Category: Europe

a, SerbiaLeave a comment

Belgrade, Tito’s Grave, Yugo Nostalgia.

Rich McClear

This is from an April 2009 letter:   When I picked up my teacup a few mornings ago, the one with Tito, I noticed that my fingers were black.  I don’t know if Tito is rubbing off on me.  But the cup is a bit less stark than it once was. On Saturday I went to an exhibit “The Tito Effect” at the museum near his tomb.  It explores the charisma that held Yugoslavia together after the Second World War.  At the entrance a youth choir was singing.  The group was backed up by a bass, guitar, and drum.  They … Continue reading Belgrade, Tito’s Grave, Yugo Nostalgia.

a, Balkan Turmoil, SerbiaLeave a comment

Belgrade, NATO Bombing Sites.

Rich McClear

This is from an October 2000 letter from Belgrade, on my first visit to the city after Milosevic lost power– and my first visit since the NATO bombing.   When someone asks “do you want to see the sights” he really means “sites,” the places hit during the NATO bombing.  Like in Pristina, the tour points out how accurate the bombing really was.  People mark time “before bombing, after bombing” always pronouncing the second “b” in bombing.  And when people ask “how has Belgrade changed” they expect me to cite the most visible of the sites, the tall building next … Continue reading Belgrade, NATO Bombing Sites.

a, SerbiaLeave a comment

Belgrade, Hotel Moskva

Rich McClear

These paragraphs are from a 2012 letter.  We returned to the Moskva Hotel, where we had stayed so many nights in the 1990s.  When we came back we stayed where we started, at the Moskva.  The deskman knew us after a decade of absence from the hotel.  The Moskva is one of my top three emotional picks for hotels in the world.  We spent hundreds of nights here in the 1990s and early 2000s, sometimes staying for a month at a time.  I watched the massive demonstrations against Milosevic from the Moskva’s windows. In 1997 Ljiljana chose the Moskva for … Continue reading Belgrade, Hotel Moskva

a, SerbiaLeave a comment

Belgrade, Kalemegdan: Where the Danube and Sava Rivers Meet.

Rich McClear

Kalemegdan is where the Danube and Sava Rivers meet.  It is a fortified site that has been held by the Celts, Romans, Byzantines, Serbs, Turks, Austrians, Germans, Yugoslavs and the Serbs again.  It is a park, fort, and the place where Belgrade spends weekend afternoons.  The pictures are from Kalemegdan and other places mentioned in the letter.  These are excerpts from an March 2009 letter.   On Sunday in Belgrade the parks came alive.  Today Belgrade’s walking street was full of strollers eating ice cream and popcorn, stopping for an iced coffee at one of the cafes and strolling on … Continue reading Belgrade, Kalemegdan: Where the Danube and Sava Rivers Meet.

a, MontenegroLeave a comment

Przno

Rich McClear

Przno is a former fishing town that still does a little fishing but welcomes a lot of visitors.  In the summers of 2009 – 2011 we stayed, either in an apartment right on the water or in a hotel up the hill, which was run by a Canadian college as a training ground for hotel and restaurant employees.  The beach is nice, the water very clean (note the fish), and it is sited for great sunsets.  We had our favorite cafes on the water. Continue reading Przno

a, Montenegro, ReligiousLeave a comment

Plevja, Mosques and Monasteries.

Rich McClear

Plevja is in Northern Montenegro where Bosnia, Serbia and Montenegro meet.  It is a multi ethnic area that saw a large influx of refugees during the Bosnian war.  It is part of the Sanzak region which was part of the Ottoman empire, administered by Austria, and when Austria withdrew Serbia and Montenegro split the district.  The “Holy Trinity” Monastery is just outside town.  The Mosque is typical of the Balkans.  The clock tower is a hold over from Ottoman times.  The Ottomans put up clock towers in most of their towns. Continue reading Plevja, Mosques and Monasteries.

a, MontenegroLeave a comment

Milocer

Rich McClear

Milocer is a town built around the royal beach house on the King’s Beach.  There is also a Queen’s Beach.  Suzi and I stayed at the Villa Milocer many weekends while living in Podgorica.  It has been taken over by a big international resort company, which remodeled the place, and increased the price beyond our poor power to afford to stay.  But we can still look at  it and recall wonderful memories of dinner looking out at Sveti Stefan. Continue reading Milocer