SKYWATCH--rooftop 'gusle' player

Last April I showed you this 'gusle' player and now here is another, perched under a bright-blue sky with a companion (who is eyeing me) atop a building downtown.

Check out other skies at SKYWATCH.

The Happy Clock

Many times I've passed this building downtown, but never from this angle. I'm not sure how long this 'happy clock' has been there. I like how the air conditioners make two eyes.

Can you tell what time it is?

ABC Wednesday "B" is for "bending butt-to-butt"

I'm not a gardener by any means, but I am fascinated by the devotion many show to their gardens. The above couple is planting (gosh, what is it...carrots?) in the blazing hot sun and occasionally carrying buckets of water for their thirsty crop.

Check out other B's on ABC WEDNESDAY.

The Big Day

The Big Day was last Sunday for my son and his bride. Above is just a sample from the many photos I took. You can see one photo taken inside the church, with the bride and groom wearing crowns, symbolizing their 'king and queen of the household' roles. The best man and maid of honor hold candles behind the couple. The church where they were married is new and the inside walls are not yet covered with frescoes. Later on, in addition to regular live music, a gypsy band made an appearance at the reception, just after the newlywed couple shared their cake with the guests.

It was tons of fun, but we're all tired....

Persistence

If you were expecting a wedding photo, hang in there for one more day!

I saw this very persistent thistle on a sizzling sidewalk downtown the other day. Just goes to show you 'where there's a will, there's a way.'

Sunday Bridges - Bridging the generations

I know there's not a real bridge in this photo...but I hope you'll understand. Today my son is getting married and I'm short of real bridges, so I stretched the meaning of 'bridge', hoping that Louis will understand.

This is a 'bridge' photo. The old cookbook, the one that's falling apart and stained, is my copy of The Joy of Cooking that I bought before I came here 33 years ago... You can see it's been and is still well-used. On the upper left is my measuring cup, equally as old, as is that wooden spoon.

The new book is one I bought for my soon-to-be-daughter-in-law, joking with her that now my son won't go hungry!

So, stretching the use of 'bridge' a bit, these book-bridges span the generation gap.

Next week I'll show you a real bridge...

Check more bridges at Louis La Vache's Sunday Bridges.

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.

SKYWATCH --Night kitty

I see cat.
Cat sees me.
I take photo.
Cat appears on SKYWATCH.

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!

ABC WEDNESDAY "A" is for "artisan"

Meet Jan Nemcek, an ethnic Slovak, who lives in the village of Kovacica (Ko-VA-cheet-sa) about an hour's drive from Belgrade. Kovacica is home to several artists and artisans. Mr. Nemcek has been making violins all his life, maintaining a tradition in his family of several generations. That long instrument is a kind of Slovakian flute.

His wife also creates handicrafts and pottery. If you'd like to watch a video, you can check out this Youtube site and you can also look at his site (in Slovakian...but there are photos.)

See other A's on ABC WEDNESDAY.

More street art, literally

Last Wednesday I posted a zebra crossing and promised you more street art, literally on the street. Here's a crosswalk decorated with several Belgrade monuments and surrounded by the Danube and Sava rivers. The red statue on the left is The Victor, which stands in Kalemegdan Park. At the top is Saint Sava's church, and in the center is the statue of Prince Mihailo downtown. The yellow monument on the right is the newly-rebuilt Avala Tower that had been totally destroyed during the NATO bombing of Serbia in 1999. My fellow Belgrade blogger, Vlada, recently posted two terrific photos of this tower that you can see on his blog.