Belgrade (SERBIA): What we took for granted...

Belgrade (SERBIA)

28 JUNE - 06 JULY 2022

What the hell just happened to us?

There we all were, sailing along calmly, serenely, in our own little pockets of a vast and expansive of ocean of tranquility, with endless blue skies, sunny days and forecasts for much more of the same. Then, in the same breath, a rogue wave took our collective ease and tossed it into a churning cauldron of uncertainty. 

Many of us were unprepared, no safety vests, no items of buoyancy within arm's reach. We flapped and flailed, we swallowed inordinate amounts of salt water, and some of us went under. COVID, I hope, has been a once in a lifetime event that will be banished to the lines written in many an online entry, and accounted for individually in many a faded memory.

For my small family the impact was merely a nuisance rather than anything extraordinarily devastating. I was easily able to transition to working from home. For Inga however, whose area of work is based in hospitality, being located in one of the most locked down cities on earth (Melbourne) meant all reasonable chances for employment were lost. So like many economically displaced residents, we took part in the great northern migration of 2020-21 and found ourselves hiding out in our investment property on the Gold Coast.

....but wait, this is a TRAVEL blog, so lets get back to it.

The incantations of travel, those dreams of tranquility, of exploration, of discovery, all were removed within a 7-day period sometime back in April of 2020. One of those dependable constants in our lives was entirely erased and replaced with curfews, a 5km travel radius and infections rates. Long endless days bled into months of isolated tedium We all hoped for some visible endpoint, a psychological marker that we would be able to work to and know that through our own personal resilience we could achieve.

It was in these times that I thought back to the experiences we had in the preceding years. The small annoyances and grievances of travel such as the inordinately slow queues at check-in or whilst going through security. The steely, unfriendly, almost accusatory eyes of customs officers. The ridiculous price tags for any food or beverages acquired within a terminal. The fight for armrests, the post-service rush to the lavatory, the impatience of certain passengers and their need to furiously disembark through the single accessible cabin door even before the plan docks at the terminal jet bridge...all of this, each vexation, every irritant we had taken for granted within the entirety of the travel process. So small, and insignificant, they had all manifested into larger items of aggravation that was almost akin to denouncing the whole travel process, but now, now much bigger things had been taken away from us.

Our families and friends scattered across the world. The plans for reunions, catch-ups, special events. The conduit for this was encapsulated in the small aggravations that was longer available to us. Somehow the horrible process of minor inconveniences didn't seem nearly as problematic as we once imagined. Somehow what we had taken for granted was now what we desired most in order to get back to doing and seeing the people and things that we loved the most.

Almost 3 years had passed since Inga and I had been to Europe to see how families. This wait in many ways was quite unpleasant but looking back, it was also something that brought to us the realisation that you need to always appreciate what you have because one day it can easily turn into what you had.

Inga & Aiden - Melbourne, Tullamarine Airport - Victoria - Australia

Aiden - Melbourne, Tullamarine Airport - Victoria - Australia

That's not too bad of a set-up - Etihad Airways

There was something about arriving in Belgrade that felt comforting. As a kid landing at Belgrade's Nikola Tesla airport was always an event filled with excitement and anticipation. Waiting to see my mum's family, doing that familiar driver from the airport to Topcider. It was something that I have, and probably always will associated with good times, warm feelings and family. Certainly this time was no different. Even more so that having lived in Belgrade for three years between 2015-2018, and now, through COVID restrictions, having been removed for three years, it was something that I had certainly been missing.

Aiden & Inga - Trg Republike - Belgrade - Serbia

This old man, he's still 'the man' - BC - Topcider - Belgrade - Serbia

Knez Mihailova - Belgrade - Serbia

Knez Mihailova - Belgrade - Serbia

Hotel Moskva - Belgrade - Serbia

Hotel Moskva - Belgrade - Serbia

There was something familiar and also something a bit odd about taking Aiden around Belgrade, almost like a bit of 'history repeating'. A child this was the role of my mother and father, but of course this was also their city and both of them had family here. Somehow from my point of view the act of Inga and I doing the same thing feels random, or more serendipitous. Perhaps if you looked at the situation at arm's length you'd identify it as perfectly expected and orderly. I don't know, it often seems to me that life iterates itself in quite familiar ways although not repeating exactly.

I have to say that our time in Belgrade itself was really very nice, calming and refreshing. We all enjoyed our experience, especially being back in a place we were familiar with and being with the people that we had missed.

We were also fortunate enough to spend some time in Sopot, a town located about 45kms south of Belgrade, located on the slopes of Kosmaj Mountain. My family has a beautiful house/cottage located on a great piece of land in the area. Once again, as a kid we would often make our way here once or twice during our stay, only for a day at a time, but on this occasion, we stayed for (3) days. I have to say, I probably never truly appreciated the scenery in the area but there is certainly something very soothing and inviting about the hilly areas on Kosmaj covered with forests of oak, beech and common hornbeam. What's more, it appears that this area is also starting to get noticed from outside of Serbia with a bit of a boutique, artisanal vibe starting to permeate through some of the settlements in the municipality. Obviously the distance from Belgrade these days means absolutely nothing in terms of travel time and the environment and the setting is an attraction for anyone able to work remotely but also wanting to be within striking distance of a major city.

Kosmaj - Sopot - Serbia

Of course, when you turn 47 fireworks are obligatory

Happy birthday to me

I will have to say a big thank you to my cousin Vladimir for showing us all the new things that have popped up here in the last few years, for example;

Kabinet Brewery - which identifies as the first greenfield brewery project in Eastern Europe, and was also one of the first craft brewery projects in Serbia. An absolutely fabulous place to try beers of high quality and unique flavour. What's more, the location and more than pleasant outlook, based on one of the slopes of Kosmaj, made this place an absolute highlight for all of us

Vinarija Eden - Eden winery, an absolutely picture-perfect winery located near the village of   Ranilović, near Arandjelovac, only an hour's drive from Belgrade. It is positioned between the mountains of Kosmaj and Bukulja, at an altitude between 240-260 m, perfect for growing grapes and more than fantastic for having a couple of glasses of white on a breezy Summer day.

Kabinet Brewery - Kosmaj - Sopot - Serbia

Kabinet Brewery - Kosmaj - Sopot - Serbia

Vinjaria Eden - Ranilovic - Municipality of Arandelovac - Serbia

Vinjaria Eden - Ranilovic - Municipality of Arandelovac - Serbia

Vinjaria Eden - Ranilovic - Municipality of Arandelovac - Serbia

Vinjaria Eden - Ranilovic - Municipality of Arandelovac - Serbia

Whilst I'm at it, I also want to give a shout-out to another great find, this time in Belgrade, Dogma Brewing & Tap Room, a fantastic location, very close to where we live in Topcider. It has a great industrial, warehouse feel but such a cool atmosphere, great food and another brilliant place to spend an afternoon! Trust me, it's well worth the visit.

Dogma Brewery & Tap Room - Radnička 3 Čukarica - Belgrade - Serbia

A big thank you to my mother, my aunt, my cousin and BC! You made this occasion such a pleasure and it was so good to finally see you after so many years apart! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Belgrade (Serbia) - All that you can't leave behind

Belgrade (Serbia)

06 September - 11 September 2019

It’s not such a long time ago that I was flying into Belgrade with my parents, an almost a yearly occurrence as a child, to catch-up with relatives, predominantly from my mother’s side of the family, but also from my father’s side as well. Flying into Belgrade from Barcelona on this occasion, brought back some of those same feelings, some of year ago and of course, of more recent times, having lived there for nearly 3 years.

Grandmother and grandson - Belgrade - Serbia

First grandson

                                Grandmother and grandson - Belgrade - Serbia

Of course introducing a new member of the family was somewhat of a big event, if for no one else, then for me specifically. Strange how the cycle of life can reinvent an old situation but give it a modern day twist. There I was, now the parent, going to visit my mother in Belgrade, and introducing her new grandson. That was both me, and her, some 45 years ago, the same actors, just playing different roles.

Belgrade in many ways has always felt like a second home to me. I’ve said that many times within this blog over the last 12-13 years of writing. That feeling has obviously been heightened by having been based there for an extended period of time. Whereas a child I was still really a visitor, returning now I felt more like an expat, and hey, now that I hold a Serbian passport that view is technically correct.

Bigz Cultural Centre - Belgrade - Serbia

Restoran Frans - Belgrade - Serbia

Restoran Frans - Belgrade - Serbia

Restoran Frans - Belgrade - Serbia

Annija, Henry, Inga, Aiden & Davis - Knez Mihajlova - Belgrade - Serbia

There’s a lot I like about Belgrade. Of course it has its issues, proportionally more than many other European cities, but, it’s desperately underrated. Classically European in part, it also has a gritty, urban edge that’s becoming particularly trendy for travellers casting their eye further afield in order to look for something new. Not only that but value for money, for most travellers, is something that’s certain to be a draw card. For its night time culture, restaurants and hospitality, there’s a lot to savour. Whilst not aesthetically appealing as a whole there’s certainly some places where if you capture it in the right light or in the right mood you might just be surprised.

Bigz Cultural Centre - Belgrade - Serbia

Annija & Davis - Ima Dana - Skadarlija - Belgrade - Serbia

Restoran Frans - Belgrade - Serbia

Ima Dana - Skadarlija - Belgrade - Serbia

 We spent a total of 5 days there. A few days a bit too short for me but a time frame that will likely become the norm into the future. As a child I always lamented our family’s lost opportunity of having access to the world, via my father’s employment with Qantas, but not taking advantage of that opportunity and utilising it only for bilateral purposes of bridging the time and space divide with annual family visits. There was so much more of the world that was available to us and yet our experiences never really extended further than the boundaries of Belgrade. Of course, personally, I’ve more than made up for that with my travels in the last 10 years, the inspiration of which I’m certain was rooted in both my travels as a child and my desires to see much more of what the world had to offer.

The usual suspects presented themselves during our stay. We saw the sights in Belgrade, spent an afternoon in Kosmaj, had ourselves an exceptional lunch in Frans, spent an evening in Skadarlija and introduced the little guy to his grandmothers side of the family. In addition, we also has a drop in visit from Davis and Annija who were kind enough to fly in from Riga for two nights just to catch up with me – which was a very cool thing of them to do.

Outbound flights to Dubai from Belgrade usually happen at 6:30am, it usually means leaving the apartment at latest 4:30am - so not a bad photo considering this is us at 4:00am

Our ride to Dubai - Air Serbia from Aerodrome Nikola Tesla - Belgrade - Serbia

A nice little 'flight bite' to commence proceedings

A great few days altogether and amazingly no arguments with my mother on this occasion. A rarity these days but I was more than thankful for the reprieve.

Riga (Latvia) - home for Christmas

Riga (Latvia) 
23 December - 27 December 2016

Inga & I made the deal that in alternate years Christmas would be spent in Riga or Belgrade. That deal was meant to last for as long as we were living in Belgrade, or indeed Europe, had that move eventuated. Our deal came within a whisker of failing at the first attempt.

Riga was going to be our first Christmas with family, be it Inga's or mine, but the idea unraveled so rapidly and abruptly on the afternoon of the 23rd of December whilst in terminal 1 of Nikola Telsa airport in Belgrade that the minor Christmas miracle that took place immediately after I believe has now ensured us for some time.

We had booked flights out of Belgrade to Riga, from memory, at about 16:45 that afternoon. Now these flights had been booked months in advance, so much so that from the booking date to the actual date, specifics tend to either become a little hazy or get mixed up along the way. For what seemed to have been weeks, the 16:45 departure time stood steadfast in our minds. In fact both of us had independently written down the time in support of our own understand of travel requirements.

Riga - Latvia

Riga - Latvia

Spa treatment Christmas present - Riga - Latvia

Riga - Latvia

Arriving at the airport around 15:20 we casually strolled into the terminal. Considering Belgrade is a small airport with low traffic, especially on the route we were flying, checking-in is usually a casual process. Over in 10-15 mins before easily passing through the 1st security check and passport control. This is what we had mentally prepared for.

The first thing you do when entering the airport is check the departure board.

DESTINATION            FLIGHT NO              DEPARTURE              

VIENNA                       JU604                       15:45                      FINAL CALL

ALERT - ALERT - ALERT - ALERT

I knew exactly what that meant. For those of us that travel enough a 'final call' is the death-knell if you've not completed the necessary stop of check-in, or, if you haven't checked-in online.

I could see that rush of panic on Inga's face and I knew where the realisation was going to end up. First, there was going to be a rush for the check-in desk, only to be told, I was certain, that checking in at this late stage was going to be impossible.

Correct - we tried, and yes, we failed.

I knew now that the scramble for a resolution would inevitably dive into why we tricked ourselves into believing that the departure was later than we thought, and in addition, had we know lost what we had paid for our ticket.

Yes, on both counts.

It's an entirely unsettling situation to be at an airport with your flight still at the terminal, not having even moved an inch but still, being forced to concede that you'd already missed it. It's infuriating and drives your anxiety levels through the roof.

Riga - Latvia

Where it all started in 2010 - Shot Cafe - Riga - Latvia

Where it all started in 2010 - Shot Cafe - Riga - Latvia

Doing some shots at the Shot Cafe

So now what?

Well, this is where we kind of flipped it. From being angry, to feeling defeated and accepting something of what our fate should have been we both stepped up to the flight and decided to treat the situation like an episode of Race Around the World.

Initially thinking that we could head for home, jump in our car, drive to Vienna and be there in time to catch the connecting flight to Riga, the reality of the situation and our own common sense prevented us from making a true hash of the situation. What we did was took up residence in from of the departure board and analysed all flights leaving Belgrade that evening, where their destination were and how likely we could get a connecting flight later that night.

There they were, Rome, Prague, Budapest, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Frankfurt. We quickly processed them all and then each undertook a connecting flight search via Skyscanner. This is where the 'tricky' part comes into play. In this circumstance don't just have to be able to get out of Belgrade but you have to be able to locate a Riga flight from that location a delay long enough that would allow you to pick-up luggage and check-in at your next location in order to make the flight in the allotted time.

 A Kelpe family Christmas lunch - Riga - Latvia

Christmas in Riga - Latvia

Christmas in Riga - Latvia

That time when I got myself a MULLET!

Riga - Latvia

We must have scanned the board for 30 mins, filtering through connecting flights before we landed on a possible option. An Air Serbia flight to Frankfurt and then a connecting Air Lufthansa flight to Riga - could this work? Did we really have the skills to make this? Could we actually have the skills to be successful contestants on Race Around the World? We headed straight to the Air Serbia counter to find out.

With our online Skyscanner connecting flight from Frankfurt to Riga ready to go, the Air Serbia agent confirmed that there were seats on the flight.

'Book 'em Danno'

I think the Hawaii Five 0 reference was lost on him as he asked, 'Would you like me to confirm the flight for you sir'

'Yes, yes I would Cha Chi'

Once Air Serbia was confirmed we immediately booked our Lufthansa flight online, and HEY PRESTO - we were locked in to make it to Riga. All we needed to hope for is an on time departure by Air Serbia from Belgrade - which thankfully happened.

Christmas in Riga

Christmas in Riga was really very nice. Aside from the city itself, which I find to be very attractive, it lends itself brilliantly to this time of year. Somehow Christmas in a Northern country, specifically a north European country, feels much more appropriate and real than being under 40 degree skies in Australia. With that said, I have missed having an Australian Christmas every now and then, so admittedly I try to have it both ways.

Skyline Bar  - Radisson Blue Hotel Latvija

The view from the bathroom - Skyline bar - Radisson Blue Hotel Latvija

Inga's family was fantastic for Christmas Eve. We had a nice family dinner and enjoyed on another's company. It was a far my pleasant experience than what has historically transpired in the Elisher house hold. Our Christmas Eve's were very predictable, boring and at times unpleasant. My mother, as great as she is, would often drink way too much, my aunt would be demanded and sometimes nasty. There were many times that I wished Christmas Eve's away...I mean they weren't bad, they just weren't anything that I really looked forward to.

Of the next few days I got to meet Inga's extended family as we had a post Christmas lunch to celebrate the time of the year and the newly engaged couple. From memory by that stage I do recall that we had nominated Summer of 2017 at the time that we wanted to get married. Outside of a rough time frame we really didn't have too much additional planned - with only 6 months to go getting everything together, I had assumed, was going to be quite
 chaotic. 

The new style of boutique barbers  - Wood Religion - Riga - Latvia

Inga's father at Wood Religion - Riga - Latvia

A Christmas Ginger bread house - made by Jurijs Nadiradze

Heading back to Belgade - Riga Airport

Somewhere over Poland - this is my Terminator look?

...and that was that....

2016 was an incredible year for travel. We had a lot of great experiences, celebrated some major events and were setting ourselves up for an even bigger year in 2017.

Not a bad life