Graffiti Art: a few last photos from Romania and Serbia

Wow, I didn't realize a month has passed since I last added to this blog. The holidays have started to consume my attention.

Before I forget, there is one last batch of photos from my summer trip I wish to share. Usually I am not a huge fan of graffiti, but some I saw in Belgrade and Bucharest really caught my attention. They either caught my eye because they had a real message or were like mural art or both.

The first really made me do a double take. As I looked at it, I thought of my sister's husband and how this would be so his style. It's a thinker.

Building in Belgrade

Belgrade

 

This next batch of graffiti made me smile, as I am a vegetarian and try to be vegan. After spotting the first one from the city tour bus, I started seeing them all over Belgrade written in both English and Serbian.

Belgrade

Bucharest

These next two I spotted connected together along a wall in Bucharest, Romania. I had just exited a city park with my friends, and as we walked we passed by these pieces of graffiti art.

Bucharest

Bucharest

 

Though this giant banner doesn't fall under the true definition of graffiti, I felt like it was. As I was driven through Bucharest many historical buildings were covered with giant banners like this one. As I was into the architecture, I found these banners too modern and frustrating for my taste.

Gates of Kovacica, Serbia

While on my trip to Serbia and Romania, I visited more than just Belgrade and Bucharest. One lovely small town I spent time in was Kovacica, Serbia. Over several days I walked around and looked the buildings and parks. One aspect of Kovacica caught my eye: the gates. Almost every home had a gate and all these gates were different. Most were made of metal.  Many gates showed aged, while others were brightly painted.

Since these gates so fascinated me on my walks, during two outings I took photos of dozens of them. Here are some of the gates I enjoyed admiring.

Architecture of Belgrade, Serbia

Since I blogged about the architecture I saw while visiting the city of Bucharest, I thought it only fair to share pictures of the buildings of another capitol city, Belgrade. My first few days of my vacation were spent in Belgrade, thus they were also the days I was recovering from jet-lag. Yet, I managed to tour the Fortress in Belgrade, take a bus tour, see the Millennium Tower, and visit the Tesla Museum. Add in some walks around the city and I collected a few photos. Here are some of my favorites.

Belgrade Fortress

These first photos are of the Fortress in Belgrade. If it has a more official name I don't know it, since I didn't go on any tours. I just walked around the various ramifications. Though there is an outdoor dinosaur replica museum that I did visit.

Belgrade Fotrerss

Millennium Tower

The Millennium Tower is a beautiful structure that is in an area called Zemun. You can take a tour into it, which I did. Once inside you go up a spiral staircase. At the top you can walk around and from there get some great  photos of Belgrade.

Spiral staircase of Millennium Tower

View of Belgrade from Millennium Tower

Throughout the city there are many wonderful looking buildings that solidified for me a that I was in Europe. Here are some of those pictures for you to enjoy.

Belgrade

Church in Belgrade

Church in Belgrade

Belgrade

Belgrade government building

Belgrade

Favorite Photos from Serbia and Romania

I spent several hours sorting photos from my trip to Serbia and Romania. As I did so I revisited all those special moments.  Yet, a handful of photos really caught my attention, and not because of the memories to which they were attached.

These photos appealed to the artist in me. Each captured something I felt was unique. Lighting had a great deal to do with this. How the light falls has a great impact on photos, which is often why photographs take pictures in the early morning or just before dusk.

These first two photos that caught my eye were taken in the town of Sremski Karlovci in Serbia.  I aimed upward to catch the church steeples around sunset and these amazing shots are what I got.

Given my camera is a simple digital 14 Mega Pixels Kodak, the kind that can fit in your pocket, I was impressed by what I was able to capture.














This next picture startled me when I saw it. While at the Romania National Museum I snapped many shots of manuscripts. Since a flash was not allowed, all the photos were taken with the lightning that the museum provided to illuminate the objects. When I looked at this particular manuscript it didn't look much different than the others, but the photo revealed something very different. See for yourself.

Hopefully you see what I do, that some of the writing is in gold and jumps off the page almost in a 3-D effect. Naturally I am curious what the gold lettering reads.

This picture, also taken at the Romania National Museum, I had help creating.  My friend Cristy posed for it per the suggestion of our friends. We took two shots, but this one really looks like he could be holding that staff. Though I do wish I had noticed the water bottle at the time and had him set it aside.

The final picture I will share I took on my flight home out the window of the plane. According to the flight plan provided on the screen the plane was just reaching Canada at this juncture. The way the window ended up angled at the bottom of the picture accented the island. This is one of the better photos I've ever taken out of an airplane window.





Though I like the benefit of being able to take photo after photo with a digital camera and being able to discard all the bad shots (which I had many), I still miss my old, heavy Nikon film camera and the days you had to wait until all the film was developed to see if you had any good shots at all. Yet, given suitcases are now weighed, it's a good thing I can get some great shots with a light pocket-sized camera.

Return from Adventures in Serbia and Romania

My adventures in Serbia and Romania are now in the past. With the exception of a non-working air conditioning in a hotel and the delays on the flight home, the trip went smoothly with many delightful and surprising moments. I never found the Serbia mafia or the Romanian Gypsies, but I did see a hairy Serbian man and say Serbian Gypsy houses.  In fact, based on the Gypsy houses, I think there are more Gypsies in Serbia, then Romania.

Example of Gypsy House

Apparently the Gypsies in Serbia go to countries in the EU, collect money, and then come back to Serbia where it is cheaper to live and build big houses.

Another Gypsy House

The best part of my adventures where all my friends. They made my trip fun and easy. Lots of details I wouldn't have been able to take care of due to the lack of my language skills, they dealt with for me. In fact, I let them set the agenda for most places I visited, and I left impressed with what I was shown.

Milan, Ana, and Adam took me to the Millennium Tower by the Danube in Belgrade

The stocks Adam and Ana put me in at the Belgrade Fortress

Cristina, Adam, Me, and Cristy outside the Parliament Building (The People's House) in Bucharest

As with most trips, I took hundreds of photos. Many more I will share as I expand on my adventures over the next few weeks, but for now, enjoy one more of my most special friend, Crni.

Crni, My Serbian Prince

Planning a Vacation and Others' Fears

After two years or no real vacation, I have finally decided to take a trip. Thanks to several on-line friends I have met I decided on a couple of destinations I might never have picked otherwise. 

I have traveled solo before, and even took a flight to Great Britain on September 23, 2011 with my mother. She had been a afraid to go after the 9/11 attacks, but I told her I was going with or without her, so we went and had a great time.

Anyway, when I mention the places I am visiting I am getting fearful reactions, often that have no basis in reality.  I will be journeying to Belgrade and Bucharest, the capitol cities of Serbia and Romania.

One family member feared ISIS would get me. I think she is confusing Serbia with Syria.  Another also expressed concerns of terrorists (as if we aren't at risk right here in the USA).

Another family member is concerned I will get exposed to the radiation from Chernobyl.  I have been trying to explain that Chernobyl is in Russia and nowhere close, but the person doesn't believe me.

I have been told both that Serbia is in Asia and in the Middle East. For the record it is Europe, and used to be part of Yugoslavia.

Tonight I had a friend tell me that if the Serbia mafia doesn't get me, the Romanian gypsies will. She did reassure me that I am too old to be kidnapped for the slave trade. Is that a compliment or an insult?

Another friend of mine added the fact that Serbian men are hairy, but make great lovers. I never asked how she knew this.

If you check with the US Government they tell you to avoid all large crowds and political areas in both Serbia and Romania. They also add that while in Romania be careful of clubs and bars where Americans are often drugged and robbed.

Thankfully, I have an adventurous spirit, common sense, and a good sense of geography (one useful thing of being a history major).  I know I will see amazing places and make new friends and have fun. I can't think these places are any more dangerous than Oakland and Eureka, California, both of which I have lived within, and both which are listed in the ten most dangerous cities in California.