Apr 29, 2013 - Day 7 - Belgrade, Serbia

We woke up this morning on the River Sava – which feeds into the Danube on one side of Belgrade. That is where all of the riverboats dock when they come to Belgrade. The river was very high so some boats may have had trouble in some areas – but our dock was fine. We must have cleared Serbia customs uneventfully – as no one asked us for anything and we were free to go on to the land at any time (as long as we were carrying our passports). After breakfast we met our guide for our city tour. We started by going to the park and the legendary...

Sep 7, 2012 - Belgrade, Serbia

We left Novi Sad very early to catch the train for Belgrade. Our second class coach was comfy. Apparently this train plays a part in the upcoming James bond movie:-) Serbia's history is war torn and Belgrade even more so, as recently as 2008. It is a city of contrasts, of architectural styles and history. We have seen the Danube since Budapest and here once again. There isa most impressive for tree with many layers, dating back to the Roman Empire. We have been surprised at all hours of day and night how busy the streets and cafes are. A...

Jul 25, 2012 - Belgrade, Serbia

We took the city tour of Belgrade this morning and had the same guide we had yesterday in Novi Sad. She is a beautiful young woman who speaks 5 languages and has a very dark sense of humor. Her name is Jelena and we all became fast friends. We all went out to dinner together to a 300 year old restaurant called "?". Jelena ordered for us and we feasted on a traditional Serbian dinner. Delicious! Back to Belgrade... We went o the Kalemegdan Fortress which dates from the 1st century. The statue that represents Belgrade is located there known...

Jun 25, 2012 - Belgrade - Serbia

Our next stop was Belgrade, capital of Serbia and the proclaimed party town of the Balkans. Our walking tour revealed a town steeped in history. Belgrade was pretty much untouched by the recent Balkan war due to the fact that this is where Milosevic was based however due to its location on the convergence of the Danube and the ??? It is a strategic location in the Balkans and is the most attacked city in the world. Belgrade wasn’t as nice for me but I think that was due to the small amount of time spent here. It was definitely a whirlwind...

Apr 24, 2012 - Belgrade undestroyed

Belgrade, Serbia - never would have thought that I would be one day visiting this city, or this country. We had quite the enlightening lecture from a Serbian history professor on keeping an open mind and the importance of being aware of the many different perspectives to any story. One of the major histories of this city is that it in 25 centuries it has been completely destroyed 44 times and been witness to 115 battles. Dennis and I went on an interesting city tour and visited the fortress of Belgrade. One of the interesting battles there...

Apr 22, 2012 - Who knew Serbia?

Who would have known that we would have been seeing Roman ruins in Serbia? But that is just where we were - crawling down underground to see actual frescoes and burial sites and walk along the paths in an ancient Roman city. Incredible! These ruins were discovered while strip mining the land for coal and while many structures had been smashed, the archaeologists managed to convince people of the importance of protecting this huge area so it can be uncovered. Excavations over the last 25 years have uncovered gold and silver jewelry, coins,...

Feb 15, 2012 - Winter 2012 like winter on 1954

The amount of snow that was attacked in Knjaževac end of the day is almost not even remember the older townspeople. However, history records, photographs and testimony about winter and snow in the middle of the last century, literally buried town. Winter and heavy snow that fifties affected Knjaževac end of the oldest residents still remember. The extraordinary beauty of the winter, but the troubles brought by, witnesses and old photos. Knjaževac under snow 1954th the Photos of the snow, which is an old married couple brought in Knjaževac...

Oct 14, 2011 - Getting Fired Up

Getting Fired Up We find ourselves in a cultural conflict with our landlord. We believe the purpose of heat is to make it possible to walk around the house in a light sweater and wool socks and not get chilblains. Our landlord, on the other hand, seems to believe that the purpose of heat is to prevent frostbite from setting in so badly that toes must be amputated. He, of course, is trying to be frugal; we, of course, just want to be warm. He and Steve had a heart to heart on the subject on Sunday; this was followed by much activity required...

Oct 3, 2011 - Our Landlords

Our landlords We rent our apartment from an extended family that lives on the ground floor of the building. They represent the essence of hospitality and appear to be genuinely delighted to have us as tenants. From an American perspective this is a business relationship. From a Kosavar perspective, the relationship is more nuanced. Our landlords tell us we are family and because we miss our own family, this pleases us. But it also makes us a little uncomfortable. On warm evenings, the family gathers outdoors lingering over a final glass...

Sep 29, 2011 - Pristina: First Impressions

First Impressions: Pristhina Pristhina is nothing to write home about! During the 1960s, in a zealous enthusiasm for urban renewal, whatever charm or character the city may have had was bulldozed in the name of progress. The historic districts were razed and replaced by the very best communist architecture. The central city is surrounded by neighborhoods, many of them comprised of large apartment blocks and beyond that lies what appears to be an industrial zone. But life seems pretty comfortable in this “Balkan backwater.” For one thing,...

Sep 3, 2011 - Belgrade

After hearing Sofia was average we by-passed it on our way to Serbia. Belgrade was surprisingly enjoyable, with particular mention to our luxurious hostel which turned backpacking into flash-packing. We were given crisp white bath robes, slippers and two towels. We spent our time in Belgrade admiring the old fortress and gardens and cycling around the river. Belgrade has a rustic, artistic feel and with the river it felt like being back in Melbourne.

Jul 23, 2011 - Meet the Actors

This is such an interesting, varied and vivacious group. Uroš is tall and lanky, and a native of lovely Niš. He is a huge Lady Gaga fan, and can perform any of her songs with or without request. He has a quiet intelligence but a loud and extravagant sense of humour, a winning combination. It's difficult to stiffen him up as the Tree, but he is wonderfully funny in his characterisation of the Cow, hard-working and very team oriented. Ceca (pronounced Tsetsa), given name Svetlana, is Uroš’ schoolmate from Mitrovica. She is weirdly sexy,...