Serbia was under Turkish rule for 500 years, and many traces remain in the language, music, overall culture, and of course the food. Turkish pastries are still appreciated, as seen from these sweet yummies in a shop window. Others are stacked in a tray visible in the reflection.
"Xenial" means "hospitable, especially to visiting strangers or foreigners." The other day I visited my friend, Olja (OHL-ya), who had traveled with me to India last December. Like all Serbs, she's definitely hospitable, or xenial. For my visit she'd prepared Serbian plum dumplings, which I hadn't eaten for a long time.
Hold still is what I wanted this dragonfly (I think it is, but it may be something else....) to do. It flitted all around, hardly touching down for a second. But I got him...and he's looking at the camera, too. 
At the end of the school year a short while back there was a garage sale. I cannot resist garage sales. I bought the 'waiter and customer at the table' salt and pepper shakers, which I of course do not need. I brought them home to join some other pigs I remembered I had.
I'm counting on our blogger friend's sense of humor to allow me to post these two 'bridges' upon which I rest my reading glasses. They're called Picasso's Noses. Click on that link to see many more! I think the one on the left looks more like Picasso's real nose, while the one on the right looks like Salvador Dali's. Or maybe Mrs. Dali's, given the lips. The National Museum of Serbia houses two of Picasso's works, 'Interior with Three Figures' (1929) and 'Head of a Woman' (1909).
We've had so much rain recently....nearly all spring was rainy and the first few days of summer, well, ditto.... All this makes for flooding. Above you see the reflection of a houseboat/cafe. The two cement structures in the foreground are the backs of benches, which of course are too wet to sit on.... If I were to stand in the water, the tops of the bench would reach my waist, and I'm about 5'7" (170 cm.) The whole lower sidewalk between the benches and the usually short bridge to the houseboat has been flooded.
They say it's summer, but I'm not sure. Aside from a few days recently, it's been rain and clouds. This fellow along the Danube in Zemun (ZAY-moon) is risking painting his boat between storms...
Yum. I love raspberries, and Serbian raspberries are the best. They're exported far and wide. To read more, have a look at this site. Currently, they're about $1.70 a pound.
I have to admit I hesitated before posting this, but this girl looked so fantastic in her bikini I had to 'treat' you to her. I don't think, no, I know I never looked even half this good. I'm glad the girl on the bike can't see her boyfriend's expression. "Wow" is the word.
This is certainly not one of Belgrade's more attractive fountains (or even one of its more refreshing ones like this one, but it IS doing its duty as a fountain by spouting water.
I have no green thumb. The only plants that do well for me are those that need either a lot of water or no water. I am always pleased when one of my cacti blooms like this one did. If you remember, I 'deflowered' one of my cacti last year when my tripod fell over on it. I took no chances with this one; used a long lens and no tripod.Well, you can't keep a good blooger down. Said I wouldn't be posting for a while since I am 'out of town, ' but here I am.....
