19th - 27th November 2020: Belgrade (Serbia)

With fresh tires, we roll down the mountains and snake our way through forests, fields, and smaller towns to Belgrade. We have a nice apartment in the center and even though we are back under the autumn foggy clouds, November feels more alive in the city than on the mountain.

We stroll past impressive old buildings to the fortress, which is built right where the Sava River flows into the Danube. Along the Sava riverbank, there are bars, restaurants, and clubs that give us a glimpse of the nightlife for which Belgrade is known. Now in November, these are closed and we would like to come back to experience them in a warmer season (without Corona). In the city itself, several cafes are open where we can warm up. However, we did not realize that the smoking ban, which has been in effect in all EU countries for several years, does not apply outside the EU in Serbia. We still remember smoky pubs from earlier times when we enjoyed this supposed freedom with coffee or wine. However, as a non-smoking family, it is not really enjoyable to eat delicious milkshakes and palatschinken (pancakes) in dense cigarette smoke - the children are completely outraged, pull their scarves over their noses, and refuse to go to more smoking cafes.

In the fresh and increasingly colder air, we take deep breaths and explore the magnificent buildings and beautifully illuminated streets from the outside. One of our trips leads us to the Museum of Yugoslav History. This includes the Flower House, where Tito's grave is located among palm trees, photos, and memories of his time. We read a lot of new information and are impressed by the variety of delegations that participated in his funeral from 127 countries in the midst of the Cold War. Equally exciting is the collection of many batons that were handed over to Tito every year on May 25th. On the occasion of his birthday, relay races took place throughout Yugoslavia on this 'Youth Day', in which hundreds of thousands of young people participated. As experienced participants in the team relay race in Berlin, we can very well imagine the pleasure that goes along with it.

A special highlight for the athletes among us is the island Ada Ciganlija, which stretches for 6 km in the middle of the Sava and is completely dedicated to pleasure and physical exercise: On the shores, in addition to a long beach, there are cafes and restaurants, and in the interior of the island, there are football fields, tennis courts, and other sports facilities, as well as climbing parks, mini golf, running, and skateboarding tracks in extensive parks. The boys are excited, immediately try out a new game of rubber tennis, play some foosball, and enjoy the fun and active time since the city walks are not really joyful for young legs. But with the nearby swimming pool, we have enough opportunities here to alternate between walks and fun activities, so that everyone gets their money's worth.

The days are short, November is cold, so we are also happy every day when, after a few hours out and about, we can comfortably sit on the couch in the late afternoon, immerse ourselves in books, watch movies, or learn how to finger knit and arm knit.

But before we fully embrace the cold Christmas season, we want to go to the sea one last time at the end of our trip, and after a week with a stopover in Zagreb, we drive to the final destination of Rijeka on the Mediterranean Sea.