Breakfast was included at our hotel. And what a breakfast it was: hard boiled eggs, fried eggs with bright orange yolks, all sorts of meats, fruit, yogurt, cereal, bread and butter, fruit juices, coffee, cooked vegetables, etc.
We asked to stay another night in the same room. Not possible. The front desk staff said that they might be able to find another room, but they wouldn't know until closer to 11 am, checkout time. The computer set aside for guests: still not working.
We had one errand for today before going to the picturesque nearby town of Zemun, and that was washing our clothes - this was going to be pretty much the last wash until we split up on 27 Jun. However, we were going to have to stay close to the hotel until where we were going to stay tonight was settled. So we packed up, and left everything in the room until later, except for a large bag of wash. The laundry was a long block away, sort of hidden in a large commercial/office building. Eventually we found it, agreed on a price (800 dinar or $9.50) and a pickup time (after 5 pm). Then, having nothing much better to do, we walked back to the market. We were determined to figure out when to catch our 72 bus to the airport tomorrow.
Along the way, we saw some political graffiti. A red 1389, struck out and replaced by a red star and a red hammer and sickle. We asked later, and it was explained: "1389" is the symbol for the Serbian Nationalists. From the internet:
"The Serbian National Movement 1389, one of a plethora of far-right groups in the country, has joined the race for parliamentary seats in the forthcoming elections to say 'No' to the EU.
"Misa Vacic, of the far-right 1389 movement in Serbia, said that the group will take part in early parliamentary elections in Serbia due on March 16. "Our aim is to bring patriotic values to the people," Vacic said.
"According to him, these patriotic values include saying "No" to the EU and NATO membership, gay rights and corruption and "Yes" to the re-introduction of compulsory military service."
On the other hand, the symbol of a red star above a red hammer and sickle represents NKJP:
"The New Communist Party of Yugoslavia (Serbian: Нова комунистичка партија Југославије, Nova Komunistička Partija Jugoslavije) (NKPJ) is a Marxist-Leninist party in Serbia registered as a citizens group."
NOTE: We don't think either party did very well. But this symbolism is all over the country.
When we get back to the hotel, they tell us that they have found us another room, even bigger than the first. After all, we are booking.com customers and they want to keep us happy. Fine with us. We move our stuff into a HUMONGOUS triple, and then are off to be tourists.
Beograd sits at the SE intersection of the Sava and the Danube Rivers. It was at one time the northernmost outpost of the Ottoman Empire. Across the Sava River to the west was the city of Zemun. It was at one time the southernmost outpost of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Sava was the boundary.
That was then. Now you just take the 83 bus from just outside our hotel. Which we did.
But we didn't get off in time. So we end up at the end of the line. The driver allowed us to ride back to the old town without payment of another fare. Two cigarettes (by the driver) later, we were off, and back into the old town. It is a small place, this old town. But it has cobblestones, some very old churches, and a famous millennium tower.
Now they are a simple walk in from the main road, and up a small steep hill. A pretty cemetery at the top. You see the 9th c. Gardos fortress, and the millennium tower, built in 1896. The views of the Danube and of both old cities are great.
Down a long series of steps bordered by grapevines and flowers, and out to the walk along the river. Restaurants and coffee houses everywhere. We stopped at Stari Carinarnica (address Key Oslobodenja 31), a restaurant we had written down during our "In Your Pocket" research in Timisoara. Lunch was a lentil soup, a fish soup, and a fish goulash (a bowl of noodles/a bowl of goulash - mix and eat). The waiter, following tradition, gave us bibs. Delicious and well worth seeking out. We ate in an outdoor portico. Behind was the original 400 year old inn which had been, and was continuing to be, renovated.
After lunch, as you turn the corner, there is a small market. Fruits and vegetables, of course. And then books. One seller had Harry Potter books in Serbian, so we purchased the 4th book for our son-in-law, who collects Harry Potter in all sorts of languages. (We had picked up Harry Potter 4 in Romanian at the Brasov train station.) It was 300 dinar used ($3.50). Later we would see a new Serbian Harry Potter for close to $30.
An 84 bus took us to the bus terminal. We went across the street and up a walkway into the main square. We started asking for internet, and we were pointed to a department store building, with internet on the 3rd (top) floor in a classy bookstore We put in a little over an hour.
It was now 3 pm. Time for some ice cream, and then for a walk through the Citadel (how could you visit Beograd without walking through the citadel?). Up the main tourist walkway to a fancy ice cream shop next to the restaurant we ate at the day before. The scoops were expensive, but it was worth it.
The citadel was not up a hill, unlike most citadels. The whole city is on the river bluff over the Danube and Sava Rivers. At one time the citadel had complete walls and gates and moats. Now the walls are there, but no gates. It is more like a large city park, with walkways among the walls. As we leave to the south, we actually go through a gate, and soon we are back into the city itself. We take a different walk back to the hotel via the laundry. Our large bag of wash is ready, dry and folded.
For dinner we walk out to Sapska Kafana, a well-regarded traditional restaurant. We walk through a park, past a consulate or two, through some nice typical neighborhoods. Feels very NYC to Carol.
The restaurant is open, but we are late (after 8:30 pm) and their choices of food are limited. The waiter is not very helpful and we order without knowing what we are getting. We are served a VERY strange combination: urnbes (cheese coated with spices), three haiduk sausages and fries, along with a beer. Too bad we weren't here at an optimum time.
Out a couple blocks to a tram, and back to the hotel.
On the other hand, the symbol of a red star above a red hammer and sickle represents NKJP:
"The New Communist Party of Yugoslavia (Serbian: Нова комунистичка партија Југославије, Nova Komunistička Partija Jugoslavije) (NKPJ) is a Marxist-Leninist party in Serbia registered as a citizens group."
NOTE: We don't think either party did very well. But this symbolism is all over the country.
When we get back to the hotel, they tell us that they have found us another room, even bigger than the first. After all, we are booking.com customers and they want to keep us happy. Fine with us. We move our stuff into a HUMONGOUS triple, and then are off to be tourists.
Beograd sits at the SE intersection of the Sava and the Danube Rivers. It was at one time the northernmost outpost of the Ottoman Empire. Across the Sava River to the west was the city of Zemun. It was at one time the southernmost outpost of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Sava was the boundary.
That was then. Now you just take the 83 bus from just outside our hotel. Which we did.
But we didn't get off in time. So we end up at the end of the line. The driver allowed us to ride back to the old town without payment of another fare. Two cigarettes (by the driver) later, we were off, and back into the old town. It is a small place, this old town. But it has cobblestones, some very old churches, and a famous millennium tower.
Now they are a simple walk in from the main road, and up a small steep hill. A pretty cemetery at the top. You see the 9th c. Gardos fortress, and the millennium tower, built in 1896. The views of the Danube and of both old cities are great.
Down a long series of steps bordered by grapevines and flowers, and out to the walk along the river. Restaurants and coffee houses everywhere. We stopped at Stari Carinarnica (address Key Oslobodenja 31), a restaurant we had written down during our "In Your Pocket" research in Timisoara. Lunch was a lentil soup, a fish soup, and a fish goulash (a bowl of noodles/a bowl of goulash - mix and eat). The waiter, following tradition, gave us bibs. Delicious and well worth seeking out. We ate in an outdoor portico. Behind was the original 400 year old inn which had been, and was continuing to be, renovated.
After lunch, as you turn the corner, there is a small market. Fruits and vegetables, of course. And then books. One seller had Harry Potter books in Serbian, so we purchased the 4th book for our son-in-law, who collects Harry Potter in all sorts of languages. (We had picked up Harry Potter 4 in Romanian at the Brasov train station.) It was 300 dinar used ($3.50). Later we would see a new Serbian Harry Potter for close to $30.
An 84 bus took us to the bus terminal. We went across the street and up a walkway into the main square. We started asking for internet, and we were pointed to a department store building, with internet on the 3rd (top) floor in a classy bookstore We put in a little over an hour.
It was now 3 pm. Time for some ice cream, and then for a walk through the Citadel (how could you visit Beograd without walking through the citadel?). Up the main tourist walkway to a fancy ice cream shop next to the restaurant we ate at the day before. The scoops were expensive, but it was worth it.
The citadel was not up a hill, unlike most citadels. The whole city is on the river bluff over the Danube and Sava Rivers. At one time the citadel had complete walls and gates and moats. Now the walls are there, but no gates. It is more like a large city park, with walkways among the walls. As we leave to the south, we actually go through a gate, and soon we are back into the city itself. We take a different walk back to the hotel via the laundry. Our large bag of wash is ready, dry and folded.
For dinner we walk out to Sapska Kafana, a well-regarded traditional restaurant. We walk through a park, past a consulate or two, through some nice typical neighborhoods. Feels very NYC to Carol.
The restaurant is open, but we are late (after 8:30 pm) and their choices of food are limited. The waiter is not very helpful and we order without knowing what we are getting. We are served a VERY strange combination: urnbes (cheese coated with spices), three haiduk sausages and fries, along with a beer. Too bad we weren't here at an optimum time.
Out a couple blocks to a tram, and back to the hotel.
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