Jack, Merry & The Trumanator: Forty-Second Post From Türkiye: 2016 Spring Break, Serbia

Now, given recent history, I would have supposed that Serbia would be drab, full of crumbling, communist-era buildings made of quick-dry concrete, and not particularly welcoming to Americans (remember NATO Operation Allied Force in 1999?). Surprisingly, most everyone who ascertained we were from the U.S. didn't seem to mind a bit, the north-south highway was very nice, and Belgrade, in particular, was a beautiful city, with a center full of late 19th-century architecture reminiscent of that in Vienna, Prague, and Zagreb.

Belgrade
The main site in Belgrade is the fortress. It was built on the sight of a 3rd century Celtic fort, which was subsequently occupied by the Romans, Byzantines, Slavs, captured and held by the Turks 1521-1867, and passed down through the Kingdom of Serbia, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Serbia and Montenegro, and, finally, the Republic of Serbia (I'm not even making this up).

The Zindan Gate

Trum Stands Guard

The Clock Gate and Military Museum

A Little French(?) Tank

It so happened that a traveling exhibit of medieval torture was at the castle the day we were there. I thought it might be interesting, and suggested we go in. Well...interesting is certainly one word for it. Most of the tortures on display came complete with poster-sized reproductions of wood-cuts, showing frequently naked people being tormented in perverse ways. I pretty much let Trum look at one or two things, of the non-naked-torture type, and we moved on.

Think the 'Iron Maiden' is a bad way to go? This was actually one of the more pleasant ways to be done to death on display in the exhibit.

Kalemegdan Park Surrounds the Fortress

The walls have ears...

From the fortress you can see what made it, and Belgrade, such a strategic place for centuries: the confluence of the Sava and Danube Rivers (behind Merry and Trum).

Skadarska is the hippest neighborhood in Belgrade, full of cafes, galleries, and other stuff that 19th-century Bohemians enjoyed.

It's a rule that you can only eat while being serenaded by a gypsy band.

What's Serbian food like? Oh man, lots of pig, cheese, peppers, and spice. I'm not in this pic b/c the main course had just arrived and I was already full to the point of bursting from the starters. Belgrade even has good American-style BBQ!

Crazy Public Art

Military Museum

Tito is still the man throughout the former Yugoslavia. Here I am with one of his uniforms in the military museum.

So a couple of interesting things happened during the NATO bombing campaign in '99: 1) the U.S. accidentally bombed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, and 2) a U.S. F-117 stealth bomber was shot down by the Serbs, pieces of which are on display in the museum.

This museum, and frankly many Serbs, seem to forget that the NATO "aggression" against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the result of its ethnic cleansing of Albanians in Kosovo.

Trum with a Sajkaca--a traditional Serbian hat he refused to wear in the picture.

Republic Square

The 'House of Flowers,' is the mausoleum of Tito tucked away in a nice little neighborhood.

The Church of Saint Sava ('Sveti Sava') is one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world, but, despite decades of on and off construction, the interior is still incomplete.

The Church of Saint Mark ('Sveti Marko') houses the tomb of Stephen Dusan the Mighty, the king of Serbia during the early 14th century who conquered much of southeast Europe.

Here and there in Belgrade bombed buildings have been left as a reminder of the NATO air campaign.

Located near the bomb-damaged building above, this signs asks "why?" I got an answer for you...

Even near grim reminders of war, there's always a good park to play in.

A Trendy Cafe area near the Fortress

Smederevo Fortress

An hour or two south of Belgrade is the ruins of the Smederevo Fortress. It's actually a fortified city built in the 15th century, and probably one of the coolest fortifications I've ever visited, even when it's being overrun by a horde of Serbian school children on a field trip.

Look at that Moat!

Merry is a Tiny Speck from on top of the Ramparts

We went down these steep stairs very slowly, believe you me!

Nis

Nis is another one of those Balkan cities that has been passed between countless empires/states over the centuries. The main site in the town is the old Ottoman fortress (man, it seems like people felt threatened, and the need to build walls around themselves in this part of the world). Nis's most famous native son was Constantine the Great (yes, that one).