I have to say Belgrade is a really cool city. A great place for outsiders to visit, and I have a feeling it's also very livable for the locals. Again, like many other Balkan capitals, it's a crazy mix of architectural styles and influences. The old city center has a large pedestrian mall, tree-lined residential streets, baroque style buildings, and rests on the hilly side of the Danube. On the side is New Belgrade with communist style apartments that are literally named "Block 45", "Block 46," so on and so forth. And it's flat as a crepe.
My first full day in Belgrade started with rain as predicted. Armed with my rain jacket, I set out to explore the old fortress mid-morning and realized 30 minutes later that the rain jacket is only slightly water resistant. Luckily, the weather cleared up and everything dried out. By the time the sun came out, I was so happy to be not walking around wiping off my glasses that I overestimated my physical ability. Or maybe I underestimated the distance, because I ended up walking a good hour and half to another area called Zemun on the other side of the river. I realized about half way through how much further I had to go, but I was committed by that point. The whole walk was really pleasant because it was completely along the river bank, which was lined with dozens of floating houseboats converted into restaurants, clubs, and even hostels.
Zemun lies on the other side of the Danube; actually the other side of the Sava as well. The two rivers converge and there is an island between Belgrade and Zemun. I have no idea if that makes any sense... Anyway, it is another historical settlement with red roofed homes and a tower with a terrific vantage point. I was so thoroughly exhausted and sweaty after all that walking and climbing that I took the bus back.
More exploration of the city today, but I stayed close to the city center. Luckily my host Marija lives quite near so I can come and go during the day to hide from the sun or rain. Plus it's convenient to many small restaurants where I can grab some cheap local fare. Serbian food, and food in the Balkans in general, is very heavy - lots of meat and cream/diary products. I tried a typical burger here called "Pljeskavica" which was heavenly. There's something about the freshness and texture of the meat, and the fact that it's encased in a thick pita bread rather than the typical hamburger buns. Then today I tried cevapcici, another Serbian specialty. It was basically the same as the hamburger but formed into sausage shape rather than a patty, haha. Equally delicious.
Tonight I'm going out with Marija and her boyfriend Vladimir for a casual dinner and maybe after dinner drinks. A little taste of the famous Belgrade nightlife - the tame kind.
My first full day in Belgrade started with rain as predicted. Armed with my rain jacket, I set out to explore the old fortress mid-morning and realized 30 minutes later that the rain jacket is only slightly water resistant. Luckily, the weather cleared up and everything dried out. By the time the sun came out, I was so happy to be not walking around wiping off my glasses that I overestimated my physical ability. Or maybe I underestimated the distance, because I ended up walking a good hour and half to another area called Zemun on the other side of the river. I realized about half way through how much further I had to go, but I was committed by that point. The whole walk was really pleasant because it was completely along the river bank, which was lined with dozens of floating houseboats converted into restaurants, clubs, and even hostels.
Zemun lies on the other side of the Danube; actually the other side of the Sava as well. The two rivers converge and there is an island between Belgrade and Zemun. I have no idea if that makes any sense... Anyway, it is another historical settlement with red roofed homes and a tower with a terrific vantage point. I was so thoroughly exhausted and sweaty after all that walking and climbing that I took the bus back.
More exploration of the city today, but I stayed close to the city center. Luckily my host Marija lives quite near so I can come and go during the day to hide from the sun or rain. Plus it's convenient to many small restaurants where I can grab some cheap local fare. Serbian food, and food in the Balkans in general, is very heavy - lots of meat and cream/diary products. I tried a typical burger here called "Pljeskavica" which was heavenly. There's something about the freshness and texture of the meat, and the fact that it's encased in a thick pita bread rather than the typical hamburger buns. Then today I tried cevapcici, another Serbian specialty. It was basically the same as the hamburger but formed into sausage shape rather than a patty, haha. Equally delicious.
Tonight I'm going out with Marija and her boyfriend Vladimir for a casual dinner and maybe after dinner drinks. A little taste of the famous Belgrade nightlife - the tame kind.
