone?

These little glass containers are typical for serving all kinds of brandies here, including Serbia's famous plum brandy.

See other reflections on James' WEEKEND REFLECTIONS.

Jewish Communiy Center

Long ago before WWI and WW2, Belgrade had a thriving Jewish neighborhood called Jalija. It remains now in memory by certain street names, such as Jevrejska or Mojsijeva streets. There is still one active synagogue in Belgrade, and one in nearby Zemun.

Here is a photo of one such building that remains, that of a Jewish Community Center on Jevrejska 16. This building once served as a place for Jewish societies that took care of elderly members of the community.  The inscription in Serbian and in Hebrew reads:  "Don't abandon me to old age, when my strength falters, do not leave me."

If you'd like to read a bit more, here is a link.

The Main Train Station....or was....

Sadly, this building and adjacent parts were once Belgrade's main train station, where I arrived on my first trip here from Paris in 1976.  Memories abound of that trip, later trips in and out of country, picking up/seeing off friends...

Belgrade's much criticized new project, Belgrade Waterfront, a series of deluxe apartments, walkways, etc. is growing, and spaces is needed.  Apparently this building will remain and some say will be a museum.   All the tracks are gone....  The new station is a pitiful one, not even so close to the city center.

Progress....or rather, money-grabbing.

Fish fry

Last Sunday was my daughter-in-law's mother's birthday. It's customary here for the birthday person to treat others to lunch or some cake and ice cream or both.

So, we all went to a yummy fish restaurant along the Danube, outside of Belgrade.  The kids enjoyed playing on the shore (the tires you see are actually  makeshift boat tie-ups).

It was delish....

Here we go again.

This location on a street near me has changed faces a number of times in the last few years.  You might want to have a look at this post and this one to see what I mean. 

Now it appears to be a pub....stay tuned.

THEME DAY-- BLUE

It's July and in July there are at least two national holidays, July 4th and Bastille Day, whose countries have a red, white, and blue flag.

Hence this post, snapped in Nimes. Not sure these ladies were celebrating at least Bastille Day early, but they're certainly red, white, and BLUE.

See how others have expressed BLUE THEME DAY.