Trakai Island Castle

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I am in Lithuania for a basketball tourney and I took time out to visit the famous tourist attraction. The castle is located on a small island in a lake about 30 kilometers outside of the capital Vilnius. My friend Metin and his driver Hakan, were gracious hosts and they showed me the site.

It was very strange in that Lithuania looks very much like my home of northern Michigan. With the mixed pine forests, rolling hills, and numerous lakes, I felt like I was back in my beloved Upper Peninsula of Michigan. But we don’t have castles from the 14th century! What a juxtaposition in my psyche.

The castle is completely renovated and several of the rooms are now used to house museum pieces and explain the history of the site. There is also a small restaurant serving a pasty-like local delicacy. It gave me a feeling of how it must have been so long ago. It would have been quite scary to live in the castle, surrounded by miles of thick forests. The castle was sacked by the Teutonic Knights (Germans) in 1377 and the site of civil war between LIthuanian ruling brothers.

I spent some time in the stocks (below) and want to take one back for my school. It would serve as a deterrent for bad behavior. 🙂 The place must be even more beautiful in the summer.

A big thanks to Metin for an interesting afternoon!

Medovača

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The national drink of Serbia is rakija (brandy), which is distilled from fruits, the most common being the plum. The drink is popular throughout the Balkans. The name probably came from the Turks, whose anis-flavored “raki” is their national drink. I think the Serbs were probably fermenting and distilling plums before the Turks arrived in the late 1300’s, but they did give the name to the drink.

Serbia is the number one consumer and exporter of Rakija. It is drank at all special occasions like births, weddings, family renunions. It is sipped slowly from a special glass called a čokanjčići. Rakija is also a common apertif. There are many different kinds of rakijas based on different fruits. The Serbs use many of the common fruits of the region like apricots, pears, grapes (similar to the Italian grappa), and even quince.

My personal favorite is medovača. It is a rakija with honey added to soften the harshness of the high alcohol content. It is known as the woman’s drink, but I always order it proudly. I’ve also noticed that the design of the special glass makes it taste better. When I’ve drank medovača from a shot glass or other type of glass, it is not the same. I also like to accompany it with gas water. Medovača is a great way to start a meal or a social evening. I am not that big of a drinker so I like the time consuming rituals of sipping that allows me to drink less than say a large beer or glass of wine.

I would like to know the origin and meaning of the name of the glass, čokanjčići, and if it especially designed to enhance the flavor of the brandy.

I was inspired to write a Japanese-style haiku about medovača:

biting sting
sweet earth, smooth glass
awakening bubbles, friendship

My daughter Ocean a couple of years ago is pictured checking out the fermenting vats of plums (Stari Majdan – Šumadija)

Biking At Ada

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A couple of weekends ago, Oliver and I went for a bike ride at our favorite place in Belgrade, Ada Ciganlija. The weather has been changing with one day of warm, spring-like temperatures and the next snow. We took advantage of one of the warmer days to explore a bit. My knee has been bothering me so I will be trying to do more biking this year.

Ollie loves biking and getting outdoors and I love spending time with the little guy. We had a fantastic afternoon together!

Kuglaš

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Belgrade is famous for its night life and has an astounding number of bars, clubs, cafes, etc. Nadia and I sampled one on Saturday night to see a friend’s band play. The bar Kuglaš, (Bowler) is a venue in the neighborhood of Dorćol known for live music. They mostly book hard rock, metal, and country bands.

It was great to hear a bit of live music and get a taste of the nocturnal life of Belgrade. There is a temptation as one gets older to stay at home on weekend nights. It is good to get out. The bar was once a bowling alley, hence the name. I would have never found it as you can see by the front door (below) without my friend playing there. The bar was quite big and reminded me of any dingy bar in the USA.

Serbian Statehood Day

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Entrance To Parliament, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

I snapped this photo yesterday outside of the Parliament Building in Belgrade. The red carpet and soldiers were out for the President’s speech on the National Day of Serbia, February 15 or in Serbian, it is called Dan Državnosti. The day commemorates the first Serbian Uprising against the Ottomans in 1804 and the first Serbian Constitution in 1835.

It was a pretty subdued day in Belgrade. There were no fireworks or parades. The nationalist parties had a rally in the afternoon but it didn’t even make the news. I was expecting a bit more and I wonder why it is not that big of a deal.

The double eagle and Serbian crest outside of parliament building on a cool and grey February day.

Holiday Continues

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Sebey, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

We are on our last day in Kranjska Gora as we need to get my sister-in-law to the airport on Friday morning.

Yesterday was a great day for me. I spent the afternoon on the slopes with Oliver, Sebey, and Owen. What a nice way to bond with the boys! They were showing off their skills and I was trying to keep up, stay upright and dig them out of trouble when they fell. The crowds were thin again and with zero wait time in getting on the lifts.

Our interactions with Slovenians were limited but we did meet the neighbour while shovelling out the cars and spent some time with the apartment owner. They were very nice and animated, a bit different than the Austrians. I see that Slovenians are Slavs and out-going, but with the houses and infrastructure in better condition than the rest of the Balkans. I still feel they would be better off with an union with Croatia and Serbia. The language (Slovene compared to Serbian) is not that different. I wonder if it is like Spanish and Portuguese or something closer?

Our apartment is just down the street from the former home of Slovene children’s author, Josip Vandot. I had not heard of him before this trip, but saw a memorial in front of his house. I would love to read his three books in English about a brave and clever shepherd boy named Kekec. I am sure my kids would love his alpine adventures.

Kranjska Gora Fun

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As you can see by the look on the faces of the kids, they are having a blast skiing. This makes it all worth it for me. To see their excitement of mastering different runs and techniques. They will never become superstar skiers because we don’t ski often enough, but they are learning how to do it and experience skiing in the Alps.

There were much less people on the mountain yesterday (Monday) and it was much better. With less crowds and noise, it is more enjoyable for everyone.

I still have not gone downhill as my knee is still getting better. I did go for a very long nordic (cross-country) ski yesterday. I absolutely love the sport and wish I could do it more! It is low impact on the joints, refreshing to get out in the snow and cold, and a great work out. I took one of the trails up into the mountains and was alone for most of the morning. It would be great to do this every day.

I am also trying to gauge Slovenians opinions of Serbs. They enjoy listening to my Serbian and they are taken aback by my accent, but they do understand what I am saying. In older people, they seem to get nostalgic. I will definitely ask around today to get more opinions.

The snow keeps falling – it is a winter wonderland with another foot fresh powder on the ground!

Relaxing in the Alps

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We had a successful day one of our holiday, although a couple of road bumps. It is a real pain to get the kids organized for skiing, with the rental, the ski school, lift passes etc. They did get a few times down the mountain today and we are hoping for some more runs tomorrow.

I took the girls on the cross-country trails which, in my opinion, are so much better than downhill skiing. The crowds, music, lines, “un-athletic people”, etc. really irritate me. I prefer the quiet and open trails of nordic skiing and really appreciate the workout. We did over 6 kilometers for the first afternoon. I hope to do some more tomorrow.

I forgot how stunningly beautiful the Julian Alps are. It is absolutely gorgeous up here and with so much snow, even more so.

Nadia cruises around the Kranjska Gora 1.5 km loop

Morning Veiw

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Morning Veiw, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

Can’t wait to get out there! We are enjoying a short holiday in Slovenija. After a five hour drive yesterday and a big snowball fight with the kids upon arrival, we are ready for the “hell” of dressing the kids for winter and skiing. I am hoping for some cross-country skiing with the wife (if my knee holds out!) It is tough getting old. The boys and Ocean are totally excited and that makes it all worth it!

Čestitam!

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nemi and bill, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

Čestitam means congratulations in Serbian and last night I celebrated with my friend, the birth of his nephew. In Serbian tradition and medical practice, when a mother goes into labor, the father cannot be in the operating room. In fact, for several days after the birth, only one visitor to the hospital is allowed at a time. This is very different from the US or Latin America where I was in the operating room with my wife.

So what can the father do? In Serbian tradition he throws a raucous party and guests rip a piece of his shirt for good luck and health. A father may go through several shirts in an evening. If any of my readers can tell me the origins of this tradition, why is this done? I guess if you can’t be there, you might as well have a good time and there is no better reason for a party than a birth of a child.

Nemanja in the picture is not actually the father but the uncle, but the party guests got carried away and ripped three of his shirts as well as shirts of his brother-in-law. I had a great time and need to learn some Serbian folk songs. The accordion player was belting out some traditional songs and I recognized many words, “srce” – heart, but I could only dance and not sing like the rest of the party. I wish Americans celebrated like the Serbs do. We don’t get many occasions where everyone is drinking, singing, and dancing with a live accordion player in the apartment! Such a warm feeling of togetherness!

Congratulations to Nemanja and his family! All the best for many more healthy children!