Capitol of Vojvodinia

Long refered to as the Serbian Athens, it has alwasys been a center of culture and learning. It's a bit more like Vienna and Budapest than Belgrade or Sarajevo.

I spent the afternoon walking through this laid back northern Serbian town, which is only about 1 hour from Belgrade.  I found my way from the bus station to town center. There were many buildings of grand detail in need of a bit of paint or plaster but, still grand. Churches with colored tile roofs or elaborately sculpted spires dotted the center. There are wide pedestrian walkways with cafes and shops selling anything you may want. It was quite a search for something of a local craft or artistic value. But, my search always reveals a bit of treasure. I passed through a courtyard off the main walkways to see a bland "SOUVENIR" sign.

I almost passed it by but, thought....take a look! I'm so glad that I did. The shop was filled with locally made items of different mediums. There were amazing pieces of art, lace, embriodery, woodcraft, and pottery. The owner was quite happy to share the stories of the different pieces and their artists. It was like visiting a historian. I bought a view things and continued on my way.

I continued my walk through an open market selling the ususal shoes, clothing, toiletries, veggies, fruit. I did see some interesting t-shirts so, bought some for myself and my brother, Bobby. Again, the vendor was very kind and told me the story of the symbol of the city.

I walked from the market out to the Danube where I could see Petrovaradin Fortress.

What a nice view across the river. I walked along the shore to the bridge and then crossed to what is a very rundown but, amazing collection of Austro-Hungarian buildings. It's like walking through a museum. I walked through the narrow alleyways past old churches and up the many stairs leading to the clocktower of the fortress. I definetely felt the sense of accomplishment as I stood there and took in the view around me. I had wanted to see this unusual place partly because it seemed a bit out of my ability and mainly due to it's natural beauty and historical value. I'd made it ......and I enjoyed that moment for all of those reasons. It's those moment's of accomplishement that push me to find my new threshold and then cross it,too.

Now, it was time to make my way back to the bus station and return to Beograd.

I was happy I had made it to Novi Sad and enjoyed my journey.

Upon my return, Igor asked if I would like to join him at a nice tea house after dinner. The chance to see a bit more of Beograd at night and getting to know more about Igor, sounded like a interesting evening. Again, I would return to the wonderful bakery for a spinach and egg burek to have with some left over vegetables from the previous day. When Igor was finished with work, we started walking across the city. It was nice to see the city at night, without rain. we arrived at a small cafe and took a seat. A menu for tea selection and snacks was brought to us. I had Igor make a selection for me with the restriction of no caffine as I would be getting up very early to go to the airport.

I would be off to Krakow. So, I had a nice Serbian special fruit tea and it was light and very nice. Again, he wanted to know more about my marriage and our new life, here in Europe. He told me about how nice Beograd is in the summer when everyone enjoys the clubs and restaurants on the Danube. Also, he told me of the many festivals that entertained them in summer. It sounded like fun and a different Beograd that I had seen on this trip. I told that I would return. That I hoped it would be in summer but, it might have to be later but, I would return. We left the tea house and walked across Trg Republic and caught a trolley / tram back to the hostel. I said my good bye as I would be leaving early and he would not be there.  

How incredible it is to make a connection with someone, anywhere. I certainly hadn't expect it, here. Igor and I really hit it off. Being from so very different places and lives, we have much fundamentally in common. I will keep in touch with him and visit again. I know there is more to know about him and more to see in Serbia.