Travel
I think that there is a bit of irony in this photo but you'll have to find your own interpretation. I was struck by the juxtaposition of the slogan and the nude statue at this McDonald's in Prague, Czech Republic.
We were outside of the Old Town Hall in Prague waiting (along with about 5000 other tourists) for the famous Astronomical Clock to do it's thing. But before it chimed, a wedding party came streaming out of the Town Hall. Though the bride and groom were Czech, the wedding looked like it could have occurred in the US - rice, flower girls, photographer, videographer and all the rest. Notice the couple to the bride's right - did they just have a fight?
By Scott Shephard
This is not a remarkable photo. Do a Google search and you will find many more that are better. I did want you to see this bridge, though, since I have referred to it in other posts. To me, the most remarkable thing about this bridge is that it stood for centuries and both literally and symbolically bridged the cultural differences that existed in Mostar.
Then, in 1993, it became an intentional victim of the bitter war that affected so much of this region. The bridge was rebuilt with the aide of the international community but there are signs everywhere that say "Don't forget '93," which was the year the bridge was destroyed.
One Muslim man I encountered the day I took this photo told me that "don't forget" is not a call for revenge. Instead it is a reminder that we should never forget the damage that intolerance and hatred can inflict on people.
By Scott Shephard
While driving on the island of Dugi Otok (off the coast of Croatia), we picked up a nail in one of our tires. The locals in the town we were staying in said they couldn't fix tires but that there was a tire person two towns over. We drove there expecting an overall-wearing mechanic. But instead this is who helped up. She was the island's tire expert but she's obviously not a guy. Does your tire specialist wear flip-flops?
I couldn't help photographing the Asian tourists being photographed in front of a painting on a giant egg in front of a famous landmark in Zagreb, Croatia. (Confused?)
To see the setting for this photo, click here.
Canon 5DII 1/400s f/13.0 ISO400 24mm
By Scott Shephard
June 15, 2009
For several centuries, Mostar was a place where people with strong ethnic and cultural differences could live, work and worship in harmony. But in the 1990s that tolerance unraveled and buildings as well as people became victims.
This mosque, for example is one of only ten surviving houses of Muslim worship in Mostar. Before the war there were over thirty. The rest were intentionally destroyed, as was the famous bridge called Stari Most that spanned the Neretva River.
The bridge has been rebuilt and the mosques are active places of worship again. I think that tolerance has returned but everywhere there are signs of the war including shelled-out buildings and bullet-riddled walls.
The heart of Mostar is a beautiful place to visit and while the people seemed friendly and eager to please, I got the sense that people are still recovering from the pain and hardship of living in a war zone.
Click here for more photos of Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Deb and I were enjoying our last evening strolling the back streets of the small port village of Vrboska, Croatia, when this man spotted us. He spoke very little English but tried to talk to us anyway. At one point, he signed for us to come inside his shop, the floor of which was covered in piles of fishing nets. He said, "I am professional" and sat down and began to show us how he fixed nets. His pride and his desire to demonstrate his skill were clearly apparent.
This is a very strongly lit photo - but I didn't use flash. Instead, the man helped me by turning on the flourescent lights that lit his shop and (conveniently) sat in the doorway, which was flooded by the pure late afternoon sunlight reflected off the wall of a fortress located a few yards from his door.
This cemetery is in Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina. After visiting the famous Stari Most, which was destroyed in late 1993 during the war in Yugoslavia, Deb and I wandered off the beaten path. We ended up in a cemetery. This one is the final resting place of young men who died in the Yugoslavian war in the 1990s.
Almost all of the "inhabitants" of this cemetery were around 30 years old when they died. And all died in 1993 or 1994. I learned later that cemetery occupies a plot of land that was a park before the war. The dead were buried under cover of night because snipers couldn't see in the dark.
A few minutes after leaving the cemetery, we ran in to a man and his young son. He told us he had left Mostar to start and new life in Germany but was home visiting his sister. When we told him we had just been to the Muslim cemetery, he said, "Most of those guys were my friends."
Am am not the only traveler to comment on this cemetery check out Dag Trygsland's post from late last year.
By Scott Shephard
For those who might be interested, this is in a park near the Convention Center in Dallas, Texas.
Driving south from Zagreb, you start to see the impact of the 1991 war over what used to be known as Yugoslavia. Near Slunj, Croatia, we encountered this place, which was a collection of weapons, generally of Soviet make, that were used and/or captured during this war. Nearby was a memorial for the local people who had died in the war.
In this photo a young child is encouraged to climb up on one of the tanks. In the background is a shelled out building that was clearly involved in a ground battle. Look closely and you can see dimpled holes in the building. Those are from bullet strikes.
Our flight landed on time in Zagreb yesterday afternoon and after picking up our rental car and checking in to our hotel, Deb and I headed to a . . . . cemetery?
But this is Mirogoj - one of the more famous European cemeteries. And if you are looking for a unique tourist experience that is serene and unlike most anything else you've ever seen, this is the place.