SERBIA: THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

I've been almost everywhere and I've seen a lot of beautiful places but there's only one I always come back to. If you check the World map, you'll find a small black stain called Serbia. Sometimes people don't have any clue where it is, sometimes they think of it as a part of Russia (Siberia), sometimes they guess Serbia was a part of Yugoslavia. 

People who suffer from draft, a disease unknown to the rest of the world, are Serbian. 

I love to come here for so many reasons. First, I love to visit all my family and friends even if I don't have enough time to visit all of them. My time here is so messed up even with the schedule prepared in advance. Very often I look at the watch and I need to say "sorry pal, your time is up". I feel like a celebrity in my surround when my neighbors gather around me. 

I love the food because it still has some taste even if I'm leaving with some extra pounds. All of these people try to feed me like I don't really know what the food is. I'm seriously thinking about writing a warning on my forehead: "do not feed me!". Going from one visit to another I forget that I don't manage to have any lunch at home with my family and that is something I'm waiting for all this time. 

Serbia is the world in itself and we do the things opposite and, of course, better than the rest of the World. For example: we were singing and celebrating at public during the unfair NATO bombing in 1999., conducted by USA in order to overthrown the regime. Even if they destroyed all our bridges and most of the country, we keep the dignity and a revenge to kick their spoiled American asses at a sport field. Serbians are very proud of the national achivements and a they are able to brake a brend new tv only because our compatriot Novak Djokovic is loosing a game. Who else in the Universe does this?!

Photo: D.Savic; The Old Bridge, Novi Sad, 1990.

    All Serbian ceremonies are very much alike with a toast and a lunch served for almost hundred of people and it's very hard to tell weather is a celebration or a grieving occasion. 

Rakija is the most precious Serbian heritage, always and everywhere present. Prepared at our backyards, it's one of the thousand reasons for Serbia's struggling to join The European Union.

Food, as an important part of our tradition, is different from the north to the south of Serbia. 

Central west part provides the fresh cow and goat cheese for whole Serbia. Since the unproccesed cheese is not very popular where I live, I'm looking forward to sneak here at the city market full of dairy products, a little bit smelly for someone who didn't get used to it. I always take my time choosing the cheese and enjoying this smell. The percentage of fat these cheese contain is not labeled so the tasting is the only way to find it out.

If you go south you'll find the best barbique with no artificial sauces and the best kind of pepper necessary for preparing the most famous Serbian spread AJVAR. If you are from Serbia it will be a shame not to have it in the fridge, so last year I got down to work and made it on my own.

I come from northern part, Province of Vojvodina where people are not in a rush, come what may. They walk slowly, they talk slowly, even The Danube River takes its time flowing through Vojvodina. With this innate manner of taking my time I often miss the train in New York or stay without available seat. Music of tambourines reflects the lifestyle of Vojvodina: tough guys are working at the fields and staring at the beautiful women... In case they don't gain the love of women they are going to drink all the supplies made for the whole year.

Vojvodina is rich in with weat therefore gluten allergic people should be very careful when traveling trough Vojvodina. It's obvious why I look like a well done donut after only two weeks spent here. Bread always gets along with meat so we don't lack in homade prociutto, ham or saussage, either. Vegans may also stay hungry here. 

Novi Sad is the capital of the Province and the most pleasurable place in the world. It's not too big, actually it's a size of Centarl Park, with two main streets of the downtown it's impossible to take a walk and not to meet anybody. Every time I come from New York it looks even smaller and I get the feeling I can cross it in two easy steps. It might be small but with four official languages spoken here: Serbian, Hungarian, Slovak and Ruthenian doesn't seem to be just a town of some province.

There's no place on Earth where I feel more comfortable and more relaxed then here. 

I have to admit that it's not easy to fit in here, people from Novi Sad do not accept somebody from outside easily and do not like the change a lot but once you get into their pawns they won't let you out. 

The city flourishes every summer when the Festival of music "Exit" is held at the city fortress until early in the morning with an afterparty at the city beach "Strand". 

A self proclaimed Cathedral in downtown has shaped my future meeting my husband here ten years ago. 

I like to nourish myself with the good theather performance rather than with sausage so my friend Visnja, an actress, makes shure I get the best seats for one of her performances. 

Unfortunately, it's an election period therefore city facades are spoiled by political propaganda. Also, back at the time, former mayor of Novi Sad disgraced the city replacing the authentic cobblestone with some cheapest kind of a stone-bed and got away without a proper sentence such as a public hanging. 

I grew up on the other side of Danube, in Sremska Kamenica and, according to the songs and stories, people are the most difficult to deal with. I think my husband would agree to this stereotype. Generation of my grandparents that had built up this place is slowly going away. 

I attended one and only elementary school in the village having the same teacher my parents had had. On the way to school I needed to walk, there was no school bus to take me there. As a child I used to play outside, there was no computer games or traffic because this place was like a big playground. Thirty years ago, my only duty as a child was to buy beer and cigarettes for my father. Fresh air from Fruška Gora Mountain always gives me the energy enough to keep going.

I live far away now, in a country totally different from Serbia but moving away helped me to realize how much I love Serbia. I still read books in Serbian because it's the only language emotionally accepted to me. I still hang out with Serbian people in New York because we share a special kind of "Serbian humor". Traveling around I feel like ambassador of Serbia, promoting it everywhere. If only one of all people I've met around the World, comes to visit Serbia, my mission will be completed!

ITALY: PIZZA DI NAPOLI

Everybody loves pizza. I like it more than anybody else. I am like a "pizza vulture", helping others to finish it. I'm still searching for the best recipe and brick oven-style is a big deal for me. I came as a student for the first time in Milano hoping I would try the pizza of my dreams but it was the worst pizza I had ever tried. Someone told me once that the best pizza is from Naples because it was invented there. 

An ancient brick oven in Pompeii

From the moment of entering Italy I knew I wouldn't wait in the line to see Colosseum neither to nock on the heaven's door of Vatican but I would wait in the line for the famous restaurant in Naples called L'Antica Pizzeria Da Michelle to try that special recipe that has made pizza so popular,  otherwise it would have simply stayed flat bread with marinara sauce for people who get nothing else on their table. 

This is also the place where Julia Roberts tried pizza when she came to Italy on her tour around the World in the movie "Eat, Pray, Love".

Pizza place Da Michelle is near the train station in Naples and if you ask locals for direction, everybody will tell you where it's located. To wait in the line is a must, probably part of the tradition. They left me waiting even if there were a few tables available. It may be Italian-style hosting but in New York, customers are not that patient. I didn't want to complain, I was just waiting for my turn to place an order starting to question the public opinion about this place. To my disappointment, there are only two traditional kinds of pizza: marinara, just with tomato sauce and oregano and margarita, marinara sauce again with basil and cheese. There are no other toppings such as: prosciutto, black olives, fresh mushrooms, anchovies- my favorite one. If you haven't tried pizza with anchovies yet, it's about time just make sure you have enough water to drink after the meal. I went with a flow and order both kinds. I was watching a chef placing the pies in the oven and keeping a watch on them. The pies were on the table very soon, I said a prayer and got down to work. One more disappointment: there was nothing special in that pizza. It was good because there's no bad pizza for me, but far from perfection. Maybe I had some high expectations but I know for better pizza. This place might be the best only in some movie. There are good pizzerias around the world, in the cosmopolitan city where I live, even in my home town. I can also say that I'm very proud of my tiny and crispy dough. I can give a lesson to that chef from Naples, it would be free of charge.

In this time of the year, all Italian cities are packed with tourists. Around Easter is almost impossible to get the last minute accommodation. I found it only because my friend Emina made some effort  to help me find one for the reasonable price. There are endless lines for all significant spots in Rome: Colosseo, Fontana di Trevi, Pantheon or any of beautiful squares. I didn't want to squeeze by all other tourist just to get the picture for Facebook.

If you walk down the streets of Naples, you can feel some "dolce vita" from 1960 but on the other side, there are so many people living not such a "dolce" life and begging for money. 

Holding a branch of olive leaves in hands as a symbol of peace, most of the people are heading to buy a stairway to heaven in Vatican which was important to me to get a new state on my list, only.

Beside pizza and ancient cities, there are other things Italians are famous for: giving a lot of compliments, not paying attention on pedestrians or traffic lights, shouting at the street. I almost ended up on the street in the middle of the night when I came to the hotel I had booked and payed for it in advance. My flight arrived after midnight which is unacceptable in Italy so the receptionist told me to come following day in the morning. He didn't want to give me the room neither my money back. I've been everywhere and something like this can happen only in Italy. It can be just a fuss about nothing but when in Italy do as the Italians do!!!

IBERIAN PENINSULA: SPAIN AND PORTUGAL

The Iberian Peninsula is divided, not in the equal shares though, between three countries: Spain, Portugal and Andorra-state that is hardly visible on the World Map. Spain and Portugal, back at the time, were big colonial armies settling the whole continent of South America. These countries, all along with some countries of North Africa and Middle East are also a part of Mediterran. Because of its geographic position, Iberian Peninsula had been influenced trough conquests and trades by many cultures since the ancient period (Greeks and Romans) through the middle age ( Muslims) until today as a part of a global European system.  

After I crossed Gibraltar, I found myself in Tarifa, Malaga, Granada and Sevilla. 

As I stepped into the territory of The European Union, which is supposed to be very well regulated system, I saw some things that made me think I was still in some third world country. It seems that immigration officers don't know whether visa is required for Serbian and Croatian passports. They started consulting each other and the computer system as well. Luckily, the system has been updated. In Tarifa, is really hard to find an exchange office and only a few banks change foreign valutas only for their clients. I managed to find only one with a very low rate. If there are more, there's no sign. The first thing I ran into cute little city of Malaga was a pile of garbage. Maybe, sanitary workers are on collective vacation or strike because the garbage is all around.

Malaga

Granada

Beside these small imperfections, the cities of Andalusia are a fusion of medieval Christian and Muslim architecture. Sevilla was the most interesting to me. With all the ornamented and colorful details exterior it looks really impressive, especially at night with all the lights falling on the city. These lights and the medieval edifices are the charm of Europe. 

Sevilla

If you are longing for some more charm and romance, don't forget to visit the other half of Iberian Peninsula, Portugal and its capital, Lisbon and the streets of cobblestone. 

This is not the first time I visit Lisbon and part of town where I always like to come back to suburb of Lisbon, Sintra. It is famous for big number of castles. Some of them are located in the historic centre and some are high on the hills. The hike trail that leeds to the castles gives a panoramic view of the city. All the trees and stones are covered with moss what this place makes so special and romantic. There was no other people around and I felt like it was my own property with one of the castles. I always take a walk up and on the way down even if there are some means of transportation. To gain the lost energy from walking, I treated myself with a cheese and meat platter and a glass of famous Port wine. 

Some things haven't changed a lot from the first time I visited Lisbon: street merchant still offer hasheesh in public like it's some street candy. There are more street performers than before in very creative costumes. 

I still remember my New Year's eve in Lisbon, 12 years ago at the main square with my best friends, beautiful firework, bottle of sangria and some chips. 

Throug the narrow steap streets, you'll hear fado, an authentic Portuguese music from the first half of 19th century and UNESCO World Heritage. It usually expresses strong feelings such as melancholia, loss or suffering. This music genre is typical for poor instrumental company and the strong vocal qualities of a performer. When I heard fado alive for the first time in my life I had a feeling the power of the singer's voice was going to break all the windows. My favorite fado group was Madre Deus (they don't perform any more) with the Teresa Salgueiro as a vocalist. This group used to sing not only about love but about city of Lisbon (Alfama, river Tejo...) what is called Lisbon fado. To feel the spirit of the music and connection with the city, you should watch a movie Lisbon Story. My Lisbon story ended with fado concert. When the lights turn on, part of the city Beirra Alto is becoming a fado stage. I choose a small restaurant Caldo Verde to enjoyed it before I had left this magic city.

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Even so romantic, I suggest visiting Lisbon with a best friend rather then your intimate partner. It's because of the handmade accessories that I'm able to stare at all day long but my husband, like all other men, doesn't have a patience for that. He always rushes me with un excuse that I already have a lot of it. That's why you'll need somebody who understands you!

Europe is like an old cute lady next door whom you like to pay a visit once in a while and to drink a coffee with. Even if I've seen a great deal of it, I need to stop by once in a while. It's inevitable while getting connection flights from one continent to another and every stop in Europe means a visit to me.