CHOOSE YOUR WORDS

 I was wondering whether this fellow was reading an interesting text or just trying to think of 'le mot juste' for his own message.

WISH THEY STILL MADE ENTRANCES LIKE THIS

 I love this entrance and each time I pass, I wonder why they don't make entrances like this anymore. But then I remember that 1)  Out of style; 2) costs too much.

CONTRAST

 I really, really wanted to get the woman in white (actually pale, pale pink) all by herself, but didn't stand a chance...

THREE...

 

Three people....but one is actually not.

PENSIVE...

 At first I thought this young woman was pensive, reflecting on her day, her life....  but then when I stood up to leave, I saw she was typing on a small tabler. Pensively, of course.

HOW TIME FLIES

 It wasn't so very long ago when both my little granddaughters could wear slippers like these.

How time flies...

MONDAY MURALS--"DO YOU REALLY HEAR A CRY?"

 The title of this post translates what is written at the top of this mural, though I don't really understand what the relationship between the art and the question is.  If you do, enlighten me, please.

See other murals on MONDAY MURALS.

"THIS IS JUST TO SAY...."

These plums, ice-cold from the refrigerator, were my breakfast this morning, along with my coffee.  While enjoying their just-right sourness, I thought of the poem by William Carlos Williams:  (This kind of plum is Serbia's national fruit, used from raw, dumplings, all the way to shitovitz, Serbia's plum brandy.)

THIS IS JUST TO SAY

I have eaten

the plums

that were in

the icebox

and which 

you

were probably 

saving for breakfast

Forgive me

they were delicious

so sweet

and cold

NOTHING LIKE A REALLY COLD BEER

 I only drink beer in really hot weather, and need I tell you it has been REALLY hot. Had a beer last night (the Staropramen  one, a Czech beer) in a Niksicko beer (Serbian) glass, all frosted, though the frost effect had worn off here.  All this at my favorite cafe where there is an older crowd and NO blaring music.  Yes, I am getting to be an old fogey in some ways.  The peanuts were good, too.

HAIKU COFFEE

 

I like to write haiku, but haven't in ages. Seeking inspiration at a café.

THE RESTAURANT

 A very popular Belgrade restaurant during the day, but not so crowded at night.

THE ENTRANCE

 It is stinking hot here and temps will rise to the 100-degree+ by the weekend. Perhaps subconsciously it's for this reason that I have been shooting in black and white. Colors are 'hot'.  Also, in this case, when you enter an older building, you're immediately cooled off by 10-15 degrees.

MONDAY MURALS--YOU DIRTY RAT!

 No idea of the significance of the 1947 date.  I googled the signature or reference, too, but to no avail.

See other murals on MONDAY MURALS.

SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY--THE HAPPY BULLDOG

 Happy little or maybe not so little fellow, with his plastic bottle.

See other shadows on SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY.

PEPTO-BISMOL PINK

In contrast to my black and white moon of yesterday, here's a building the likes of which you won't see very often.  Not sure if my reference to Pepto-Bismol pink will be understood, but Pepto-Bismol is an over-the-counter medicine that provides relief from over-eating....  And it's bright pink!

SKYWATCH--the same moon everyone sees

Exactly what the title says, no more, no less.

See other skies and perhaps the same old moon on SKYWATCH.

 

FULL CART(s)

 This fellow caught my eye downtown yesterday. The sign beside him advertises a delivery service for food, be it from a restaurant or a grocery store. 

SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY: CONTEMPLATION

 Now in  Belgrade, but this is a Paris shot of a man contemplating his next move in ' pétanque'.  

See other shadows on SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY.

AIRING OUT THE BEDDING

 Airing out the bedding. A common sight in some older areas of the city.

"IT'S WARM INSIDE!"

 It probably was warm and toasty inside when this restaurant folded last winter. Now it's hot and toasty outside.

Sharp-eyed kid

 The kid saw me......

MONDAY MURALS: Saint Basil of Ostrog

Visited a friend whose building bears this mural of SAINT BASIL OF OSTROG..

See other murals on MONDAY MURALS.

SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY: the bored florist

 Took my camera out for a night walk here in Belgrade, through uncrowded streets.

Not many customers for this florist, but it was late...

See other shadows on SHADOW SHOT WEEKEND.

WEEKEND REFLECTIONS--LA SAMARITAINE, PARIS

 Here's what the Internet says about La Samaritaine: "Founded in 1870, La Samaritaine is an icon of Paris, emblematic of the Second Empire's era and the emergence of this new architectural typology that would revolutionize retail: the department store. What started as a small shop expanded to a series of buildings occupying two urban blocks at one end of Pont Neuf. The architectural monument is the site of an interplay of Art Nouveau and Art Deco elements."

I actually did  not go inside; I preferred to spend my time in Paris outdoors.  

See other reflections on James' WEEKEND REFLECTIONS.

SKYWATCH--Le Mirbel

 Le Mirbel cafe in Paris, which is also a 'tabac,' where one can still buy matches, lighters, cigarettes.....

See other skies on SKYWATCH.