Happy Birthday...

Happy Birthday to my son today....  I remember exactly when this photo was taken by my good friend, Francois.  My son and I were on our way to buy his first pair of shoes.

Pigeons....

Pigeons on a rooftop with the steeple of Belgrade's main church in the background.

Sunday Bridges--deserted and cold.

Took this photo in Kalemegdan Park the other day when it was really cold. Not a soul around....  That's the steeple of Saint Petka's chapel that you see to the left.

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

WEEKEND REFLECTION--fishermen

This often happens to me. I'm out with one lens or the other and then see photos I could have taken or taken better with another lens. (I don't carry them all at once; just too heavy!)

This time I was out with my 70-200mm rather than my favorite walkabout lens, my 18-200mm.  Anyway, there was a wonderful line of fishermen below Branko's Bridge, but with the 70mm from where I was, it wasn't possible to get a good shot.

So I settled for a shot of two of them, reflected in an elevator that goes from the top of the bridge to the quay below.

See more reflections at James' WEEKEND REFLECTION.

SKYWATCH--spring is in the air?

Last week I posted a tree that seemed to be yearning for spring. I know I am, and I still feel that way.

Not many signs yet, but I remain hopeful.

See other skies on SKYWATCH.

Winter in the park

The park behind these two urns is Belgrade's Students' Park.  The statue you see in the background between the two urns is of Dositej Obradovic, whom I explained to you last October right here.

ABC WEDNESDAY--"F" is for "Five hundred"

Jovan Cvijić was a Serbian geographer, president of the Serbian Royal Academy of Sciences, and rector of the University of Belgrade. He was a world-renowned scientist, and considered the founder of geography in Serbia, having started his scientific career as a geographer and geologist.

And now he's on the 500 dinar note, worth as I type, around $7.00.

See other F's on ABC WEDNESDAY.

Keep the warmth in

Insulation comes in many forms. Not sure how much warmth these pillows will keep in, given the size of the window.  Judging by the yellow pillow, there seems to be some moisture that got in.

The Charles Gate

The Charles Gate stands in what is called Lower Kalemegdan, part of Kalemegdan  park that lies below the fortress and The Victor statue.

The Austrians built the Gate of Czar Karl VI (1736) in commemoration of their victories.This is undoubtedly the most important Baroque monument preserved to the south of the rivers Sava and Danube.

Sunday Bridges--The Old Sava Bridge

Yes, there IS a bridge here.  It is the green, curved structure just in front of the two buildings on the left in the distance.  I've shown you the Old Sava Bridge several times before. In the foreground, those buildings with the checkered roofs make up Belgrade's Zeleni Venac market.

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

WEEKEND REFLECTION--Chanel No. 5 and Brad Pitt?

I wonder if Coco Chanel would be surprised that her perfume is being advertised by a man, even Brad Pitt.  Popular since the 1920's, Chanel No. 5's celebrity was reignited by Marilynn Monroe the 1950s, when, upon being asked what she wore to bed, replied, "Five drops of Chanel No. 5."  In the '60s, Vogue and Bazaar presented their ads to read, "Every woman alive wants Chanel No. 5" and "Every woman alive loves Chanel No. 5."

I know I did. My first boyfriend gave me a bottle for Christmas.  Chanel No. 5 still remains one of my two favorite perfumes.  (The other is "L'heure bleue" by Guerlain. 

I wonder if Brad Pitt wears five drops of Chanel No. 5 to bed...or does Angelina?

See other reflections on James' WEEKEND REFLECTION. (See Brad across the street, too....)