Regional Adventures

Belgrade

After spending the past several months getting to know Podgorica and the surrounding area in Montenegro, we decided that it was time to venture out a little further from home. We booked a last minute flight and contacted the Andersons in Belgrade, Serbia. The Andersons are another Olmsted couple that are a year ahead of us so they have been in Belgrade for a year and a half. They have been a great example and inspiration to us with our travels in the region. Caryn put together an awesome itinerary full of spots to see around their city. Unfortunately, it was rather cold and rainy while we were in Serbia but it certainly didn't stop us from exploring!

In front of a beautiful old church at Kalemegdan.

Kalemegdan is a park that contains a fortress and several churches in the heart of Belgrade on a hill overlooking the joining of the Sava and Danube rivers. The original fortress was built in 535 A.D. and was under the rule of many different empires over the years.

Jim posing with a tank outside the Military Museum.

Mmmmm...Mulled Wine.

We had lunch at a beautiful cafe that overlooked the river and part of the fortress. This is where we discovered what would come to be one of my favorite parts of this trip...mulled wine! It is so wonderful to come into a cafe out of the cold and warm up with a cup of steaming, spiced, citrus-y, cinnamon-y red wine. What could be yummier than that?! It turned out that just about everywhere we went on this trip served it. So of course we made it our mission to decide who had the best!

With Mike and Caryn at Kalemegdan Fortress.

Mike and Caryn were fantastic hosts. They clearly love their city and were excited to show it off to us. We look forward to coming back to see them again. Especially when the weather is a bit nicer!

Church of St. Sava on a rainy evening.

The church of Saint Sava is a Serbian Orthodox church in Belgrade. The exterior was completed in 1989 but the inside is still a work in progress. It was absolutely beautiful, even in the rain!

Serbian Radio and Television station bombed by NATO.

There are several buildings in Belgrade that were bombed by NATO in the 1990s during the war. Some of the destruction is covered in screens but many of the buildings still look like the one pictured above. In some way, the fact that the buildings have not been repaired serves as a reminder that they are yet to forgive and the wounds are still fresh. Because Montenegro largely escaped the majority of the bombings, this was the first physical proof of the war that we've seen. It provided interesting insight into our region and its troubled history.

Novi Sad

On Tuesday, we drove from Belgrade to Novi Sad, Serbia. Novi Sad also holds much history and boasts beautiful architecture. Despite the rain, we were still able to tour a little and know that this city still holds much more for us to see on our next visit.

Beautiful architecture in Novi Sad.

We did get to meet up with my wonderful tutor, Marina who lives in Novi Sad. She is the tutor who I Skyped with twice a week while we were in Monterey. It was great to meet her in person and let her show us her lovely city - and hear my progress in the language! We will be back to see her, and the city, again!

Marina and me!

Budapest

On Wednesday, we drove from Novi Sad across the border into Budapest, Hungary. Almost as soon as we crossed the border, the clouds parted and the sun came out! Although it was chilly, the weather was nice for the duration of our stay in Budapest. Budapest is the capital and largest city in Hungary and one of the largest cities in the European Union. The city is divided into two parts. Buda on one side of the river and Pest on the opposite side. The architecture was some of the most fantastic we've seen yet since living in Europe.

St. Stephen's Basilica

Our hotel was in the center of the city right next to Saint Stephen's Basilica. St. Stephen's is a Roman Catholic Church that was completed in 1905. It is as beautiful and impressive inside as it is outside. The square in front of the church was filled with a Christmas Market. Each of the booths had food, sweets, mulled wine (!) and lovely hand made Hungarian crafts. It was a feast for all the senses!

St. Stephen's Basilica with the Christmas Market in front of it.

Clearly, St. Stephen's made for some great photos!

Amazingly delicious cabbage and sausage in a bread bowl we had for lunch at the Christmas Market.

Heroes' Square

Heroes' Square is one of the main squares in Budapest. It has many statues of important figures in Hungarian history and also the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It is also the site of the first underground metro in Budapest.

Beautiful architecture overlooking a skate rink.

On our last evening in Budapest, Mike and Caryn took us on a Danube River Boat Dinner Cruise. They served delicious Hungarian national food and wine. Hungarian wine is fantastic! If we hadn't been flying back home, I would have bought several bottles! The views of the buildings lit up at night were breathtaking. It was cold on the deck of the boat but worth it to capture some photos!

Beautiful views from the Danube River Dinner Cruise.

Caryn and me on the Dinner Cruise with the Chain Link Bridge behind us.

Parliament from the Buda side of the Danube.

Fantastically beautiful church at Fisherman's Bastion.

Can you spot us?

Overall, this trip was a fantastic start to our exploration of the region. We are motivated and excited to continue to learn about the area and history. Stay tuned for our next trip!

Until the next adventure,
The Adventuring Armstrongs

Stari Bar Olive Festival

One cool day at the end of November, Jim and I drove south on the coast to the town of Bar. Bar is a port town that is mostly industrial. It is where you can catch the ferry that takes you from the coast of Montenegro to the coast of Italy. Off the beaten path a little, far up the side of the mountain, you will find Stari (Old Town) Bar. It is one of the most unique little Montenegrin villages we have come upon at any time of the year but every Fall they have an Olive Festival that transforms the village from quaint to magical. As you wander up through the cobblestone streets past vendors selling their crafts, olives, oil, cheeses, honey, soaps and other wares, you eventually arrive at the entrance to the ruins of a fortress.

Lovely and delicious marinated olives.

We bought about a half kilogram of marinated olives to have at home for snacks. They are very flavorful with herbs and garlic. Jim can't get enough of them!

Exploring the fortress ruins of Stari Bar.

The ruins had many pathways and tunnels to get lost in. We had a great time exploring all the spots and enjoying the view from the top.

Delicious restaurant at the foot of the fortress ruins.

We had lunch at the Restoran Kaldrama. It was clearly family owned and our waiter was a 12 year-old boy. He spoke fantastic English and was just such a pleasure to chat with. I ordered black tea and he responded, "we have black tea if you would like, but might I recommend our home-made domestic tea?" It had fresh herbs of oragano, rosemary, thyme and lavendar in the pot with hot water. The pot and cup came with a little strainer that you pour through to catch the herbs. It was the most interesting and delicious tea I've ever had! We also had him recommend some food for lunch and he put together a large plate of meats and vegetables that are traditional to the Southern part of Montenegro and Albania. It was amazing. He was a great little salesman. It was wonderful to watch him work. He clearly took pride in his family restaurant.

Olive Festival booths

View of the ruins of the fortress of Stari Bar from across the valley.

Even though the Olive Festival is only once a year, we look forward to exploring Stari Bar many more times. It was a charming little village!

Until the next adventure,
The Adventuring Armstrongs