Flipping Out Over Serbia

Sunbathing at the Fortress... This is the life.

Manga hostel staff is nuts! Love them!

On my last day in Belgrade, I found myself flipping a coin, surrounded by new friends, trying to decide whether I should stay or go. I desperately wanted to stay because I hadn’t had this much in a while and the staff at Manga Hostel really opened their city up to me. However, I also knew that I needed to go in order to stay on schedule. So there I was stuck in an R. Kelly moment of indecision (sing with me: “My mind’s telling my no…”). Leaving it up to fate, I pulled out a Serbian coin. “The shield is stay, the building is go!”

When I told people I was going to Serbia, they immediately started talking about war. For many Americans, the Bosnian war is all we know or can associate with Serbia. However, the beautiful thing about traveling is creating new associations. For the remainder of my life, when I think of Belgrade, I will think of amazing culture, fantastic food, friendly locals, and incredible fun. I think it's a fantastic place to vacation and I really encourage others to get out and visit. So here I go spreading the word.

Salsa dancing in the middle of Republic Square!

Belgrade is one of those places that doesn’t sleep; it’s a hedonists paradise. It has a reputation for being the party capital of Europe and I think it may be well deserved. To me, the city wasn’t a spring break type of party place, but more of a grown folks type of party place (think: Love Jones, Carlos Santana, Crush Groove, and George Micheal thrown into a blender; random and full of energy). The nightclubs close around five a.m, sometimes later, and the entertainment options are endless and so is the shopping. Further, no entertainment is complete without good food and Belgrade’s Kafanas are prime for filling that role. A Kafana is a café/bar/restaurant/music venue similar to any neighborhood Friday’s, but far more Eastern European in décor, food and people. In general, Serbian food is rich, hearty and deliciously sinful. Cabbage rolls filled with meat and placed on top of mashed potatoes swimming in broth leave me licking the spoon and counting carbs like crazy.

Nicole, my Aussie travel buddy, serenaded at Tri Sesira.

While in Belgrade, I fell in love with one particular Kafana, Tri Sesira (Three hats in English). Tri Sesira is popular in Belgrade and in the bohemian neighborhood known as Skadarlija. The food there was so amazing that I ended up eating there three times over next four days. It helped that they make my new favorite meal: Mućkalica. Mućkalica, which means mixed up, is made of grilled pork pieces in stewed vegetables. DELICIOUS! I’m posting the recipe here, in case anyone out there is interested in trying something new.

Mućkalica

"Europe, Nothing Without Serbia"

1 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup water

3 medium onions, sliced

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 medium green bell pepper, cut into strips

2 ounces feta cheese, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (optional)

Hot cooked rice (optional)



Trim fat from pork. Cut pork into 1/2-inch slices; cut slices into 1/2-inch strips. Heat oil in skillet until hot. Cook and stir pork in oil over medium heat until brown, about 15 minutes; drain. Add water, onions, tomato, salt, paprika, pepper and red pepper. Cover and simmer until pork is tender, about 30 minutes, adding water if necessary.

Add green pepper. Cover and simmer until green pepper is crisp-tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Top with cheese.

Serve with rice.

Yields 4 servings.

**Recipe taken from www.7thspace.com***

Inside of the National Theatre

After a fatty food fest at a Kafana, you have too many possibilities for nightlife. During first night in Belgrade, my options were between a number of night clubs all with different themes from Latin to Pop to Hip Hop to Metal, or a blues festival, or a young composer’s concert. I also had the option to go to the Opera: Madame Butterfly. I opted for the Opera. The Opera is held at the National Theatre, which is an incredibly old, gilded and beautiful building. All of these events were taking place during the middle of the weekday, so I couldn’t imagine how much fun could be had during the weekend.

The daytime can also be fun.. Belgrade, like many large European cities, offers a free day tour. So many of the main tourist attractions can be viewed with a knowledgeable guide. The tour cover places like Knez Mihajlova street, Belgrade Fortress, Kalemegdan, Bohemian Quarter (Skadarlija), Republic square, and the  National Theater. A visit to the Cathedral of Saint Sava, the largest Orthodox cathedral in the Balkans and one of the largest Orthodox cathedrals in the world, is a must as well. Aside from tours Belgrade also has a plethora of museums that can be visited. These museums cover everything from African art to automobiles and there are actually over forty museums in Belgrade alone. My favorites are the Nikola Tesla Museum and the Museum of Ethnography.

Cathedral of Saint Sava - this place is massive!

While in Belgrade, I also went to a wine maze in the dungeons of the fortress. Table after table of small wine makers mingling with tasters among a setting of ancient ruins created a night to remember. I, honestly, nursed entirely too many glassed of Serbian, Croatian and other Eastern European wines, but I had an incredible time. Before this night, I had no clue that wine was even made in this region of Europe. After that night, I’m intent on learning the process of wine making while here. Stay tuned…

Beautiful old walls of the Fortress.

So here I was… Should I stay or should I go?  “Sade will be here in a few days, you should stay for the concert,” friends reminded me. “The international jazz festival is next week, you should stay!” others said. I used to be so good at goodbyes, maybe even a tad bid cold hearted I’ve been told, but lately I’m finding it harder and harder to meet awesome people, travel together, and then separate not knowing if you’ll ever see them again. Thank God for Facebook.

Flip…

Building it is! Time to go.  Sarajevo here I come. Bye, bye Belgrade. I’ll try to tell as many people about you as possible.

Parliament

Playing music on the pedestrian walk

Yum! Chicken Gyros!

Electricity at the Nikola Tesla Museum

The President's Offices

Children's clothing at the Museum of Ethnography

The cobbled streets of the Bohemian Quarter