Happy Easter

Wishing you in the western world a Happy Easter. Serbian Orthodox Easter falls on April 19th this year, and since I only 'do' one Easter, I haven't colored my eggs yet. Here's a photo of a display of Easter candles in a shop window downtown. Which one would you buy?

Another photo request

Recently I had a request from 'Melrose' at Achtung, Baby! to photograph #31 Visokoga Stevana Street in Belgrade. For those of you who read Serbian, she has a fantastically delicious blog, full of Serbian recipes! 'Melrose' wanted me to photograph this address for her, but did not say why. I can only assume it holds memories of her time in Belgrade. 'Melrose,' here's to you!

Those Who Sell Me Flowers

Meet Mr. and Mrs. Gavrilović (Gah-VREEL-o-veetch), This pleasant couple parks their Yugo, full of flowers from their little weekend house not far from Belgrade, on a street corner near where I live nearly every weekend beginning right now to around the end of September. This photo is from last fall, but they're back now with spring flowers! Last weekend I bought lots of daffodils, and am waiting for their fresh basil....

Black Horses Playing

This is one of a pair of statues in front of the National Assembly of Serbia and is entitled Black Horses Playing, though I don't think I'd like to play with a horse this way. The National Assembly's construction was started in 1907, with the cornerstone being laid by King Petar I. The sculpture was placed in front of the building in 1939.

ABC Wednesday--"L" is for "Lucky"...maybe

I buy this newspaper 'Blic' (Flash) every day. It's a quick read, and I just don't have time to read a thicker newspaper every morning, which is when I like to read the paper. Blic has been having a give-away contest to the lucky persons who are lucky enough to find the little coupon tucked inside the paper that's marked with a prize. In all, there are more than 23,000 prizes, the top one being a house with a swimming pool. Automobiles, too! (It's a pre-fab house, and you need to have the land, but still!) In every coupon I open, it says, "Better luck in tomorrow's paper," but there never is.... I keep hoping!

Join ABC Wednesday right here .

Reading

I am forever intrigued by figures on facades that tell a story...perhaps one that is now lost to us. This one shows a seated nude lady reading quietly, with a rooster by her side. There seems to be a caduceus behind her, but there's only one snake curling around it, not two. So who knows what all this means or meant once-upon-a-time?

One Year Later and Still There...

This photo is genuinely a déjà vu, since one year ago I published an almost identical photo of this unfortunate fellow who is still waiting by the highway. Please check it out. I have learned that he was apparently dumped here by someone who just stopped his car and shoved him out. This faithful dog has never given up hope that his owner will return. I sometimes walk Bibi this way, but it makes me so sad to see him there, day and night, in fair and foul weather. I'd love to get my hands on the person who did this. I should add that people who live close by feed him on a regular basis, but he won't come to anyone.

Tea and Cake Time at Hotel Moskva

Some of you asked to see more of Hotel Moskva , so here is a view looking down on part of the hotel's tea room. It's a comfortable place to enjoy a piece of cake and coffee like this one . Some of you also asked about the hotel's rates. A double goes for about $146.00. Check out www.hotelmoskva.rs for more information.

A spring cleaner

Doesn't this lady have the most endearing face and smile? She is one of the City Parks crew that comes to pick up litter and tidy up for spring. Others like her prune trees, rake up dead leaves, and trim bushes. I see her rather often, and she let me take her photo, and I gave one to her later on. Her hair is the color that you see on one of these two ladies , and she's carrying a pointed metal stick to pick up litter with.

Table and Chairs

This is a very typical scene around markets here in Belgrade and all over Serbia. The sign on the wall reads "Ljuba's Hot Burek". You'll remember I posted about burek here, so have a look to see what it is. Burek is usually accompanied by (drinkable) yogurt, but you can always get yourself a Coke from the machine you see...

This post is for Virgina of Birmingham Alabama Daily Photo who has been doing a series on tables and chairs.

Rose hips

Have you ever tried rose hips? They're quite popular here, and are used for herbal tea, jam, jelly, and syrup. They grow wild, and I often see people gathering them. I took these home and photographed them against the lining of my jacket. Rose hips contain vitamins C, D and E, essential fatty acids and antioxidant flavonoids. As if this weren't enough, I found some other uses on Wikipedia:

1. Rose hip powder is a remedy for rheumatoid arthritis.
2. Rose hips from the dog rose in particular have antioxidant values that far exceed other berries.
3. As an herbal remedy, rose hips can help prevent urinary bladder infections, and assist in treating dizziness and headaches.
4. Rose hips are also commonly used externally in oil form to restore firmness to skin by nourishing and astringing tissue.
5. They can also be used to treat constipation.
6. And ladies, rose hips contain a lot of iron, and drinking rose hip tea can make up for iron loss.
7. Rose hips have recently become popular as a healthy treat for pet chinchillas and guinea pigs, which are unable to manufacture their own Vitamin C!
8. Rose hips are also fed to horses to improve coat condition and new hoof growth. (Wonder if they're good for our nails and hair?)
9. Watch out! The fine hairs found inside rose hips are used as itching powder!