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
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.
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.
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.
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.
