Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2016--Zabljak
I went rafting for the first time in my life today. It was surprisingly without a fear factor. It was just a fun ride that occasionally got jumpy while remaining in contact with my seat on the side of the boat at all times. The water raft rides at amusement parks are scarier than going over these real rapids.
The Tara River Canyon is said locally to be the deepest in Europe and the second deepest in the world (after the Grand Canyon in the US). The big difference is that the Tara River Canyon is narrow like the canyons I passed through on my way here from Sarajevo. The section we visited today is within the boundaries of Durmitor National Park which I also visited yesterday.
There were 8 of us on the trip. A young French couple who both just got degrees in agronomy engineering, a young British lady who is in the navy there, a young couple from Germany (she a bored-out psychologist who is doing something else now and he an IT professional), and a Russian couple in their 50s (who never talked to anyone except each other). Why "Jennifer Lawrence" in the title? Because the young lady from Germany looked just like Jennifer Lawrence. It is an amazing resemblance, and I asked her, "I guess you get told often that you look like Jennifer Lawrence?" She denied it had ever happened. She knew that JL is an actress, but she didn't know what films she had made. I even went so far at one when we were talking about careers to turn to her and say, "You don't have to admit to being Jennifer Lawrence if you really are her; just make something up."
Our day started at 9:30 at the tour office where we were picked up in a van. The driver took us to a farm house near the river where we put on zip-up water shoes, life vests, and helmets. We signed a form stating our names and countries, and we designated whether we wanted chicken, lamb, or vegetarian for lunch. Then we loaded the boat on top of the van and headed for the river.
There were other rafts entering the river at the time we got there. My estimate is that there were at least 8-10 rafts making the trip today with each having eight passengers and a guide. We had 4 men and 4 women in our group. The guide put the four men in the front four seats--two on the right and two on the left. The four women followed behind us. We each had a paddle for rowing, and the guide had a paddle for use as a rudder. We were ready for rafting the Tara River.
The river is absolutely beautiful. The water is perfectly clear. One person said that they have water monitoring stations every 2 km (1 mile) or so, and that it is the only river in Europe where the water is safe to drink. Because it is late summer, all the snow has melted, so the river was not as deep as it would be in the spring and early summer. At times, it was maybe only slightly less than 1 m (3 ft.) deep. But that had a positive effect for rafting since it created white caps as the water flowed over bigger rocks that were on the bottom of the river. Much of the river bottom was covered with small, smooth stones in the most beautiful colors--red, green, black, and white mostly, but with an occasional orange one, too. We saw a few fish, but it was mostly clear water with nothing in it.
Our guide spoke few words of English. Essentially, he said, "Everybody," or "Right Side," or "Left Side," or "Stop." All were commands for when we should paddle. To let us know if we should paddle faster, he said it faster as if the repeating "Everybody" represented the drum beat which can guide rowers. Our group was quite coordinated with our rowing patterns. Watching one boat in front of for a while was like a comedy with every rower doing his own thing rather than all being in a rhythm together.
There were a number of rapids we went over. Most of them had white caps. But going over them meant just bouncing up and down a bit since we were sitting on the inflated sides of a rubber raft. Occasionally there would be a drop of maybe a meter or 1.5 meters (1 to 1 1/2 yards) that would be more fun. Sometimes, we would get splashed with water, but not a lot.
We made two stops on the river. One was to see a waterfall. The other was to go swimming. Even thought the water was VERY cold, we all jumped in. Those of us wearing shorts just pulled them off and went into the water in our underwear. At the swimming spot, there was a high cliff that several climbed so they could jump into the river from there.
After 2 1/2 hours on the river, we pulled to the side where the van was waiting for us. We took off our gear and headed back to the farm house. There, they served us a typical Montenegro meal. I ordered the lamb, because there are lambs everywhere around here and I figured it would be most typical. I got three chunks of lamb meat on the bone with boiled potatoes and a rice dish (that was tasty and had onions, tomatoes, and sweet peppers in it). There were also tomatoes and cabbage for a salad. I skipped the cabbage, but I ate about 8 slices of tomato since they were fresh from the garden. The potatoes were just too plain, but the young guy from France eventually put some vinegar on his which he said gave them some taste.
On the way back to town, we stopped one more time at the bridge that spans the canyon. Some people (including me) walked out to take pictures of the river where we had rafted. Others had a beer or ice cream. There was a zip line there that some people were riding across the canyon, but no one in our group did because we only had a 20-minute stop and because we were all tired.
We were back in town at 4:00--6 1/2 hours after we left. It was a good tour with a good group. Everything was included in the price of 45 Euros (about $50), so there was no awkward moment where the guide or driver expected a tip and people wondered what others were going to give. That made the end so pleasant. We just said good-bye to each other and went our separate ways.
I spent the evening inside the apartment. I was tired from the day, and I knew I needed to get to bed early, since I have a bus to catch tomorrow at 7:26.
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Durmitor National Park
Monday, Aug. 29, 2016--Zabljak
Zabljak isn't a very pretty town with houses randomly placed here, there, and everywhere and a town center that grew mostly building by building with no planning. But the setting of Zabljak is fantastic. It is the entrance city to Durmitor National Park which begins just maybe 3 km (less than 2 miles) just down the road and provides a curtain of huge mountains as a backdrop to the town.
Today was my day to explore and enjoy Durmitor. After walking to the station and checking bus schedules for Wednesday and finding out that I have to buy my ticket on the bus (meaning I have to worry that there might be too many people trying to take the bus that I need), I started walking toward Durmitor.
It was still rather quiet. Most of the tourists here are backpackers. They are notorious for staying up late drinking and partying and then sleeping in until noon or later all over the world. It was 10:00 as I was walking to the park. No one was at the ticket booth when I approached. It costs only 3 Euros (about $3.35) to enter the park. I had a map loaned to me by the apartment owner, but I decided just to start with what is most traditional--a walk around Black Lake just past the entrance.
I don't know why it is called Black Lake (Crno Jezero). It isn't black at all. In fact, right now it is two lakes because of the low water levels from a hot summer and a ridge of earth that rises out of the water and dries up as the water levels go down. Both parts of the lake have beautiful aquamarine colors with a bit more blue than green, and the water is so clear.
I only made it 1/4 of the way around the front part of Black Lake when I came to the Visitor Center. I was the only person there, and the young lady seemed so happy to have company as she was putting wood into the heater to take the chill out of the building. She suggested a side trip to another, smaller lake that would be 1 hour up and 1 hour back. I decided to do it, since I wanted to spend time wandering in the park and had no special plans related to where I would do it.
I followed a trail that started beside a small stream. It took me through very wooded areas as I climbed slowly. Occasionally, there were sloppy, muddy areas apparently due to spring water popping out of the ground and flowing toward the stream, but at every point like that, either there were rocks that allowed me to cross without getting muddy or wet or people had made a little side trail that went above the moisture.
Since walking and hiking are not a problem for me, I made better time than the guide had told me it would take. At one point, I saw a bench in the shade, so I stopped and read from my novel for a while. Still, I made it to the lake in a little less than the projected 1 hour. I had been alone on the hike (which I really enjoyed) except just for one couple who met me coming down. But when I arrived at Zminje Jezero, I was surprised to find two groups--one of two young women with a dog and one of two young men. The lake is small and surrounded by evergreen trees. There were small lily pads near the shore on the side where I approached. I walked part of the way around it taking photos, then I started my hike back.
It took only about half an hour for me to get back to the Visitor Center. I went back inside to thank the young woman for her suggestion, and she seemed quite grateful. Again, she was alone. She was surprised that I am from the USA, and told me maybe she sees 50 Americans in a year at the park.
Just a few steps further around Black Lake, there were two rope hammocks swinging between trees and no one around. I got in the one higher off the ground. (The other was low enough for children to get in it and might have sunk to the ground with an adult.) I pulled out my book and read some more.
Eventually, I continued all the way around both parts of Black Lake. By that time (around 15:00), crowds were entering the park and many young people were starting to sunbathe along the shoreline of the lake. As I exited the park to return to town, I counted 5 huge tourist buses parked along the curb just outside the boundaries of the park. I was glad I had mostly had the park to myself up until those last moments.
I had walked/hiked about 6 hours by the time I was back to the apartment. I got onto the computer for a while. Then I went out and bought a cevapi sandwich for my dinner--fingerling sausages made from a combination of pork and beef put in a large bun with cabbage salad and ketchup. I decided to eat it while walking and went to explore a monument I had seen on top of a hill in the center of town. It turned out to be a monument to those from Zabljak who had died in World War II.
I stayed inside during the evening. I downloaded photos from my camera to both my computer and to a flash drive. I read the news on the computer. I read more from my novel. I was about ready to go to bed when I realized I still needed to write this entry!!
Zabljak isn't a very pretty town with houses randomly placed here, there, and everywhere and a town center that grew mostly building by building with no planning. But the setting of Zabljak is fantastic. It is the entrance city to Durmitor National Park which begins just maybe 3 km (less than 2 miles) just down the road and provides a curtain of huge mountains as a backdrop to the town.
Today was my day to explore and enjoy Durmitor. After walking to the station and checking bus schedules for Wednesday and finding out that I have to buy my ticket on the bus (meaning I have to worry that there might be too many people trying to take the bus that I need), I started walking toward Durmitor.
It was still rather quiet. Most of the tourists here are backpackers. They are notorious for staying up late drinking and partying and then sleeping in until noon or later all over the world. It was 10:00 as I was walking to the park. No one was at the ticket booth when I approached. It costs only 3 Euros (about $3.35) to enter the park. I had a map loaned to me by the apartment owner, but I decided just to start with what is most traditional--a walk around Black Lake just past the entrance.
I don't know why it is called Black Lake (Crno Jezero). It isn't black at all. In fact, right now it is two lakes because of the low water levels from a hot summer and a ridge of earth that rises out of the water and dries up as the water levels go down. Both parts of the lake have beautiful aquamarine colors with a bit more blue than green, and the water is so clear.
I only made it 1/4 of the way around the front part of Black Lake when I came to the Visitor Center. I was the only person there, and the young lady seemed so happy to have company as she was putting wood into the heater to take the chill out of the building. She suggested a side trip to another, smaller lake that would be 1 hour up and 1 hour back. I decided to do it, since I wanted to spend time wandering in the park and had no special plans related to where I would do it.
I followed a trail that started beside a small stream. It took me through very wooded areas as I climbed slowly. Occasionally, there were sloppy, muddy areas apparently due to spring water popping out of the ground and flowing toward the stream, but at every point like that, either there were rocks that allowed me to cross without getting muddy or wet or people had made a little side trail that went above the moisture.
Since walking and hiking are not a problem for me, I made better time than the guide had told me it would take. At one point, I saw a bench in the shade, so I stopped and read from my novel for a while. Still, I made it to the lake in a little less than the projected 1 hour. I had been alone on the hike (which I really enjoyed) except just for one couple who met me coming down. But when I arrived at Zminje Jezero, I was surprised to find two groups--one of two young women with a dog and one of two young men. The lake is small and surrounded by evergreen trees. There were small lily pads near the shore on the side where I approached. I walked part of the way around it taking photos, then I started my hike back.
It took only about half an hour for me to get back to the Visitor Center. I went back inside to thank the young woman for her suggestion, and she seemed quite grateful. Again, she was alone. She was surprised that I am from the USA, and told me maybe she sees 50 Americans in a year at the park.
Just a few steps further around Black Lake, there were two rope hammocks swinging between trees and no one around. I got in the one higher off the ground. (The other was low enough for children to get in it and might have sunk to the ground with an adult.) I pulled out my book and read some more.
Eventually, I continued all the way around both parts of Black Lake. By that time (around 15:00), crowds were entering the park and many young people were starting to sunbathe along the shoreline of the lake. As I exited the park to return to town, I counted 5 huge tourist buses parked along the curb just outside the boundaries of the park. I was glad I had mostly had the park to myself up until those last moments.
I had walked/hiked about 6 hours by the time I was back to the apartment. I got onto the computer for a while. Then I went out and bought a cevapi sandwich for my dinner--fingerling sausages made from a combination of pork and beef put in a large bun with cabbage salad and ketchup. I decided to eat it while walking and went to explore a monument I had seen on top of a hill in the center of town. It turned out to be a monument to those from Zabljak who had died in World War II.
I stayed inside during the evening. I downloaded photos from my camera to both my computer and to a flash drive. I read the news on the computer. I read more from my novel. I was about ready to go to bed when I realized I still needed to write this entry!!
Monday, August 29, 2016
Best Scenery of the Trip
Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016--Sarajevo to Niksic to Zabljak
It was another LONG travel day to go only a fairly short distance. I left the apartment at 6:30 and caught a trolly-bus to the Eastern Bus Terminal. It went faster than it did the previous time I went there, because of lack of Sunday morning passengers and traffic. Then I took a bus from there to Niksic in Montenegro which also took less time than scheduled. Finally, I took a bus from Niksic to Zabljak which was slow and had a driver who should not have been driving. Fortunately, we made it fine, but we were about 40 minutes later than scheduled.
Our highway followed a river at the bottom of a very narrow and tall canyon almost all day. The water in the river was beautifully clear and green with everything in the bottom of the river visible. The mountainous sides of the canyon were covered in trees, but also had stone outcroppings. We twisted and turned and twisted and turned again. I tried taking photos, but I could only do it straight out of my window. If I tried to angle the camera, I got reflections on the window glass. So my options for good photos were very limited. Still, I couldn't stop snapping more and more. At one point, there was a sign saying, "Europe's Deepest Canyon."
Niksic itself was on flat land. With 2 1/2 hours to waste until the nest bus, I went walking through the town. It was okay, but not a place I would want to visit overnight. I climbed (with my luggage) through a huge cemetery to the Orthodox Church and saw part of a service. I sat out front and started reading a new novel. Then I went to a park closer to the bus station and sat reading while watching other people in the park.
I made a bad decision when our bus came. The driver was obviously frustrated when he saw a line of about 8 of us each with luggage for the trip. It was a small bus. He opened the luggage compartment and left it to us to figure out what to do. The backpackers quickly accepted that their bags wouldn't fit with the three already there. They suggested that maybe my smaller bag would. I tried and tried reorganizing and couldn't make it fit. But I felt guilty about having my suitcase AND my small backpack. I usually ALWAYS have the backpack on the bus with me because it has my computer; my charging lines for the computer, the camera, and the phone; my medications, etc., in it. Anyway, it would fit in back, so I put it there. When I tried to close the door, I realized that it lock didn't seem stable. Instead of the handle going straight down, it barely went past half-way, and at half-way, it was open. Still I jumped on the bus with my suitcase.
That's when I started worrying. What if the back of the bus comes unlocked and the luggage back there falls out onto the highway? As the driver took our tickets, I used hand motions to emphasize that he needed to be sure the luggage compartment was locked. But the whole trip, I was worried that I would lose my backpack. I'll never, ever let it be anywhere but with me on the bus again!
But just as bad as my worries about the backpack were my worries about the driving. The driver stopped to pick up his son to ride with us on the way. The son kept talking, and the father kept looking toward him instead of at the winding mountainous road. Then he got a phone call. So he was now driving us while holding and talking on his phone, and holding a cigarette and smoking it!! But it got worse. As we got closer to Zabljak, he started doing paperwork while driving us down a steep mountain with tight hairpin curves. He was using his elbows to drive at one point. During that period, we met another, larger bus on one of the hairpin curves. It was such a bad situation. He could have easily lost control with the bad habits he was exhibiting. Fortunately, we made it (and my backpack was still in back), and I will not be using the same bus company when I leave here on Sunday.
My apartment, Double bed apartment, city center, is very centrally located. It is large, too, and has lots of English channels on TV. I made myself some fruit tea that the owner left for me and did some quick research before going out. Then I wandered around town. Zabljak is a small place, but it is filled with tourists. (Probaly 75% of the passengers going through the Niksic bus station today were tourists who were going to or coming from Zabljak.) They are here for two things--Durmitor National Park (for hiking) and the Tara River Canyon which is a World Heritage Site (for river rafting). And they were all downtown as I wandered through it--looking for restaurants, shopping at the supermarket, and, like me, just checking out the town. Most people only stay about 2 days, so most of those I saw tonight were new to the city like me.
I made one great discovery as I explored. There is only one bakery in the town, but it is unusual in that the owner apparently makes all the pastries. They looked different from those in the cities where most bakeries buy from wholesalers who deliver the pastries either already cooked or ready-to-cook. I bought a dessert that looked great. Think of a 12-inch (30.5 cm) diameter that is 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick cut into 4 parts. That's the size of my pastry which was many layers of filo dough filled with a chocolate mixture (probably made from cocoa, sugar, and butter) and drizzled on top with a caramel sauce. It was warm when I bought and ate it!!
It was another LONG travel day to go only a fairly short distance. I left the apartment at 6:30 and caught a trolly-bus to the Eastern Bus Terminal. It went faster than it did the previous time I went there, because of lack of Sunday morning passengers and traffic. Then I took a bus from there to Niksic in Montenegro which also took less time than scheduled. Finally, I took a bus from Niksic to Zabljak which was slow and had a driver who should not have been driving. Fortunately, we made it fine, but we were about 40 minutes later than scheduled.
Our highway followed a river at the bottom of a very narrow and tall canyon almost all day. The water in the river was beautifully clear and green with everything in the bottom of the river visible. The mountainous sides of the canyon were covered in trees, but also had stone outcroppings. We twisted and turned and twisted and turned again. I tried taking photos, but I could only do it straight out of my window. If I tried to angle the camera, I got reflections on the window glass. So my options for good photos were very limited. Still, I couldn't stop snapping more and more. At one point, there was a sign saying, "Europe's Deepest Canyon."
Niksic itself was on flat land. With 2 1/2 hours to waste until the nest bus, I went walking through the town. It was okay, but not a place I would want to visit overnight. I climbed (with my luggage) through a huge cemetery to the Orthodox Church and saw part of a service. I sat out front and started reading a new novel. Then I went to a park closer to the bus station and sat reading while watching other people in the park.
I made a bad decision when our bus came. The driver was obviously frustrated when he saw a line of about 8 of us each with luggage for the trip. It was a small bus. He opened the luggage compartment and left it to us to figure out what to do. The backpackers quickly accepted that their bags wouldn't fit with the three already there. They suggested that maybe my smaller bag would. I tried and tried reorganizing and couldn't make it fit. But I felt guilty about having my suitcase AND my small backpack. I usually ALWAYS have the backpack on the bus with me because it has my computer; my charging lines for the computer, the camera, and the phone; my medications, etc., in it. Anyway, it would fit in back, so I put it there. When I tried to close the door, I realized that it lock didn't seem stable. Instead of the handle going straight down, it barely went past half-way, and at half-way, it was open. Still I jumped on the bus with my suitcase.
That's when I started worrying. What if the back of the bus comes unlocked and the luggage back there falls out onto the highway? As the driver took our tickets, I used hand motions to emphasize that he needed to be sure the luggage compartment was locked. But the whole trip, I was worried that I would lose my backpack. I'll never, ever let it be anywhere but with me on the bus again!
But just as bad as my worries about the backpack were my worries about the driving. The driver stopped to pick up his son to ride with us on the way. The son kept talking, and the father kept looking toward him instead of at the winding mountainous road. Then he got a phone call. So he was now driving us while holding and talking on his phone, and holding a cigarette and smoking it!! But it got worse. As we got closer to Zabljak, he started doing paperwork while driving us down a steep mountain with tight hairpin curves. He was using his elbows to drive at one point. During that period, we met another, larger bus on one of the hairpin curves. It was such a bad situation. He could have easily lost control with the bad habits he was exhibiting. Fortunately, we made it (and my backpack was still in back), and I will not be using the same bus company when I leave here on Sunday.
My apartment, Double bed apartment, city center, is very centrally located. It is large, too, and has lots of English channels on TV. I made myself some fruit tea that the owner left for me and did some quick research before going out. Then I wandered around town. Zabljak is a small place, but it is filled with tourists. (Probaly 75% of the passengers going through the Niksic bus station today were tourists who were going to or coming from Zabljak.) They are here for two things--Durmitor National Park (for hiking) and the Tara River Canyon which is a World Heritage Site (for river rafting). And they were all downtown as I wandered through it--looking for restaurants, shopping at the supermarket, and, like me, just checking out the town. Most people only stay about 2 days, so most of those I saw tonight were new to the city like me.
I made one great discovery as I explored. There is only one bakery in the town, but it is unusual in that the owner apparently makes all the pastries. They looked different from those in the cities where most bakeries buy from wholesalers who deliver the pastries either already cooked or ready-to-cook. I bought a dessert that looked great. Think of a 12-inch (30.5 cm) diameter that is 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick cut into 4 parts. That's the size of my pastry which was many layers of filo dough filled with a chocolate mixture (probably made from cocoa, sugar, and butter) and drizzled on top with a caramel sauce. It was warm when I bought and ate it!!
Saturday, August 27, 2016
Observations
Saturday, Aug. 27, 2016--Sarajevo
Bosnia and Herzegovina is not a member of the EU. That's one reason they do not have expressways. They have never had the flow of EU funds to help rebuild infrastructure that member countries and potential member countries get. As long as there seems to be the possibility of ethnic (religious) tension within the country that could flair into war, it probably won't be considered for EU membership. There was information in the Old Town that it was revitalized by funds from Sarajevo combined with funds from a city in Turkey. I'm amazed they could do such a good job working on their own.
Sarajevo really is a nice city. And things tend to be mostly inexpensive here. For that reason, it is overrun with tourists. They are everywhere, but especially in the Old Town (which, fortunately, covers many blocks). I've heard Spanish, Swedish, Italian, and other languages as I have walked around. This city has more tourism than any other city I have visited since Ljubljana.
One worrying thing I have observed here is that there lots of beggars. Worst is the fact that there are Islamic women in the age range of 40-55 begging. They are dressed like normal housewives in conservative Islamic dress (but not in black burkas), and they are just sitting or standing quietly holding signs. My guess is that they were widowed during the war and that there is no pension system (or a very limited one) for them. It's likely that they lived with their parents after he war, who have now died or do not have enough pension income to support them. I've read that soldiers from both sides of the war are complaining that they were promised pensions they are not receiving, but these women are the only indication that there is probably also problem with widows from the war. It's very sad to observe.
On my outing today, I still found some new sites. There were two theaters built in the late 1800s--one that is now a military building that may still have performances and the Sarajevo National Theater which is larger and houses the opera and other events and was built to replace the other, two synagogues--the Ashkenazi Synagogue (dark brick) and the Sarajevo Synagogue (cream colored), the old bath house (which, has been restored to be a hotel with a bath house), etc. I spent part of the day sitting a a park watching people come and go from the Old Town, and another part of the day sitting in front of a shopping mall watching people come and go there.
I have to be up early in the morning. I want to catch a bus at 6:48, so I am staying inside tonight to clean the apartment, prepare some cheese and salami sandwiches to take on the bus as my breakfast, and to get to bed early.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is not a member of the EU. That's one reason they do not have expressways. They have never had the flow of EU funds to help rebuild infrastructure that member countries and potential member countries get. As long as there seems to be the possibility of ethnic (religious) tension within the country that could flair into war, it probably won't be considered for EU membership. There was information in the Old Town that it was revitalized by funds from Sarajevo combined with funds from a city in Turkey. I'm amazed they could do such a good job working on their own.
Sarajevo really is a nice city. And things tend to be mostly inexpensive here. For that reason, it is overrun with tourists. They are everywhere, but especially in the Old Town (which, fortunately, covers many blocks). I've heard Spanish, Swedish, Italian, and other languages as I have walked around. This city has more tourism than any other city I have visited since Ljubljana.
One worrying thing I have observed here is that there lots of beggars. Worst is the fact that there are Islamic women in the age range of 40-55 begging. They are dressed like normal housewives in conservative Islamic dress (but not in black burkas), and they are just sitting or standing quietly holding signs. My guess is that they were widowed during the war and that there is no pension system (or a very limited one) for them. It's likely that they lived with their parents after he war, who have now died or do not have enough pension income to support them. I've read that soldiers from both sides of the war are complaining that they were promised pensions they are not receiving, but these women are the only indication that there is probably also problem with widows from the war. It's very sad to observe.
On my outing today, I still found some new sites. There were two theaters built in the late 1800s--one that is now a military building that may still have performances and the Sarajevo National Theater which is larger and houses the opera and other events and was built to replace the other, two synagogues--the Ashkenazi Synagogue (dark brick) and the Sarajevo Synagogue (cream colored), the old bath house (which, has been restored to be a hotel with a bath house), etc. I spent part of the day sitting a a park watching people come and go from the Old Town, and another part of the day sitting in front of a shopping mall watching people come and go there.
I have to be up early in the morning. I want to catch a bus at 6:48, so I am staying inside tonight to clean the apartment, prepare some cheese and salami sandwiches to take on the bus as my breakfast, and to get to bed early.
Another Country Brewing?
Friday, Aug. 26, 2016--Sarajevo
I took the trolley-bus (electric bus) this morning to buy my bus ticket for Sunday. It's important I catch that bus, and there is no way to know how popular it will be, since it goes all the way to the coast where many people take their vacations. I had already asked if there was a place to buy the ticket in town. There are two bus stations, and everyone kept suggesting I go to the Central Bus Station. But I already knew that the only buses going my direction leave from the Eastern Bus Station. The lady at the tourist office didn't even seem to know much about it and said it is a separate area. Well, as I watched on my phone as I made my way there, I noticed a division line that said Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina on one side of it and said Republik of Srpska. The Eastern Station is on the Srpska side (and is actually southwest, rather than east, of Sarajevo).
As I read about it, the Republik of Srpska was established as part of the peace agreement to end the war. It includes the areas that were occupied by people of Serbian culture (which means they attend the Orthodox Church vs. Bosnians who are Muslims). Although officially part of the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina, they have almost total independence (and apparently want it to become total). They recently established a delegation to the EU in Brussels.
It's all evidence to show that the problems that caused the war are not very deep under the surface. It could break out all of a sudden if Srpska tried to get true independence. Both sides committed atrocities against each other and probably are ready to avenge the offenses committed against them.
Anyway, I bought my ticket and left Srpska to return to Sarajevo in BH. But the ticket was a surprise. It cost more than I had estimated based on costs of previous bus tickets on this trip. Before leaving Belgrade, I traded just enough extra dinars for markas to spend here. It was a pretty good estimate until I bought the bus ticket. It, with the two bus tickets to get out to the station and back ate up over half of the money that I had gotten through the exchange to spend here. Since what I have left will be okay as long as I only eat one meal out tomorrow, I won't exchange more (because the amount I would need to exchange would be ridiculously low). I ate some of my breakfast food for dinner tonight. That's the problem with every small country having it's own currency; it's very difficult to plan what you will need and it is expensive to have leftover currency which has to be exchanged again in the next country.
Back in town, I wandered through a more modern area. It has the new skyscrapers, the US Embassy, several shopping malls, and the train station. It was interesting to see, but not as nice as the older parts of town. Because the city is enclosed by mountains, skyscrapers are really the only way to grow, so the photos in the link above show pictures of the ones that exist (including some photos of previous ones that burned during the war some of which were rebuilt later), and architectural drawings of others that are proposed.
Next, I went to the Latin Bridge beside which Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated--the trigger that set of World War I. I saw a set of photos showing him during his visit and at the point on the road beside the bridge where he was killed.
By then, it was hot and I was thirsty and tired. I returned to the apartment. I thought of going out again in the evening, but decided just to stay inside. Tomorrow is another day to do things, and I probably have planned one too many days here anyway. It's a nice city, but it is quite small in general.
I took the trolley-bus (electric bus) this morning to buy my bus ticket for Sunday. It's important I catch that bus, and there is no way to know how popular it will be, since it goes all the way to the coast where many people take their vacations. I had already asked if there was a place to buy the ticket in town. There are two bus stations, and everyone kept suggesting I go to the Central Bus Station. But I already knew that the only buses going my direction leave from the Eastern Bus Station. The lady at the tourist office didn't even seem to know much about it and said it is a separate area. Well, as I watched on my phone as I made my way there, I noticed a division line that said Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina on one side of it and said Republik of Srpska. The Eastern Station is on the Srpska side (and is actually southwest, rather than east, of Sarajevo).
As I read about it, the Republik of Srpska was established as part of the peace agreement to end the war. It includes the areas that were occupied by people of Serbian culture (which means they attend the Orthodox Church vs. Bosnians who are Muslims). Although officially part of the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina, they have almost total independence (and apparently want it to become total). They recently established a delegation to the EU in Brussels.
It's all evidence to show that the problems that caused the war are not very deep under the surface. It could break out all of a sudden if Srpska tried to get true independence. Both sides committed atrocities against each other and probably are ready to avenge the offenses committed against them.
Anyway, I bought my ticket and left Srpska to return to Sarajevo in BH. But the ticket was a surprise. It cost more than I had estimated based on costs of previous bus tickets on this trip. Before leaving Belgrade, I traded just enough extra dinars for markas to spend here. It was a pretty good estimate until I bought the bus ticket. It, with the two bus tickets to get out to the station and back ate up over half of the money that I had gotten through the exchange to spend here. Since what I have left will be okay as long as I only eat one meal out tomorrow, I won't exchange more (because the amount I would need to exchange would be ridiculously low). I ate some of my breakfast food for dinner tonight. That's the problem with every small country having it's own currency; it's very difficult to plan what you will need and it is expensive to have leftover currency which has to be exchanged again in the next country.
Back in town, I wandered through a more modern area. It has the new skyscrapers, the US Embassy, several shopping malls, and the train station. It was interesting to see, but not as nice as the older parts of town. Because the city is enclosed by mountains, skyscrapers are really the only way to grow, so the photos in the link above show pictures of the ones that exist (including some photos of previous ones that burned during the war some of which were rebuilt later), and architectural drawings of others that are proposed.
Next, I went to the Latin Bridge beside which Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated--the trigger that set of World War I. I saw a set of photos showing him during his visit and at the point on the road beside the bridge where he was killed.
By then, it was hot and I was thirsty and tired. I returned to the apartment. I thought of going out again in the evening, but decided just to stay inside. Tomorrow is another day to do things, and I probably have planned one too many days here anyway. It's a nice city, but it is quite small in general.
Friday, August 26, 2016
Seeing Sarajevo
Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016--Sarajevo
I slept 10 1/2 hours last night after the previous tiring day of getting up early and traveling for so long. It really felt good.
It's cooler here than where I have been. I had to get up and get a blanket in the middle of the night last night; the sheet wasn't enough. And the daytime high was only about 74 degrees. I wore long pants, but I did that mostly because I planned to go to churches and mosques.
I met an elementary school librarian this morning. I was looking in the windows of an art gallery, and he was sitting at a cafe next to where I was standing. I looked at a map, and he asked if I needed directions. We started talking. He used to be a basketball player with the Bosnian League during Yugoslavian times. But he got a knee injury in the Bosnian War and went back to school to become a librarian. I bet the kids love him because of his basketball background and because he's about 6' 5" tall! When he asked me where I was from, he knew everything about the Spurs.
I spent the morning and part of the afternoon out seeing some of the sights I saw yesterday (since I didn't take any photos yesterday) and adding a few more I had marked on the map they gave me at the tourist office yesterday. Among the places I saw were the beautiful City Hall, the Old Town including Baskarsija (a famous fountain that if you drink its waters you will return to Sarajevo) and the Gazi Husrev Bey's Mosque (one of the largest in Europe and designed by a very famous architect here in the time it was part of the Ottoman Empire. I saw the Jewish Museum building and the Old Orthodox Chruch (without going inside either) and I visited the Cathedral of Jesus' Sacred Heart. In addition, I walked to the edge of town where the Winter Olympics were held and took a photo of the tall monolith with the Olympic rings. (I didn't go into the grounds, because there are stories of tourists having problems there and because I saw part of the facilities as we came into the city yesterday in our van.)
I discovered this afternoon that the building where I am living has bullet holes from the Bosnian War. I guess almost all buildings in the city at the time got bullet holes. I have seen such buildings around the city, but most have been repaired over the years.
It's been another tiring day, so I should sleep well again tonight. I will be able to have a decent breakfast tomorrow, since I also went to a supermarket today and bought bread, cheese, salami, muesli, milk, and yogurt.
I slept 10 1/2 hours last night after the previous tiring day of getting up early and traveling for so long. It really felt good.
It's cooler here than where I have been. I had to get up and get a blanket in the middle of the night last night; the sheet wasn't enough. And the daytime high was only about 74 degrees. I wore long pants, but I did that mostly because I planned to go to churches and mosques.
I met an elementary school librarian this morning. I was looking in the windows of an art gallery, and he was sitting at a cafe next to where I was standing. I looked at a map, and he asked if I needed directions. We started talking. He used to be a basketball player with the Bosnian League during Yugoslavian times. But he got a knee injury in the Bosnian War and went back to school to become a librarian. I bet the kids love him because of his basketball background and because he's about 6' 5" tall! When he asked me where I was from, he knew everything about the Spurs.
I spent the morning and part of the afternoon out seeing some of the sights I saw yesterday (since I didn't take any photos yesterday) and adding a few more I had marked on the map they gave me at the tourist office yesterday. Among the places I saw were the beautiful City Hall, the Old Town including Baskarsija (a famous fountain that if you drink its waters you will return to Sarajevo) and the Gazi Husrev Bey's Mosque (one of the largest in Europe and designed by a very famous architect here in the time it was part of the Ottoman Empire. I saw the Jewish Museum building and the Old Orthodox Chruch (without going inside either) and I visited the Cathedral of Jesus' Sacred Heart. In addition, I walked to the edge of town where the Winter Olympics were held and took a photo of the tall monolith with the Olympic rings. (I didn't go into the grounds, because there are stories of tourists having problems there and because I saw part of the facilities as we came into the city yesterday in our van.)
I discovered this afternoon that the building where I am living has bullet holes from the Bosnian War. I guess almost all buildings in the city at the time got bullet holes. I have seen such buildings around the city, but most have been repaired over the years.
It's been another tiring day, so I should sleep well again tonight. I will be able to have a decent breakfast tomorrow, since I also went to a supermarket today and bought bread, cheese, salami, muesli, milk, and yogurt.
Thursday, August 25, 2016
A Long, Hard Day
Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2016--Belgrade to Sarajevo
Wes got up at 4:45, and I got up with him, since I couldn't go back to sleep. He left at 5:20 to catch his bus to the airport. I remained at the apartment showering, shaving, packing, and cleaning the place up some.
The mini-van picked me up at 7:00. I was the first passenger. Then we wandered all over the city picking up others. At one place, the people weren't ready, and he just left without them, called his office, and got the location for another address for riders. It was 9:00 before we ever started leaving Belgrade!
Although Belgrade and Sarajevo are only a bit further apart than Corpus Christi and San Antonio, we didn't arrive at my location until 15:00--8 hours after I was picked up and 6 hours after we finally left town. I was so tired of traveling.
The trip was made worse by the fact that Bosnia does not have an expressway coming from Belgrade to here. It is a two-lane road through mountains almost all the way. There are never any climbing lanes or passing lanes. Instead, cars just creep behind overly-loaded, double-wagon trucks, behind farmers on tractors, etc. And twice, there were road construction crews stopping us as they repaired the highway.
All that said, the country is beautiful with its green and sometimes rocky mountains and its narrow valleys. And Sarajevo is nice, too. Both the land and the city are so different from where I have been so far on this trip.
It is an area where East meets West literally in terms of religion. As soon as we crossed the border, I noticed that towns started having mosques and churches. Eventually, some towns had only a mosque. But in most of Bosnia, there are both churches and mosques. Tonight, as I walked through the center of Sarajevo with church bells ringing and the imam's calling Muslims to prayers at the same time so that they seemed to be competing with each other.
It's amazing that anything is happening here involving both Christians and Muslims. They had a major war here in the 1990s that was based on religious intolerance. Sarajevo is another city with many buildings having bullet holes showing today. Yet Christians and Muslims are mingling everywhere today without any evident problems. As I walked down the main pedestrian shopping street this afternoon and into the Old Town which was the main shopping area when the Ottoman's occupied the city and still has that eastern look and feel although everyone goes there, I saw women in skimpy clothing side-by-side with women in full, head-to-toe black burkas.
My apartment here, Simple and smart, is nice. However, it's on the 5th floor of a building with no elevator, so I will be getting my exercise while here! It's right downtown with a nice view toward the mountains.
I am tired from getting up early and traveling so long. (That ride was as long as a trans-continental air flight!). I am going to bed early in order to be fresh tomorrow.
Wes got up at 4:45, and I got up with him, since I couldn't go back to sleep. He left at 5:20 to catch his bus to the airport. I remained at the apartment showering, shaving, packing, and cleaning the place up some.
The mini-van picked me up at 7:00. I was the first passenger. Then we wandered all over the city picking up others. At one place, the people weren't ready, and he just left without them, called his office, and got the location for another address for riders. It was 9:00 before we ever started leaving Belgrade!
Although Belgrade and Sarajevo are only a bit further apart than Corpus Christi and San Antonio, we didn't arrive at my location until 15:00--8 hours after I was picked up and 6 hours after we finally left town. I was so tired of traveling.
The trip was made worse by the fact that Bosnia does not have an expressway coming from Belgrade to here. It is a two-lane road through mountains almost all the way. There are never any climbing lanes or passing lanes. Instead, cars just creep behind overly-loaded, double-wagon trucks, behind farmers on tractors, etc. And twice, there were road construction crews stopping us as they repaired the highway.
All that said, the country is beautiful with its green and sometimes rocky mountains and its narrow valleys. And Sarajevo is nice, too. Both the land and the city are so different from where I have been so far on this trip.
It is an area where East meets West literally in terms of religion. As soon as we crossed the border, I noticed that towns started having mosques and churches. Eventually, some towns had only a mosque. But in most of Bosnia, there are both churches and mosques. Tonight, as I walked through the center of Sarajevo with church bells ringing and the imam's calling Muslims to prayers at the same time so that they seemed to be competing with each other.
It's amazing that anything is happening here involving both Christians and Muslims. They had a major war here in the 1990s that was based on religious intolerance. Sarajevo is another city with many buildings having bullet holes showing today. Yet Christians and Muslims are mingling everywhere today without any evident problems. As I walked down the main pedestrian shopping street this afternoon and into the Old Town which was the main shopping area when the Ottoman's occupied the city and still has that eastern look and feel although everyone goes there, I saw women in skimpy clothing side-by-side with women in full, head-to-toe black burkas.
My apartment here, Simple and smart, is nice. However, it's on the 5th floor of a building with no elevator, so I will be getting my exercise while here! It's right downtown with a nice view toward the mountains.
I am tired from getting up early and traveling so long. (That ride was as long as a trans-continental air flight!). I am going to bed early in order to be fresh tomorrow.
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Confirmation of a Belief
Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2016--Belgrade
We had some surprise drizzle this morning, but it went away by 11:00. Then we headed to the Tesla Museum. Nikola Tesla was the inventor of the applied use of alternating current among many other electrical concepts. He is most popular, however, for demonstrating the creation of electrical lightning bolts with what is called a Tesla Coil. It's something that is so popular with people that everyone seems to get excited by seeing them in action. Although Tesla lived much of his life in the US and got his patents for his inventions there, he had family ties to Serbia. The government here fought to get his possessions sent to Belgrade after his death. The museum includes clothing items, working models of some of his inventions, and demonstration models of various kinds including a Tesla Coil. There were crowds of people going through the museum while we were there.
We wandered through a few more parts of town after leaving the museum, then we came to the apartment to await the call from Gea Tours about my ride to Sarajevo tomorrow. They called just before 17:00 to tell me the van would leave their location at 7:00 and would call me 10 minutes before it arrives at my apartment to pick me up.
We spent some time downtown in the evening, exchanged some extra Serbian money, and returned to the apartment to pack and get ready. Wes leaves for home tomorrow morning a couple of hours before I leave for Sarajevo.
There was an interesting event tonight, though, that confirmed a suspicion of mine and removed some guilt from yesterday. When we approached the Fortress yesterday, a young man who looked like a student with a small backpack, a scraggly beard, and long hair pulled into a topknot on his head approached us out of breath and asked if we spoke English. He told us a story that he had missed his ride and didn't even have money to get to the bus station. He asked us if we could help him by giving him 7 Euros to get there and buy his bus ticket home. My response was, "We don't even have any Euros." He replied, "Dinars would be okay," as we walked away and I worried that his story might be true. My feeling is that most active beggars are not telling the truth and that "helping" them just perpetuates a problem.
Tonight, as we stepped out of our apartment to head to town speaking English to each other. A young man just in front of us turned around and, out of breath, asked, "Do you speak English?" Then just as he was about to explain his problem, we mutually recognized each other. He turned away and out toward the street. I saw him throw up his arms in frustration (or embarrassment) and then proceed across the street and up the other side. I should have said as he left without even asking, "We don't have any Euros." I didn't think that fast. But seeing that it truly is a con this young man is trying to pull on others made me feel better about yesterday and to feel justified in my philosophy of extra cautious with someone who is actively trying to get money from others.
We had some surprise drizzle this morning, but it went away by 11:00. Then we headed to the Tesla Museum. Nikola Tesla was the inventor of the applied use of alternating current among many other electrical concepts. He is most popular, however, for demonstrating the creation of electrical lightning bolts with what is called a Tesla Coil. It's something that is so popular with people that everyone seems to get excited by seeing them in action. Although Tesla lived much of his life in the US and got his patents for his inventions there, he had family ties to Serbia. The government here fought to get his possessions sent to Belgrade after his death. The museum includes clothing items, working models of some of his inventions, and demonstration models of various kinds including a Tesla Coil. There were crowds of people going through the museum while we were there.
We wandered through a few more parts of town after leaving the museum, then we came to the apartment to await the call from Gea Tours about my ride to Sarajevo tomorrow. They called just before 17:00 to tell me the van would leave their location at 7:00 and would call me 10 minutes before it arrives at my apartment to pick me up.
We spent some time downtown in the evening, exchanged some extra Serbian money, and returned to the apartment to pack and get ready. Wes leaves for home tomorrow morning a couple of hours before I leave for Sarajevo.
There was an interesting event tonight, though, that confirmed a suspicion of mine and removed some guilt from yesterday. When we approached the Fortress yesterday, a young man who looked like a student with a small backpack, a scraggly beard, and long hair pulled into a topknot on his head approached us out of breath and asked if we spoke English. He told us a story that he had missed his ride and didn't even have money to get to the bus station. He asked us if we could help him by giving him 7 Euros to get there and buy his bus ticket home. My response was, "We don't even have any Euros." He replied, "Dinars would be okay," as we walked away and I worried that his story might be true. My feeling is that most active beggars are not telling the truth and that "helping" them just perpetuates a problem.
Tonight, as we stepped out of our apartment to head to town speaking English to each other. A young man just in front of us turned around and, out of breath, asked, "Do you speak English?" Then just as he was about to explain his problem, we mutually recognized each other. He turned away and out toward the street. I saw him throw up his arms in frustration (or embarrassment) and then proceed across the street and up the other side. I should have said as he left without even asking, "We don't have any Euros." I didn't think that fast. But seeing that it truly is a con this young man is trying to pull on others made me feel better about yesterday and to feel justified in my philosophy of extra cautious with someone who is actively trying to get money from others.
Monday, August 22, 2016
Lucky Again
Monday, Aug. 22, 2016--Belgrade
The rain came in the night. When we awoke, it was still slightly raining. Then it rained a bit harder as we ate breakfast. By the time we had showered and gotten dressed, it seemed to be dryer and brighter. I checked the Doppler radar for the area, and it confirmed that all the rain had passed. We headed out just an hour later than we had left yesterday. And it never rained again all day.
Because it was cooler today, we wore long pants and headed to churches. We started with St. Mark's Church which is large and beautiful with a really nice and huge pressed metal circular chandelier. Then we headed to St. Sava Temple which is one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world and still under construction with little finished inside. Outside that church, I took a photo of Wes standing with a statue of Nicola Tesla who invented the alternating electrical current and who is probably best known for creating the Tesla coil which sends bolts of lightning into the air. Next, we returned to St. Michael's Cathedral which we were not allowed to enter on Sunday because of wearing shorts. It isn't that large, but it is beautiful inside. Finally, we went to two small, old churches that are part of the Fortress: Ruzica Church and the Church of St. Petka. The former is a nice, old church that is beautiful inside and out with nice old frescoes on the ceiling and ivy growing on the outer walls. A strange feature is chandeliers made from rifle bullets. The latter has walls and ceilings covered with very detailed mosaics made of tiny irregularly shaped tiles.
While walking from church to church, we passed a small storefront space that was filled with people sitting in chairs and others sitting at computers lined along the back wall. The sign said, "Refugee Assistance Center." Our guess is that the computers were being used to stay in contact with relatives at home and that those in chairs were awaiting their turn to use the computers. We have seen other signs that there are recent refugees here in Belgrade including a sign in a park stating, "Dinner Served Here at 5:30." Click here for photos of refugees in the city.
The rain came in the night. When we awoke, it was still slightly raining. Then it rained a bit harder as we ate breakfast. By the time we had showered and gotten dressed, it seemed to be dryer and brighter. I checked the Doppler radar for the area, and it confirmed that all the rain had passed. We headed out just an hour later than we had left yesterday. And it never rained again all day.
Because it was cooler today, we wore long pants and headed to churches. We started with St. Mark's Church which is large and beautiful with a really nice and huge pressed metal circular chandelier. Then we headed to St. Sava Temple which is one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world and still under construction with little finished inside. Outside that church, I took a photo of Wes standing with a statue of Nicola Tesla who invented the alternating electrical current and who is probably best known for creating the Tesla coil which sends bolts of lightning into the air. Next, we returned to St. Michael's Cathedral which we were not allowed to enter on Sunday because of wearing shorts. It isn't that large, but it is beautiful inside. Finally, we went to two small, old churches that are part of the Fortress: Ruzica Church and the Church of St. Petka. The former is a nice, old church that is beautiful inside and out with nice old frescoes on the ceiling and ivy growing on the outer walls. A strange feature is chandeliers made from rifle bullets. The latter has walls and ceilings covered with very detailed mosaics made of tiny irregularly shaped tiles.
While walking from church to church, we passed a small storefront space that was filled with people sitting in chairs and others sitting at computers lined along the back wall. The sign said, "Refugee Assistance Center." Our guess is that the computers were being used to stay in contact with relatives at home and that those in chairs were awaiting their turn to use the computers. We have seen other signs that there are recent refugees here in Belgrade including a sign in a park stating, "Dinner Served Here at 5:30." Click here for photos of refugees in the city.
Beer Fest!
Sunday, Aug. 21, 2016--Belgrade
It being a hot day with rain forecast for the next two days, we knew we needed to get out early and see what we could see before coming inside from the heat. (Fortunately, our apartment has an air conditioner.) We wandered down the major walking street where people were shopping on a Sunday and sitting at sidewalk cafes. We tried to go to St. Michael's Cathedral (Serbian Orthodox), but they wouldn't let us in because we were wearing shorts. (This will become more and more of a problem as I head south where people are more and more conservative.) We went to the Fortress which is at a point where the Sava and the Danube Rivers come together. From the viewing point there, we could see the line of two different colors of water where they met. The Fortress grounds today are really a very popular large park with facilities for sports, or relaxing, etc. Besides the view of the two rivers, it also provides views across parts of the city.
Leaving there, we headed back to the center of town on a different street lined with more exclusive shops. Then we went the opposite direction from the center of town seeing some massive government buildings--the City Hall, the Presidential Palace (where see saw the guard change), and the National Assembly (where the legislature meets). We would have gone further to see more sights, but by then it was 14:00 and getting very hot. We returned to the apartment for the afternoon.
The evening was the last night of the Belgrade Beer Fest which runs 4 evenings and is one of the largest festivals in Europe now with over 600,000 in attendance. We walked from our apartment across the bridge to the park where the festival was occurring. Tonight was an interesting night to be there, because it was also the night of the basketball game between Serbia and the US for the gold medal at the Olympics. There were bands playing on the stages, but there were also big screen projections of the basketball game. The festival grounds have lots of beer counters, but they also have food counters, people handing out samples, games, etc. Among the games were beer pong, a green-screen television acting situation using helmets and weapons to create a film of them within the already-recorded action, a limbo-type game where a person puts on antlers and tries to pass under danging beer cans without touching any, etc.
We heard two bands--Svremenasi (a group of older men playing Serbian music) and Massimo Savic (a Croatian pop singer with a David-Bowie-type sound). We watched the ball game which was exciting for the Serbians at first because the US was playing so badly most of the first quarter causing a close score. We watched people trying the games. It was so warm and humid, though, that we were uncomfortable. Then the music became so loud that it bothered us. So we returned home around 22:00.
It being a hot day with rain forecast for the next two days, we knew we needed to get out early and see what we could see before coming inside from the heat. (Fortunately, our apartment has an air conditioner.) We wandered down the major walking street where people were shopping on a Sunday and sitting at sidewalk cafes. We tried to go to St. Michael's Cathedral (Serbian Orthodox), but they wouldn't let us in because we were wearing shorts. (This will become more and more of a problem as I head south where people are more and more conservative.) We went to the Fortress which is at a point where the Sava and the Danube Rivers come together. From the viewing point there, we could see the line of two different colors of water where they met. The Fortress grounds today are really a very popular large park with facilities for sports, or relaxing, etc. Besides the view of the two rivers, it also provides views across parts of the city.
Leaving there, we headed back to the center of town on a different street lined with more exclusive shops. Then we went the opposite direction from the center of town seeing some massive government buildings--the City Hall, the Presidential Palace (where see saw the guard change), and the National Assembly (where the legislature meets). We would have gone further to see more sights, but by then it was 14:00 and getting very hot. We returned to the apartment for the afternoon.
The evening was the last night of the Belgrade Beer Fest which runs 4 evenings and is one of the largest festivals in Europe now with over 600,000 in attendance. We walked from our apartment across the bridge to the park where the festival was occurring. Tonight was an interesting night to be there, because it was also the night of the basketball game between Serbia and the US for the gold medal at the Olympics. There were bands playing on the stages, but there were also big screen projections of the basketball game. The festival grounds have lots of beer counters, but they also have food counters, people handing out samples, games, etc. Among the games were beer pong, a green-screen television acting situation using helmets and weapons to create a film of them within the already-recorded action, a limbo-type game where a person puts on antlers and tries to pass under danging beer cans without touching any, etc.
We heard two bands--Svremenasi (a group of older men playing Serbian music) and Massimo Savic (a Croatian pop singer with a David-Bowie-type sound). We watched the ball game which was exciting for the Serbians at first because the US was playing so badly most of the first quarter causing a close score. We watched people trying the games. It was so warm and humid, though, that we were uncomfortable. Then the music became so loud that it bothered us. So we returned home around 22:00.
Sunday, August 21, 2016
Special Post about a Conversation Two Weeks Ago
There was a conversation with the young owner of one of our apartments two weeks ago that is still bothering me. He is in his twenties and has lived only under capitalism. His father has talked to him about communism, and it is obvious from the conversation that the father is nostalgic for the old days and that the son is questioning whether things were better then. Among the statements he made: Back then, everyone had a job, but no one had to work. They just went to their jobs where there was no pressure, but they got good pay. A person could earn enough in three years to buy a new car. Czechoslavakia was something better--not communism/not capitalism. Life was good because both the US and Russia favored us in attempts to make us their ally.
He made it sound like the old days were like it is in today's social democracies in Scandinavia except that people didn't have to work. That's not true. I was in Czechoslavakia (as well as Hungary, Yugoslavia, and East Germany) during the communism. I also read reports that coincided with what I saw. First, the fact that no one had to work meant that service was terrible everywhere with customers having to wait in lines while employees stood nearby ignoring them. It meant that construction was shoddy (as evidenced by the buildings falling apart today that were built then). Second, the person who made enough money to buy a car in three years probably had to be on a waiting list to get that car at least that many years; cars could not be bought on demand, because there was always a waiting list for years--not just to get a car, but to get a telephone and other items. And saving enough in three years to buy a car was partially due to the car being a Jugo (considered the worst and cheapest car ever made) and also due to the fact that there were few other goods available to spend money on causing people to end up with lots of savings. (Back in those days, one had to be on the watch for available items and rush and wait in lines in hopes they wouldn't run out. You could go into supermarkets filled with shelves, but individual items placed half a meter a part [10 meters of shelving to display 20 bottles of catsup, for instance, IF they had catsup in stock].) Third, he didn't mention the other negatives: Every building or block had paid snitches to tell the government what people were doing that might be questionable. Hotels had a woman sitting at the end of the hallway on every floor to make sure that no one could go to another person's room or sneak someone up the back stairs into their room. Only high officials had passports that would allow them to travel internationally, and even they had to get permission for trips. Vacations had to be within the country and possibly to neighboring countries that had communist governments.
Anyway, I have read other stories recently of people within the former Eastern Block becoming nostalgic for the old days. This conversation, especially since it was from a young person who knows no better, has really remained on my mind. I try to be a realist. I have my own ideas of what is wrong with today's governments--democracies, monarchies, dictatorships, etc. No where is perfect. But it would be sad to see countries where people have achieved so many personal rights try to turn the clock back.
Hilly Belgrade
Saturday, Aug. 20, 2016--Subotica to Belgrade
After a 3-hour bus trip, we arrived at the bus station in Belgrade. What surprises we encountered in the city.
First, it is UGLY in general. Too much of the city was built during the communist period in which huge, cheaply constructed apartment blocks were the norm. Today, they are dull, gray, crumbling slums. Furthermore, the lack of general upkeep of the infrastructure of the whole city adds to the ugliness.
Second, there are many poor people here. People who look like their lives are desperate are scattered throughout, but the were especially evident near the bus station and on much of the walk from there to our apartment. We saw a sign saying, "Warm Dinner Here Every Day 5:30." Some of the poor are apparently refugees who have made it this far in Europe.
Third, Belgrade is very hilly. We had to come up steep inclines from the bus station to get to our apartment. Every direction we go, it is either up or down when we go out.
That being said, our apartment, Ideal apartment, is in a very nice part of the city. It is just a block from the main night entertainment district and just 3 blocks from Republic Square, the main center of the city. The apartment is much roomier than the one in Subotica, has a/c, cable tv, a washing machine, and good wifi. It is clean and nice. The beds serve for sleeping and for sitting, since it is an efficiency and there is no sofa nor any chairs (other than dining chairs).
We went into town to get information at the tourist office and to buy some groceries from a food store. Then we returned to the apartment to rest, since we had to get up early this morning.
After buying a pizza next door and eating it in the apartment, we spent the evening on Skadarlija Street one block behind our street and parallel to it. Skadarlija is the "River Walk" of Belgrade. There is no river, but there is a narrow cobblestone street that is lined with sidewalk cafes. It is filled with people going to the cafes, and there are groups of musicians playing Serbian tunes in a way that reminds one of mariachis. We wandered up and down the street watching the people and listening to the music. Several places, we sat on benches. They were screening a Serbian film, Klopka, at the bottom of the street, but I had already seen it either in the theater or on Netflix.
After a 3-hour bus trip, we arrived at the bus station in Belgrade. What surprises we encountered in the city.
First, it is UGLY in general. Too much of the city was built during the communist period in which huge, cheaply constructed apartment blocks were the norm. Today, they are dull, gray, crumbling slums. Furthermore, the lack of general upkeep of the infrastructure of the whole city adds to the ugliness.
Second, there are many poor people here. People who look like their lives are desperate are scattered throughout, but the were especially evident near the bus station and on much of the walk from there to our apartment. We saw a sign saying, "Warm Dinner Here Every Day 5:30." Some of the poor are apparently refugees who have made it this far in Europe.
Third, Belgrade is very hilly. We had to come up steep inclines from the bus station to get to our apartment. Every direction we go, it is either up or down when we go out.
That being said, our apartment, Ideal apartment, is in a very nice part of the city. It is just a block from the main night entertainment district and just 3 blocks from Republic Square, the main center of the city. The apartment is much roomier than the one in Subotica, has a/c, cable tv, a washing machine, and good wifi. It is clean and nice. The beds serve for sleeping and for sitting, since it is an efficiency and there is no sofa nor any chairs (other than dining chairs).
We went into town to get information at the tourist office and to buy some groceries from a food store. Then we returned to the apartment to rest, since we had to get up early this morning.
After buying a pizza next door and eating it in the apartment, we spent the evening on Skadarlija Street one block behind our street and parallel to it. Skadarlija is the "River Walk" of Belgrade. There is no river, but there is a narrow cobblestone street that is lined with sidewalk cafes. It is filled with people going to the cafes, and there are groups of musicians playing Serbian tunes in a way that reminds one of mariachis. We wandered up and down the street watching the people and listening to the music. Several places, we sat on benches. They were screening a Serbian film, Klopka, at the bottom of the street, but I had already seen it either in the theater or on Netflix.
Saturday, August 20, 2016
Defitely One of the World's Beautiful Cities
Friday, Aug. 19, 2016--Subotica
We made a final round of the best of the art nouveau buildings in town this morning taking photos of small details of the buildings. One of the buildings had guards who didn't like us taking photos. They said, "Hello. Stop! Go!" What's amazing is that it is pictured on the Internet (as shown by the link above), so what good would it do to stop someone from taking more pictures? And if they had checked my camera, they would have seen that the only photo I took was one that zoomed in on a tiny decorative detail of the building. Anyway, we figured out from the Internet that the building is the Consulate for Hungary.
As we wandered, we also found some places we still hadn't seen. We saw the interior of the Orthodox Church. We went into the Railway Station. We explored a narrow street with high class sidewalk cafes. We went through the local market which was closing (where Wes found a stall selling horse meat).
We ate huge plates of food tonight. Mine was chunks of pork cooked with onions, mushrooms, and cheese and served with tomatoes, pickles, corn, and a spicy sauce. Wes had seasoned boneless chicken breasts with similar vegetables. We shared a plate of fries to go with them.
We ended the evening by walking around the city one more time. This is a really beautiful place. It has one of the best town squares I have ever enjoyed. It's too bad that so few people know about it. I bet it would be fantastic at Christmas.
We made a final round of the best of the art nouveau buildings in town this morning taking photos of small details of the buildings. One of the buildings had guards who didn't like us taking photos. They said, "Hello. Stop! Go!" What's amazing is that it is pictured on the Internet (as shown by the link above), so what good would it do to stop someone from taking more pictures? And if they had checked my camera, they would have seen that the only photo I took was one that zoomed in on a tiny decorative detail of the building. Anyway, we figured out from the Internet that the building is the Consulate for Hungary.
As we wandered, we also found some places we still hadn't seen. We saw the interior of the Orthodox Church. We went into the Railway Station. We explored a narrow street with high class sidewalk cafes. We went through the local market which was closing (where Wes found a stall selling horse meat).
We ate huge plates of food tonight. Mine was chunks of pork cooked with onions, mushrooms, and cheese and served with tomatoes, pickles, corn, and a spicy sauce. Wes had seasoned boneless chicken breasts with similar vegetables. We shared a plate of fries to go with them.
We ended the evening by walking around the city one more time. This is a really beautiful place. It has one of the best town squares I have ever enjoyed. It's too bad that so few people know about it. I bet it would be fantastic at Christmas.
Friday, August 19, 2016
City Hall and a Side Trip
Thursday, Aug. 18, 2016--Subotica and Palic
We have been so lucky. Originally, the forecast was for three days of rain. It rained hard while we were on the bus yesterday, but the rest of the day was fine. Today, we awoke to some clouds, but the sun eventually came out without there being any more rain.
We had a lazy morning in the apartment and didn't leave until about 10:45. We wandered some streets and then sat on a bench in front of the City Hall watching young boys (ages 13-17) setting up booths for a festival here next week as we awaited the noon tour of the building. We observed that the boys set up their first framework for a booth on one side of the fountain so that they would have to pass it to set up the others. They brought in two more booths squeezing their way between the first one and the fountain before they realized they should move it back a bit to make more room. Then, after we came out of our tour, we saw that, as they placed the booth frames on the other side of the fountain, they had figured out that it was best to put the furtherest one in place first so they wouldn't have to pass any with each new one. They were a bit slow learning, but they solved their problem eventually!
There were 6 English speakers (a Russian couple, a Chinese couple, and Wes and me) and 4 Serbian speakers on the tour of the City Hall. The guide was very thorough and encouraged us to take photos. The interior of the building is very detailed with much handcrafted work (tiles, wall paintings, stained glass windows, wood carvings, etc.). It was as ornate as the exterior of the building is.
In the afternoon, we took the bus to Palic, a small community that exists where there was a huge spa in the late 1800s/early 1900s. The spa was developed within a wooded area around a large shallow lake. It is fronted at the highway entrance by a water tower construction that creates a dramatic arched entryway. From there, a Great Walkway takes visitors to the facilities near the lake. There is a building called the Grand Terrace that has huge ballrooms and even larger open porches facing the lake. To each side of the Grand Terrace are two hotels that still operate today. In the woods, there is an amphitheater with features constructed of uncut stone (that has a quaint atmosphere somewhat like the Arnesen River Theater in San Antonio). On the waterfront were separate wooden bathing facilities for women and for men to protect their modesty from the opposite sex (with only the women's facility still standing). Scattered around the park are various mansions and sculptures. Much of the construction is characterized by art nouveau features like those found here in Subotica.
I mentioned yesterday that we had bought Jelen Beer. It is pronounced with the "J" having a "Y" sound. We've been joking today that we spent the night Jellin' (American pronunciation) with Jelen (Serbian pronunciation). It was a two-liter bottle of beer and we only drank half of it, so tonight, we were still "Jellin' with Jelen" as we ate our dinner--pljeskavica (pronounced roughly as plyeskaveetsa) which is a Serbian style of hamburger. We bought the burgers at a stall that has people waiting in lines all day and ate them at a counter attached to the side of the stall. Wes swears we ate horse meat again!
We have been so lucky. Originally, the forecast was for three days of rain. It rained hard while we were on the bus yesterday, but the rest of the day was fine. Today, we awoke to some clouds, but the sun eventually came out without there being any more rain.
We had a lazy morning in the apartment and didn't leave until about 10:45. We wandered some streets and then sat on a bench in front of the City Hall watching young boys (ages 13-17) setting up booths for a festival here next week as we awaited the noon tour of the building. We observed that the boys set up their first framework for a booth on one side of the fountain so that they would have to pass it to set up the others. They brought in two more booths squeezing their way between the first one and the fountain before they realized they should move it back a bit to make more room. Then, after we came out of our tour, we saw that, as they placed the booth frames on the other side of the fountain, they had figured out that it was best to put the furtherest one in place first so they wouldn't have to pass any with each new one. They were a bit slow learning, but they solved their problem eventually!
There were 6 English speakers (a Russian couple, a Chinese couple, and Wes and me) and 4 Serbian speakers on the tour of the City Hall. The guide was very thorough and encouraged us to take photos. The interior of the building is very detailed with much handcrafted work (tiles, wall paintings, stained glass windows, wood carvings, etc.). It was as ornate as the exterior of the building is.
In the afternoon, we took the bus to Palic, a small community that exists where there was a huge spa in the late 1800s/early 1900s. The spa was developed within a wooded area around a large shallow lake. It is fronted at the highway entrance by a water tower construction that creates a dramatic arched entryway. From there, a Great Walkway takes visitors to the facilities near the lake. There is a building called the Grand Terrace that has huge ballrooms and even larger open porches facing the lake. To each side of the Grand Terrace are two hotels that still operate today. In the woods, there is an amphitheater with features constructed of uncut stone (that has a quaint atmosphere somewhat like the Arnesen River Theater in San Antonio). On the waterfront were separate wooden bathing facilities for women and for men to protect their modesty from the opposite sex (with only the women's facility still standing). Scattered around the park are various mansions and sculptures. Much of the construction is characterized by art nouveau features like those found here in Subotica.
I mentioned yesterday that we had bought Jelen Beer. It is pronounced with the "J" having a "Y" sound. We've been joking today that we spent the night Jellin' (American pronunciation) with Jelen (Serbian pronunciation). It was a two-liter bottle of beer and we only drank half of it, so tonight, we were still "Jellin' with Jelen" as we ate our dinner--pljeskavica (pronounced roughly as plyeskaveetsa) which is a Serbian style of hamburger. We bought the burgers at a stall that has people waiting in lines all day and ate them at a counter attached to the side of the stall. Wes swears we ate horse meat again!
Thursday, August 18, 2016
Art Nouveau Paradise
Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2016--Novi Sad to Subotica
Luck was on our side today. There was a forecast for rain--an 80% chance! We awoke, however, to sunny skies and were able to walk to the bus station for our trip to Subotica. It pulled into the platform right on time and pulled out just a couple of minutes later. During the trip, however, we got heavy rain with lightning and thunder. We made it to Subtica 15 minutes early due, I guess, to there being so few vehicles on the road. It was still raining slightly, so we bought our ticket for leaving on Saturday and sat in the station for a few minutes. Eventually, it was just a light rain, so we headed off to find our apartment.
Our apartment, Subotica, Trg Cara Jovana Nenada 6, is small, but we could tell that from the photos. Fortunately, it is a bit bigger in real life than it looks in the photos which make it look as if there is not even room for suitcases. It's clean, neat, and functional. We'll be fine here for three nights.
By the time we settled into the apartment, blue skies were beginning to appear. We went out to explore Subotica which is known for its art nouveau buildings throughout the center of town. We walked up and down the streets amazed at how large the city is and how many nice buildings exist here.
Our apartment is in a building with TWO supermarkets downstairs. We went to one and bought some needed breakfast supplies--eggs, cheese, salami, etc., and a Jelen Beer, a Serbian brew. Then we watched the Olympics for until time to find dinner.
After dinner, we walked around town seeing all the nice art nouveau buildings with their night lighting. Some are even more beautiful than in the daytime. While out, we tried Pelivan ice cream. It's another place that makes their own ice creams with natural ingredients. I had two scoops of coconut, and Wes had one scoop of caramel and one scoop of cinnamon. All the flavors were great, but, unfortunately, we both agree that Peter Pan in Osijek is still the best!
Luck was on our side today. There was a forecast for rain--an 80% chance! We awoke, however, to sunny skies and were able to walk to the bus station for our trip to Subotica. It pulled into the platform right on time and pulled out just a couple of minutes later. During the trip, however, we got heavy rain with lightning and thunder. We made it to Subtica 15 minutes early due, I guess, to there being so few vehicles on the road. It was still raining slightly, so we bought our ticket for leaving on Saturday and sat in the station for a few minutes. Eventually, it was just a light rain, so we headed off to find our apartment.
Our apartment, Subotica, Trg Cara Jovana Nenada 6, is small, but we could tell that from the photos. Fortunately, it is a bit bigger in real life than it looks in the photos which make it look as if there is not even room for suitcases. It's clean, neat, and functional. We'll be fine here for three nights.
By the time we settled into the apartment, blue skies were beginning to appear. We went out to explore Subotica which is known for its art nouveau buildings throughout the center of town. We walked up and down the streets amazed at how large the city is and how many nice buildings exist here.
Our apartment is in a building with TWO supermarkets downstairs. We went to one and bought some needed breakfast supplies--eggs, cheese, salami, etc., and a Jelen Beer, a Serbian brew. Then we watched the Olympics for until time to find dinner.
After dinner, we walked around town seeing all the nice art nouveau buildings with their night lighting. Some are even more beautiful than in the daytime. While out, we tried Pelivan ice cream. It's another place that makes their own ice creams with natural ingredients. I had two scoops of coconut, and Wes had one scoop of caramel and one scoop of cinnamon. All the flavors were great, but, unfortunately, we both agree that Peter Pan in Osijek is still the best!
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
Three Consistent Problems
Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2016--Novi Sad
During the trip, there has been one consistent problem throughout--so much smoking everywhere. Then starting in Croatia, two more were added which continue to be a problem--bicyclists on the sidewalks and mosquitoes.
Smoking has deteriorated so much more in the US compared to the rest of the world. Everywhere we have visited on this trip, there is regularly the smell of cigarette smoke in the air. People walk down the sidewalks smoking. They sit at sidewalk cafes smoking. They stand in lines smoking. It's really quite sad and quite discomforting to endure.
Italy and Slovenia had bicycle lanes everywhere, and bicyclists used them. In Croatia, and here in Serbia, there may be a bicycle lane and there may not be. Either way, the bicyclists mostly ignore them and ride through the walkers on the sidewalk. They will swoop by so fast and so close that there is a wisp of unexpected breeze. It can be a bit scary and seems quite dangerous.
I had not expected to encounter mosquitoes here. So much of Europe is mosquito free. But in Croatia and Serbia, they seem to be everywhere. It has become necessary, even when the air is quite fresh and nice to enjoy, to keep windows closed from just before dusk until after dawn the next morning. Even then, however, mosquitoes can show up in the daytime. Here in Novi Sad, we are keeping the windows closed all the time. There are still some mosquitoes in the living room area that got in the first day, so we are also keeping our bedroom doors closed after having killed and/or drawn out those that were originally in there.
Today, after going to the bus station to get our tickets for tomorrow, we explored leftover places we still wanted to see. We tried to see the synagogue, but it was closed. A review somewhere said that they only let Jewish people inside the building complex, so I guess it was right. From there, we walked to the campus of the University of Novi Sad and walked among the buildings most of which were unimpressive because of having been built in communist times and greatly showing their age and deterioration. The one good, new building on campus (a black cube that can be seen among the photos at the link above) was for the administration! Back in the downtown area, we went to the Catholic Cathedral, a simple, but elegant building with a fantastic roof and steeple.
After sitting and watching people for a while, we returned to the apartment for the hot part of the afternoon. Then we went out again to get food to bring home an eat on our balcony. Finally, we went back to town to wander among the crowds. The best street group consisted of three young boys (probably brothers) ranging in age from 9 to 12 or 13 playing unbelievably well--a violin, an accordion, and a guitar. They played 1950s popular Italian songs, Viennese waltzes, and Russian pieces.
During the trip, there has been one consistent problem throughout--so much smoking everywhere. Then starting in Croatia, two more were added which continue to be a problem--bicyclists on the sidewalks and mosquitoes.
Smoking has deteriorated so much more in the US compared to the rest of the world. Everywhere we have visited on this trip, there is regularly the smell of cigarette smoke in the air. People walk down the sidewalks smoking. They sit at sidewalk cafes smoking. They stand in lines smoking. It's really quite sad and quite discomforting to endure.
Italy and Slovenia had bicycle lanes everywhere, and bicyclists used them. In Croatia, and here in Serbia, there may be a bicycle lane and there may not be. Either way, the bicyclists mostly ignore them and ride through the walkers on the sidewalk. They will swoop by so fast and so close that there is a wisp of unexpected breeze. It can be a bit scary and seems quite dangerous.
I had not expected to encounter mosquitoes here. So much of Europe is mosquito free. But in Croatia and Serbia, they seem to be everywhere. It has become necessary, even when the air is quite fresh and nice to enjoy, to keep windows closed from just before dusk until after dawn the next morning. Even then, however, mosquitoes can show up in the daytime. Here in Novi Sad, we are keeping the windows closed all the time. There are still some mosquitoes in the living room area that got in the first day, so we are also keeping our bedroom doors closed after having killed and/or drawn out those that were originally in there.
Today, after going to the bus station to get our tickets for tomorrow, we explored leftover places we still wanted to see. We tried to see the synagogue, but it was closed. A review somewhere said that they only let Jewish people inside the building complex, so I guess it was right. From there, we walked to the campus of the University of Novi Sad and walked among the buildings most of which were unimpressive because of having been built in communist times and greatly showing their age and deterioration. The one good, new building on campus (a black cube that can be seen among the photos at the link above) was for the administration! Back in the downtown area, we went to the Catholic Cathedral, a simple, but elegant building with a fantastic roof and steeple.
After sitting and watching people for a while, we returned to the apartment for the hot part of the afternoon. Then we went out again to get food to bring home an eat on our balcony. Finally, we went back to town to wander among the crowds. The best street group consisted of three young boys (probably brothers) ranging in age from 9 to 12 or 13 playing unbelievably well--a violin, an accordion, and a guitar. They played 1950s popular Italian songs, Viennese waltzes, and Russian pieces.
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Exploring Novi Sad
Monday, Aug. 15, 2016--Novi Sad
Novi Sad is large enough that it feels like a capital city. It has massive government buildings, a large center of town, etc. It's also a beautiful city. Everyone we met previously who knew we were coming here eventually said it was one of their favorite cities.
Today, we headed straight across the Danube River to explore the Fortress. It is a large fortress on a hill that somehow was never conquered during its active life. It had great views back across the river to the city.
Next, we went down the river to see the Family Sculpture/Raid Victims Monument. It is to commemorate a terrible event in the history of the city. In 1942, Hungarian fascists rounded up Jews, Serbs, and Gypsies and threw them through holes in the frozen Danube and watched them drown under the ice.
From there, we headed to Danube Park, the main central park in Novi Sad. We sat and watched people coming and going, others playing with a frisbee, many taking their photos with a statue, etc.
We needed to do laundry, so we stopped at a small supermarket to buy soap and some food items we needed, then we came back to the apartment for the hottest part of the afternoon.
For dinner, we bought a Novi Sad Index each, a popular local sandwich somewhat like one from a Subway made with ham, melted cheese, flavored sour cream, pickles, and shredded cabbage. Again, we ate on the balcony and we had a local Apatinsko beer with it.
In the evening, we spent two hours downtown. Even though it is a Monday, the area was filled with people sitting at sidewalk cafes, walking up and down the streets, listening to street entertainers, etc. There was a great clarinet/bass duo playing jazz. And elderly man was playing the accordion. Two men were playing guitars. We stood by the beautiful Orthodox Bishop's Palace and listened to the jazz duo. Later, we walked by the Jewish Synagogue looking for a concert that was supposed to be occurring in a courtyard there, but we never found it. Eventually, we headed back home while many people were still enjoying the evening.
Novi Sad is large enough that it feels like a capital city. It has massive government buildings, a large center of town, etc. It's also a beautiful city. Everyone we met previously who knew we were coming here eventually said it was one of their favorite cities.
Today, we headed straight across the Danube River to explore the Fortress. It is a large fortress on a hill that somehow was never conquered during its active life. It had great views back across the river to the city.
Next, we went down the river to see the Family Sculpture/Raid Victims Monument. It is to commemorate a terrible event in the history of the city. In 1942, Hungarian fascists rounded up Jews, Serbs, and Gypsies and threw them through holes in the frozen Danube and watched them drown under the ice.
From there, we headed to Danube Park, the main central park in Novi Sad. We sat and watched people coming and going, others playing with a frisbee, many taking their photos with a statue, etc.
We needed to do laundry, so we stopped at a small supermarket to buy soap and some food items we needed, then we came back to the apartment for the hottest part of the afternoon.
For dinner, we bought a Novi Sad Index each, a popular local sandwich somewhat like one from a Subway made with ham, melted cheese, flavored sour cream, pickles, and shredded cabbage. Again, we ate on the balcony and we had a local Apatinsko beer with it.
In the evening, we spent two hours downtown. Even though it is a Monday, the area was filled with people sitting at sidewalk cafes, walking up and down the streets, listening to street entertainers, etc. There was a great clarinet/bass duo playing jazz. And elderly man was playing the accordion. Two men were playing guitars. We stood by the beautiful Orthodox Bishop's Palace and listened to the jazz duo. Later, we walked by the Jewish Synagogue looking for a concert that was supposed to be occurring in a courtyard there, but we never found it. Eventually, we headed back home while many people were still enjoying the evening.
Sunday, August 14, 2016
Passing through Vukovar on the Way to Serbia
Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016--Osijek, Croatia, to Novi Sad, Serbia
We caught a noon bus today. On the way from Osijek to Novi Sad, we passed by Vukovar. Back in the early 1990s, it was on the news every night, because it was the main area of the fight between the Croatians trying to get independence and the Yugoslavian National Army trying to keep it in the communist fold and it was the location for a massacre. Night-after-night for months, there were TV reports of the fighting and scenes of the war damage. The city is now mostly rebuilt, but it has only half the population it had before, and evidence of the war still remains. We saw two towers in the city that had huge chunks missing and large holes remaining due to shelling. There were a few remaining damaged homes and buildings that had only partial walls and roofs because of the war.
Crossing through immigration at the Serbian border, the female official really studied the history of both mine and Wes' travels that came up on the screen after scanning the chip on the passport. I think she was surprised to see so many countries in so many parts of the world. She may have been trying to figure if there was a pattern to it all that would indicate we were a bad guys.
Our apartment in Novi Sad, "Central 65m apartment, free parking," is one of the good ones. It is so clean, light, attractive, roomy, etc. It would be easy to stay here for much longer than we have planned.
We left for downtown not long after arriving, because we needed to get some Serbian dinars. We checked all the different money exchange offices we could find and changed the rest of my Danish currency into dinars. That meant we could have dinner!! After sitting on the main square watching people for a while, we stopped at a Gyros Land near our apartment that has a good reputation. We brought our gyros home and ate them on the balcony that can be seen in the photos on the page link above for the apartment.
The rest of the evening we just relaxed. It's amazing how tiring a travel day can be. There is the stress of getting out of the old place, finding out where to catch the bus at the station, checking the bags, getting the seats on the bus, following the route to know where we are while wondering if we will arrive on time, finding our way from the bus station to the new apartment, meeting the owner of the apartment and dealing with business matters related to our stay, and, in the case of today, getting money and then finding a place to eat before the day is over.
We caught a noon bus today. On the way from Osijek to Novi Sad, we passed by Vukovar. Back in the early 1990s, it was on the news every night, because it was the main area of the fight between the Croatians trying to get independence and the Yugoslavian National Army trying to keep it in the communist fold and it was the location for a massacre. Night-after-night for months, there were TV reports of the fighting and scenes of the war damage. The city is now mostly rebuilt, but it has only half the population it had before, and evidence of the war still remains. We saw two towers in the city that had huge chunks missing and large holes remaining due to shelling. There were a few remaining damaged homes and buildings that had only partial walls and roofs because of the war.
Crossing through immigration at the Serbian border, the female official really studied the history of both mine and Wes' travels that came up on the screen after scanning the chip on the passport. I think she was surprised to see so many countries in so many parts of the world. She may have been trying to figure if there was a pattern to it all that would indicate we were a bad guys.
Our apartment in Novi Sad, "Central 65m apartment, free parking," is one of the good ones. It is so clean, light, attractive, roomy, etc. It would be easy to stay here for much longer than we have planned.
We left for downtown not long after arriving, because we needed to get some Serbian dinars. We checked all the different money exchange offices we could find and changed the rest of my Danish currency into dinars. That meant we could have dinner!! After sitting on the main square watching people for a while, we stopped at a Gyros Land near our apartment that has a good reputation. We brought our gyros home and ate them on the balcony that can be seen in the photos on the page link above for the apartment.
The rest of the evening we just relaxed. It's amazing how tiring a travel day can be. There is the stress of getting out of the old place, finding out where to catch the bus at the station, checking the bags, getting the seats on the bus, following the route to know where we are while wondering if we will arrive on time, finding our way from the bus station to the new apartment, meeting the owner of the apartment and dealing with business matters related to our stay, and, in the case of today, getting money and then finding a place to eat before the day is over.
Peter Pan Ice Cream!
Saturday, Aug. 13, 2016--Osijek
Osijek has two features on the riverfront that we went to see first--an old mill which is tied up to the bank of the river and has a paddle wheel which is turned by the current of the river and an old ferry which uses the river currents to cross back and forth via a long cable from the boat which has a small wheel on the end which follows another cable stretched across the river.
The mill works well and caused Wes to ask why large river power hasn't been used more often to run mills in the past. Usually, it seems to be small streams operating small wheels. The miller even had examples of breads made from the grain he had milled.
The ferry was quite unique, too. It has no motor to assist it. It pulls a row boat behind itself in case there is a problem requiring a rescue.
Across the river at the ferry landing is the Osijek Zoo. We spent two hours there watching all the animals. It is a small zoo, but they have a decent collection. Almost every animal was out in its pen so that we could watch it.
We walked along the far side of the river rather than wait for the ferry. We passed the beach area where people swim and sunbathe. Then we walked across a bridge into the Old Town again. We wandered through part of the Osijek University campus. Then we looked up the Kino Urania, a cinema from 1920 that won theater design prizes when it was built.
It was a quiet day overall in Osijek. There are few people out and about. On the way back to the apartment, we heard organ music in the Cathedral. We walked in, and there was a crowd near the alter where a wedding had just ended. The organist was extending The Wedding March because no one was leaving. We sat in the back row and listened and watched. Everyone wanted to walk up to the bride and groom and congratulate them. The organist finally gave up and switched to another tune. After a while, we realized we needed to leave before the bride and group decided to do so; therefore, we headed out wishing we could hear more of the music.
After that, we bought some groceries we need for breakfast tomorrow and the next day. At home, I boiled the potatoes and the eggs. We ate sandwiches we had bought from a stand on the way home.
We wanted to see if there is night life here and to get an ice cream cone from Peter Pan which my guide book recommends and which has had a line of people every time we have passed it. So we headed out about 20:00. We stopped at Peter Pan first. Wes got his usual chocolate cone. I got coconut. The ice cream was fantastic. My coconut was very flavorful and had little chunks of coconut in it. UMMMM!
Lots of people were walking along the river promenade. We joined them and then walked out to the middle of the pedestrian bridge where we saw a beautiful orange sunset. But then the mosquitoes started bothering us. We headed back toward town. Since this is the last place we can spend the Croatian currency, the Kuna, and we had enough to buy two more ice cream cones, we stopped at Peter Pan again. This time I got a butter crunch and Wes got a caramel. Both tasted so fresh and natural. They were better than the cones we got in the famous pace in Zagreb and cost about half as much.
Osijek has two features on the riverfront that we went to see first--an old mill which is tied up to the bank of the river and has a paddle wheel which is turned by the current of the river and an old ferry which uses the river currents to cross back and forth via a long cable from the boat which has a small wheel on the end which follows another cable stretched across the river.
The mill works well and caused Wes to ask why large river power hasn't been used more often to run mills in the past. Usually, it seems to be small streams operating small wheels. The miller even had examples of breads made from the grain he had milled.
The ferry was quite unique, too. It has no motor to assist it. It pulls a row boat behind itself in case there is a problem requiring a rescue.
Across the river at the ferry landing is the Osijek Zoo. We spent two hours there watching all the animals. It is a small zoo, but they have a decent collection. Almost every animal was out in its pen so that we could watch it.
We walked along the far side of the river rather than wait for the ferry. We passed the beach area where people swim and sunbathe. Then we walked across a bridge into the Old Town again. We wandered through part of the Osijek University campus. Then we looked up the Kino Urania, a cinema from 1920 that won theater design prizes when it was built.
It was a quiet day overall in Osijek. There are few people out and about. On the way back to the apartment, we heard organ music in the Cathedral. We walked in, and there was a crowd near the alter where a wedding had just ended. The organist was extending The Wedding March because no one was leaving. We sat in the back row and listened and watched. Everyone wanted to walk up to the bride and groom and congratulate them. The organist finally gave up and switched to another tune. After a while, we realized we needed to leave before the bride and group decided to do so; therefore, we headed out wishing we could hear more of the music.
After that, we bought some groceries we need for breakfast tomorrow and the next day. At home, I boiled the potatoes and the eggs. We ate sandwiches we had bought from a stand on the way home.
We wanted to see if there is night life here and to get an ice cream cone from Peter Pan which my guide book recommends and which has had a line of people every time we have passed it. So we headed out about 20:00. We stopped at Peter Pan first. Wes got his usual chocolate cone. I got coconut. The ice cream was fantastic. My coconut was very flavorful and had little chunks of coconut in it. UMMMM!
Lots of people were walking along the river promenade. We joined them and then walked out to the middle of the pedestrian bridge where we saw a beautiful orange sunset. But then the mosquitoes started bothering us. We headed back toward town. Since this is the last place we can spend the Croatian currency, the Kuna, and we had enough to buy two more ice cream cones, we stopped at Peter Pan again. This time I got a butter crunch and Wes got a caramel. Both tasted so fresh and natural. They were better than the cones we got in the famous pace in Zagreb and cost about half as much.
Saturday, August 13, 2016
Frustrations!
Friday, Aug. 12, 2016--Zagreb to Osijek
We headed to the bus station after having breakfast, packing, and cleaning up the apartment some. When it was time to board the bus, we discovered that Wes' seat back was broken. When he leaned back, the seat would go into full-recline position which put it in the lap of the lady behind us. There was a crowd on board. But when it was time to depart, we asked the lady behind him, who speaks English, to ask the conductor if there was an empty seat where he could move. He said there was one seat available, and Wes went there.
It was a 4-hour bus trip getting here. Croatia is a BIG country, and we are now in the far northeast corner of it.
We walked the 5 blocks or so to our new apartment, 3 bedroom apartment, where the owner was waiting for us. She showed us around the apartment, drew a map of the city to indicate where we should go, showed us how to operate the TV, etc. The apartment is large, but basic. The one we had in Zagreb was much better. But this one is cheaper.
Just before we started to go explore the city, the picture on the TV froze. I just turned it off and thought nothing more about it.
We headed off to see the center of Osijek first. Then to walk down Europa Avenue which is lined with grand and old, but mostly unrestored, houses and buildings. Next, to explore the Old Town which is quite large and has some impressive buildings itself. And, finally, to walk along the riverfront promenade back to the center of town.
Osijek is much smaller than Zagreb with only about 100,000 residents. But it does have some large, impressive buildings. What's more interesting is the number of old, unrestored buildings that have bullet holes in them from the war here in the early 1990s. Many buildings are scattered with many holes. Some have huge chunks of corners missing where there must have been lots of bullets shot or maybe a blast from a tank.
When we returned home in the late afternoon, the TV still had the frozen picture. We couldn't get any channels. The owner's husband came over and spent about 1 1/2 hours and could not get it to work. Eventually, we just gave up.
The final frustration for me came when I couldn't get my computer to connect to the Internet here. My phone did and Wes' computer did. But my computer kept saying that wi-fi was disconnected. After a long bout of research using Wes's computer and several attempts at solutions that I found, I finally came to a webpage which gave me a solution. By then, it was already late at night!!
We headed to the bus station after having breakfast, packing, and cleaning up the apartment some. When it was time to board the bus, we discovered that Wes' seat back was broken. When he leaned back, the seat would go into full-recline position which put it in the lap of the lady behind us. There was a crowd on board. But when it was time to depart, we asked the lady behind him, who speaks English, to ask the conductor if there was an empty seat where he could move. He said there was one seat available, and Wes went there.
It was a 4-hour bus trip getting here. Croatia is a BIG country, and we are now in the far northeast corner of it.
We walked the 5 blocks or so to our new apartment, 3 bedroom apartment, where the owner was waiting for us. She showed us around the apartment, drew a map of the city to indicate where we should go, showed us how to operate the TV, etc. The apartment is large, but basic. The one we had in Zagreb was much better. But this one is cheaper.
Just before we started to go explore the city, the picture on the TV froze. I just turned it off and thought nothing more about it.
We headed off to see the center of Osijek first. Then to walk down Europa Avenue which is lined with grand and old, but mostly unrestored, houses and buildings. Next, to explore the Old Town which is quite large and has some impressive buildings itself. And, finally, to walk along the riverfront promenade back to the center of town.
Osijek is much smaller than Zagreb with only about 100,000 residents. But it does have some large, impressive buildings. What's more interesting is the number of old, unrestored buildings that have bullet holes in them from the war here in the early 1990s. Many buildings are scattered with many holes. Some have huge chunks of corners missing where there must have been lots of bullets shot or maybe a blast from a tank.
When we returned home in the late afternoon, the TV still had the frozen picture. We couldn't get any channels. The owner's husband came over and spent about 1 1/2 hours and could not get it to work. Eventually, we just gave up.
The final frustration for me came when I couldn't get my computer to connect to the Internet here. My phone did and Wes' computer did. But my computer kept saying that wi-fi was disconnected. After a long bout of research using Wes's computer and several attempts at solutions that I found, I finally came to a webpage which gave me a solution. By then, it was already late at night!!
Friday, August 12, 2016
Capping the Zagreb Visit with an Organ Concert
Thursday, Aug. 11, 2016--Zagreb
Today was wrap-up day--getting around to things we still hadn't done since being here. We started by going back up the hill to the Old Town. We heard the canon go off at noon at the Lotrscak tower. We looked into St. Mark's Church which has a beautiful tiled roof with symbols of Croatia. We looked into a pharmacy in operation since 1355. We wandered through the small streets we still had not explored.
Going back down the hill, we exchanged some more money to try to have enough Croatian Kunas to last us through Sunday when we will leave the country. We saw the Orthodox Cathedral, walked through the Botanical Gardens, and explored several more streets lined with impressive buildings from the late 1800s/early 1900s.
In the evening, we headed to the Zagreb Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary arriving at 19:30 for a concert to begin at 20:00. What a sneaky plan the priest had!! He scheduled a mass at 19:00 that didn't end until 19:50 helping assure a full house for the concert and making it hard for us tourists to find a place to sit! Fortunately, there were some folding chairs near the side doors, so we got two of those and set them up facing toward the organ loft.
The organ at the cathedral is said to be one of the ten best in the world. It certainly is impressive both in size and in sound. The concert consisted of the organ played by Katarina Javora and the trombone and baritone horn played by Ivan Mucic. Mucic was much better on the trombone than on the baritone. And Javora never let loose on the organ--always deferring to the horn player. But it was a very good concert (and well attended thanks to the planning of the priest).
Oh, I forgot to mention.... As we sat there in the cathedral listening to the concert, we were underneath three large chandeliers that supposedly were originally hanging in a Las Vegas Casino before they were bought and donated to the church and installed here.
Today was wrap-up day--getting around to things we still hadn't done since being here. We started by going back up the hill to the Old Town. We heard the canon go off at noon at the Lotrscak tower. We looked into St. Mark's Church which has a beautiful tiled roof with symbols of Croatia. We looked into a pharmacy in operation since 1355. We wandered through the small streets we still had not explored.
Going back down the hill, we exchanged some more money to try to have enough Croatian Kunas to last us through Sunday when we will leave the country. We saw the Orthodox Cathedral, walked through the Botanical Gardens, and explored several more streets lined with impressive buildings from the late 1800s/early 1900s.
In the evening, we headed to the Zagreb Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary arriving at 19:30 for a concert to begin at 20:00. What a sneaky plan the priest had!! He scheduled a mass at 19:00 that didn't end until 19:50 helping assure a full house for the concert and making it hard for us tourists to find a place to sit! Fortunately, there were some folding chairs near the side doors, so we got two of those and set them up facing toward the organ loft.
The organ at the cathedral is said to be one of the ten best in the world. It certainly is impressive both in size and in sound. The concert consisted of the organ played by Katarina Javora and the trombone and baritone horn played by Ivan Mucic. Mucic was much better on the trombone than on the baritone. And Javora never let loose on the organ--always deferring to the horn player. But it was a very good concert (and well attended thanks to the planning of the priest).
Oh, I forgot to mention.... As we sat there in the cathedral listening to the concert, we were underneath three large chandeliers that supposedly were originally hanging in a Las Vegas Casino before they were bought and donated to the church and installed here.
Thursday, August 11, 2016
Day Trip to Samobor
Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016--Day Outing to Samobor
It was cooler and cloudy when we got up this morning for our trip to Samobor, a old, small town on the side of a mountain about 30 minutes from Zagreb. I wore a long-sleeve shirt, but Wes kept on a t-shirt which I think he regretted later.
We got up earlier than usual and ate breakfast faster than usual. By 10:00 we were at the bus station boarding a bus. It took us through parts of the city we had not yet explored including areas that have lots of modern office buildings.
When we arrived in Samobor, it was at a new, modern bus station on the edge of town. It's a small town, though, so we made it to the center without a problem. Actually, we passed the center on purpose and headed first to the ruins of the old castle above the town. After looking into a small chapel on the edge of town below the castle ruins, we headed up a rather narrow, steep trail. It seemed a bit dangerous and as if it hadn't handled lots of traffic. Eventually, we were at the top of the mountain entering the old castle gate. There are just a few walls still standing to give the idea of towers, rooms, etc. They are dramatic and pretty ruins, however. No one else was up there while we were.
After our exploration of the ruins, we found a different path back down--a bit wider with more steps in place of steep inclines. It led us down to the narrow river that flows through the town. We walked down a nice pathway lined with sports facilities and parks until we reached the center of town which has a combination of buildings from the 1600s and earlier and more decorative buildings from the late 1800s. Even though it was cool, people were sitting at sidewalk cafes on the main square.
Samobor is a delightful little town to visit. We continued wandering up and down narrow streets until we felt the weather getting worse--colder with a threat of rain. Then we headed back to the bus station and caught another bus back to the city.
Unfortunately, our return bus didn't go all the way to the bus station which is near our apartment. Instead, we were diagonally across town and had to buy tickets for a tram ride home. At least one of the trams (Line 12) that runs right in front of our apartment began where our bus stopped, so it was a nice ride home rather than being out in the weather.
I made coffee and we watched some of the Olympic sports on TV. Light rain continued to fall. It was in the 50s F by the time we went to bed.
It was cooler and cloudy when we got up this morning for our trip to Samobor, a old, small town on the side of a mountain about 30 minutes from Zagreb. I wore a long-sleeve shirt, but Wes kept on a t-shirt which I think he regretted later.
We got up earlier than usual and ate breakfast faster than usual. By 10:00 we were at the bus station boarding a bus. It took us through parts of the city we had not yet explored including areas that have lots of modern office buildings.
When we arrived in Samobor, it was at a new, modern bus station on the edge of town. It's a small town, though, so we made it to the center without a problem. Actually, we passed the center on purpose and headed first to the ruins of the old castle above the town. After looking into a small chapel on the edge of town below the castle ruins, we headed up a rather narrow, steep trail. It seemed a bit dangerous and as if it hadn't handled lots of traffic. Eventually, we were at the top of the mountain entering the old castle gate. There are just a few walls still standing to give the idea of towers, rooms, etc. They are dramatic and pretty ruins, however. No one else was up there while we were.
After our exploration of the ruins, we found a different path back down--a bit wider with more steps in place of steep inclines. It led us down to the narrow river that flows through the town. We walked down a nice pathway lined with sports facilities and parks until we reached the center of town which has a combination of buildings from the 1600s and earlier and more decorative buildings from the late 1800s. Even though it was cool, people were sitting at sidewalk cafes on the main square.
Samobor is a delightful little town to visit. We continued wandering up and down narrow streets until we felt the weather getting worse--colder with a threat of rain. Then we headed back to the bus station and caught another bus back to the city.
Unfortunately, our return bus didn't go all the way to the bus station which is near our apartment. Instead, we were diagonally across town and had to buy tickets for a tram ride home. At least one of the trams (Line 12) that runs right in front of our apartment began where our bus stopped, so it was a nice ride home rather than being out in the weather.
I made coffee and we watched some of the Olympic sports on TV. Light rain continued to fall. It was in the 50s F by the time we went to bed.
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Simple Day
Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2016--Zagreb
We slept late this morning. Then we took our time eating breakfast and getting ready to go out. For breakfast, we had fried onions and potatoes, a fried egg, bread with cheese, bread with salami, muesli with yogurt and milk, juice, and coffee. It was 11:00 before we left the apartment.
We walked out to Maksimir Park about 20 minutes east of our apartment. It's a large park built in the 1800s with huge trees, lots of trails, playgrounds, an amphitheater, etc. A corner of it houses the Zagreb Zoo. We went to the zoo only to find that much of it was closed for remodeling and repaving. We saw a few animals, though, and the entire reptile/insect/rodent house which also included some birds was open. It was quite nice, and we probably enjoyed it more than we usually would since we took our time going through it with no other exhibits to see.
Back at the park afterward, we wandered more trails. Then I took a short nap on a bench while Wes walked around a lake a couple of times. We watched some men exercising, we walked by the stadium across the street, and then we returned home.
During the afternoon, I upgraded my computer to the latest version of Ubuntu while we watched various Olympic sports (swimming events, rugby, and sailing) on the T V. Eventually, we briefly went down the street to buy donar kebabs and brought them back to the apartment where we drank the local Ozujsko beer while eating the kebabs.
We returned to the center of town in the evening. We watched people in a park, then we stopped for ice cream at Vincek's, a place that is old and always has a line of people. Finally, we heard another concert where we went last night. Tonight, it was two men singing a variety of folk songs including a number of Simon and Garfunkel hits. We returned home early so that we could get to bed earlier than usual. Tomorrow will be a day trip out of town.
We slept late this morning. Then we took our time eating breakfast and getting ready to go out. For breakfast, we had fried onions and potatoes, a fried egg, bread with cheese, bread with salami, muesli with yogurt and milk, juice, and coffee. It was 11:00 before we left the apartment.
We walked out to Maksimir Park about 20 minutes east of our apartment. It's a large park built in the 1800s with huge trees, lots of trails, playgrounds, an amphitheater, etc. A corner of it houses the Zagreb Zoo. We went to the zoo only to find that much of it was closed for remodeling and repaving. We saw a few animals, though, and the entire reptile/insect/rodent house which also included some birds was open. It was quite nice, and we probably enjoyed it more than we usually would since we took our time going through it with no other exhibits to see.
Back at the park afterward, we wandered more trails. Then I took a short nap on a bench while Wes walked around a lake a couple of times. We watched some men exercising, we walked by the stadium across the street, and then we returned home.
During the afternoon, I upgraded my computer to the latest version of Ubuntu while we watched various Olympic sports (swimming events, rugby, and sailing) on the T V. Eventually, we briefly went down the street to buy donar kebabs and brought them back to the apartment where we drank the local Ozujsko beer while eating the kebabs.
We returned to the center of town in the evening. We watched people in a park, then we stopped for ice cream at Vincek's, a place that is old and always has a line of people. Finally, we heard another concert where we went last night. Tonight, it was two men singing a variety of folk songs including a number of Simon and Garfunkel hits. We returned home early so that we could get to bed earlier than usual. Tomorrow will be a day trip out of town.
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