SUNDAY BRIDGES--far from home

Seattle is home to many cultures, so perhaps this man feels and is more at home here than in his native land.  He's enjoying a Coke, so.....

See other bridges at Louis La Vache's SUNDAY BRIDGES.

Sweet and tart

It's been warm and so I treated myself to a lemonade, instead of my usual cappuccino. Look at all that sugar! I actually don't put sugar in my lemonade at all, so back it went when the waiter cleared the table.

Bought the snowdrops from the man I posted a few days ago.

Tic-tac-toe Café

Except for the extra person on the upper left, these people seated at an outdoor café reminded me of a game of tic-tac-toe. While I was seated upstairs and indoors, no one came to occupy the empty space on the lower right.

Solarized...

Ordinary enamel coffee pots looking not so ordinary... These are from Kafana Daco (Da-cho),
a restaurant popular with tourists. I couldn't see where on the link info was in English, but if you don't read Serbian, you can just have a look at the photos.

Sunday brunch

Went out to brunch yesterday at Chandler's Crabhouse that offers a great view. When I wasn't looking out the window, I was sipping my drink, and deciding what to order. It was all good.... Notice the little clam on my Bloody Mary.

Reflection Weekend--the pink boa

No snake, it's the doughnut, all pink with coconut, making it resemble a feather boa. When you visit Seattle, make sure to gobble a few more calories at Top Pot doughnuts. The downtown one has a really pretty ceiling, the lights of which are reflected here on the table.

See more reflections, but probably no more pink boas, at James'WEEKEND REFLECTION.

The Madonna Inn

My very good friend in San Luis Obispo took me to lunch at the city's famous Madonna Inn, which was delicious. Here are some of the Inn's glass drinking goblets.

See other reflections at

REFLECTIONS WEEKEND.

Not Italy....

Not Italy, not even Europe, but close. This is El Castillo, a winery in Saint Helena, California, where our merry group tasted and bought wine.

Wine tasting, of course!

Napa is wine country, so our happy group of ten 'Aix' friends set off in pursuit of a good glass of wine...of course we found several.

Don't you just love the shirts we had made? "Aix" friends=forever friends.
Well-aged, too.

You're in good hands.

A little sun, a little champagne, and lots of friends. Arrived in Napa for a 43-year reunion with friends I studied with in Aix-en-Provence in '68-69. And our director and his wife made it, too! A votre sante!

Invite your friends for a drink

My daughter treated me to an early Mother's Day excursion to Portland last weekend. I'd never seen fountains like this before. You can invite your friends for a drink, or strike up conversation with a thirsty stranger.

In the US on a pressing family matter.

REFLECTIONS WEEKEND--Fill me!

Glasses awaiting beverages at the Salish Lodge in Snoqulamie, Washington.... Who remembersTwin Peaks? See other reflections at Newtown Daily Photo.

The intruder

These dusty bottles in this crate reminded me of those 'which one doesn't belong' games I used to play as a kid.

The Happy Housewives

Definitely not Desperate Housewives, these ladies. This wall art beckoned me down a passageway where I expected to find pots of simmering, home-cooked dishes. Instead the menu bore only names of cocktails, wines, and beer. I can see why these 'Vesele Domacice' (VEh-seh-leh do MAH cheet-seh) are happy: lots of drinks and no cooking to do! If you read Serbian, here's their site!

REFLECTIONS WEEKEND--Workers' coffee time

Passed by this store being renovated and the 'still life' with the coffee cups caught my eye. I also caught some reflections, including my own. One person didn't eat his cookie....

Check out other reflections at NEWTOWN DAILY PHOTO.

A Saturday Hike

Last Saturday I joined a group of teachers and students from the school where I work on a hike near Valjevo, a town about an hour and a half south of Belgrade. We hiked for twelve kilometers through the woods, over hill and dale, and finally reached an ethno house where we were served local specialties, including homemade cranberry juice as you see above. Hiking a little further brought us to the Celija (CHEL-lee-ya) convent, located on the bank of the River Gradac, and its new church, seen above, is nearly completed. The nun is hauling water to a nearby garden. According to one legend, King Dragutin (1276-1282) was its benefactor, but others say it was built in the late 14th or 15th century at the time of King Stefan Lazarevic.

Reflections Weekend--three glasses

Taken during a lull in the conversation....

Check out more reflections on Reflections Weekend.

Retro cups--REFLECTIONS WEEKEND

For me, these aluminum ice cream dishes and tumblers visible in the background mean both summer and my childhood. Although these are not the original vessels from which I enjoyed frosty drinks and cold desserts, they still bring me much pleasure. I love the frost that forms on them when they're filled with something cold.

Check out more REFLECTIONS on Reflections Weekend.

Turkish coffee

I'd mentioned before that the Turks had occupied Serbia for 500 years and left many traces behind in the language, music, and overall culture. Turkish coffee, still referred to by that name, is what you'd most likely be served right off the bat when you visit someone. The coffee is boiled in a little dzezva (DJEZ-va) like the one you see here and served in small cups. I'm not very good at making Turkish coffee, so the typical and desirable foam you'd see on the top is absent in my cup! On the little plate are Turkish Delights, also still popular. Read more about Turkish coffee by clicking on that link!

Reflections Weekend--rakia bottles

This little bottles filled with Serbian plum brandy are called cokancici (CHO-kan-chee-chee)and will be favors at my son's wedding on July 25th...perhaps many will be downed before being taken home. I filled about 160 of them and touched nary a drop, since I don't care for brandy! Pass the wine!

See more reflections at Newtown Daily Photo's Reflections Weekend.