'REAL GOOD FOR FREE"

 This fellow was playing beautiful soft jazz on his saxophone so I sat down to listen. He did have a box for passers-by to drop some money in. I waited until he had finished one song and told him I'd taken some pictures. He gave me his email, and after I finish typing this, Kirill (who was Russian), will be sent a few.

Posting too Joni Mitchell's "Real Good For Free".

 In her song, a fellow is playing a clarinet, but she says the music was good... Have a listen.  

THE WAY IT SHOULD BE

 This is park renovation done right. Don't chop down the tree; make the walkway around it.

OBLIVIOUS

 I always rant about people's not noticing when you take their photo. Usually, be it with my camera or with my phone as was the case with this shot, I just point quickly and click. However, I tested myself here and really made sure the guy was in focus, decent composition, etc.

He never knew what hit him, so absorbed in his own phone was he. Hmmm.....maybe he was taking MY picture.

OYSTER MUSHROOMS

 They say young and small OYSTER MUSHROOMS taste best, but I hardly ever see anything but the big ones. They're still good.....

OUT FOR A RIDE

 These two ladies were 'strolling' with their dogs. The pug chose not to ride yet, but there is a small white dog in the red stroller on the lower shelf. Normally people use these strollers for elderly dogs, but these two were spry. Maybe they are for when Fifi gets tired.

SURE, WHY NOT? HELP YOURSELF....

 I am still angry.  I caught this woman red-handed yesterday while she was picking (stealing!) herself a bouquet of lavender from a a nearby public park. I took several shots before I called out to her and got her attention. I reprimanded her saying that the flowers were for everyone, not just for her. You can probably imagine that she didn't care at all, and kept right on picking. She did stop though when I called to her once more and got a face shot. Off she went. I wrote to the park police and I hope this lady will have her own personal 'wanted' poster...but I doubt it.

TITO'S BLUE TRAIN

 

Yesterday I visited former Marshal Josip Broz Tito's famous Blue Train, which he used to travel all over Europe. Luxurious (for the 60s), art deco, and with some adaptations for possible famous guests like Charles De Gaulle, who had a custom made bed. Hailie Selassie, Indira Gandhi, and Queen Elizabeth were only three of the heads of state who traveled on this train. Not to miss if you head this way. A real time machine.

Google Tito's Blue Train and check out Wiki.

COUNTRY HOMES

 Two homes seen on a recent road trip in the country.

SIMPLE STILL LIFE

 A still life from my day trip to Kikinda about three hours from Belgrade.  Every year they hold a pumpkin festival with all kinds of pumpkins, squash, gourds and products made from same.

You can read about the winning pumpkin BY CLICKING HERE, but for some reason, and I hope the paper corrected the error, it is written that the pumpkin weighed 716 kilos, but that was last year's winner.  This year the big boy weighed 865 kilos (around 1,907 pounds.) That's a lot of pie.

SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY--Manasija monastery

 Visited a friend in Despotovac, a couple of hours south of Belgrade. She took me to the 15th-century MANASIJA MONASTERY, beautifully restored thanks to UNESCO.

This is a sneak phone shot.  See other shadows on SHADOW SHOT SUNDAY.

WEEKEND REFLECTIONS--OLD AND NEW

 Like in many cities, Belgrade's downtown is rapidly changing. Buildings going up (and others out) everywhere. A 'reflection' of the times.

See other reflections on James' WEEKEND REFLECTIONS.