SKYWATCH--In Seattle, can't you tell?

In Seattle through mid-July; new grandson---see yesterday's post.  Note the snazzy new color of the Space Needle, which is actually the way it was when first constructed.

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SKYWATCH FRIDAY--old postcard?

No, not an old postcard, but looks like one, except for the gas station. I've shown you this scene before, but I liked how this sepia version looks.

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SKYWATCH--classic view

Not very original, but typical!

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SKYWATCH FRIDAY--skyline

Not at all original, I know, but again I am experimenting with my new tripod (old one had a screw loose, literally, and couldn't be repaired) and cable release.

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Overlooking New Belgrade

Hot summer afternoon, taking a break on a park bench, and smoking a cigarette. Not my idea of enjoying the fresh air, but....

SKYWATCH--the big orange moon

This big orange moon hung over Belgrade a little over a week ago...

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SKYWATCH--the looooong blue boat, and the sky, too

Can you believe how long this boat is? I was stunned at its length. It's a tourist boat, and I think it's the one that is described here. On that site they say it's 180 meters long and this one must be at least that.

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Far-seeing

Two fellows share a look through a telescope to see New Belgrade from Kalemegdan Park.

What did you look at this weekend?

Dhow boat in Doha

The first evening I was in Doha, my friends took me down to the corniche to view the city center from across the bay. It's worth enlarging the photo (click on it) to admire the detail in the ultra-modern buildings. On this side of the bay from where I took this photo are docked a number of dhow boats like the one on the right, some of which are still used for fishing, while others take tourists for short rides across the bay. This we did. It was windy, and of course it's even windier on the water, making the air quite cold.

Back to Belgrade tomorrow.... It's been a fantastic trip, and as Marco Polo wrote, "I've not even told you half of what I've seen."

Railroad station and kiosk--Skywatch

Here's the top of Belgrade's main train station, finished in 1884, when the very first train to leave the station departed for Niš (NEESH), Serbia, on August 23rd, 1884.

It was at this station that I first arrived in Belgrade in 1976 to attend a friend's wedding, after a two-day trip from Paris.

Near the entrance now stands the locomotive of Tito's Blue Train, which you can read more about by clicking on the link.

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(Happy birthday to my newlywed daughter today!!! Mama loves you.)

Sava River line-up

Last Friday we had some very early and very warm weather. I liked the way the boats in the foreground were lined up, just as are the houseboats, the trees on a river island, and even the buildings visible in the background.

ABC Wednesday "C" is for "catastrophe"

Belgrade has quite a number of 'floating restaurants,' which are especially popular in nicer weather when you can sit outside on their outdoor decks. This one, by the name of Argument, sprang a leak, and this may be one business that won't manage to stay afloat.... Sorry---couldn't resist the bad pun.

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Guard that barge!

Cold and lonely, but on duty. This Rottweiler stands guard on a barge on the Danube. From what I could see on the rest of the barge (not shown here), there doesn't seem to be much to stand watch over.

Tropical Belgrade

You can have the best of both worlds, or sort of, here in Belgrade. Visit one of the city's floating bars or restaurants, many of which offer a view of the city. How about "Karibi," which, after a few shots of rakija or šljivovica (RAH-kee-yuh/SHLEE-vo-veet-sa), local brandy/plum brandy, just might make you imagine you're in the tropics. You'll feel warmer anyway.

Happy Holidays

No, it hasn't snowed here yet, but I am hoping. I know many of you are snowed in, but I'd just like a little. This is a photo from last year at this time. Not an original shot, but one to wish you readers the very best for the end-of-year holidays you celebrate and a healthy New Year. Be kind to each other, and appreciate each moment.

UPDATE: It's now 10 a.m. and it is SNOWING, so the scene from my window actually does look like this!

Evening mist over Vršac

The name of town of Vršac (VUR-shots) is derived from the Slavic word vrh (hard to pronounce, but it's something like "vurh"), meaning "summit." The town, about an hour's drive from Belgrade, lies on the bed of the former Pannonian Sea, today known as the Pannonian Plain in Central Europe Ottoman Turks destroyed the town in the 16th century, but it was soon rebuilt. In 1594, Serbs from the region started a large uprising against Ottoman rule, and Vršac region was center of this uprising. Later this area fell under the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and of now is part of Serbia. The town lies at the foot of part of the Pannonian Mountains, and is known for its good wine.

Skywatch Friday--Moon over the Danube

I've been inspired by Louis la Vache in San Francisco (http://bayphoto.blogspot.com/), who's been taking some moon shots recently. I'm not good at this, but have promised myself to practice every time there's a full moon. We'll see how good I get eventually. In the photo you see my over-exposed moon shining on Belgrade's main church and the Danube.

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Sky Watch Friday--the road to Belgrade

Belgrade, or "Beograd," as it is known here, means "white city." Here is the White City under a lavender sky, viewed from the Belgrade-Niš highway as we returned from a trip the other week.

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NATO Bombing anniversary

This is a view from Belgrade's ancient fortress, Kalemegdan, looking across the Sava river toward New Belgrade. The tall building is the Ušće (OOsh-chay) Tower, built in 1964 as the communist party headquarters, and is the tallest building in the Balkans. During the NATO bombing of Serbia in 1999, 12 Tomahawk missiles were fired at this building when no one was inside, and amazingly the structure withstood these attacks. It originally measured 105 meters, but has been renovated and now stands 134 meters tall. An adjacent twin tower and a megamarket/shopping center are scheduled to be completed in 2010.

From Zemun looking toward Belgrade

No fear--I will soon be posting photos from Belgrade itself, but want you to get a feel for what surrounds the city. This is another picture of Zemun. During WWI in 1914, Zemun changed hands between Serbia and the Austro-Hungarian empire, finally ending up in Serbia in 1918 and became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, and then later Yugoslavia. So if you had visited Zemun from Belgrade prior to 1914, you'd have been abroad in just a short trip. This photo is taking from a hill above Zemun. Yesterday's photo would be a bit down the Danube to the left, and the city you can just see in the distance the actual city of Belgrade. We're getting closer! Belgrade offers excellent river tours, too. I love to go at sunset.