Saturday, February 20, 2021

HIDDEN BEAUTIES



 Another fine from roaming around the city. There were six of these lovely frescoes hidden from the crowds on the sidewalk along one of Belgrade's main streets.


Friday, February 19, 2021

COLONEL TADIJA SONDERMAJER


 This morning while walking the dog I came across this sad little park a few streets over. I rarely go this way, and have a vague memory of seeing the bust of 'someone'. Today I took the time to look and read.

Tadija Sondermajer (the J is pronounced as a Y) was born on February 19th 1892 and died on October 10, 1967. He was a Serbian and Yugoslav Royal Air Force Reserve Colonel, a decorated fighter pilot in WW I, and one of the founders of the first civil aviation company inn the then-Yugoslavia, Aeroput.

Here's a cut and paste from Wiki: "Born in Belgrade, he was the first engineer of aeronautics in the country and the only fighter plane pilot from the Kingdom of Yugoslavia to fight in the French Air Force during World War, I on the Western Front, most notably against the German squadron of Manfred von Richthofen. In between the wars he flew a record intercontinental flight between Paris and Bombay, India, and back to Belgrade. He received the highest, Serbian, Yugoslav and French decorations for his war service and numerous peacetime decorations. Sondermajer is undoubtedly one of the most striking figures in Yugoslav civil aviation and a major contributor to the development of civil aviation in the region."

Thought it fitting I should post this today on his birthday.


Thursday, February 18, 2021

ALL I HAVE IS...


 All I have today is this photo of my shorkie (Shih Tzu/Yorkie), Madhu.  The reason is mainly because two days ago I received my night table from IKEA.  Despite their near-perfect illustrations (instructions in languages are apparently a thing of the past for them) I have not managed to get the blankety-blank thing together correctly. I took a breather to have a snack and fume.  

Madhu was sympathetic, I think, but imagine she was just interested in a tidbit.

Trying again today with a peaceful mind.

Wednesday, February 17, 2021

LIBERATORS OF BELGRADE MEMORIAL PARK


 Part of Belgrade's huge New Cemetery is the cemetery honoring the liberators of Belgrade, which lies just across the street from the New Cemetery.  It contains graves of 2,944 National Liberation Army  soldiers and 961 Red Army soldiers and the mass grave  of 1,381 National Liberation Army soldiers and 711 Red Army soldiers who died during the Belgrade Offensive.

Belgrade was liberated at the end of WWII through a military operation  from the German Wehrmacht  through the joint efforts of the Soviet Red Army, Yugoslav Partisans, and the Bulgarian Army.   Above you see the eternal flame.

Tuesday, February 16, 2021

STUCK TIGHT...


 We've all done something like this.  Usually we back into a pole and are greeted with a horrible metal-to-metal sound, stop backing up, and move forward.

This fellow didn't have a chance. The top part of this pole is wedged under part of his rear bumper. Try as he might, he couldn't get the bumper to give a little, nor of course could he do much about the pole, which has been leaned forward a bit. 

This is right downstairs from me and I was in the parking walking my dog. Heard the screech....  I'll go back later and see if he managed to get loose.

Monday, February 15, 2021

MONDAY MURALS---URBAN COW


 Came across this mural totally by chance while taking a shortcut between two buildings. I couldn't step back far enough to capture the whole thing, but there are buildings of the world in the background and a river between them and the man and cow.

See other murals on MONDAY MURALS.

Friday, February 12, 2021

SKYWATCH---UNIVERSITY LIBRARY SVETOZAR MARKOVIC


 Sunny skies when I took this photo and today, too, although it is minus 10 Celsius.  This is the facade of the Svetozar Markovic library of the University of Belgrade, named after a 19th century political activist, literary critic, and socialist philosopher. Markovic died as a result of having been jailed under very poor conditions and he died on February 26th at the age of 28.

See other skies on SKYWATCH.

Thursday, February 11, 2021

RETURN OF THE JEDI?


 Two days ago I showed you a man sleeping on a bench in this park. Today we haven't got a snoozer, but  a Star Wars wannabe. He fascinated me with his twists and twirls. Some kind of martial art, I imagine.  Anyone? Anyone?

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

SOUR GRAPES


 Actually, they may be sweet grapes, given that they are last year's grapes, but I didn't try them. 

Tuesday, February 9, 2021

A WARMISH WINTER DAY...


 Almost like spring....  this fellow was snoozing away on a park bench across from the Faculty of Philology downtown.

I was seated on a bench a bit farther away, with my little dog beside me. I pretended I was taking her photo, but I wasn't....

THREE MEN AND A MOTORCYCLE

 And one has a camera.