Nectar of Life: Serbia- stealing my heart

This travelogue is very different from all others I have written so far. It is more about serenity of the place and peaceful and contented nature of the local people. This trip was not as much to explore the place, but more of a family reunion. We decided to have a relaxed stay for ten days, with some minor touring around.

We reached the place where we had booked for stay in Belgrade at 2.05 pm. We were supposed to meet the contact person at 2 o’clock. There was nobody to be seen near the building. Looking at the name boards, we pressed the bell of an apartment owner; the lady’s name had a similar surname as our contact person. She responded and though they were not related to each other, knowing our situation, she told she was coming down. She brought her mobile phone with her, called up the number and talked to him. He told he expected we would call the moment we arrived Belgrade airport and since it would take us 15 minutes to reach the apartment, which was the same time needed for him also to reach, he would have started then. He requested us to wait for 15 minutes, and was very apologetic when he arrived. He gave the key and briefed us about the locality and surroundings.

The local market

After taking a short rest, we walked to the nearby local market. It was a delight to see a wide variety of vegetables, salad leaves, and dry fruits.

We bought many seeds like pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, hazel nuts and Brazilian nuts. That shop owner became our friend as on most of the days during our 10 days stay, we bought from him.

A balanced view of life

My daughters cooked European dishes for lunch, along with amazing salads. After lunch, siesta, and tea in the evening, we would visit the children’s park nearby. It was a heart warming sight to see many parents (both mother and father) bring their children to the park and spending time with them. We got talking to them and a lady told, ‘We don’t believe in spending whole life running after money and name/fame. We enjoy our family life and bringing up kids.’

One thing that really did upset me was watching pregnant mothers with toddlers smoking cigarettes. Smoking was quite prevalent there.

In general, people seemed to be peaceful and contented. Whenever we asked for any help, like road directions, they took time to explain things with smiling faces.

Total relaxation for body, mind and spirit

We had decided to spend the ten days leisurely, without running around too much for sightseeing. Coming back from the park, after having dinner of local fruits, there used to be spiritual discussions, some chanting and meditation before sleep.

Local friends

I had contacted three people on couch surfing, just to meet up and have exchange of views. One of them came to meet us at 2 pm one day, and we ended up having a great time till 8 pm. She said that one of her friends who works in Florida was on vacation in Belgrade and would love to meet us. At 6 pm, we went out to meet her at the river side, which was a serene place, with many bushes and beautiful rose flowers.

After having coffee together, the Florida friend invited us to her house the next morning and requested to give her a Reiki healing.

A Serbian astrologer

On the next day we went to her house and gave Reiki healing. She said she would like us to meet her ‘Jyotishi’ friend and fixed the meeting over lunch. The ‘Jyotishi’ friend was a very knowledgeable person and it was a pleasure meeting him and having discussion on astrology and healing. He mentioned about his impending trip to Rishikesh in India.

The National museum of Serbia

Of course we did some sightseeing too. A visit to the National museum was very satisfying. The National Museum of Serbia is the largest and oldest museum in Serbia and former Yugoslavia. It is located in the central zone of Belgrade on a square plot between the Republic Square, formerly Theatre Square, and three streets: Čika Ljubina, Vasina and Laze Pačua. Its main facade is on the Republic Square.

The museum was established on 10 May 1844. It moved into the present building in 1950, with the grand opening of the venue on 23 May 1952. Since its founding, the museum's collection has grown to over 400,000 objects, including many foreign masterpieces. After being closed for renovation for 15 years, the museum was re-opened to the public on 28 June 2018. We were lucky that we visited during August 2018.

The museum’s new permanent exhibition is spread over three levels and covers a chronological period from the Paleolithic era to the 20th century. We got to see some awesome paintings there. What impressed us most was a veiled woman’s bust, carved in marble.

Marble carving 'The Veil'

Belgrade Fortress

Belgrade Fortress, consists of the old citadel and Kalemegdan Park on the confluence of the River Sava and Danube, in an urban area of modern Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is located in Belgrade's municipality of Stari Grad. It is the most visited tourist attraction in Belgrade.

Belgrade’s Military Museum is located in Kalemegdan, one can see all the tanks outside.

Established back in 1878, the museum is home to more than 3000 artefacts covering violence from the Roman times to the modern day, including an in-depth look at the NATO aggression of 1999.

Knez Mihailova Street

This street, named after a Serbian prince, oozes charm and is lined with historic buildings. Less than a mile long, the street dates back to the Ottoman days, though it never really came into its own until the 19th century when the wealthy started building homes here.

We took leisurely walk along this street twice during our stay in Belgrade.

Skadarlija Street

This street is just 400 meters (1,340 feet) long, but it’s the most famous street in Belgrade. Located in the Old Town, it connects Despot Stefan Boulevard with Dusanova Street. The street is lined with vintage buildings.

A beautiful building on the street

With a bohemian atmosphere, Skadarlija Street is considered Belgrade’s version of Montmartre in Paris. It was known as the Gypsy quarter in the 19th century, and is a place where poets gather for Skadarlija Evenings at the house of the late poet Dura Jaksic.

We had to cross this street many times and it was always a joyful walk.

Jevremovac Botanical Garden

It is the second most visited natural monument in Serbia, and is an urban oasis near the city center. This is the first botanical garden in Serbia, founded in 1874 by the Ministry of Education of the Kingdom of Serbia, at the proposal of Josif Pančić, who was its first manager. In 1889, King Milan Obrenović donated the estate (inherited from his grandfather named Jevrem) to the Great School in Belgrade for the purpose of construction of the Botanical Garden, provided it is named “Jevremovac”. It exists to this day at the same location and under the same name.

There are about 2,500 plant species in the Botanical Garden, covering an area of 5 hectares, including: Glass Garden, Japanese Garden, library, herbarium, open areas, Administrative Building, auditoriums and labs. The special value of the Botanical Garden in Belgrade is the Great Glass Garden, which was transported in 1892 from Dresden.

The Glass Garden

The Japanese garden is an extraordinary place which was made for easy walking and meditation. In the center of various plants lies the lake. It is fascinating that the creators managed to draw water from 90 meters to make this pond natural. This extremely beautiful area combines stone, water and plants in the symbolic arrangement and harmony of the ancient eastern tradition.

The Botanical Garden and the Botanical Institute, to which it belongs, represent a teaching-scientific unit of the Faculty of Biology, with more than 1,500 students of elementary, master and PhD studies.

Eating out

We loved the food in the three restaurants that we ate. Homa restaurant was recommended by a friend, it was a little expensive. La Vash was situated in a very beautiful locality.