Jumping for Joy

This was it---The happy couple and the even happier bride's brother, father-in-law, and best man behind them!

Before the wedding, we all went over to a park to have the photographer take some photos. This shot was his idea; I remained in the background, and copped a few of his set-up shots!


I must say that the wedding itself was FANTASTIC, from the ceremony itself, to the food, and the band. The latter was 'interrupted' at 10:30 p.m. by the arrival of the traditional Gypsy brass band (ooompa-ooompa) that played for a half an hour, then moseyed off.

Now, for 'Bibi,' that's "one down, one to go"! Bride's brother, if you're reading this...!

The Big Day...

Today is my daughter's wedding day, and since I cannot yet post a photo of the event since it hasn't taken place just yet, I'm showing you a photo of the favors we put together for guests to take home. Guests can choose between a heart or a house with a small bag of homemade ribbon candies. All were made by a well-known confectioner here, famous in particular for his Turkish Delights. I'll have to photograph some of those for you at a later date.

Would you choose a heart or a house?

SKYWATCH FRIDAY--Crossing the Bridge

Henri Cartier-Bresson called this type of shot "l'instant décisif" (the decisive moment), meaning that when you see it, you have to shoot it, right then and there, no hesitation. I did. Even more Cartier-Bresson style, I didn't even crop this photo.

This photo symbolizes my daughter's wedding tomorrow, for she and her new husband will have many bridges to cross, and for them, tomorrow is their "instant décisif!"

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Nuts and honey....

Nuts, especially walnuts and honey, are supposed to be a powerful aphrodisiac. Surprisingly, yogurt, honey and walnuts contain high amounts of “fertility vitamins”, such as vitamins C, E, essential fatty acids (EFA), and zinc.

So that may put a whole new slant on your breakfast food. I've always liked the combination...

These jars were photographed recently at a small Belgrade honey fair. The big one is coming up the first week of October in Tasmajdan Park downtown. I hope the weather will be nice, not like last year.

ABC Wednesday "I" is for "Inspire"

Have to brag a bit on this ABC Wednesday. About a year ago, I got a phone call from a publishing company that was launching the Hyatt Regency's new magazine, Inspire. The editor had seen my articles and some photos in a local newspaper I used to write for, and asked if I was interested in doing a Belgrade Patchwork for the magazine. I was, and I've done a patchwork (10 photos plus text) in each of the Inspires so far, the fourth is due out in a few weeks.

If you click right HERE and click on the second image under Inspire 1, and then click again, you'll see some photos (from my blog, of course!) you might find familiar.

It's been lots of fun...and inspiring, too!

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Say what?

I'm afraid there's not much respect for public property here, as can be seen from this monument dating from 1961, when it honored the first conference of non-aligned countries. It was restored in 1989 for the ninth conference, but since then....

Let's clean up Serbia!

That's what this sign promoting campaign to do just that says, from recycling to fines for littering. However, it should be subtitled "Plan Ahead," since those who hung the vinyl/nylon sign neglected to notice they were covering up someone's window.... It looks like the tenant found a solution, though.

And Novak Djokovic looks pretty good with a broom, too!

Fading beauty

Kosančićev Venac (KOE-sahn-chee-chev VAY-nahts), with its cobblestone streets, is practically the oldest section of Belgrade outside the walls of the Kalemegdan fortress. From this point the new Serbian town, as opposed to the old Turkish one in the fortress, began expanding in the 1830s along the right bank of the Sava River. In 1971, Kosančićev Venac was officially named a cultural monument because it is the oldest Serbian settlement and the first developed administrative, cultural, spiritual and economic center of the city.

Despite that, this facade has looked absolutely the same for the entire time I've been here, and that's a long time.

Two wooden shoes, two boots, two chairs, and a hat

A side trip to the charming village of Maradik, not far from Belgrade, yielded this photo taken in a restored farmhouse/museum. Note the walls that have been decorated with a rubber roller dipped in paint and just rolled over the walls.

Skywatch Friday -- Hyper-real

This fraction of a moon looked so pretty in the sky in real life, but turned out not so well when I uploaded it. I was about to delete it after I'd finished adjusting the brightness to sort of normal, but Picture Perfect (Nikon's software) had a mind of its own, and kept darkening....and this is the result.

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Two Faces

Did you find the second one? Both faces are quietly contemplating the street below. My guess is that the elderly lady on the balcony has lived in this building a long time, perhaps she was born and raised there. Though the building's facade is in dire need of repair, at least someone has installed air conditioning for her, which she has undoubtedly appreciated during Belgrade's hot, hot summers over the past few years.