DRAMATIC

Sometimes skies just take your breath away. This one just before sunset over New Belgrade did just that.
 

OPLENAC CHURCH

 The  OPLENAC CHURCH  on Oplenac Hill above the town of Topola, just over an hour south of Belgrade, is the final resting place of the royal Karadjordjević family. Read more about it here: Oplenac - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oplenac

MUSEUM OF AFRICAN ART

 I had not been to THE MUSEUM OF AFRICAN ART in years. I have a house guest who wanted to go, so off we went. Full of treasures ane an especially interesting exhibit of art made from recycled paper, glass, plastic, an flip-flops!

THREE MEN AND A MOTORCYCLE

 And one has a camera.

HAVE A SEAT

Take your pic of a seat along this constuction wall.

DID SHE SEE ME; DID SHE CARE?

 I always play innocent when I used my camera for such shots, pretending I'm checking something on the camera, and not looking directly at my subject at all. This woman didn't react, but it really does look as if she saw me.

SHUTTERS

 Went through the old municipality of Zemun, which was once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Lots of beautiful architecture.

VIKING MAIDEN

 Well, no, not really, but this woman waiting for cell phone help reminded me of warriors of the North.

CLASH OF COLORS

 If you haven't had your coffee yet, this willwake you up.

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STROLLING BY THE CHURCH

I sneaked several shots of this young woman who was non-chalantly strolling by St. Marko's church downtown.

VISITING THE CATHEDRAL CHURCH

 My Indian friend on the left adores visiting Orthodox churches here in Serbia. This one is the CATHEDRAL OF ST. ARCHANGEL MIHAILO.  Coincidentall the lady draped in a pink shawl was not Indian, but just covering her head.

AGATHA CHRISTIE

 Not this woman of course, but this lady is engrossed in an Agatha Christie mystery on her ride home.

REAL GOOD FOR FREE

 Came across this young musician in Zemun, a nearby municipality. He did play very well, and this brought back Joni Mitchell's 1970-something hit REAL GOOD FOR FREE.  Love her, love the song

NOVAK DJOKOVIĆ AN ALIEN?

 Please read the description under the photo! He's not an 'alien'! Definitely from Earth, and specifically, from Serbia! 

PATTERNS

 Tiles and a rug make beautiful patterns on the floor  of a church in Zemun, a neighboring Belgrade community.

IMPROVEMENT

 I have shown you this controversial new clock before. Controversial because it was placed in a newly-created roundabout that really didn't need to be and also because it had no hands to show the time. Now ine side does... We're getting there. 

CAT-TIRED

 People can be dog-tited, so why not cat-tired? I think heat-tired would be more suitable. 

STRIPES AND BUTTERFLIES?

A zebra-striped dress and butterflies on her arms were what this lady sported while waiting for the bus.
 

BACK TO SCHOOL

 Our local basketball court, soccer field, and kids' play area had all stood nearly empty over the summer. Families on vacation, kids at grandma's, summer camp, and now they're back. School started here September 1st. 

THEME DAY "TRAVEL"

 

"Travel" is September's Theme day. This is not a Serbian bus, but one I photographed last June on my way to SeaTac airport to return to Belgrade. I guess if one has a choice, it would be wise to travel with "Blessed," hoping that this big bus was indeed blessed and that you'll reach your destination safely.

See other interpretations of "Travel" on THEME DAY.

MONDAY MURALS--COCA-COLA

Somewhere around 1886, John Pemberton, an American pharmacist, created Coca-Cola out of necessity. to control his chronic addiction to morphine, which he took as a result of a painful saber wound.  Shortly after, he decided to market his 'pain killer' as a drink, and the rest is history. 

Looks like it didn't make it to Serbia (then Yugoslavia) until 1967. I love this mural. It shows an old Italian FICA (FEE-cha), very popular then, the classic red cubic hot dog stand, and an example of the BRUTALIST ARCHITECTURE building nicknamed the Toberlerone Building because of its triangular projections.

See more murals on MONDAY MURALS.

 

"BAD FILE"?

I tried to upload this photo several times, both here and on my account on Flickr. The former said simply 'File cannot be uploaded" and the latter said it was a "bad file".  No clue why, so I searched online for the reason; still no help. The only thing I could think of is that the original file was very light; I must have messed up the exposure. So I upped the contrast, and voila, in Blogger and Flickr I was able to upload it.

Anyway, the is almost my favorite handy shop. Anything plastic you need, they've got it, from oil cloth, flower pots, little shelves, and hooks; a small paradise.
 

BEARDED

Of course people can choose their hairstyle and in a man's case, beard style. Personally, I do not mind beards, but for me they have to be shorter and neatly trimmed. Otherwise, honestly, they look too unkempt. My own opinion of course!

AN ADMIRER

This sort of fashion comes and goes and still gets looks.
 

SYMMETRY?

 

Hmmm....This is one of those photos I thought would turn out better. Was desperate for a photo!

DOWNSIZING

 

Ever wonder how many layers of posters a kiosk can have? Now you know!

SUMMER BEER

 These were full cases of beer, a sign that summer is in full spring, and that it's still darn hot. I imagine the grocery store's fridge is full. 

HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL

 

Like in many places, there's been no rain and all is hot, yellow, and dry. I came acris the little tree today on an already fairly shaded sidewalk. There was another about 10 yards farther. I imagine this was a city initiative. Both were generously watered and I am making it my duty to water each one every day, and hope the rain comes soon. 

HARD TO KICK THE HABIT

 This man was NOT smoking. I saw him extinguish his cigarette before he entered the bus, but old habits die hard. He was dry-puffing for two stops, then exited the bus.

BLACK AND BLUE LAUNDRY

 Laundry day!

REACHIING FOR THE SUN

This sunflower in the unkempt yard of an abandoned-doomed-for-demolition building makes one last stab at reaching for the sun.

Qué Calor!

These two chihuahuas didn't seem to mind in the least being packed into this carry bag. Only breeds from hot countries can appreciate our upper to mid-nineties temperatures.
 

WATCHING THE WORLD GO BY

 "Something's going on down there!" 

NIGHT BASKETBALL

 Too hot in the day for serious basketball, but evening temps make a game possible. (And yes, the ball went in the hoop.)

GANDHI WALKS

 I got my hair cut the other day and as I was walking with my walking stick and billowy dress, I noticed I resembled Gandhi!  I've posted about India's spiritual leader before and even posted another Gandhi shadow, which you can see RIGHT HERE.

WORD GAMES

Crossword puzzles! I don't do them on a daily basis, but when I have no book to read (or Internet, ha) I like to challenge myself. I do them in English and in French, but was reluctant to do them in Serbian. Over the past weekend, having neither a book or Internet, my granddaughter prodded me to try. Next day I bought my own magazine and it is with the English and French ones on my night table!

 

WAITING

 Came across this trio awaiting their owner/s outside a shop. I sometimes leave my dog tied in front of a store, but only where I can see her since she is of snatch-and-run size. 

MELON TIME

 No surprise to tell you it has been darn hot here--high 90s, slipping into 100s from time to time. I indulge in melons, all kinds, from watermelon to canteloupe to this honeydew. When very cold, it temporarily soothes the heat. 

HOT SUNSET

Last evening's beginning of the sunset. You can tell from the sky (I think) that it was a very hot day, and tomorrow's not going to be any better.
 

PRACTICAL OR DECORATIVE?

 This is the ceiling of a passage leading to a park under a building in my neighborhood. I have no idea at all why these oddly-arranged egg cartons are there. For decoration or do they serve a purpose? 

NIKOLA TESLA FOUNTAIN

 There is a small green space near a high rise in my neighborhood which is cared for by local residence. They've made one section into a toddler park, another for plants and little statues, and now this one with a small fountain in Nikola Tesla's honor (see the sign in the upper left). Nikola Tesla, the famous Serbian/American inventor did indeed design a decorative water fountain that you can READ ABOUT RIGHT HERE. This fountain doesn't resemble his concept at all, but someone was thinking of him when they put in this little fountain. There is a working (sometimes!) model of Tesla's fountain near the Tesla Museum downtown.

GREEN GRAPES

I think these grapes will never be wine. They are part of a larger mass of grapevines that form a trellis for shade over an outdoor patio. They are edible now though, albeit a bit on the sour side.
 

NIKOLA TESLA TAKES A BREAK

 I am sure NIKOLA TESLA tiij a wekk deserved break now and then.  Wonder what book he's reading.  Here he is on  a mural.

REFLECTION

The reflection cast from one of the new buildings on an equally new area of the city called Belgrade Waterfront sparkles on the Danube. Belgrade Waterfront is disliked by true Belgraders and long-time expats like I am, because it really clashes with the soul of the city. Visible in the foreground are the ruins of one of the many (now abandoned) floating bar restaurants, which were deemed too tacky for Belgrade's future plans.
 

CINDERELLA TREES

 I just had to take this photo of these three evergreens which looked to me like they're going to the ball.  See photo I pinched below. Apologies to Walt Disney.

THEME DAY AUGUST 2026--PURPLE

 Purple is the theme for August 2026, and for a while I was avidly hunting something purple. Unfortunately, I found it, sort of. I have MISPLACED my purple Transcend external hard drive!!!  Unthinkable. I have ABSOLUTELY NO CLUE where it could be. I have looked in all the logical places, the illogical ones, in the refrigerator, etc. and it is nowhere to be found. I truly believe it has found a portal to another dimension. I really wish it would come back.....Losing sleep over this, and am ready to hire a psychic. I took it to the US and I know I brought it back. Lodged Lost and Found notices at airports I traveled back through, just in case, but zilch. That means it should be here at my home....somewhere.  Anyway, it you've found it, let me know....nothing is impossible!

See other August Theme Day photos by CLICKING HERE.

SUMMER FASHION, THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT

Two different takes on summer fashion. Me, I prefer loose, billowly cotton or linen dresses.

WATCH YOUR BELONGINGS

 On a few local (Belgrade) Facebook groups, I have recently read a number of posts from persons who have been pickpocketed. Most claim they were careful, but we all know pickpockets are extremely skillful and usually work with a partner or two. There's no sense in making their 'job' any easier like this young woman did by leaving her purse behind her on the bench between us. Not once did she look around, totally engrossed in conversation with her friend. I could have made off with the entire purse had I been so inclined, but I preferred to lick my ice cream in peace.