I've shown you chessplayers once or twice before like on the street, but these gentlemen in Kalemegdan Park are true enthusiasts. Check out the little cushion under the man in beige pants' derriere (Serbs have a mortal fear of catching cold), and it appears that the man with the bandaged hand is particularly concerned about the safety of his bag that he has draped over his arm.
While walking on the street below with my four-legged companion, this little guy (or gal, not sure) barked its head off. It was fairly early on a Sunday morning, so I'm sure his/her barking wasn't appreciated...
"Zima" (ZEE-ma) means "winter," and it's not over yet! I came across these beautifully embroidered gloves last Sunday in Kalemegdan Park where there are lots of souvenir sellers. It was then a bit warmer and sunny, but as they say here when it's sunny and sort of warm in the winter, "The sun has teeth."
In December I received an email request from a father in California, whose daughter is currently living and working in Belgrade. He and his wife wanted a few photos of Kapetan Mišina (KAH-pay-tahn MEE-shee-na) street where she lives, so California Parents, this is for you!
I am not sure I should have entitled this post like I did, since undoubtedly this artwork is to someone's taste...but not to mine. Here you can choose your sign of the zodiac, and even a clock in the shape of Serbia, and of course there's that blazing orange canvas behind the artist....
Since my posting yesterday, I have bells in my mind, so it's a good time to post a photo of these little clay bells you can buy on Belgrade's pedestrian street, Knez Mihailova. They make good souvenirs!
My son and his girlfriend of several years got engaged on New Year's Eve on the Champs-Elysees in Paris! I'm so happy for them, and though they haven't set a date yet, I can hear wedding bells...or at least gypsy brass band music. Check out the postingfrom my daughter's wedding last September. My son was jumping for joy then, so now it's my daughter's turn to jump! :)
Srećan Božić (SREH-chan-BOW-zheech) or Merry Christmas to all of you who celebrate Serbian Orthodox Christmas, which is today. I took this photo at the Ethnographic Museum in Belgrade a short while ago. It shows a typical village Christmas table with the oak branch, nuts, prunes, candle, and the straw and corn, which is usually scattered under the table. There's also a flask of Serbian plum brandy! The round cake is not actually a cake, but rather a bread called a česnica (CHESS-neet-sa), which you can read more about right here. Basically, there's a coin inside that will bring good health and happiness to the finder. Bite carefully.
I'm back, safe and sound, and it's a bit cooler here than in India and Qatar..
