Two days in Serbia…
This cruise has just flown by — much too short!
After our day in Croatia, we had two days in Serbia. The first day, we toured in Belgrade. We walked around the city’s fortress in the pouring rain. I imagine the views are better when it’s not raining. After we were all soaked (especially those passengers without rain jackets who only had umbrellas, and the one lady who wore flip flops….), we headed to the royal palace. It was very lovely. We heard how it was inhabited by the Serbia royal family,and then by the Yugoslavian dictator Tito, and again by the royals. I particularly liked the furniture and the paintings in the basement. The paintings reminded me very much of the McMenamin’s chain of pubs/hotels in Oregon and Washington. If you have been to McMenamin’s, let me know if you think these paintings seem similar. Evidently, Tito really liked to watch movies and smoke cigars in the basement.
On board, we had lectures by a professor. He was smart and a good speaker, but it seemed perhaps as if his view of the various Balkan wars was pro-Serbia. I really must do my own research when we return.
Our second day in Serbia, we went to a fortress/castle and then to an archaeological site. I love archaeology so I was happy with this agenda. This was the first day it didn’t rain!!!!
We had a bit of drizzle in the morning but then sun. After lunch, we cruised through a scenic area, the Iron Gates. Serbia on one side of the river and Romania on the others. Lovely rolling hills with small villages (many of which had been moved from a lower site due to the hydroelectric dam project in the 1970s.
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