The weather the past couple of days has been wonderful. Blue skies, cool breezes, and plenty of green and sunshine. Ollie and I took advantage of the warm night last night, one never knows how many are left! We rode down to Ada Ciganlija and went swimming. There were lots of people enjoying the “Belgrade Sea.”
On the way back, I snapped a nice photo below of the New Railroad Bridge (Novi Železnički Most). The bridge is visible from our house in Senjak. There were some people fishing with glow in the dark bobbers.
Ocean is certainly not a “tomboy” as she likes feminine things like shoes, dresses, hair clips, etc. I am not saying she isn’t tough, she can handle anything having two older brothers. She is just so cute. Last night I did an experiment with her. I usually lay down with her in bed to get her to fall asleep. Last night, the boys were making noise so she kept getting up and walking out of the room. I finally resorted to fake crying everytime she left. Every single time, she came back and tried to sooth me with a hug, caress, or kiss. Only a girl would do that as I know Ollie and Owen wouldn’t try to soothe me.
We have been extremely busy with the start of school. I am putting in long days dealing with scheduling, photo copiers, etc. I am especially busy as we are changing software for administration of the school and they need to know everything.
Will blog more once things calm down and school is off and running.
Last night as part of the Teacher Orientation we took a cruise on the Sava and Danube rivers to get some nice views of the city. The kids had a ball, as you can see above!
It was the first time I was on a boat here in Belgrade. The Danube smelled a bit from the pollution (smrdi monogo) “smells really bad” but the sunset and breeze was nice. Nadia had a lot of laughs were the ladies in the business office. It is nice to do the tourist activities in your own city.
Ocean is shown above at the beach across from Ada Ciganlija. Ada has been called the “Belgrade Sea” and there were thousands of people Sunday swimming. It was a sunny, warm weekend and we enjoyed some traditional summer activities. Nadia and I are very happy to enjoy the four seasons once again after so many years in the tropics.
Ocean Loves to Show Off Her New Outfits
Ocean loves the water, probably the most of the three kids. Belgraders love the outdoors and are not very self-concious of their bodies, as there were all sorts of humanity on display. Nadia and I love to see women walking away from the beach to the bus stop in their bikini – it harkens back to 1973 in the USA. Women just don’t do that anymore in the USA.
We also went shopping on Saturday to the commissary at the Embassy, Mercatur, etc. I took a long nap on Saturday also. Owen and I went for a bike ride along the Sava. Sad to see so much garbage.
Wildman Oliver at Ada's Beach
The Kralovec family is also following with great interest, the World Championship Track and Field meet in Berlin this week. Usain Bolt was amazing last night with 9.58 in the 100 m. He looked like he was going for a jog in the park. I also can’t believe how loose he is in the starting blocks. He was joking around with his teammate, hamming it up for the camera. Then on the world’s most important race for the year, just like the final in Beijing, he sets the world record. He can even go faster! I can’t wait to see him in the 200 meters. Serbia has 5 athletes that qualified, their best chance for a medal is in today’s triple jump.
Bolt Checks His Time As Tyrone Gay (USA) Comes in Second At 9.71
We had a fantastic night Friday at the Grand Casino in New Belgrade, on the banks of the Sava River. This was the first time we went to the casino. There is an interesting Serbian law that forces people to become members of the casino. You have to have a photo identification and fill out some paperwork. I am shown above with my card.
Other than the membership thing, the casino was similar to others around the world. We felt good and had some friendly dealers on the black jack and roulette tables. I think the ghost of Tito was helping us, as we kept betting on red. We are Red Star fans, and with Tito’s former socialist resort, the abandoned Hotel Jugoslavia next door, red kept on hitting. The casino is owned by a Greek company and partly by the Serbian Lottery. It is really nice and as usual, everyone was very friendly.
Nadia Outside Celebrating Her Winnings
I lived in Nevada for two years, one of the US states with legalized gambling. My thoughts on gambling and casinos are as follows:
1) It is a fun night out! We take $100 and have the philosophy that we’re going to have $100 worth of entertainment. If we lose, we are going to have fun doing it. We never go back and get more “ammo” or money.
2) I love the social aspects of the roulette and black jack tables. Strangers sitting around the table kind of become a team against the dealer, and the thrill of victory and agony of defeat are fun when you have a good group. We laughed quite a bit with the others on the table! We also placed bets on each other’s squares on the black jack table, gave each other advice, etc.
3) Slot machines are absolutely boring and I don’t see the addiction of them. In fact, I don’t see how gambling can be addictive, but it is. I had friends that needed to take a second job in Nevada to pay off their gambling debts.
4) Don’t go to casinos to win money – you won’t, at least over the long term. The odds are in favor of the casino for every game.
I would love to buy and renovate the Hotel Jugoslavia. I would make it a communist/socialist kitsch theme. All the rooms, lobby, etc, would be decorated with a modern, comfortable version of the socialist furniture, and decorating schemes. I envision morning calenstetics in Soviet jumpsuits, a baton run along the river, a Tito mascot meeting and greeting guests. The possibilities are endless! If anyone with lots of money wants to help me with my dream, I’ll gladly be the artistic and historic consultant on doing it right. I think it would make a mint. Especially with Eastern Europe quickly changing to exactly like the rest of Europe.
I can’t say enough how friendly the Serbs have been to us. Nadia is shown above eating palačinkes and homemade apricot jam. Our neighbor Radko, brought them over today. Delicious! This is another example of how nice we have been treated in Belgrade. Palačinkes are translated many times as “pancakes” but they are more like crepes.
We had a nice BBQ for some of the new teachers from the school. Some commented that was one of the big first impressions. The general easy-going nature of the locals and their kindess.
Lots of gorgeous women in the city of Obrenovac! These three friendly ladies made for a delightful afternoon. Zhana (middle) and her husband Hido hosted a wonderful party at their home. We went with the family and a classic Serbian BBQ (pork, gibenica, roasted peppers, etc.) and a warm, sunny day poolside. Couldn’t have ask for a better day! Thank you!
Šumidija Road - Obrenovac, Serbia
Obrenovac is about 30 kilometers south of Belgrade located in the region called Šumidija, which means “land of forests” in Serbian. This is the heartland of Serbia where the Hadjuks sought refuge from the Turks and where Black George began his rebellion. The area is exactly like the guidebooks describe it, a land where time has forgotten. There are bucolic scenes of old men tending their cows and sheep, bontiful orchards of apples and peaches, and lovely farmhouses. It is an area that harks back to a more rural, agricultural, past and this is how it must have been a couple generations ago.
Monday evening I took the family to Brodic Pizza. “Brodic” comes from the word “brod” which means boat in Serbian. The “ic” diminutive would signify “little boat” or “boaty” in English. It is a very hip place!
A Barge Cruises Down the Sava At Sunset
The restaurant consists several old boats that are permanently anchored next to the banks of the Sava River, a major tributary of the Danube. On a hot summer evening in Belgrade, it made for the perfect atmosphere. We enjoyed cold drinks and laughs while watching the various boats going up and down the river.
It is hard to find because it looks like most of the old, derelict barges and boats that line much of the Sava River in the city. We always ran or biked on the path that goes right by it all last year and didn’t even notice it. It is across from the Sajam Convention complex, hall number 5. It is between Ada and the Railroad Bridge.
A Tough Place To Find
“Splavs” (rafts or floats) are very popular in Belgrade. These are bars, discos, restaurants, weekend cabins, etc. that are found all along the Sava and Danube rivers in the city. They range from expensive restaurants near the Grand Casino in New Belgrade, to weekend cabins on the backside of Ada Ciganlija. We haven’t gone to these much but plan to explore this side of Belgrade. I am even considering getting a small boat or kayak to enjoy the rivers.
Brodic was full on a Monday night. A couple of boats anchored up and ordered food and drinks. It was very casual, with most of the crowd younger hippies and free spirits. The pizza was quite good, especially the thin crust which was loaded with sesame seeds. We prefer Pizza Hut to Brodic, but it was still excellent. I had my first Weifert beer and liked it. It is a less popular Serbian beer brewed in nearby Pancevo. Many of the teachers at school meet at the “pizza boat” on Friday afternoons when the weather is nice.
I highly recommend Brodic and will occasionally revisit.
We are now back in Belgrade after a wonderful holiday. Owen is carrying his little sister into the house last week. The best part of any time off is I get to spend heaps of time with my children and wife.
Lunch at the Airport
I would like to thank my father and Andy for putting up with us in the house and all of their help. It was great to see my brother Jim, sister-in-law Shelly – thanks guys. It was also nice to get in touch with the Bonettis, Bocieks, and other friends.
One of the great traditions of the Upper Peninsula is hunting camps. Many people here own 40-80 acre plot of woods and have a cabin. It is used mostly for hunting trips, like during deer season (November) or ruffed grouse season (early fall) or just for a weekend. Besides hunting, families enjoy riding ATV’s or snowmobiles, eating and drinking well, etc. My former social studies teacher and family friend Jim Bracket invited us to his camp for an afternoon of UP fun.
Ollie Aims At a Pop Can
The boys loved it as we rode 4-wheelers, shot a bb gun, and enjoyed the beauty of the northwoods. Jim has 80 acres in northern Iron County. He has 5 children with lots of grandchildren, and they all gather there often. While we were on the ATVs touring the property, we had a nice buck (male white-tailed deer) come within 20 feet of us. It is amazing how the 4-wheelers can negotiate with ease rough terrain. He was great host and a big thanks on behalf of the boys!
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