Snow, Tram Riding & Dancing. Diary of a British woman in Belgrade

My husband, who is a native Serb, our 10 year old son and I are spending 8 months in Belgrade, having moved from England. This is day 39 & 40

View from our window!

DAY 39

Dragan kept up tradition and went to the 'pijac' (green market) with Ljuba his ‘Kum’ to buy lots of goodies. Dragan is fasting and he bought some 'azuki pasulj' (aduki beans), now known in our house as 'Suzuki' beans.

At about 9pm it started snowing.

DAY 40

We woke up to a beautiful snowy landscape. Our view is superb over the park and we now have our very own snow covered Christmas trees. Aleks was very excited but still unwell, so he was a bit like the kid in the Secret Garden and couldn’t go and play in the snow.

I got up and wrapped up super quick. My whole life is a photo opportunity these days and I asked Dragan to take a photo of me in the park from the window. I was determined to beat the dog walkers and make the first footprints! The park and cemeteries near our flat were spectacular.

Ali and her footprints in the park

Dragan went to church and Aleks and I messed about at home in the morning. I actually put pencil to paper today and sketched the snowy scene outside our window. I will post the sketch soon.

Later that day, Daniela and I caught a tram to 'Beogradski Sajam' (Belgrade Fair/Exhibition Centre) [1] to visit an International Charity Bazaar. Many countries were represented, selling trinkets, textiles and hot food. I managed to find a Cornish Pasty [2] to my surprise. Just kidding, it was actually a delicious Russian pie with potato and mushrooms.

There were also some superb Serbian Folk Dancers, clearly professional, wearing short silky skirts, with just a nod to traditional costume. The men wore sleeveless jackets in red and black.

I am such a kid, I loved the tram ride, so atmospheric and the way it shunts and shuffles round the corners is like being on a ride at the fair. Ok, so it was Sunday and very quiet – a different story to travelling at rush-hour when you and half of Belgrade are trying to get home from work.

Tram window

The rickety old tram trundled around Slavija [3] roundabout on the way back, which is in the process of having a major face-lift and we also passed by some kids throwing snowballs in the park. Some trams in Belgrade are very modern, but I was pleased to be travelling on an old one.

It snowed all day and I ended up with an ice-cream headache again. I chatted with my sister on the phone and she suggested a ‘Julie Christie’ hat, like the one the actress wore in the film Dr Zhivago. I think I need one, they make perfect sense now!

As a kid I remember watching a cartoon from Yugoslavia called ‘Professor Balthazar’ [4] and Dragan found some DVDs for Aleks to watch when Aleks was little. The cartoons are pure genius. I remember a lovely one about a tram driver. Here’s a link but I couldn’t find it in Serbian or English. I think it's in Swedish? [5]

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgrade_Fair 

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasty pasties are a traditional pie from the SW region of England where we live.

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavija_Square 

[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professor_Balthazar

[5] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubvx7UoYdes&list=PLECcS1S9STSAjjeSrQdBxX2UMnZXwNhXs&index=5 

Diary of a British woman in Belgrade Day 34 & 35

My husband, who is a native Serb, our 10 year old son and I have moved to Belgrade from England for 8 months. We have been here for over a month now.

Marshall Tito's Cadillac in Belgrade's Car Museum

 DAY 34

Blimey these early school starts (8am) are a killer, but Aleks is actually getting used to it. Well, finally winter is kicking in and hats were essential today. I popped to a lovely little corner shop this morning, which would be described as a deli in England. It specialises in cheese, dairy products and smoked meats and also a few everyday items. I asked for ‘dve lepinje, molim vas’ and the lady serving was very impressed with my Serbian; I got my endings right and I knew the word for 'lepinje'. Lepinje are round flattish bread rolls.

Aleks had a folk tune to practise on his violin today and it is very pretty ‘Ah, kad tebe ljubit ne smem’  (Ah, when I'm not allowed to love you). Of course Dragan knows all the words and gave us a rendition! Aleks was inspired and had a go at recording himself playing the violin and uploading it to YouTube.

Dragan returned from the University and we all walked to the ‘Muzej Automobila Beograd’, Belgrade Car Museum [1] near the city centre. Definitely comes recommended, housed in Belgrade’s first garage building, there are some cracking cars here, including my favourite, Tito’s Cadillac. I asked Dragan if he had seen the Cadillac in his youth in Yugoslavia and he remembers having to wave to Tito as the cavalcade passed by, probably in the same Cadillac!

'Moj Kiosk' (My Kiosk), Belgrade

On the walk home we passed a 'Kiosk', these are little newsagents that are dotted all around Belgrade. You can top up your phone, top up your bus pass and buy papers, sweets ect.... It was time to head home. Dragan and I got a bit cold on the way back – I had an ice-cream headache which lasted for the rest of the evening. The winter is definitely coming.

DAY 35

Today is the first day of the Orthodox Christian fast before 'Božić' (Christmas), which in Serbia is celebrated on 7th January. If you observe the fast then you are required to cut out all meat, dairy and eggs, but you can eat fish. In a country where meat is eaten so often and in such huge quantities, it is interesting that there are lots of vegan foods available. Known as ‘posna hrana’ (fasting food), it is completely vegan and very tasty. This would be the time for vegans to visit the country!

I have a routine now and stop to buy a takeaway coffee on my way to my Serbian class. We are working on our first ‘case’ – Locative. When you ask a question about where (Gde?) something is located then the nouns will need a particular ending. In this case 'u'.

‘Gde je Dragan?’ ‘Dragan je na fakultetu’ (Where is Dragan? He is at the University).

This evening we went to an amateur Serbian Folk Dance practise, with a view to joining as beginners. Known as ‘Folklore,’ [2 - this is a professional troupe] it is practised all over the country and every region has its own style, songs and subtle differences in traditional dress. We watched as the dancers whirled around with delicate footwork, often forming lines and circles. Much to Aleks’ embarrassment, Dragan and I had a go. Some steps were familiar, I’ve tried to dance the lovely circle dance called the ‘Kolo’ at Serbian weddings. Other steps got us in a muddle, but it was fun and we were made to feel very welcome. We will be back!

[1] http://www.automuseumbgd.com/en/ 

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WLxMsnQv-g&list=RD2LDCUxgrHwI&index=5

Diary of a British woman in Belgrade - DAY 31, 32 & 33

Belgrade linocut, by Ali Savic [3]

My husband who is a native Serb, our 10 year old son and I have moved from England to Belgrade for 8 months. This is day 31, 32 & 33 of our stay.

DAY 31

Our lives have found a rhythm and everything flowed today. Aleks was at school, Dragan and I went for a run, and later on he went to the university. Aleks had a violin lesson via Skype and I wrote my blog!

DAY 32

Dragan and Ljuba enjoyed a Saturday morning trip to the ‘pijac’ (green market) and came back with bags full of goodies, including ‘šljiva‘ (sun-dried plums) and ‘boranija’ (yellow runner beans).

It was a cool but sunny day so later on we walked through 'Novo Groblje', the graveyard and up the hill to ‘Zvezdarska Šuma’ (Zvezdara Forest)­. I needed some nature, now that we’re city slickers. This forest is about 2 miles from the city centre, so you wouldn’t expect to see much wildlife. Serbia is one of the most bio diverse countries in Europe so I was not in the least surprised to see a squirel, a woodpecker, lots of small birds and a medium sized bird I could not identify. There were also quite a few stray dogs!

The squirell [1] was truly lovely, with a black coat and very tufty ears. We heard the woodpecker before we spotted it high up in the trees.

Quick pitstop at home before we set off by car for Ikea. This is the new cathedral I think! We made Aleks a promise that if he attended school for 4 weeks in Serbia we would buy him a big cuddly shark! (’ajkula’ in Serbian). The shark isn’t very fierce and has been christened ’Doughnut’! By the way, Aleks is really enjoying school. I'm not sure what he will want in another 4 weeks!

We met some friends later and strolled through the city centre before stopping at a cafe called ’Ferdinand’ for ’knedle’ (dumplings). Dumplings sound Asian I know, but no, these are a Serbian speciality. Round balls of flour and potato dough encircle different sweet fillings. I had chocolate and ’višnja’ (sour cherry). The dumpling is steamed and then coated in nuts or breadcrumbs. [2] Ferdinand comes recommended!

[1] http://www.photogeza.com/mammals/rodents/slides/200_red_squirrel.html

[2] https://www.facebook.com/ferdinandknedle/ 

DAY 33

Today was my birthday so we ordered a huge pizza from a takeaway called ‘Pizza Hit’ to share at Grandma’s for lunch and we also popped some food in her fridge. She is really beginning to understand my Serbian. My accent is so strong apparently that it was very difficult for her to understand a word initially. We had a short conversation in Serbian, that’s progress. After lunch, this old lady fell (me!) asleep in front of the TV! Grandma did the washing up and she’s 85.

Next stop, our sister-in-law – we took 'Torta' (Serbian layered cake) with us, which went down well. Aleks’ grown-up cousins were both there too.

We then went to visit a folk fiddle performer/teacher who has had many appearances on Serbian TV. The plan is for Aleks to learn how to play some Serbian folk music. He learnt a very sweet tune today and will have a lesson next week.

Dragan made my favourite Serbian dish today, ‘boranija’ (yellow string beans in sour cream). Serbian yellow runner beans are delicate and tasty. To make boranija, you fry onion, garlic and the sliced beans in oil, then add some water and salt and simmer until soft. A roux made with milk is added along with ‘pavlaka’ (sour cream) and then simmer until the sauce has thickened. Delish.

Then Ljuba and Daniela popped around with a present and we ate yet more cake!

Dragan really spoiled me today. 

[3] This print has now sold out. To see more of my prints online, you can also visit my Etsy shop,

Diary of a British woman in Belgrade - Day 29 & 30

My husband who is a native Serb, our 10 year old son and I have moved from England to Belgrade for 8 months. This is day 29 & 30 of our stay.

DAY 29

Skadarlija, the Bohemian Quarter of Belgrade

This morning was surprisingly busy with Aleks’ homework (he has some everyday) and violin practise. Dragan was in charge of making ‘pita sa pečurkama’ (mushroom pie with filo pastry) ready to take to our Kum and Kuma’s second day of ‘Slava’ (family patron saint day celebration) later on.

When Aleks was at school, Dragan and I went for a run. He showed me the quick route to my Serbian lesson, so that I can go that way tomorrow. It’s about 3 miles there and back. We went through the Bohemian district called Skadarlija [1], which has cobbled streets and quirky restaurants. It was so mild for November that people were even sitting outside. We passed by a really rickety book binding shop, that wouldn’t have looked out of place in Diagon Alley.

Bookbinding Shop in Skadarlija

Sculpture of the Serbian poet, Djura Jakšić, by sculptor Jovan Soldatović, Skadarlija

Our Kum’s patron saint is Archangel Michael and we spent the evening chatting to Ljuba’s relatives and friends to celebrate ‘Slava’. The pies were good and the ‘domači kolači’ (small homemade cakes, a bit like petit fours) were delicate and lovely.

DAY 30

For lunch we had ‘pola kila ćevapa’ (half a kilo of ćevapa – pork & beef meat patties) from the ‘mesara’ (butcher) which they cooked on the grill there and then!

To get some exercise, Dragan walked with me to my Serbian lesson and this week we were learning the locative case. ‘I go to the park’ etc… Sounds easy doesn’t it?

After the lesson I stopped at ‘Hleb i Kifle’ (a bakery/café) for a salad. Aha! Finally a place to sit and eat where smoking is not allowed! The salad was good, loads of chicken, not so much salad!

I had time to potter around the city centre because I was meeting the boys later for a concert. I wondered down to Belgrade’s ‘Saborna Crkva’ (Cathedral) [2]. I’ve been calling St Sava the cathedral, turns out that’s a temple and this is the cathedral. It has a distinctive verdigris and gold decorative spire and the frescoes were painted in the 19th century which are stylistically very much of the period. Prince Miloš Obrenović and his son, Prince Milhailo are buried here, as well as Vuk Karadžić, the reformer of the Serbian language. Apparently he simplified the language, not that I've noticed!

'Saborna Crkva', Cathedral Church of St Michael the Archangel

The boys came into town by car and we walked to the 1930s Kolarac Concert Hall [3], with gorgeous leather seats, a wooden interior and frosted glass features. As we entered the building I was surprised to see the official photographer taking photos of the arriving concert goers, including us. I regretted wearing jeans and big boots! We were also being filmed.

Vivaldi’s Four Seasons was followed by Tchaikowsky’s Serenade for Strings in C. The soloist, Quan Yuan, directed the Serbian ‘International Prodigy Orchestra’, with Jovana Topalov playing the harpsichord. Very beautiful and afterwards Aleks said, ‘I shall never forget this’.

But most importantly after that we had to go to the ice-cream parlour called ‘Icebox’ for ice-cream with toppings.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skadarlija 

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Michael%27s_Cathedral,_Belgrade 

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilija_M._Kolarac_Endowment 

Diary of a British woman in Belgrade - Day 27 & 28

My husband who is a native Serb, our 10 year old son and I have moved from England to Belgrade for 8 months. This is day 27 & 28 of our stay.

DAY 27

Don Quixote by Jovan Soldatović in Tašmajdan Park

When Aleks was at school, Dragan and I went for a run around Tašmajdan Park [1]. The trams have a turning circle here and St Mark’s Church overlooks the whole park. There are some wonderful sculptures, including an eerie headless horseman, Soldatović's [2] 'Don Quixote'. This park is steeped in history.

Crkva Svetog Marka (St Mark's Church), Tašmajdan Park

Aleks had yet another school trip. His class walked to the Children’s Cultural Centre and watched some children singing and playing instruments. He’s only been at school for 3 weeks and has been on three school outings already!

Poor Dragan went on a bit of a wild goose chase today. We have to provide materials for school, so Dragan went to buy paint, but couldn’t remember which colours Aleks needed. Mine and Aleks’ phones were switched off and the landline was off the hook by mistake, so he couldn’t ask us. Very frustrating. Aleks didn’t even need any paint today, he was too busy going on a school trip.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ta%C5%A1majdan_Park 

[2] https://translate.google.rs/translate?hl=en&sl=sr&u=http://www.skulpture-srbija.com/soldatovic-jovan-272/&prev=search 

DAY 28

It’s a special day, our Kum & Kuma are celebrating their ‘slava’ (family saint day celebration) of Archangel Michael and Dragan joined them at the ‘crkva’ (church) to be present when the priest blesses the ‘slavski kolač’ (slava bread) [1] and the ‘žito’ [2] (sweet paste that you eat in remembrance of the dead). Families take their own bread and ’žito’ to be blessed.

Aleks and I went to the ‘pijac’ (green market) in the morning, but we made sure we only bought food from the stalls that had the prices displayed. My English accent will send the prices up! We made a good team. I was in charge of asking for the veggies etc… and Aleks (because he understands Serbian numbers quicker than me) was in charge of the dinars! I was glad that I knew enough Serbian to order what I wanted and also that Dragan had filled me in on a few unusual Serbian expressions! Ok, so ‘sine’* means son in Serbian. I know this and luckily I also know that when somebody calls you ‘sine’ (son) when you are a woman it is not rude, but it’s a term of endearment! One of the older women who served me called me ‘sine’. The only other time in my life I have been called ‘sonny’ was when I was about 9 and had very short hair!

It’s hilarious but true, that some Serbian people may call all their children ‘sine’ (son), including their daughters! Equally, some of them can call a son by using another term of endearment, 'ćero' (meaning daughter). Go figure!

It was lovely to visit our Kum and Kuma for their ‘slava’, not least because Dragan made the ‘kisela kupus pita’ (pickled cabbage pie). The evening was a very gentle and civilised affair, with a few relatives, ‘komširi’ (neighbours) and friends.

* Apologies to my dear Serbian readers, I think it is easier for my dear English readers if I just use one word for ‘son’, in the vocative case, ‘sine’.

[1] https://www.thespruce.com/slava-bread-recipe-slavski-kolac-1136570

[2] http://wonderfulserbia.com/destination/food/desserts/zito/

Diary of a British woman in Belgrade - DAY 25 & 26

My Serbian husband, our 10 year old son and I are spending 8 months in Belgrade. Our home is in England and this is the next instalment of our trip.

DAY 25

Domača kafa (Serbian coffee)

Life has picked up a pace and so we all had a much needed lie in today. We visited Baka Dana (Grandma Dana) for a coffee and popped some food in her fridge. I tried to practise my possessive pronouns again and said to her in Serbian, ‘is that your glass?’ and she jokingly replied ‘well of course it’s my glass, it’s in my house isn’t it?’ Lol, she quite understandably didn’t feel like practising Serbian with me.

Years ago, when Grandpa Aca* (Dragan’s Dad) was alive I thought I would try and ask Grandpa Aca if he would like a drink. My question was ‘hoćeš li da piš?’ Aca’s jaw dropped and Dragan looked as though he was going to explode with laughter. A slight mispronunciation meant that this batty 'Engleskinja' (English woman) had asked her elderly father-in-law if he would like a pee, not a drink! (I should have said ‘piješ’ not ‘piš’.)

* Aca is a nickname for Aleksandar and is pronounced 'Artsa'

At home later on, Dragan made ‘pita sa pečurkama’ (mushroom pie) with filo pastry. Fry onions & mushrooms in oil and roll the filling in layers of filo. Bake for about 25 mins. Very good. To help our Kum with his 'Slava' (Saint day celebration) next week, Dragan is in charge of the mushroom and cabbage filo pastry pies!

'Pita sa pečurkama', mushroom pie

DAY 26

It was a chilly but bright Sunday morning and we all attended the liturgy at ‘Crkva Svetog Nikole’ (St Nicholas’ Church) [1] in ‘Novo groblje’ (New Cemetery). The interior of the church is covered in beautiful frescoes of saints and biblical scenes. The icons are Serbian in style and some parts of the church are being repainted by artists, I spied the paint brushes and scaffolding behind the iconostasis. A crown of lights hang from the central dome and to my amusement have rather ugly eco light bulbs. The congregation stand throughout the whole service, but there are a few chairs at the back. The liturgy is sung by the priests at times alone and sometimes with the choir and congregation. To my amazement it is sung in 4 part harmony and as far as I can tell the congregation choose a part to sing as they go along? A group of school children arrived with their teachers, they must have chosen religious studies, not civil studies at school. (School on Sunday - imagine this in England!) The acoustics are great and our Kum and Kuma were in good voice singing the liturgy in old Slavonic, whilst the priest swung the ‘kadionica’ (censer) with burning incense. All three of us had a good dose of incense and we smelt sweet all day!

Beautiful interior of 'Crvka Svetog Nikole' (St Nicholas' Church)

After coffee with our Kuma, we set off for ‘Kafana kod Neša’ (Neša’s Restaurant), to celebrate our sister-in-law’s birthday. We met with Dragan’s brother & family for ‘ručak’ (lunch). It was typically Serbian, with lots of polished wooden items decorating the walls, a bit like a hunting lodge. Copious amounts of food as always.

Kafana Kod Neša (Nesha's Restaurant)

A quick visit to Grandma followed, who was on form. When we got home Dragan and our Kum, Ljuba (pronounced Lyoo-bah) made some little chocolates for Ljuba’s 'Slava', called ‘suve šljive u čokoladi’ (dried plums stuffed with walnuts & dipped in chocolate) [2]. Nice work if you can get it!

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgrade_New_Cemetery

[2] https://translate.google.rs/translate?hl=en&sl=sr&u=http://www.kuvamo.com/recept/suve-sljive-u-cokoladi-1003&prev=search

Diary of a British woman in Belgrade - DAY 23 & 24

DAY 23

'Crkva Svetog Marka' (St Mark's Church) & the Russian Church (right)

I knew this would happen, things are getting busy now and time is flying by. School finished at 12.25, then Aleks had a violin lesson via Skype. He’s nearly cracked the Vivaldi piece he is practising. Dragan went to the 'fakultet' (university), so Aleks needed some company whilst I went to my Serbian language lesson. Luckily my Kuma (godmother) could babysit.

I decided to walk, having had a few practises with the boys to find my way. My route took me past 'Crkva Svetog Marka' (St Mark's Church) and the Russian Church. I was the only person who wasn't wearing a coat, because I was roasting; I tend to walk quite fast. Serbian people always wrap up warm, as there is danger in the wind, known as 'promaja' (draught). It’s a killer you know! With this knowledge, I felt almost guilty and didn’t last long without my coat. Maybe the cold air is as dangerous as they say.

The lessons are entertaining, with several people from all around the world. We’re learning possessive pronouns and did you know there are about 42 in Serbian and I think only 8 in English! Phew no wonder I am confused, but Dragan and I practise as we jog around the park.

Dragan: 'Da li je ovo tvoja kapa?' (Is that your hat?)

Ali: 'Da, to je moja kapa.' (Yes, this is my hat) and so on….

‘J’ is pronounced ‘Y’ in Serbian (as in the English word 'yellow'). All the other letters in the above Serbian sentences are pronounced more or less the same as English, except all vowels are short. Have a go yourself!

The boys met me after the lesson and we booked tickets for a concert, Vivaldi's Four Seasons at the Kolarac Cultural Centre [1].

Aleks has an instinct for the latest gimmick. He led his befuddled parents to an ice cream parlour called ‘Icebox’ [2], where you add your own toppings, sauce, sweets, fruit and nuts to a little takeaway box of icecream. I had the obligatory pizza slice to go and we headed back home on foot.

Adding toppings to IceBox icecream.

DAY 24

It’s tradition that Dragan goes to the ‘pekara’ (bakery) most mornings to buy ‘doručak’ (breakfast), but to break with tradition I decided to go and I ordered everything in Serbian. I am determined to crack this pesky language!

A run round the park for 4 miles, whilst we practised more personal pronouns in Serbian. A puzzled passer-by turned his head as Dragan waved his arms and asked me (in Serbian), ‘are these your arms?’ I replied ‘no, those are not my arms, those are your arms!’

After the school pick-up, we set off to pick up Baka Dana (Grandma Dana). All four of us went to our relatives’ place in ‘Arandjelovac’[3] to their ‘Slava’ (saint day celebration) [4]. ‘Slava’, which is listed by UNESCO as, ‘a representative of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity’, is celebrated all over Serbia on Saint days. On the menu this evening was ‘Ruska Salata’ (Russian Salad, much nicer than Heinz) [5], ‘kiseli kupus’ (sauerkraut) [6] and roast meat. Our hostess cooked the cabbage on a lovely old stove in a huge pot. She stoked the stove with wood in between making salads and coffee for the guests. Our niece and nephew’s wife served the steady stream of friends and relatives food and drinks.

Roast meat and 'kiseli kupus' (sour cabbage) cooking on the stove

Aleks played with his cousin and had a lovely time. We chatted with our relatives, but my Serbian just couldn’t hack it and I gave up after an hour or so. The banter was just too quick for me! We arrived back in Belgrade at midnight.

[1] http://www.kolarac.rs/?lang=en 

[2] http://www.icebox.rs/en/ 

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aran%C4%91elovac

[4] https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/slava-celebration-of-family-saint-patrons-day-01010

[5] http://www.serbiancookbook.com/food-recipes/salads/russian-salad-ruska-salata-recipe/

[6] https://www.google.rs/search?q=kisela+kupus&oq=kisela+kupus&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.7117j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Diary of a British woman in Belgrade - DAY 21 & 22

My husband who is a native Serb, our 10 year old son and I have moved from England to Belgrade for 8 months. This is day 20 & 21 of our stay.

DAY 21

Knez Mihailo (Prince Michael) in 'Trg Republike' (Republic Square)

After we dropped our son at his Serbian school, Dragan and I went to the ‘pijac’ (green market) and bought some dried red peppers in a little bundle. Dragan soaked the peppers in water to prepare them so that he could make dried stuffed red peppers for lunch. They were really delicious. [1]

I had my second Serbian language lesson this afternoon. I caught the bus ‘to the horse’, which is actually a statue of ‘Knez Mihailo’ (Prince Michael) [2] astride his horse in ‘Trg Republike’ (Republic Square) [3]. This is a famous meeting place in the city centre and Dragan would often say to his friends ‘vidimo se kod konja’ (meet you at the horse!) when he lived in Belgrade back in the day. Our family has adopted the phrase and we have met at the ‘horse’ many times now!

Prince Michael’s statue is in a very beautiful part of the city, next to the National Theatre and close to the main pedestrianised street, bearing his name. The street leads to one of the main attractions in Belgrade, ‘Kalemegdan’ Fortress [4]. The fortress provides a beautiful view of the confluence of the two rivers, the Sava and the Danube, meeting just below ‘Pobednik’ (the Victor Monument, completed in 1928) [5]. 

Narodno Pozorište, (National Theatre) on the right

It’s getting chilly here now, and I regretted not bringing a hat for the walk from 'Trg Republike' to my lesson. But, when I arrived I instantly regretted wearing a thick fleece and winter jacket – it was so hot in the building! This is very typical.

The Serbian lessons are excellent. One of the most difficult things about Serbian is that the endings of words change for so many different reasons! Even names can change. When Dragan and I were first married, I was very hurt when he appeared to be ignoring me, when I was calling him: "Dragan, Dragan!" I wasn’t calling him correctly, so he just didn’t register it. I needed to say ‘Dragane’ (pronounced Draganay). This ending is added to a name when you want to attract the person's attention.

Dragan and Aleks walked all the way into the centre to meet me after my class. It was dark and the Christmas lights looked beautiful. Aleks was suddenly ravenously hungry, so we stopped at one of the numerous fast food outlets for a slice of pizza each. We carried on with our trek home, passing Hotel Moskva when Aleks piped up again, ‘I’m starving!’ Next stop at the big yellow M for a Big Mac and a coffee for Mum and Dad. OK so he must have been full, but no, we were nearly home when he was hungry again. This time we stopped at a ‘Pekara’ (bakery) and he had a ‘slani štapić’ (a large breadstick) [6]. At that point we drew the line on food for the day.

Dragan & Aleks in central Belgrade

[1] http://dolcefooda.blogspot.rs/2012/04/stuffed-dried-red-peppers-and-trip-to.html

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mihailo_Obrenovi%C4%87

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mihailo_Obrenovi%C4%87

[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgrade_Fortress

[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pobednik

[6] Can you find slani štapić on this webpage! http://www.pekara30.rs/meni-slano-pecivo.php#prettyPhoto 

DAY 22

The day was murky and damp when we dropped Aleks at school, but we didn’t let that put us for our early morning run in the park. The lawyer was running this morning and he said that enjoyed running in the recent NYC marathon! On the way round the circuit, I was practising my possessive pronouns in Serbian with Dragan.

Lunch, a bit of violin practise and then Aleks and I went to Vero, the supermarket. Despite me bringing my own bags to carry the shopping home, the cashier was very helpful and insisted on putting everything in plastic bags before I could get them into my re-useable bags.

Aleks has discovered drawing! He is chuffed to bits. He uses an online site that shows him, step by step, how to draw dragons. They are good.

Diary of a British woman in Belgrade - DAY 19 & 20

DAY 19

This is our third week in Belgrade for me, my husband (a native Serb) and our 10 year old son. We moved from England and our stay will be 8 months long.

Crkva Svetog Nikole, St Nicholas' Church, Belgrade

Sunday in Belgrade, Dragan went to the liturgy this morning in our lovely local church. Ok, so churches in Belgrade are mainly Serbian Orthodox churches.

Later we visited Dragan’s Mum and watched a quiz show called ‘Chase’ on Serbian TV. The questions and answers appear on the screen, but they’re in Cyrillic so I really don’t have much chance of getting any right, although I once actually answered a question correctly!

Next stop, a visit to some more relatives for coffee and a ‘Cockta’ [1]. ‘Cockta’ is the brand name of a soft fizzy drink made in Slovenia (part of former Yugoslavia). It’s dark, sweet and flavoursome, a bit like Dr Pepper or Vimto. Cockta’s main flavour is rose hip, with 11 herbs plus orange and lemon. For Dragan it is pure nostalgia, because he grew up drinking this with his friends in Yugoslavia.

When I first visited Serbia 11 years ago and visited one of Dragan’s many cousins, they offered us coffee. Great, yes I understood and asked for mine without milk but with a bit if sugar (in Serbian). The coffee was bubbling on the stove, so when Dragan’s cousin then asked if I would like ‘sok’ (juice), I was a bit flummoxed and turned to Dragan and said quietly ‘aren’t we having coffee?’ ‘Yes we’re having both!’ Coffee and soft drinks can be served at the same time. Sok literally means juice, but in reality it can mean any soft drink, including Cockta!

Aleks is now a real fan of Cockta.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockta 

DAY 20

School is ‘pre podne’ (in the morning) again this week, so it was an 8am start for Aleks. We stopped at the ‘Pekara’ (bakery), before school to get Aleks a ‘Rol Viršla’ (frankfurter in puff pastry) to eat at mid-morning break.

Our local 'Pekara' 'ПЕКАРА' (Bakery) called 'Sreća' (Luck)

Ok, here goes, it's your turn to learn some Serbian cyrillic. The large red letters in the photo above, spell ПЕКАРА (unfortunately the last letter in the photo 'A' is hidden behind the tree!)

П is P,
E is E,
K is K
A is A
P is R
A is A

ПЕКАРА! 'Pekara' Easy isn't it?

After we dropped Aleks, Dragan and I went for a run around the park in the pouring rain – rain in Belgrade is not wimpy drizzle. It does it properly and for a good few hours – no messing.

After Dragan went to work I ventured out to the 'Mesara' (Butcher) to order some ‘ćevapi’ (Serbian sausage-shaped meat patties). You buy the amount of raw meat that you want and then it can be cooked for you. The women working in the shop already know who I am, so they didn’t ask for my name for collection – not many British women in our area! They are good humoured and asked Dragan when he recently bought some chicken from there ‘gde je Engleskinja’ – (Where is the English woman?)

Local 'mesara', (butcher)

So I decided to go to the 'pijac' [pronounced pee-yats] (green market), and buy a few veggies. I negotiated the pedestrian crossings – a bit hairy, with trams, trolley buses (a tram/bus mixture), buses and all the pretty impatient Belgrade car drivers. Ok, so when it is a regular zebra pedestrian crossing on a small road it is no good standing at the curb, you’d be waiting all day. You actually have to step out in front of the cars to make them stop! And yes, they do! If it’s a crossing with traffic lights, then jay walking is not allowed and you must wait. Keep your wits about you though when you cross because cars turning the corner can go if there are no pedestrians crossing – so don’t linger!

I was chuffed to arrive at the 'pijac' only to discover it was being demolished! My first solo trip to the 'pijac' was thwarted! They are building a new one, which is long overdue.

Before collecting Aleks, I had coffee with my Kuma (godmother, who’s actually younger than me!) and was amazed to see her ceramic stoves! A tall tiled rectangular stove that had been converted to run on electricity in the 1960s, when electricity was cheap. She also has a baby portable one.

Serbian ceramic stoves including our Kuma's on the left! 

Aleks and I did very little after school – we both needed a gentle afternoon.

Diary of a British woman in Belgrade - Day 17 & 18

My husband who is a native Serb, our 10 year old son and me have moved from England to Belgrade for 8 months. This is day 17 & 18 of our stay.

A bus zooming by, photo by Aleks

DAY 17

Dragan was reading through a thesis today and Aleks had his violin lesson on Skype with his Suzuki teacher in England. It works pretty well on Skype, but the delay can be a bit off putting. Aleks played well and was really tired afterwards.

After a late lunch we all piled in the car and battled with the traffic through the city centre to visit Baka Dana (Grandma Dana). The journey, which normally takes 1/2 hour, was 1¼ hours long (too long), but Aleks kept himself amused by taking photos of the traffic zooming by. Belgrade is so photogenic. The delays are caused by lots of streets being reconstructed in the city centre.

Ulica Kneza Miloša (Prince Miloš [pronounced 'Mee-losh'] Street)

When we got to Grandma's, she was chatting away to me, but I really didn’t understand a word – still it won’t be long before I am fluent!

We then went for a drink with some friends at a local café/bar and Aleks had two huge 'Palačinke' (pancakes), with 'Eurocrem' (Serbian Nutella) and crushed ‘Plazma’ biscuits. OK, so ‘Plazma’ are a brand of biscuits that are almost an institution in Serbia. The name is very off putting, I know, but they taste exactly like British ‘Rich Tea’ biscuits and are really very nice! The pancakes were served in a cute enamel frying pan. More about enamel later!

'Palačinke' (pancakes) with 'Eurocrem' and crushed 'Plazma' biscuits

DAY 18

This morning I caught the bus into the city centre alone, but I was a bit nervous. The boys saw me onto the bus, No. 27 to ‘Trg Republike’ (Republic Square) [1]. You can enter the bus by one of 2 or 3 doors and you need a travel card to swipe as you enter. The buses stop at every stop and the name of the stop is shown on an LED display as well as being announced. Trg Republike is the last stop and it was very easy and quick. It was a 5 minute walk to Knez Mihailova (the main pedestrianised street) [2] which was quiet and sleepy. I pottered around, took a few photos and stopped for a coffee. For great photos of Belgrade check out 'Belgrade in pictures' on Instagram.

Sculpture of Petar Petrovič, 19th century philosopher & poet alongside a modern mural, central Belgrade

I caught the bus back and feel chuffed that I can now get to the centre alone by bus. I don't usually have an issue with buses!

Meanwhile Dragan and Aleks had met up with Ljuba and they all went to the 'pijac' (green market) and bought delicious fruit and veg, including 'suve šljive' (sun-dried plums), which are absolutely lovely. They also bought ‘celer’, which are celery leaves to be used as an herb. 

Buskers in the main street, Knez Mihailova

At about 4pm we all headed back to the city centre by foot this time. Aleks has his Fitbit, so is happy to walk miles to increase his number of steps! Knez Mihailova was packed with promenaders, buskers (violinists and guitarists) and street hawkers. We got chatting to a printmaker who was selling his work on the street and it seems I may be able to use his printmaking press! Aleks had the obligatory popcorn from a stand and we stopped for a coffee at one of the many cafes. The atmosphere is amazing and the streets are decorated with beautiful Christmas lights, (very costly and highly controversial!). That said, Belgrade is really very beautiful at night. 

After walking back we played a card game at home called ‘Cheat’.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_Square_(Belgrade) 

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knez_Mihailova_Street