ABC Wednesday--"C" is for 'controller'

They say there's no such thing as a free lunch, but for many people in Belgrade, there has been a free ride. For a long time, many commuters risked their luck (read: cheated) by not punching or even buying a bus ticket. There were plain-clothes 'controllers' who occasionally confronted passengers and fined them, or at least attempted to, but this was often unsatisfactory and unsafe for the controllers.... Now new controllers are on the prowl, clearly identified with their fluorescent green vests and traveling in pairs if not packs.

It looks as if the gentleman on the left was thinking, 'Thank goodness I had my ticket', but he's really just wiping his face from the heat that plagued Belgrade when I took this photo.

See other C's on ABC WEDNESDAY.

A ride in the country

Nothing like a ride with your sweetie in a convertible on a hot summer day, just the two of you...and your cell phones.

(Don't worry...the driver was stopped at a red light...)

126

This old mailbox on a garden gate in a town not far from Belgrade caught my eye. The number 42 seems to have been painted/etched on three times, hence the title for this post.

Theme Day - Bright Colors--Painting the poles

This fellow is painting white poles with red stripes on Venecija (Venice), a restaurant in Zemun. I think he'd have done well to use some masking tape...

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Normally I'd be posting a bridge today for Louis La Vache's Sunday Bridges, but it is Theme Day. Check out Louis' blog anyway!

Reflections Weekend--three glasses

Taken during a lull in the conversation....

Check out more reflections on Reflections Weekend.

SKYWATCH--rooftop 'gusle' player

Last April I showed you this 'gusle' player and now here is another, perched under a bright-blue sky with a companion (who is eyeing me) atop a building downtown.

Check out other skies at SKYWATCH.

The Happy Clock

Many times I've passed this building downtown, but never from this angle. I'm not sure how long this 'happy clock' has been there. I like how the air conditioners make two eyes.

Can you tell what time it is?

ABC Wednesday "B" is for "bending butt-to-butt"

I'm not a gardener by any means, but I am fascinated by the devotion many show to their gardens. The above couple is planting (gosh, what is it...carrots?) in the blazing hot sun and occasionally carrying buckets of water for their thirsty crop.

Check out other B's on ABC WEDNESDAY.

The Big Day

The Big Day was last Sunday for my son and his bride. Above is just a sample from the many photos I took. You can see one photo taken inside the church, with the bride and groom wearing crowns, symbolizing their 'king and queen of the household' roles. The best man and maid of honor hold candles behind the couple. The church where they were married is new and the inside walls are not yet covered with frescoes. Later on, in addition to regular live music, a gypsy band made an appearance at the reception, just after the newlywed couple shared their cake with the guests.

It was tons of fun, but we're all tired....

Persistence

If you were expecting a wedding photo, hang in there for one more day!

I saw this very persistent thistle on a sizzling sidewalk downtown the other day. Just goes to show you 'where there's a will, there's a way.'

Sunday Bridges - Bridging the generations

I know there's not a real bridge in this photo...but I hope you'll understand. Today my son is getting married and I'm short of real bridges, so I stretched the meaning of 'bridge', hoping that Louis will understand.

This is a 'bridge' photo. The old cookbook, the one that's falling apart and stained, is my copy of The Joy of Cooking that I bought before I came here 33 years ago... You can see it's been and is still well-used. On the upper left is my measuring cup, equally as old, as is that wooden spoon.

The new book is one I bought for my soon-to-be-daughter-in-law, joking with her that now my son won't go hungry!

So, stretching the use of 'bridge' a bit, these book-bridges span the generation gap.

Next week I'll show you a real bridge...

Check more bridges at Louis La Vache's Sunday Bridges.