Blogs from Serbia, Europe - page 3

Belgrade has survived a millenia of both Attila the Hun and Slobodan Milosevic. But Belgrade knows how to party! Cafes and bars are full of young Belgradians (is that a word), maybe Serbians would be a better term? Basically, it has the Mediterranean lifestyle and vibe without the coastline. Likewise, coffee is serious business here too! Coffee was brought here by the Ottomans in the 16th century. Obviously, it bears a strong resemblance to Turkish coffee. The first coffee house in Belgrade opened in 1522. And much like the rest of the world, at least the coffee drinking world, local roasters, like Przionica are the rage. They say the viscosity of the kafa bears a strong resemblance to Turkish coffee. The green markets are held daily. Again, like the other Mediterranean countries, they eat fresh food ... read more

While visiting Belgrade, why not visit the museum of their most famous citizen? Yes. Nikola Tesla (Никола Тесла) made huge contributions to electric engineering, pioneering alternative current (making long-distance high-energy transfers possible), radio (making base work for today's mobile communications) and AC motors (widely used today, e.g. blenders, vacuum cleaners and elevators), among other numerous inventions. Half of this small museum is dedicated to Tesla's personal effects, while the other half contains models of his inventions. There are English-speaking guides who are students from the Engineering Department of the University of Belgrade who can help you understand the sometimes-complicated science. It holds more than 160,000 original documents, over 2,000 books and journals, over 1,200 historical technical exhibits, over 1,500 photographs and photo plates of original, tec... read more

Novi Sad – does the very sound of this Serbian city resonate with anyone out there in the ether…? A select few, I would suspect, but Serbia’s second city leans towards the arts, and scores the main bulk of its points for being precisely what it is, and not what it is attempting to be – in other words, a second city with a few touches of class destined to catch the casual tourist off-guard and make them realize that indeed some of travel’s best-kept secrets are just there to take you by pleasant surprise. Arriving in the early evening on New Year’s Eve was a strategy, as it felt like the city was warming up to play host to a buzz of activity as the evening unfolded. All the city’s main cluster of architectural gems ... read more

As we drive to our next border crossing there is always a little anxiety, but the reality is that there have never been an issue (long that may continue) There is a little conversation about the dog and its size, we are asked to step out of the van and the border guard peers in and we point at Poppy's travel crate, he can’t really see her but seems to have expedited some form of diligence.... and with that we are in! As we head to our first park up for the night by a small lake I feel my tensions rise, we have obviously arrived in a very impoverished area and are back to the land of rubbish. I google ‘Serbia and recycling' to find out that they currently only recycle between 5-8% of their ... read more

Bonjour à tous, La ville de Cacak, n'avait vraiment rien à offrir de beau, mis à part, l'hôtel où j'ai passé la nuit. Encore une fois j'étais le seul client. Le personnel adorable, tous des jeunes, très serviables et souriants. Il y longtemps que je n'avais eu ça. J'ai encore fait un essai de plat local hier au soir. 3 petits steaks superposés, avec et entre des tranches de jambon cru, accompagné de purée, et les immanquables concombres et aubergines. Bof!!!!. Le petit déjeuner ce matin, plus classic, mais servi, par la réceptionniste, qui fait également serveuse, vu le nombre de client. Une grande fille, blonde, 1,85m, la trentaine, des attributs féminins bien mis en valeur, un beau sourire. Un canon. Quand c'est la première personne que vous voyez le matin, vous avez envie que la ... read more