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.