When I saw that for July's #hivecollectors theme, ur 
It never occurred to me that I would need photos of the benches themselves, especially not in the community of collectors.
To the question, "Do you have a collection of benches", I could answer: "A collection? Well, I don't have one..." 😀
I mean, I don't have a single bench like you can find outdoors, because I don't have the space to keep it in a small apartment...
I thought I didn't even have photos of benches, when I started photographing the more interesting ones I came across in the last two days, when it was my turn to talk about benches 🙂
But I was wrong. There are so many benches in our environment that no matter which way you turn, when you're outdoors, and when you click the camera button to capture the moment, a bench might be in your frame...
And what kind of benches are they?
Metal, wooden, glass, stone or plastic, classic with a backrest or just a place to sit, painted, or with peeling paint that needs reconstruction, some old, some newer, some more modern, some like a hundred years ago.
And all those with the same or similar purpose.
To be a place where we sit and take a break while walking, where we sit and enjoy the view, where we sit with company, while drinking beer in nature.
There are benches that remember kisses and caresses, laughter and tears, farewells and meetings.
The vast majority of them, if they had ears, would hear hours and hours of gossip or the exchange of recipes, when little girls or elderly grandmothers are sitting on them. Or they would listen to the stories of young men about love affairs, sports results or success in some fights.
Some of the more comfortable ones would surely be remembered by reading lovers, who are able to spend hours sitting and reading.
Or maybe some who took a break and took a nap?
Parents are sitting on some benches while they wait for their children playing in the park, pensioners who like to play chess are sitting on some benches. Some are a resting place for dog owners, where they take a break after long walks, and some are where grandmothers and grandfathers sit with their grandchildren, while they feed the pigeons.
Particularly interesting are these, with figures of famous people from the world of science (Edward Rusjan, pioneer of aviation), art, film or music (John Lennon), on which, while you are resting, you can get information about the people to whom they are dedicated.
There are also benches that I would not wish anyone to find themselves on, these in the sterile, white area of the Emergency Center, right next to the chapel where many, who are waiting on the benches, are praying for the recovery of those who are waiting...
Benches are placed on sidewalks, in parks and gardens, next to fountains, and my favorite are the ones that are placed on a viewpoint, from where a fantastic view is offered...
As was the view I had from the bench at Capo Greco in Cyprus.
I could sit on such benches for hours, looking into the distance, at the open sea or at some green expanse.
I looked for a collection of benches in the gallery of my phone, not to stop at just these few that I photographed in the last few days.
I covered the last year and a couple of days, looked through the photos up to June 2025, and some of those photos brought me back to the memory of good times.
I believe that one of you will recognize one of these benches (at least one, on which she sat while looking at the backwater of the Danube 🙂 or one from the promenade in the city), and all the photos that I am sharing with you here now reminded me of all the moments in my walks and stays at the locations where I took them.
Some of these benches also remember my good moments, kisses, hugs, long talks, but also the sweat that dripped from my face, when I sat down to rest from some sports activity or work...
And as Forrest Gump would say:
"And that's all I have to say about Benches"
