Tag: Serbia

Posts about the culture, events, language, etc. of Serbia.

Vojvodina Retreat

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Last weekend I went on a retreat with the High School Student Council. We stayed at the Majkin Salaš, which is similar to a country bed and breakfast. Salaš means ranch or farm in the Vojvodina dialect of Serbian. Vojvodina is the northern autonomous province of Serbia. In a geological timescale, it was a sea and today is called the Pannonian Plain. It looks like Iowa or Illinois or southern Michigan, being very flat and full of agricultural fields.

The Majkin Salaš has rooms, a conference center, a swimming pool and a working farm with a pond. They have a huge apple orchard and they were harvesting last weekend. The apples were delicious and I even harvested some. As you can see, we also rode the horses a bit. The Salaš is only about 12 miles from the Hungarian border.
We went to the famous Lake Palić, which is nearby. It is a shallow lake with very poor water quality. I wanted to go swimming in the lake but the water was so green with algae that it was not suitable for swimming. In researching about studies done on the lake, the algae growth is caused by high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus. These nutrients come from agricultural fertilizer run-off and treated wastewater being flushed into the lake. The lake is about 900 acres in area but only has a maximum depth of 2 meters. There is a lovely park on the shores and bike path. We rented bikes and had a good time on a perfect late summer day. The town of Palić on the shores of the lake has a Hungarian majority population and the architecture reflected that. If I was in the area, I would come back but I wouldn’t make a special trip, unless the kids wanted to ride their bikes around the lake.
Lake Palić

Saturday at Kopaonik

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We are spending the weekend at the biggest ski resort in Serbia, Kopaonik. Kopaonik is a national park located in southern Serbia near the Kosovo border. It is a beautiful region of mountains (peaks to almost 7,000 feet), valleys, pine trees, and sweeping vistas.

As you can see above, we rode up in one of the ski lifts to the top. We had a fantastic day yesterday! The weather was perfect and the cool mountain air was a relief to hot Belgrade. We spent a lot of time in the pool at the Grand Hotel and went for a hike in an amazing gorge.

The kids are having fun and Nadia and I are re-charging our batteries after a month of tough work getting school off and running. The pine trees and fresh mountain air is really refreshing my soul! We are all impressed with the beauty of the park and we will definitely be coming back for skiing trips this winter.

Serbia Controls Their Destiny

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Tuesday evening I attended the Serbia versus Faroe Islands European Cup Qualifying Match. Serbia is in Group C and is trying to qualify for this summer’s European Cup hosted by Poland and Ukraine. With a 3-1 defeat of the Faroe Islands, they move into second place in the group.

Italy, the first place team in the group, are 8 points clear and guaranteed a spot. The second place team in the group earns a spot in a play-in round against another second place club in one of the nine groups, or if they have one of the best records for a second place team, they earn an automatic bid.

The second place spot in Serbia’s Group C is tightly contested. The good thing is Serbia controls their own fate. The other two teams behind Serbia (14 points) are Estonia (13 points) and Slovenia (11 points). Let’s break down Serbia’s chances of winning the second place position.

Serbia has two games left while the other two only have one game remaining. Serbia is hosting Italy and traveling to Slovenia next month. How they need to do depends on Estonia. Estonia travels to Northern Ireland. Let’s say Estonia wins the game in Belfast to finish the group with 16 points. That would mean that Serbia needs win at least one of the games to qualify. Both matches will be difficult. The Italians will be coming with a second-rate team because they have already qualified. It will be an emotionally-charged game. Last fall, Italy was granted a 3-0 forfeit over Serbia because the game could not be played due to a few hooligans in and out of the stadium. The match in Slovenia will not be easy either. All of the ex-Yugoslavian Derby matches are hard fought, and Slovenia has a decent team as evidenced by their qualification in the last World Cup.

We really enjoyed the game. Because no one expected the Faroe Islands to win, the stadium was only about half full and we had excellent, comfortable seats. It is a joke that the Faroe Islands can compete as an independent nation. They are located half-way between Scotland and Iceland and have a population of around 50,000. We were joking that the balding, slightly overweight striker, took a couple days off postal duties to play in the game.

I have to give the Faroe Islands team credit however. They gave a good effort, scored a goal, and they even had a cheering section behind us. Normally, young men in the Serbian crowd would look menacingly at the opposing cheering section, but because of the quirkiness and small size of the contingent, they were more laughing and staring as anything. The group has an odd chant as the their team approached the goal or had a corner kick. They even had one guy with a Viking helmet in Faroe Island colors. (see below) They even have earned 4 points in the group with a win over Estonia, which could ultimately determine Serbia’s fate.

It would be great for the “Orlovi” (Eagles as the Serbian team is nicknamed) to qualify. They had a tumultuous group stage with a coaching change, and a forfeit in Italy which also resulted in a home game against Northern Ireland in an empty stadium.

It is nice for once for Serbia to control their own destiny in trying to get into a European event. This is much different than their attempts to get into the EU. Go Serbia! Navije Srbija!

Serbia Defeats Germany

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Dirk Nowitzki, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

This is something you might not see for awhile – Dirk Nowitzki playing basketball. Last night, Serbia defeated Germany in the European Basketball Championships hosted by Lithuania. I enjoyed watching some of the game last night, especially big Dirk! He scored 25 points but he was not mixing it up and playing with the aggressiveness that he does in the NBA.

The Serbs are now 4-0 in the competition and play France tonight to determine the winner of their group. After tonight, then the knockout phase begins. Serbia has looked very solid with contributions from many different players. They have the deepest team in the tourney. My favorite player, Dusko Savanovic scored 25 points, mostly from the three point line. They also have a smooth point guard, Milos Teodosic, who many consider the top point guard in Europe. Nenad Krstic, the Boston Celtic center, also played well last night, taking it right at Nowitzki in the post.

I am looking forward to see who Serbia handles Tony Parker, the San Antonio Spur and French point guard. The winner will earn first place in the group and get a higher seed in the Round of 16 knockout phase. Germany also qualified as the third-place team in the group.

Perfect Summer Day

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Sunday we had a perfect summer day in the “dog days” of August. The weather has been very hot and so we began the day with a refreshing swim at the Kosutnjak Public Pool. We then drove out to the village of Beli Potok, located on the slopes of Mount Avala, just south of Belgrade. We ate at the Stari Majdan (Old Mine) restaurant. As you can see, they provided plenty of food. The restaurant is in an old quarry and is oddly shaped. The compound has two artificial turf tennis courts as a bonus. We played a set after lunch. The views overlooking Šumadija, the hilly, forested region were spectacular. I recommend a visit, especially if you are visiting Avala.
Stari Majdan Came Through with a Delicious Lunch
On the way home we bought a ripe watermelon (lubenica) and played volleyball with the kids in the back yard. Nothing better than a juicy watermelon on a plastic chair in the middle of the yard on a super hot day. It was the last day of summer holidays so we put the kids to bed a bit earlier than usual. It is soothing to listen to the crickets in the evening from the window of our balcony. Ah, the days of summer…
Ocean notices the plums

Also loved the huge vats of šliva (plums) they had on display at the restaurant. The plums are used to make the Serbian national drink, šlivavica, a distilled alcoholic beverage made from plums. Distilled beverages from a variety of fruits are very popular in the Balkans and are called rakijas in general. My favorites are the rakijas flavored with honey and walnuts. I wonder how many bottles they can get from one of these vats.

Lido Beach

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Last night we visited Lido Beach in Zemun. It is located on the northern tip of “Great War Island” (Veliko – big Ratno – war Ostrvo – island). The island is situated at the spot where the Danube River (Dunav in Serbian) splits into its tributary, the Sava River. The island gets its name from the numerous armies that use the island as a launching pad for attacks on the city. The Turks, Serbs, and Austro-Hungarians all used it and the Serbian Army still has a presence on the island today.
In the summer, the city of Belgrade, with the help from the Serbian army, they make a pontoon bridge from the island to the suburb of Zemun. I wanted to check it out so we took the family over last night. There is a small beach on the northern point of the island, called “Lido Beach,” named after the Lido sandbar in Venice, Italy. Of course it was a body of water, so I had to jump in. The kids took off their shoes and splashed in the water a bit. Ocean loved the sand. We will probably head back there sometime. It is much like Ada Ciganlija, but the currents are a bit faster. The island is also a big bird sanctuary so I should try to do some birdwatching.
The View from Lido Beach at Sunset

There have been numerous attempts to develop the island. The Danube occasionally floods it in the spring, which is good for stopping people from putting hotels on it! It is a large green area in the city as you can see from the ariel view. It is supposed to be quite popular swimming beach and they do have a life guard, a couple of restaurants, and two volleyball nets.

“The Yugo” An Icon of Yugoslavia

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Yugo, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

Above is a photo I snapped last weekend while waiting in traffic. The main bridge between New Belgrade and the old city is under repair and has been causing traffic back ups. The “Yugo” or Zastava Koral 55 is an icon of the Former Yugoslavia. They are the source of many jokes both in the US, where they were sold in the 1980’s and here in Serbia.

I love them and hate them. I love them because they are so derided in the media and by people, that it almost makes it cool to drive one. I would love to buy one just to tool around the city in. I would even paint it in our school colors and have it as a “mascot” of the school.

They are an annoyance on the highway however. I wish I had a laser beam in the front of my car that would lift a Yugo in the air so I could ride underneath and then safely place it back down. I think their max speed must be around 60-80 km per hour and I’ve spent many an hour behind them, looking for an opportunity to pass.

The Yugo has a personal connection to me. In my home state of Michigan, the following tragedy occurred:

In 1989, 31-year-old Leslie Ann Pluhar, driving a 1987 Yugo over the Mackinac Bridge in Michigan, died when her Yugo was blown over the bridge’s 36-inch (910 mm) railing by a 50 mph (80 km/h) gust of wind. The incident was widely publicized, with the make of car prominently identified. While Mackinac Bridge Authority’s chief engineer initially thought the car was exceeding the 45 mph (72 km/h) speed limit enforced on the bridge, it was later discovered that Pluhar had panicked when the high winds made driving too difficult and stopped the Yugo on the bridge. The act of stopping the car denied it the downforce generated by forward motion, and along with the car’s light weight, blew the Yugo off the bridge.

I want to read a recent book about the Yugo in America, so expect to see more posts about these cool old cars around Serbia. I asked the guy if he was having car problems or out of gas and he said no. As we got closer to the intersection, he hopped back in and started the car right away. He might have been trying to conserve gasoline, which yesterday was $7.12 per gallon! (ouch!)

Visit to the Karadjordjevic Family Mausoleum

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St. George’s Church, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

In the spirit of Britian’s Royal wedding this week, we visited the Serbian royal family’s Mausoleum and museum complex in the small town of Topola, Serbia. Topola means “poplar tree” in Serbian and is located in the heart of Šumadija, the forested center of Serbia. This is the place where the founder of the Serbian Royal Family,  (Karadjordjevic), the famous “Black George,” started the first uprising against the Ottoman Turks in 1804.

A later descendent of Black George, King Petar I, began construction of a church in 1910.  The project was interrupted by World War I, and he died before it could be finished. His heir, King Alexander II, oversaw its completion. The church was dedicated to St. George in 1930. The church is on the peak of a small hill called Openlac near the original homestead of Black George. Masses were held there until 1947, when the Yugoslav government declared it a cultural landmark. Underneath the church is the Karadjordjevic family mausoleum. There are 19 members of the royal family buried there, including Black George himself.

It is an amazing building! There are 725 mosaics on the walls with a surface area of 3,500 square meters. The 40 million pieces provide the whole continuum of color, and the scenes depict either Bible stories or Serbian history. We were in awe walking through the place, with light striking at different angles. I highly recommend visiting the church.

The area surrounding the church is also beautiful and a perfect place for a picnic. Openlac in Serbian means the wooden pieces of carts. The wooded hill was used for centuries for wood collection by the locals. It is all preserved, including the vineyards of the royal family. It makes an ideal day trip from Belgrade. We also made the obligatory stop at the Aleksandrovic Winery, located 5 kilometers south of Topola. We tasted and purchased some of their wines, although we were a bit disappointed in the higher costs of the bottles. They used to be half the price of what you could buy in the supermarket in Belgrade. They are now 2-3 Euros cheaper and not worth the drive.

Gasoline Prices In Serbia

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Filling Up This Winter at the local gas station

I’ve been hearing many complaints from Americans about the high price of gasoline in the US. Gasoline averages $3,84 per gallon in April in the US. Experts suspect it will go even higher this summer when the “driving season” comes. President Obama even commissioned a task force to investigate the oil markets to see if there is any price manipulation.

Well, here in Serbia, I would love to pay $4.00 per gallon! The other day I filled up my car and for unleaded, 95 octane, gasoline, the cost was 123 RSD (Republic of Serbia Dinara). 123 RSD is the equivalent of $1.78 US which works out to a whopping $6.74 per gallon!!! Experts in the US are reporting how people are curbing their travel plans or not traveling at all because of the high prices. I wonder what will happen when it reaches Serbian levels.

Europe for a long time has had more expensive gasoline than the US. Public transport here is more accessible and things are closer. Most Serbs I know have only one car, and it usually not the big S.U.V. that Americans drive. I am not that bothered by gasoline prices here because we do not drive much. We live 1 mile from school and seldom venture downtown or across the river for shopping or entertainment. I do feel bad for those people on fixed incomes with long commutes.

I am not sure why gasoline prices are so high in Europe, especially Serbia. I miss those days of living in Venezuela. We lived there from 2002 – 2007 and the government subsidies (photo below of the Venezuelan National Petroleum Company Compound) and exchange rates, made Venezuela to have the cheapest gasoline in the world at 12 US cents per gallon.

PDVSA Natural Gas Headquarters - Anaco, Venezuela

Spring Break Begins

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Owen and Ollie, originally uploaded by bill kralovec.

It was a fabulous day yesterday as we began our Spring Break! We have 12 days off of school. It felt like a long time since Ski Week, especially for me with the basketball season and the accreditation visit. We are staying in Belgrade for the time off and enjoying our new apartment and the spring weather.

The boys are shown above playing basketball. They love playing hoops and with the smaller ball, Oliver can make baskets. Besides playing a lot in the back yard, we did some shopping for more plants and did somethings around the house. I am growing flowers, herbs, and vegetables on our balconies.

We wrapped up the day with a great meal at the Sheher Restaurant (Park Cafe) with friends Claudiu, Vesna, Per, and Maria and families. It is located in our neighborhood and it has a big outside area for the kids to run around while the adults can socialize in peace. The food was delicious and a great ambiance outside on their patio. I highly recommend the place.

I’ll try to blog as much as I can for the holidays. Today we’ll begin dyeing the Easter eggs. We are trying to have a full Serbian Orthodox Easter this year.

Nadia with Tulips from Kalenić Pijaca