2geonomads

Tuesday 7th May

Wake up to bright , sunny day  and eggs on toast served up by our travelling chef, John. The flat is in a very convenient location close to the city centre and offers all that we require for our short stay. Set off relatively early to walk into the pedestrian are on Kneza Mihaila. We meet up with a very charming man who had previously lectured at Southampton University in Specialisation, whatever that might be. Firstly offers a quick lesson on Serbia’s use of the Cyrillic alphabet and how to pronounce ‘trg,meaning  square. This requires the speaker to really roll their ‘ rrrs’ so we should have some fun with that one!

New-found guide suggests that we focus mainly on the large Kalemegdan Park and Stefan the Tyrant’s Castle so off we go but not before stopping at a Coffee Bar. Maureen and I settle for a standard cappuccino  but John and Gail have to try the hot chocolate. This turns out to be precisely that, namely 100 per cent melted chocolate.

Kalemegdan Park offers superb views over the Sava and Danube Rivers and on this particular day was crowded with hordes of students lying on the castle’s  battlements doing their sunflower pose and trying to get an early spring suntan.

Visit Ruzica Church and walk by St Petka Church where I mistake the burning of incense candles outside the latter for a wood-fired pizza oven to serve a nearby cafe, much to John’s amusement ! I’ m sure that he won’t miss any chance to remind me of my faux-pas over the coming days but he may find out that hell hath no fury like a blog-author scorned.

Back downtown to Trg Republika for lovely alfresco lunch then proceed to Trg Nikole Pasica then proceed past the very impressive National Assembly and St Mark’s church to the huge St Sava Temple. Started in 1939 and the exterior only finished in 1990 its interior is being done in stages as funds become available.

Evening spent dining at Casa Nova after a professional footballer playing in the Belgian 2nd Division recommends it to us as we walk past the restaurant.

The waiter serving us, Dzeko ( I may have the spelling wrong ) makes it a memorable  evening , regaining us with stories about his 50 year-old  friend who is a taxi driver in Perth and providing us with an insight of  life in Serbia when married to a Croatian wife, with 2 children. There does appear to be a real brain-drain taking place and who can blame the young professionals when the average monthly wage , according to Dzeko is about 300 Euros per month.

We are spoiled with free peach schnapps ( or rakija ) and desserts and leave with a promise to give Casa Nova a glowing reference on Trip Advisor.

Back at the flat I watch Man U beat Hull 3- 1 and see Giggs making what might be his last appearance for the club.

In bed by 11.oo to prepare for next day’s long train journey to Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro.

Cheers

The Obese Ferret.