SUNDAY BRIDGES--(not) Eiffel's Bridge

Gustave Eiffel got around. He traveled to many cities around the world, often creating a bridge here and there. This is true for the town of Zrenjanin, a little over an hour's ride from Belgrade. The bridge he created over the Begej River was later torn down and made into a pedestrian bridge. I did see it, but it was much less photogenic than this one, which reminds me more of something Gustave would have created. You can read about the bridge he built here. On this page you can see the bridge that has now replaced Eiffel's.

Check out more bridges at Louis La Vache's SUNDAY BRIDGES.

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.

SKYWATCH--The Silver Sliver

A 'fingernail moon' is what I called this tiny silver sliver last March. Same moon, not aligned the same way!

Check out other skies on SKYWATCH.

The blind leading the blind

I hesitated to name this photo as I did, and I in no way mean for it to be disrespectful. I have tremendous admiration for blind persons in general, and especially for those who maneuver their way through busy streets in a city like Belgrade where there are, unfortunately, few accommodations for persons with handicaps.
I think these two did well to help each other along.

ABC Wednesday "M" is for "meat"

Serbs are BIG meat eaters. This window display shows you several kinds of dried and smoked meats, along with a small selection of fresh meat below. The stuff hanging in the plastic bag is a kind of shredded 'cracklings', or 'cvartci" (CHVART-see) or fried pork rinds. You can buy them in small pieces or shredded, the latter being called 'duvan cvarci" (DOO-van CHVART-see) or 'tobacco cracklings', since the shredded meat resembles shredded tobacco.

Check out other M's on ABC WEDNESDAY.

Collect them all!

These little pins, or 'znacke' (ZNACH-kay), used to be so popular to collect. When I first came here in 1977, you could find people selling them or trading them on the street. I came across a fellow selling these Tito-era pins, along with all kinds of others, on Knez Mihailova, Belgrade's pedestrian street. I asked him if I could take a photo, and he said, "Okay, as long as you're not an inspector," which of course I was not. Many street vendors don't pay the tax to have a stand and often just conveniently pack up and disappear when they see or are told an inspector is coming.

Out in full force

Yesterday a Gay Pride parade was held in Belgrade. A few years back, things turned very nasty, with several participants being beaten up by indignant citizens (a euphemism I'm using for 'huligani' or hooligans, as they're called here.) Last year when members of the Gay Pride movement wanted to march, they were told that the police could not ensure their safety...lame excuse. This year, the City of Belgrade made every effort for a peaceful parade to take place, with the aim to tell the world that all minorities are respected here, and assigned around 5000 police to make sure things went smoothly. The parade itself did go smoothly. However, since in every society there are people who are just waiting for any excuse to smash windows, overturn garbage bins, create general unrest, and provoke the police into using tear gas, some such incidents did take place. In the above photo you see part of a cordon of special police who have blocked off two main streets to vehicle traffic. (taken from my window)

Sunday Bridges: A shadow and her dog

The shadow of the wooden footbridge over Kalemegdan's tennis courts, a photoblogger's shadow, and that of her little dog's head.

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

Reflections Weekend--Don't park too long....

If there's anything worse than returning to your car and finding a ticket, it's finding two tickets. Downtown Belgrade is divided into several parking zones. If you live in one, you can pay a monthly fee to park for unlimited hours. Otherwise, you need to pay per hour. Zones are one hour, two hours, or three hours. If you don't pay, apparently like this Deux Chevaux owner didn't, you'll find a parking ticket or two...or three....tucked under your windshield wiper...

Check out other reflections on NEWTOWN DAILY PHOTO.

SKYWATCH: King Despot Stefan Lazarevic

Stefan Lazarević (1374 – 19 July 1427) was ruler of the Serbian Despotate between 1389 and 1427. He was the son and heir to Prince Lazar, who died at the Battle of Kosovo against the Turks in 1389. Despot Stefan was a poet and a moderniser and his reign and personal literary works are sometimes associated with early signs of the Renaissance in Serbian lands, and he is credited with having introduced knightly tournaments, modern battle tactics, and firearms to Serbia. The title 'despot' has the meaning of 'Byzantine prince and ruler,' and does not carry the negative connotation it has in English.

This statue to him stands in Kalemegdan Park.

Check out other skies on SKYWATCH.

What's the story here?

So, can you tell me the story behind these two gold slippers tossed aside next to this tree, with a chain that leads to....?