Serbia 🇷🇸

The night before heading out of Macedonia 🇲🇰 we were in a taxi and the older gentleman driving told us that we should NOT go through Kosovo. If you’ve been keeping up with events of this region there is ongoing dispute whether or not Kosovo is a part of Serbia. Kosovo has been independent since 1999 but Serbia doesn’t recognize their independence. But, Belgrade has not been controlling Kosovo so it’s all very weird. The ongoing dispute worried us a bit about driving through Pristina, the capital of Kosovo. The taxi driver said that not only could it be dangerous but the roads are horrible. So, Justin made the tough decision to drive around Kosovo. It was definitely a faster drive but, in hindsight, we probably could have driven through without incident. But, we did see this accident on the winding road so thought it might be a sign.

Again, another great Balkan country. We found our Apart-Hotel fairly easily, and it was very close to the center of town. The place was called Bridge Apart Hotel. The manager offered to take us on a driving tour the next day. We even had a great breakfast at a nearby hotel.

Oh, before that, we ventured out for dinner our first night at the Skadarlija neighborhood at a great little restaurant. The waiter recommended a ham with veggies, bread, and salad. Justyne had ribs. Both were delicious!!

Then, we stopped for crepes and bubble waffles!! This place was called Al Pachinka and they have Scarface playing on tvs in the store. We need one of these in PB!!

Our guide, Vladmir, was very interesting. He was not Mr. personality but started warming up as the tour went on. He even got us a nice boat trip down the Denube and Sava rivers. It was a great way to see the city. We can see how the rivers come to life in the summers. Lots of bars and restaurants on the waterfront! The way Vladimir talked about the region was definitely different. Of course, we are in Belgrade, the capital of the former Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia was definitely referenced more than it was in the rest of the countries. It was interesting to hear the difference of perspective. We asked him how people felt about Milosevic. He was very diplomatic and said that some loved him and some not so much. For example, he said, his grandmother thought he was a great leader. They liked a strong leader back then.

Jevyn wanted Mexican food for dinner so we found a Chipotle-type place. They had the best little tortilla maker. Check this out!

We are back in Croatia now. It’s nice to be back in our home away from home.