WEEKEND REFLECTIONS: Bright enough for ya?

 This cafe caught my eye with its bright colors and lighting fixtures. I plan on cropping out the reflection, but here is the entire photo!

See other reflections on James' WEEKEND REFLECTIONS.

SKYWATCH - billy goat

 On a recent trip to Vladimirovac, I took a wrong turn and ended up at the end of a road where there was a gypsy settlement. This is one of their goats!

See other skies on SKYWATCH.

LONG-LOST KEYS

 I say 'long-lost' since they are a bit rusty. I did  not find them, but some kind soul placed them on a bench in the park.  It's so awful to  lose keys, but worse, I think, is losing your wallet and documents.

FASHION STATEMENT

 A bit too militant for  my taste, but she carries it off.

THE INFAMOUS BABA ANUJKA

 

Baba Anujka (AHN--nooya-ka) or Granny Anujka as she was known then and now, was an accomplished amateur chemist and convicted killer hailing from the village of Vladimirovac, about an hour's drive from Belgrade. She was born in 1838 and lived to be 100.

I can't believe I have lived here for 45 years and never heard of her.  PLEASE take the time to read about her by CLICKING RIGHT HERE. Nearly unbelievable.  

The first photo is of course not mine. A friend and I drove out to Vladimirovac a few days ago. Naturally, someone of her reputation is still a stain on the village, but we managed to find the Romanian graveyard (many people in this area are of Romanian descent, as was she).  We were fairly certain we would  not find her grave, if indeed she is there, since I can only imagine no one wanted her buried there. However, we did find these two graves, the photos upon which I have enlarged for you.

Sad story. This newly-married, very young couple, Maria and Titu Vakaresku (16 and 18), were returning from a village fair one warm summer evening. They passed by Baba's house where she was sitting on the front steps. She offered them some refreshing lemonade. They died one week later. These two young people were thought to be her first victims.

WHICH ONE?

 Hmmm....  If you don't read Cyrillic, the street sign on the left reads "Dusan Bogdanovic Street," whereas the one on the right reads "Patriarch Pavle" street.  The former was a politician; the latter the patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Take your pick!

THE FOOD'S GREAT!

 The child in me, not too deeply hidden I have to admit, always delights at the sight of these inflatable ads.  This one is for a  hamburger/hot dog/and similar roast meat place.

"RINGS ON HER FINGERS, (MAYBE) BELLS ON HER TOES...."

...and she will have music wherever she goes. 

All I can say for this lady's rings and bracelets is 'wow' and wonder if she wears these through airport security.
 

CENTER OF ATTRACTION

 The girl with the blue hair wasn't the center of attraction for these folks, but she sure caught my attention.

MONDAY MURALS--"Let's Be Humans."

 Pavle (Paul) was patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church for many, many years. You can read about him by clicking RIGHT HERE.  

He is often associated with the phrase written on the mural, "Budimo ljudi" or "Let's  be people."

See other murals on MONDAY MURALS.

SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY--WHITE DOG, BLACK SHADOW

 Well, of course even if it were a purple dog it would still cast a black shadow. I needed a title!

See other shadows on SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY.

WEEKEND REFLECTIONS--still life

 Never bored with my camera. Took this at a cafe while waiting for a friend.

See other reflections on James' WEEKEND REFLECTIONS.

SKYWATCH--soft, velvet sky

 Another night view of St. Mark's Cathedral with a soft velvet sky behind it.

See other skies on SKYWATCH.

SECRET AGENT MAN?

 The KGB sign in the background might lead you to  believe this fellow is working undercover, pretending to read a book.  Nope, the KGB (in Cyrillic) is a  bar. Maybe he's waiting for it to open.

FASHION ALL AROUND

 Each to her own fashion statement. Gotta love those green gloves.

JOY

It was one of those spring days that tires you out because all of a sudden  it's turned warm. I sat on a bench, watching the world go by, and along came this little girl. Not at all tired out was she.
 

MAYA AND LUA

 This lady runs a funky, grandma's place kind of cafe I often go to. Little Lua isn't always there, but today she was, and they both posed for me.

I showed you this photo of Maya's husband a while back, shortly before he passed away.

WEEKEND REFLECTIONS--THE SERBIAN POSTAL MUSEUM

 Last week I had the pleasure of visiting the Serbian Postal Museum. A true pearl of a museum. Well-organized, good lighting, and full of all kinds of postal memorabilia.  Shown here is a uniform from the latter part of the 19th century. I love the sword, but nowadays it isn't needed...

See other reflections on James' WEEKEND REFLECTIONS.

WEEKEND IN BLACK AND WHITE--keep out, really!

 No need for a 'Keep Out' or 'No Trespassing' sign here.

See other black and white photos on THE WEEKEND IN BLACK AND WHITE.

SHARE THE JOY!

 This father and son seemed to be really enjoying a scooter ride. In the park it's okay, but I detest these things on sidewalks....

A BUDDING RAPUNZEL

 I couldn't help but think of Rapunzel when I saw this girl's hair. If she lives in a  tower or on an upper floor without an elevator, her hair has quite a ways to go to enable a prince to climb up.

THE CONVERSATION

 Just about everyone has a cell phone nowadays.  They've  become a necessary evil and I feel naked if I leave my house without it. I am of the generation that uses a phone out of necessity--to call or be called for something important, not just chat. I certainly don't play games on it.  Wait....I do Wordle...but once that's solved, there's not another until midnight.

MONDAY MURALS - lotus, lips, and love

 

Pucker up!  I can't help but wonder why the artist made her eyes this way. Kind of creepy....

See other murals on MONDAY MURALS.

SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY--anticipating warm weather

 These chairs and table are  up and ready, but recent rainy weather has not been conducive to finding people to sit there.

See other shadows on SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY.

WEEKEND REFLECTIONS--SPOT THE COOT

 No idea if this is an old coot or a young coot, but he was hard to spot at first among the reeds.

Apparently, the expression 'old coot,' describing an eccentric old man or else just a harmless simple one, comes from the marsh bird's ungainly bobbing of its head as it walks or swims.

See other reflections on James' WEEKEND REFLECTIONS.

APRIL THEME DAY: SYMMETRY

 Two benches and a tree make symmetry! 

See other examples of symmetry on CITY DAILY PHOTO THEME DAY.