Fifteen years ago today Serbian president Milosevic fell from power. It was a day of great joy and celebration. On October 5 Milosevic fell, on October 6 I tried to get a Serbian visa, the embassy was closed. On October … Continue reading October 5, 2000
These are two letters from Serbia I wrote about Thanksgiving from 2010 and 2011. 2010 (Suzi is in Egypt, I am in Belgrade, Serbia) Thanksgiving morning was the first cold, clear day of the season. Some of the lights in … Continue reading Thanksgiving in Serbia, 2010 and 2011
I enjoy the World Cup, watching games at various venues in Sitka. (Football is better watched in community. Besides, I don’t own a Television. The picture at the top is at the Pizza Express, a Mexican Restaurant in Sitka, the … Continue reading Remembering World Cups Past.
Three Easters from the former Yugoslavia: Slovenia, Croatia and Montenegro, early 2000s Slovenia: Spring had come to Ljubljana, you can tell by the forsythia and the willow, but it was not by the weather. A cold wind blew snow flurries … Continue reading Eastertide in three former Yugoslav Countries (Early 2000s)
This is continuation, from the same letter I posted from yesterday. It is early for Easter but I thought the two posts should go together. Easter, 2001 In front of St. Marko’s church are stalls selling Easter candies and beautifully … Continue reading Belgrade, Easter 2001 (continued from post before)
April 15, 2001(Easter Sunday) Belgrade, Yugoslavia Dear Friends, Religion in Serbia is struggling to find itself after 45 years of official atheism followed by 10 years in which being a Serb, Croat or Bosniak was defined by religion since appearance … Continue reading Lent and Easter in Belgrade
Carnival is over. In some places it continues into Lent with the funeral of Vaal (Carnival) which starts penitently enough but becomes a second bacchanal. We experienced something different in Belgrade. As an excerpt from this letter from May 2009 … Continue reading Carnival Lisbon, Apres Carnival, Belgrade
This is an excerpt from a Feb, 2011 letter about the Iron Gates. I’ve wanted to get to the Iron Gates of the Danube since I first started coming to Serbia. The Iron Gates are where the Danube narrows and … Continue reading Serbia, The Iron Gates of the Danube
This is my letter from the Guca Festival. August 14, 2011 Belgrade, Serbia Dear Friends, As you drive into the Guca valley it looks like morning mist lifting, but we arrived at about noon and getting off the bus realized … Continue reading Guca, The Trumpet Capital of the Balkans
We lived in Belgrade for almost four years at two different times. We have been working there for longer, with many trips to work with local radio and TV stations and with B92. We love the city and want to … Continue reading Belgrade
Belgrade’s market is called a “New Year’s Market.” It starts later than most holiday markets and closes later. This market was about 120 steps from our flat. Continue reading Belgrade Holiday Market and Decorations.