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Europe » Serbia » West » Belgrade » Zemun October 16th 2023

I generally do not like travel articles like this. Frenz Hub lists twelve European countries that are ranked bad to worst. I have visited a few. Frenz Hub: Despite the allure of Transylvania, Romania is plagued by poverty and corruption. It has much work to do to make it a more attractive destination. A Romanian politician, Traian Basescu emphasized, “There is no such thing as several Romanias, but only politicians who divide Romania depending on the interests of their parties and their clout.” Granted, I was staying with great American friends, Dirty Pat and Mrs. Pat while visiting. They are quick to learn the local customs and rules, so it made my trip quite enjoyable. We dined at some of the best places, visited the famous Bran Castle (aka Dracula's Castle), and met some interesting local ... read more
Moldova
Belgrade at night

Europe » Serbia » West » Belgrade September 3rd 2023

We sailed out of Budapest on Wednesday, August 30th. On Thursday morning we arrived in Kalocsa, still in Hungary. Here we first went to the Assumption Cathedral where we admired the church but had an organ concert which was superb. Then we walked around the local area before boarding buses which took us to the area called the Putza. This contains the Plains of Hungary which are the flat agricultural land which grow corn, paprika and other crops essential for feeding both people and animals. Our next destination was a horse farm where we had a great show of horsemanship from a range of horsemen and carriage drivers. The whip cracking riders welcomed us as we drove in and we were then given a welcome drink of local brandy and bread with paprika. Then we settled ... read more
Inside the church
Kalocsa
Horseman welcoming the bus

Europe » Serbia » West » Belgrade September 2nd 2023

It was good to get a bit of a sleep in this morning, the cumulative effect of the virtually continuous riding is starting to take it's toll, well on me anyway. We then get a rest day and while you know you need some rest you really can't give up the chance to explore a city you may never see again. The plan for today was to go on a guided walking tour and confirm our route through to the end of the trip. Serbia has a long and tumultuous history. My knowledge of the Balkans is very poor and is obviously coloured by the reporting we get in the west. Today our guide took us on a journey through Serbia's chequered history. We were told that Serbia has been to war 114 times and that ... read more
Serbian seat of Parliament
Inside St Marks Church
Bombings in 1999

Europe » Serbia » West » Belgrade September 2nd 2023

The third leg of our journey began officially on August 28th. We had to check out as World Athletics guests and recheck in as Viking people. Fortunately we were able to stay in the same room. We caught the Metro into the city and tried to visit the House of Terror, a museum about the Nazi and Communist regimes but it was closed. We then went to Heroes square but access was restricted as they were removing all the Marathon equipment. So we returned to the hotel and shared a club sandwich for lunch. Then we needed a rest to recover from the last two weeks!! That night we went to a small restaurant just behind our hotel. I could see it from our window. This is the Mercatino and here we had one of the ... read more
Fletcher at Mercatino
Decor at Mercatino
Dining at Mercatino (our neighbours were a couple from Oregon)

Europe » Serbia » West » Belgrade September 1st 2023

We went out for a traditional dinner last night. Jeff and I had pork stuffed with cheese and then wrapped in bacon with fried home grown potatoes and a salad. I'm not sure I believe the potatoes were home grown, but it tasted wonderful, so who cares. Novi Sad to Belgrade is 93kms. We chose to combine two ride days into one to pick up another day for contingency. Due to the distance we have to cover we decided on a 7:30am leave time. And we did it. Second day in a row we've left on time. Getting out of Novi Sad was busy as expected. We wound our way though the busy peak hour traffic over the Danube and into the suburbs. We had a significant climb today of 4.4kms with 280m of vertical height. ... read more
Cathedral in Novi Sad
Town Square in Novi Sad
Random Building - Novi Sad

Europe » Serbia » West » Belgrade » Zemun December 24th 2022

Again, the list tends to be very short, since I do not travel as much as before covid. Cycling on the Dalmatian Coast, Croatia The famous Hotel Moskva in Belgrade, Serbia Adopted by my new Greek brothers in Athens, Greece Sipping a 2008 Quinta do Noval port in Porto Roland Garros, the French Open tennis in Paris Visit with Dirty Pat in Annapolis, MD A visit to the oldest pharmacy in the US, in New Orleans Wine tasting in the Livermore Valley Four cool days in Monterey, CA during the summer heat wave Niner game in hostile, freezing Seattle Return to UC Berkeley for Cal-UA football game A visit to the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul Revisit to the Musee d'Orsay in Paris Walk the walls of Dubrovnik Pre-Oktoberfest celebration in Romertown, Frankfurt, Germany Short and sweet. ... read more
Hotel Moskva terrace, Belgrade
Lights at the Grand Bazaar

Europe » Serbia » West » Belgrade September 18th 2022

Belgrade Airport, named after the Serb inventor Nikola Tesla, is being rebuilt around us. We pick-up a fixed price taxi ticket (€18, pay the driver) and head for the queue. The queue is long and uncovered; it is raining and there are no taxis. Eventually we realise that all the taxis are being hailed further down the road before they get to us. We walk down the road to join in; it is now pouring with rain. At the unofficial taxi stand there is no fixed price. You might pay €20, you might have to pay €50. The rain is now torrential, we pay €30. By the time we get to town the rain has abated and we find our comfortable Airbnb just off the main street. And I find my right contact lens was washed ... read more
Orthodox baptism
Sava Temple
Istanbul Gate,  Nis

Europe » Serbia » West » Belgrade » Zemun August 15th 2022

I am asked, most often, by friends and relatives, about the best food countries I have visited. MSN's The Manual has listed their favorites, by continent. I will share theirs, then add my favorites. Europe Italy and France always dominate most surveys and food writer's choices. I first developed a fondness for some French food back in the 70s. I had a girlfriend who studied at the Sorbonne in France. She knew her French food better than anyone I have ever known. My two favorite dishes are escargot, and Duck l'orange. Close behind are steak frites. And the wine is good and affordable. I have not been back to Italy for decades, perhaps because of my past, bad memories, and the most difficult time in my life. I learned my Father died while I was in ... read more
Fried cheese at Liondi in Plaka, Athens
Chasiu ramen at the local shop

Europe » Serbia » West » Belgrade » Zemun June 8th 2022

With San Francisco's downtown becoming a relative ghost town, what can we expect in the future for tourism? In 2019, the United States had 79.4 million international visitors, a figure that plummeted to 19.2 million in 2020 as the pandemic hit and rose to just 22.1 million in 2021. International visitors spent $239.4 billion in 2019, but just $81 billion in 2019, the Commerce Department said. Before COVID, tourism supported 9.5 million U.S. jobs and generated $1.9 trillion in economic output. San Francisco was hit hard, but mostly downtown where tourists tend to stay. The neighborhoods thrived, while many businesses in the downtown area closed or downsized. My favorite Uniqlo store on Powell, near the cable car turntable is gone. In fact, during the pandemic, the cable cars were also garaged in the cable car barn. ... read more
A big travel mess
Some jet lag

Europe » Serbia » West » Belgrade » Vranic June 5th 2022

How To Do Exchange Calculations Quickly When Traveling You probably don’t need that exchange calculator unless your math skills are exceptionally bad. To relativize prices, use these three methods. For currencies greater than 50% higher or lower value than the dollar, it helps to find a rounded reference point. For example, the Mexican peso ranges between 18 and 22 to the dollar. By rounding to 20, quick exchange math can be done by moving the decimal and dividing by two; 800 pesos becomes 40 dollars. For currencies up to 50% higher than the dollar, think of the difference as a gratuity. If the euro is trading at 1.05 to the US dollar, simply add a 5% “tip” to the price. For currencies up to 50% lower than the dollar, use the discount method. If the Canadian ... read more
Laotian kip
Vietnam dong




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