The news is in! Serbia has forsaken its national hat, the Šajkača, for the sombrero! (Okay, April Fool!)
Spring is here and the weather is warmer, on and off, anyway. This photo was taken on an 'on' day, along the Sava River, where I happened upon this fisherman. I've always wanted to wear a hat like this....and this fellow had the nerve. A very practical and 'kooky' solution to sun protection.
...and to the little boy on the right, who shares a birthday with him! This is my 3rd grade English as an Additional Language class (the 3rd grade is bigger; these are just the kids who come to me.) Their current theme unit is on 'expression,' and what better way than to learn about van Gogh, who expressed himself so well through his paintings? I invited a stand-in for Vincent, who would have been 147 today. The little doll is part of a series called Little Thinkers that you can read about by clicking on that link. They're fun gifts...and Vincent has a removable ear...
Don't park where you're not supposed to. I am actually pleased that Belgrade is stepping up with removal and ticketing of illegally parked cars. It's quite costly though, for the thoughtless driver. Having your car released can cost around 12,000 dinars or about $150.00, which is quite a chunk out of someone's local salary. The fellow on the left is having his car written up, but he may get out of paying a towing fee, unlike the unfortunate Audi's owner, who is nowhere in sight.
The streets below Branko's Bridge were once quite attractive, and I hope their allure will be restored. I was pleasantly surprised to see this 'empty' building; only the facade remains. In other cities in Europe, it's a fairly common practice to restore/renovate old buildings inside and keep the facade. Here, that's usually not so, but it looks like someone has that intention for this old building.
A hand-held shot, hence the blur. When the moon is like this, just a sliver, I call it a 'fingernail' moon, and wonder if anyone else does.
Time to 'fess up. Who hasn't dreamed of living in a penthouse, surrounded by famous names?
While walking in Zemun (ZAY-moon), a nearby municipality of Belgrade, I came upon this old door with several glass panes. Actually, there had been several glass panes, but the others were completely gone, and all that remained of this one was some jagged, very old glass. I liked shapes and textures, so I took a photo for you to see, too.
Here's a car you don't see every day, or at least I don't. This Rolls Royce, with a Belgrade license plate, made quite a few heads turn (and my camera click) as it eased its way down a very busy boulevard. Its tinted windows prevented me from seeing who was in there, but whoever it was wasn't interested in driving over to the McDonald's across the street.
Hurrah! Spring arrived like clockwork (BTW, we haven't set out clocks ahead yet, though...) and the last few days have been gorgeous. People have been out and around all weekend, walking by the river, walking their dogs, playing ball, sitting in cafes, and soaking up the rays. Even these mannequins were tired of modeling indoors at Belgrade's Chinese market, and slipped out to soak up a few rays. Better get that sunblock.Went through the old municipality of Zemun, which was once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Lots of beautiful architecture.
