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Serbia....an unexpected delight!
We got the overnight train from Sofia, and treated ourselves to a first class sleeping car (don't panic Dad....it was only around 15 Euros each) After the nightmare of the couchette to Sofia, with all the stinkers, we thought we deserved a proper night's sleep. The next level up (sleeping berth), is same-sex only cabins, so the only option for us was 1st class.....wahoo!
The only difference was that we got the whole cabin to ourselves, and that we had a sinbk in our room.....too bad we only realised this as we got off the train and had already brushed our teeth in the scabby communal bathroom down the carriage!
Arrival in Beograd was around 7am, and it was hard not to make the same judgements that we had in Sofia, as we were again greeted by grey concrete buildings and beggars! (and the cutest stray dog in the world!!!)
We had a picnic breakfast along side some of the street bums on a patch of grass near the station, and left our luggage there for the day, as we were catching the train out on the same evening.
We walked up to the Kalemegdan Fortress...some beautiful remains of the castle that overlooks the confluence (ooooh...big geographical word!!) of the Danube / Sava rivers. It was really pretty and super hot!
We then made our way down into the city centre through the Bohemian quarter, where there were loads of live musicians playing in and outside all the restaurants, and on to the old market. Felt a bit uncomfortable here...it was more a car boot sale than a market. And as I'm more used to trading in car boots these days than being a customer I felt rather heckled and almost impulsed to buy some of the cr@p on sale! (reading glasses from circa 1950, scabby old clothes etc!). Luckily I resisted, but kept a tight hold on my bag.
The main shopping area was a massive surprise. Belgrade is full of the world's most beautiful women! Luke and I both sat there with our mouths open as the tallest, slimmest, fittest, most toned ladies strolled past (admittedly only one of us was actually dribbling at the sight, but we were both amazed!). I shrank back into my chair, staring and continued to slurp on the Snickers Milkshake I'd just bought, thinking about how none of them could have ever even heard of a Snickers, never mind eaten one! Seriously, it was crazy! They were all wearing pretty dresses and heels and me in my shorts and vest.....never before have I had such an Inferiority complex! I was secretly pleased to be dragging Luke away the same day! haha! How can 1 nation produce so many such beautiful people??
We left around 8pm to catch the train to Zagreb. We had a couchette this time, but luckily enough, had the whoile thing to ourselves. Not much sleep though, as were rudely awakened several times to check our passports / tickets along the way as we crossed borders.
Thoughts on Serbia = BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE! Definitely would want to go back there to see the city again, and would recommend it to anyone for a city break....super cheap, but not sure how much it'd cost to fly there from UK??? Best Part = falling in love with a dog at the train station. He was still there when we left in the evening. He was halfa's size, and with twiggy's face. I fed him cheese and I think he loved me too. Considered taking him with us, but wasn't sure if he had his own passport, so thought it best to leave him in his Motherland. x
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