pics #1552 - #1611

Friday September 23rd - Red Cosmic Skywalker
I leave in the morning to the city center, crossing the only bridge over the Danube, the traffic is dense, I am almost afraid on the bicycle, for the first time. Looking around in the city center, having a meal in a sport cafe. The city has nothing fantastic in terms of architecture, especially for someone who discovered Dresden, Prague or Budapest in the last months. The charming side of Belgrade lay in its inhabitants, feeling cool, living happy. And also in the many students in skirts: it is still summer! It has always been a city at the meeting of big empires, turkish-ottoman-byzantine, or the Russian big brother, not forgetting the austro-hungarian nor the proximity of Italy and Greece. A big mix. Later in the day I am guided by Marjana, a couch surfer on a bicycler who indicates me nice places. We have a drink talking. She practices ashtanga yoga, and works in a NGO to promote recycling. Here too, yoga is getting more popular, here too, people of my generation refuse to live in the machine, this system that is failing, and want to change something. It starts with giving an example, by changing oneself first. We leave each other on the main square and I meet again with my host Jordan and her roommates. We come back, once more with the bicycle inside.

           In Tsrkva Svetog Marka / Saint Mark's Church

           Cyrillic and Arabic alphabets on Damad Ali-Pasha Turbe

Saturday September 24th - White Magnetic Wizard
Still having no hosts for the coming days, I decided to ride in the direction of Novi Sad. I leave Jordan's home late after doing groceries at the market. I find there the best tasting tomato in one year that I have not been able to taste any from my father's garden. I can hardly chase from my mind the idea that with the development of industrial agriculture this quality is going to be lost, as well as the pleasure of walking and chatting at the market, will be replaced by frantic supermarkets and automatic cashiers. So after groceries, I leave on the way North for a short distance before night falls. Days are getting shorter.

           Ovča

Sunday September 25th - Blue Lunar Eagle
There is a bright sun today, I ride in the plain where many big rivers are joining the Danube: the Tisza and the Timis from Transilvania, the Morava from Southern Serbia and the Sava from Slovenia and through Croatia. I go rather fast in this flat area that leads to Budapest. In Novi Sad, cultural center of the country, I pleasantly discover nice perspectives, quiet pedestrians streets. Nice, nice. Surprised again by the shorter days, I camp again when night has fallen.

          

           Novi Sad

           Novi Sad

Monday September 26th - Yellow Electric Warrior
Now I am riding East, in order to enter Croatia, which happens after crossing the Danube again. I don not know when I will cross it again When i am back from the trip, maybe? I have just started it! There is a range of hills where vines are planted, orientated to the South, that should give a good wine. After a few kilometers, I am back in Serbia, 50 km more to the South and that would be Bosnia-i-Herzegovina. This way one realizes how Yugoslavia has been dismantled in tiny countries republics. I camp before night between two corn parcels.

          

          

Tuesday September 27th - Red Self-Existing Earth
Nothing special today, waking up facing the sun, head wind on the way. I lunch of a burek and make myself a salad on the main square of Ruma. In an small food store I can find, pollen, nuts, dried fruits, cereals... that would cost enormous prices for in Western organic food stores. Prices are ok here... for a spoiled kid from the west. Later I stop to buy grapes on the side of the road from a old lady. Then i meet a Swedish cyclist, who left home 4-5 weeks ago, some people ride fast! We share the grapes, so tasty! I am going back to Belgrade, the view on the fortress is very nice from the West side. I arrive at my new host, Ana, who is hosting a dutch woman from nearby Utrecht.

           Ruma

           Belgrade: Kalemegdan fortress

Wednesday September 28th - White Overtone Mirror
As there is space at Ana's, I can resume my morning routine. After a good brunch, I am off to the city, where I will teach a yoga class. I lose my mat on the way, stupidly. It is the first necessary item that I lose. Previous lost items where positive losses as it made me realize and release the superfluous. There are 9 students at my class. After Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest, I have taught in all the Danubian capitals.

           Parliament of the Serbian Republic

Thursday September 29th - Blue Rhythmic Storm
Mission for today is to find a new yoga mat. Due to the good indications of Ana, I find one easily in a sport supermarket. It comes from the Netherlands, that I could guess as it is narrower and longer from the previous one: dutch shape. I feel strange about Belgrade, its frantic atmosphere, its style-less buildings, nice parks, nice people.
           Novi Beograd

Friday September 30th - Yellow Resonant Sun
I change host today, have to find one, more precisely. I am unsuccessfully looking for the ashtanga yoga studio. I am unsuccessfully looking for books in English. I am looking for a host as well, unsuccessfully. So I go to camp at the edge of the city, away from the buildings, but not too much, because that would be the gypsy camp. I am not going to stay very long in Beograd, thinking about a Southern route that would go through Montenegro, Albania, Greece...

           Saint Sava Cathedral