Beograd

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I quarreled a bit with the girl just the day before leaving for Beograde. My spirits were very low. I did not want to go anywhere and to do anything. My train was leaving almost at midnight. The pleasant thing was my short walk on the Nevsky Prospect just before leaving.


When I arrived to Moscow I felt still sleepy and gloomy due to the lack of sleep. I was falling asleep all the morning before the flight. We had very shaky landing in Beograde, due to the clouds, perhaps. I was getting more excited little by little. I arrived to Belgrade and took a city map at the information desk. It was necessary to take the bus to the city centre. I asked the bus driver for information, showing him the map and the required stop, and the driver said it would take me right to the area where my hostel was located. I did feel the same inner pleasure I always feel when visiting a new place.


There were crop fields right near the airport which I did not see anywhere else. It was very hot. At first, it was difficult for me to describe Beograde in a nutshell, somehow the city did not produce a clearly defined impression. There were all sorts of houses and I had a thought it was some Asian town or something like that. A combination of the eastern and the western, so to say.


It seems to me the people here are a bit taller than I am used to see, especially girls. When I got to Slavija Trg, I searched for Makenzijeva Street, and there was a bit of fuss because the street had two names. Then I had some trouble finding the Novopazarska Street where the hostel is located. I tried to ask several persons, some of them replied in the Srpski language, so I did not understand nothing, though I studied Srpski a bit several years ago. It needs brushing up.


The Sun Hostel is small but very lovely and convenient, its reception hall is like a big cozy home with a large TV set and sofas and modern kitchen, toilet and bathroom. There are erotic black-and-white pictures of pretty girls in the bathroom so you might get excited when washing.


There was no fuss with visas and any formalities at all. It’s like I did not go abroad. Russians are not required to have a visa for a 30-day stay in Serbia.


Well, it’s the Exit festival I’m here for and several large-volume translation tasks have been dashed on me, so now I’m sitting here like a zombie trying to translate as fast as I can.


Going for walk, as always, with a map, exploring the sights: Hram Sv. Save, Bulevar Oslobodenia, Beogradska Street, Bulevar Kralja Aleksandra, Park Tasmajdan, Crkva Sv. Marka. In the park, there I saw a sad monument to the children killed during NATO bombing. It’s very sad how we, people, like to kill one another for money, power, etc. No political idea can justify killing of children.


When I see couples walking I also think why the hell I am here walking alone and not with my girl. Next time I’m not going anywhere alone. Except for the Himalayas, perhaps. Loneliness is good, but not too often.


The other sights I saw were Dom Narodne Skupstine and Trg Republike. As I was walking with my camera, I saw two girls in the street (saleswomen, most likely), and one of them made me a sign to take a picture of them, which I did with pleasure.


Near the Knez Mikhailova Street there were many statues of cows painted with various images and they looked rather funny. This street is one of the major tourist attractions in Beograde intended for pedestrians. There are many cafes and other establishments, and the Saborna Crkva in one of the other streets.


The most interesting place I saw in Beograde and the one which raised my spirits were the Veliki Kalemegdan and the Fortress. I did not at all expect to see the fortress and the view from it was absolutely awesome: the ruins, the two rivers, Dunav and Sava, the bridges, the boats and ships. I felt completely satisfied. From the fortress, I descended to the river and had a rest.


After the fortress I went straight back to the hostel. I had pizza and tea in one of the multiple cafes in the open air.


I liked Beograde definitely. Cheers!

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Photos

Shop Girls
i was walking with my camera and the taller girl made me a sign to take a photo of them

DSC07310
my favourite