Belgrade (2)

We took a bus to New Belgrade. Stopped in Usce, not far from the currently closed Contemporary Art Museum. We then walked along the Danube river bank to Zemun with a great view of Veliko Ratno Ostrvo ("Great War Island"). There are some hotels/hostels built on stilts, near the water. More wild street art on the housing developments along the way.

Saw a pontoon bridge leading to "Lido Beach" at the tip of Great War Island. Vlada had never been there while he was living in Belgrade. We dipped our feet in the Danube and walked on the path around the island and saw many little summer houses along the way, with modest but utterly charming gardens next to them where one could see fruit trees, sunflowers, chicory, corn and tomato plants. I took pictures and a middle-aged guy sitting under a nearby patio asked me (in Serbian) "what is interesting there to take pictures of?" I answered in Serbian, then had a small conversation with him, all in Serbian. I was rather proud of myself, but the guy took it all in stride as if it was the most normal thing in the world, a Frenchman living in America who can carry a conversation in Serbian.

Belgrade 2012 (Prvi dan)

Here are a few pictures from our first day in Belgrade. Back here after four years I notice a lot of grafiti/street art on the buildings. Some of it is amazing, such as the mural with Karadjordje ("George the black"), the first ruler of the Karadorgevic dynasty, leader of the First Serbian uprising against the Turks in the early 19th century, on a building in the Savamala neighborhood, not far from Brankov most. Karadjordje, according to a brief history of his life I read recently, could neither read not write, yet he was an amazing leader and was greatly admired by Napoleon Bonaparte. He was was a pig farmer who was so respectful of learned Serbs of the day (e.g. Vuk Karadzic) that he used to greet them by kissing their hand.

As bad luck would have it, a bunch of great pictures taken on this day disappeared from the memory card during the transfer to the computer. The card reader is faulty. I am trying not to let this get me down.

PS: The last picture from this series, of a father teaching his son to ride a bike, was taken in the courtyard of Vladimir's elementary school in Palilula.

Manhattan, July 2012

Summer

Serbia revisited

This summer, I will go for the third time to Serbia, after a four-year absence. In anticipation of this visit, I am revisiting some of my favorite memories of the Serbian Summer of 2008. From top to bottom: wildflower filed near Lalinci, old tomb markers, tractor on country road (near Lalinci), Sumadija hills at sunset, Ada Ciganlija, view of the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers from Kalemegdan, statue of partisan at dusk (near Novo groblje cemetery).

High Line, July 6, 2012

Governors Island, Red Hook, July 2012