Author: David Taylor

I enjoy cuisine from the street to the 5 Star....more street. Photography, Reading, Movies, Plays, Theater, and above all...Travel.
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Spectacular Split

The buses were every 20 minutes all day.  The Market was a first stop near the Center. Walking through the Market and entering the Gate to the Old City was like going back to Roman times when the City was built and occupied by the Romans around 300 AD.  The City Museum was interesting but the best was that the City faced the Port so when you came out the other Gate, the bay was waiting.  It was a beautiful , sunny day and everyone was out.  I wanted to visit the beaches instead of the Marina and the docks but needed to get the ferry schedule and decide what I was going to do.  Tourist Info was very helpful by explaining my options.  I decided this day would be spent visiting Split, checking the ferry schedules, bus and train options also.  There are no trains to Sarajevo and the bus takes all day so my plans of making it to Sophie for this coming weekend were slim.  I decided to go to Mostar , Bosnia instead then on to Dubrovnik or just pass through with an afternoon stop .  I would spend more time seeing Montenegro around the coast before visiting Mike in Tuzi , Montenegro.  Hopefully during my time visiting him, we could drive to Kosovo and Albania.    

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David trying to bum a boat ride in Split

I emailed my SERVAS people that were expecting me this weekend to inform them that Sophie , Bulgaria may have to wait till later in the trip or next year.  They were disappointed as they had plans for me and explained that later in my trip, they would be in Paris. Oh well, can’t see everything.  Joline had told me that Sophie was special though so I still want to try it but don’t want to spend all my vacation in a bus .


I found a Launderette and returned to take another shower and pickup my laundry to drop of for cleaning.  They could have it ready in 2 hours but I left it to pick up in 2 days then had a steak dinner next door.  The waterfront and old city was mobbed with people out in the evening air having a good time.  I returned home to find no one.  I wrote the Hostelworld booker to complain and explain I was not going to pay extra for cancelling or changing this booking.  I  can’t even find the people to pay them!


I took some Tylenol Cold Caps and went to bed hoping this would not get worse than it already had.  It did.  I hit a brick wall this morning and never rose to visit the Island of Hvara until 10am.  It was raining out so a good day to stay in bed.  I was too sick to do any traveling but needed food so took the bus to town, picked up my laundry and tried a hamburger made from fresh Croatian meat on premise with a homemade roll.  I almost threw it up.  

Help Me?

I stopped to visit the morning Fish Market then returned to the room. I had emailed HostalWorld where I booked to inform them that I haven’t seen a sole since I checked in and wanted to pay them and insure they knew I was leaving early.  HostelWorld had tried to call the owner and did send an email but nothing.  I rang and rang the bell until the owner’s brother , another 9 foot Croatian answered the door half a asleep.  I threw my money down and informed him I was leaving in two more days. He started getting on the speaker phone and mumbling something in Croatian and I told him I was sick and going to bed.  A half hour I hear my bell ring and open to find Goran, the owner and 9 foot Croatian asking if everything was OK?  He understood, accepted the money , apologized and offered to do my laundry which I just picked up.  I went back to bed after emailing HostelWorld to let them know it was OK.  I never got up until 7pm and knew I needed some food and more Meds  Cough Drops were not getting it and my emergency back up was gone over the 4th of July weekend.  I stepped out in the rain , took the bus, ate some God Awful Pasta and went to the Pharmacy.  Closed one minute ago and she would not let me in…just kept pointing down the street.  I saw another light blinking so figured that one would  be open.  They were dark inside and closed .  I inquired around town to see if one might be open but nobody thought so.  I stopped for an Orange, Roll and some juice to take back.  I may not go anywhere and rebook those two days I just made such a scene cancelling!  We will see tomorrow.

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Zagreb to Split via the Train

David greeted Joline at Breakfast and plied her for information about Split and the area she visited that he was off to. She was very helpful and David decided to cut his visit in Split from 6 to 4 days in order to spend the coming weekend in Sophia with SERVAS hosts who were waiting for him. David gave her the info on school in Spain and they agreed to stay in touch.

David arrived at the Train Station early.  He checked with Information to make sure he had the right Track and location.  When he boarded Car number 2 and went to his seat 56, it was occupied by an elderly lady, her husband next to her and what appeared to be their two grandchildren.  David sat across from them and waited until someone kicked him out of his seat that was assigned to them.  After inquiring confronting the older gentleman and showing him my ticket, he kept saying Zwei which I knew to be two and I kept saying yes…this is car Zwei and you are in my seat.  I went to the train conductor who pointed out that Zwei was the NEXT car down.  I ran back to apologize and we all had a laugh while I found Seat 56 in Zwei.  I was sitting next to an elderly lady with her two grandchildren across from me. One was one of those 9 foot tall Croatians with legs longer than mine.  The train took off but after an hour we were constantly falling asleep then kicking each other awake by accident.  I finally went to the WC to discover the train was half empty so returned to let them know I would move and we could all relax.   


It was a beautiful day. Croatia was beautiful, pristine, clear and very fresh air. Beautiful views reminded him of upstate New York with the rolling hills , farmland and small villages. 

Six hours later the train pulled into the port of Split and David found the bus to the Hostel Eros. He noted the Eros doorbell was the top floor of the three story building and the door was open so he rang the bell and started up the stairs. Halfway he heard someone yelling Hallo…Hallo…he couldn’t tell if it was coming from up or down so he yelled Hallo,…Hallo…and they replied …Hallo…by this time he is on the top floor and sees bedrooms but no Office…the office was on the first floor. He lugged the luggage back down three flights to meet this lady whose only English was Mary is sleep…she sleep. My sister show you room. Her sister spoke nothing…really NOTHING. I followed her outside and down this alley in construction then down a hall to the end and into this huge room with a balcony and view of the water in the distance.

 I locked up and went to get something to eat. Split is like Belgrade with the steep hills leading down to the water. I was in better shape for this than I was when I arrived in Belgrade so ventured off on a Sunday evening to find a place to eat. There was a bar so I took that as a start and had a couple of drinks while checking out the neighborhood. The waitress directed me to a fast food place and an ATM. I got some money then a sausage sandwich with onions and pickles then returned to find Mary waiting for her money. I told her I was only staying 4 instead of 6 nights and she wanted $200 EUROS when I showed her my booking for 6 nights was only $240 and 200 Euros was $325 for 4 nights. She looked at the booking and realized I was not in Eros Hostel…that was back up stairs where I originally came from and was her nephews Hostel not hers. I moved back out and still ended with a large room with a balcony and a fan! This cost me $160 for 4 days. I got the Internet password over a speaker phone when her sister woke her son , Golon , up to find out. Now it’s 11 pm at night and I haven’t finished my sandwich …so will say goodbye and sit on my balcony and meditate on my day while planning my tomorrow.



     I finally got to bed around Midnight only to wake with a sore throat.  I had a runny nose but didn’t think too much of it.  Not I was getting stuffy and my throat was sore.  I took some cough drops when I woke and after not being able to find anyone to pay for the 4 nights, I went into town.

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Last Day in Zagreb


David had finished Breakfast and was on his way out the door when he noticed Joline, the Australian lady. She was leaving also so they decided to visit the Antique Market together. While walking to the Tram stop David discovered that Joline left Australia in January and has been traveling since. It is not uncommon for Aussies to take a year and go around the world. She was a sailor though. She flew to Spain and sailed with friends in Barcelona then on to Egypt, Greece and the Aegean all over the Adriatic from Hvar, Dubrovnik, Krk , Korcula, etc. Then flew from Dubrovnik to Zagreb…she has been on the road all of 6 months and is leaving to fly back to Italy where her son in law lives then back to Spain where she might teach English at the school that David recommended. She lives in Sydney Harbor and has been on an all women sailing group for 15 years. They compete in races and she sometimes is the Captain. They rotate positions on a regular basis. She lived in Boston for five years and I asked if she sailed there. She replied yes but it was on her brother in laws boat. He represented Australia in the America Cup in Newport Rhode Island. We will have breakfast tomorrow before leaving…me for Split and she for Florence. I may not have all this correct so I apologize to you and to her….but pretty close.

We spent about an hour browsing around the Market then she went to St Mark’s church for a concert and David walked to the Botanical Gardens for the afternoon before returning to the Hostel to re-do his plans for the next two weeks. To see all that he wants, he make have to cut his stay short in both Split and Montenegro by a couple of days in each place. Athens is quite a lengthy bus or train ride and may take two days as well as the Athens to Istanbul trip.

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Bus Tour Bust….Walking Tour Terrific


I returned to the Bus Stop for the tour. The open bus cancelled that day with the threat of rain so I took the Blue instead of the Red tour. I removed my hearing aides and put in the cheap plastic ear buds they give you but couldn’t understand a word of the muffled recording. I put my aides back in and tried to hold the buds up to the aides to hear…that didn’t work so I took decided to focus on taking pictures but we were only following a bus route and I didn’t see much to put on camera until we came to a large “Sports Park” with a Lake , beach, tennis, volleyball, crew, grandstands, etc. It was nice but the tour was wasted on me and after 2 hours I left to go eat .
Earlier I did spend the morning visiting the Market and the main Square. Now, as I was getting ready to return, the main square was full of soldiers and characters they were filming for a movie. I stopped at the Dubliner Pub on the way back thinking I would enjoy a corn beef sandwich or a boxie…but no food , no toilet and only drinks on the patio. I found a Pizza joint and ended up taking half of it home in case I got desperate that evening. If wasn’t like any Pizza I ever had nor wanted again.
When I got to the Hostel, a man approached me when he heard my accent. Your English? No American…and I was assuming he was English. He just arrived from Istanbul with his wife and a group of friends from Cape Town ,South Africa. They were going on to Split then Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria and Germany. He gave me tips on Istanbul and I thanked him.They had been planning this trip for over 6 months.The Italians took that long to give them a Visa. Croatia wanted them to fax a confirmation of EVERY place they were staying before they would grant them a visa. Three of the six places refused and didn’t want trouble with the police so cancelled their reservations . I had drinks with them the next night on the lawn while they all had a South African BBQ. This evening I was playing on my computer in the Main room, another lady , from Australia was on her I Pad. She said she hated it and wished she had my computer. She just arrived and did a Bike tour with a guide. She was the only one to show for the tour so he treated her great and it was the best tour of the City she could have had. She was around my age and sailed in from Istanbul to Split then bused to Zagreb. She had been to Sophie, Budapest, Hvar, Montenegro,Dubrovinick, etc. I retired to do laundry tomorrow and take the Red tour with my own ear buds and hope that makes a difference.

Friday morning and David felt the best he had since departure from Phoenix. He had energy, his legs and feet felt great and he took right off after breakfast to drop off his laundry. The lady said she couldn’t have it back by the next day and the following day was Sunday and they were closed. He returned his dirty laundry to the room and went to the train station, bought his ticket to Split for Sunday and started walking.
It was getting close to Noon when the bus tour departed but he was enjoying the beautiful day and the walk so much he decided to do a walking tour. He walked for over 6 hours …minus 2 hours for lunch and a museum. He could have been in Paris, Madrid, Saigon, or any major city in the world with tree lined boulevards and beautiful parks. It was a magical day. He found a tourist information office and checked out a few restaurants to have lunch. He found Grandpa’s Dream near the National Assembly Building where the Prime Minister had his office. It turns out he eats there frequently as well as other government representitives and so did David. He had Grandpa’s Pan (Mixed grill with Lamb,Pork, Bacon and fresh vegetables) some wine, great bread and a Walnut Cake. All was great and with the tip came to around $28.
He passed a Sculpture Gallery and thought he should have a photo in the doorway when a gentleman was just coming out the door. He asked if he would take the photo and he agreed but suggested David step closer to one of the main Sculptures. David thanked him and decided to visit the gallery when he noticed a large poster of the artist was the man who took his photo! Wow. Wow was actually what happened everytime he turned a corner. You can’t describe how beautiful this city is…you have to experience it.
He was going to go to an International Fireworks Competition that started tonight with Russia was the first in the competition but the clouds ruined that. There are a lot of events the months of July and August but David is leaving in two days. Tomorrow, Saturday will be the last chance before boarding the train on Sunday to really see more.
He went to the Museum of Broken Relationships before returning to the Hostel. That was a whole different and enjoyable exhibit that really made you think. He was able to take some photos but they really could make a book to sell with each chapter part of the exhibit. Earlier their was the Native Folk Art Museum full of Japanese tourists.
He arrived back in time to finally get a shot at beating the Champion Ping Pong player from California. He lost 21/15 and only had the lead once. The Sandels were a hinderence.
The South Africians invited him to join them so he had a beer but was to stuffed from lunch to join them for dinner. They were friendly and courious about Arizona. They had a friend in South Dakota and had visited. While there, this Doctor had met some of the Lakota Nation Chiefs and was invited to meet the tribe. He took back their “religion” to South Africa. These people were wealthy professional farmer , doctor and teacher who had to assimilate with the new government…which meant learning a bit of the indiginous languages of Africa to include Zulu, Swahili, and about 6 others in order to keep what they had worked for all thier lives. The Indian culture they learned about was what they were trying to teach now to the Africans…one people one world based on Nature and commonality. Quite interesting. I put in my two cents about SERVAS and CouchSurfing. The Doctor was officially retired today so the BBQ was a party for him. I excused myself and am trying to decide what to do tomorrow.
I wish I had more time in Zagreb. We all commented about how the Croatians are so tall and so physical. They all look like they spend everyday at the Gym…the older ones not so much. The young ones are out jogging, playing tennis, football, and they are sports fanatics. They have sports betting parlors on every corner that are frequented by both male and female. When you get on the Tram they give you their seat. When you reach the Main terminal, you can see all the seats on the entire Tram , which could be 3 to 4 cars long are filled with old or disabled persons and all the people standing are young. You do see a lot of gorgous women with these exaggerated high heels and very fashion oriented. Angela Jolie sat next to me at the Tram stop. I was going to ask for her autograph but had nothing for her to write on.
There seems to be a lot of cosmetic stores with fifty lines of lipsticks and lotions, etc. Many natural made cosmetic stores. The men all look like pro atheletes on the way to the gym with the high tech shoes and sports short and tee shirts. They also have the build to pull it off. Enough! I’m getting depressed…but I sure felt good today…a little tired and sore when I got home but ping pong picked me up. I think I’m going to join the South Africans…they are laughing so much I can hear them up here in my room.
I stopped and said goodbye and asked the Doctor who just retired to keep in touch with his new idea to do more for the indiginous people of the world.

I challenged the ping pong table with John and Tom and ended up playing John Kelly , a project engineer for a large commercial construction outfit out of San Francisco…both John and Tom attended H.S. and college together. John beat Tom and David. We did a shot or two then they invited me to a night on the town but I declined.

I got on the internet in the common room. I noticed another guy that had an ACER like mine so after finishing my emails, I brought mine over to compare to his. My notebook was over 5 years old and his was only 5 months old that he just bought on his last trip to London. Davio was from Buenos Aires and hoping to move to Miami to learn English. We compared Aspire Acer computers and think his was a little better than mine. I gave him my card and we agreed to stay in touch…I told him I hoped to meet him in Argentina this winter.
I put my condo out on CouchSurfers swap homes…and within 24 hours got a couple from Italy that want to come out at Christmas. I can stay in there condo in Southern Italy. So much for Argentina. Wow…life is good…even if I lost at Ping Pong.
Saturday morning Tom, from California, couldn’t sleep so was on the his computer when I went in to check my email. They were out until 3am. John was still sleeping. They had a great time. I’m planning on going to an Antique Fair and a music concert so best get on with it.
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Belgrade to Zagreb

David reflects on his impressions of Belgrade.
Serbians can be very gregarious and friendly people. They are still a poor underdeveloped country. No thanks to the previous Soviet occupation. Belgrade is over 1 million people but you can’t get a meal at the Main Bus Station Lasta. Cold sandwiches wrapped in Saran or pastries. No kitchen or cooks. I bought a ticket to Zagreb a couple of days ago but after paying around $40 I was given some change. Most change is in bills but she gave me a coin. Most coins are like pennies and I gave it to a street musician playing the violin. Now I find that coin was admittance fee to get in the boarding area at the Bus Station. I had to go to the desk and after showing my ticket, the attendant said she could not give me a replacement. I lost it so had to go to another line and purchase a permission slip for around $1.80 to get into the boarding area. I laugh about it but this is just one of many reasons Serbia will never get anywhere until they change. The Danube runs through Belgrade and Budapest. Expensive tours are given in both cities with meals and a tour up and down the river. Could you get a boat to Budapest from Belgrade…absolutely not. I think they are still at war with each other.
I still have never understood why they had a war in this region? Never even mention Kosovo anywhere in this region. Why? I don’t know but people get quiet and give you a funny look if you mention Kosova is on your list of places to see.
The weather has been as gloomy as the city. If you are in the tourist area, everything is overpriced and glitzy. Outside of that everything is run down, falling apart and broken…including the people. You could get on a Tram one day that was hot and overcrowded then on the way back it would be new and airconditioned comfort. I used my first Tram ticket and tried to buy another at a kiosk to return. The man said he didn’t sell them and when I asked who in the area did, he replied…this is a free country…no body pays to ride the Tram. I seldom saw anyone validate a ticket when they got on so …when in Rome.
Smoking is in the Bar at the Bus station. If you don’t smoke you sit outside in the rain. No food is served in the only indoor space just alcohol , coffee and soda. The coffee is Belgrade normal coffee. It is Turkish and is like a powder. They have boiling water added to it…stirred then poured off the top into a cup still leaving a residue like mud in the bottom. It is not bad just different. What is served in the tourist area is your typical overpriced Starbucks style .
I gave some money to a Roma woman and her child. She was in the boarding area so I assumed she had a bus ticket. She sat on the ground with her small child who would run up to anyone and hug them. He was friendly and I think it was also a ploy to extract a coin or two but he was not annoying. I guess I best say goodbye and find my gate…there are over 60 of them . Oh Oh….the boy is on me now and wants to add something to my Blog. He keeps hitting on the key board while I keep trying to show him pics of my family. He’ll have none of that. His brother is politely trying to see the pics.
I pack it up as my bus has arrived and guess what….I have to pay a baggage charge to stow my bag and am only allowed my small computer bag as a carry on. Cash only and of course I gave my change to the Roma woman so had to rush to a kiosk to get change and was the last to board and got the worst seat in the back. I slept most of the way until a border guard woke me and requested my passport.
When we entered Croatia, everyone that had a cell phone started calling their friends to say they were on their way. The man next to me went on for over 20 minutes and all of them were LOUD. I wasn’t sure anyone was on the other end and if so he never let them talk. I took out my hearing aides, put in my ear plugs and went back to sleep until after 7 hours we disembarked at the Zagreb Bus station.
I ATM’ed some Kuna and stashed my Dinars along with my Euro , bought my first and only Tram ticket and boarded the Tram for Ravnice Hostel. A few stops and a short walk and I was challanging some American travelers from California to a game of Ping Pong. While they practiced I unpacked. The Hostel was nice, fairly new, clean, and didn’t have air-conditioning. The weather had changed like the countries from cold, drab,rainy and gloomy to hot, bright, clean and cheery.
I passed on the Ping Pong and went out to look for an adapter to replace the one I left in Amsterdam. No luck but took a Croatian dinner of stuffed sweet peppers at a local restaurant. Things were much more expensive here!
The room was cool when I returned and I slept well.
The free Breakfast was Corn Flakes, Bread and instant coffee. Hey it was free! I took the Tram to one of the city centers. Everything here was clean and nice. Still a lot of old block buildings and graffitti but it was clean and kept up. New paint, manicured parks everywhere, new Air Conditioned Trams, restored old buildings, and cobblestone streets. While to AND from the center, I was given a young ladys seat. I thought she was getting off but no they give their seats up to us old folk. I took the first offer and refused the second. I still have some pride though it is much nicer sitting after walking all day.
The main Market was in full swing and after some coffee and fresh squeezed OJ, I found my adapter and returned to charge my computer. Now I am off for a city tour. This is truly a very classy city as are the people. It is very culturally oriented with lots of museums, galleries and the people are friendly. real, and TALL..the men all average around 9 feet.
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The Vuka

David should have been in training for this trip. He barely managed to get out of bed today. Legs and feet are very sore from climbing Mount Belgrade and 5 flights of stairs daily.

While crossing the street in Belgrade I noticed that when the light is green for a pedistrian and you cross, a car may still run you over. Pedistrians do not have the right of way. I’ve seen cars push there way through a crosswalk that was clearly against a Red light for them.

Nikola Tesla was awaiting him. David was on the way to board the bus and stopped to purchase a ticket for the Tram. The attendant said something and he replied a Bus ticket, you know for the Tram please. She said…I know perfectly well what you want, I only want to know “How Many”. David realized he forgot his hearing aides and climbed back 5 flights to Mr Walkers to retrieved them. Then as he boarded the bus, he noticed a photo op but NO camera. David was in no mood to do another 5 flights of stairs and boarded the crowded Tram.
Standing in a Tram can also be a strain on the body as the Tram lurches forward then stop then forward then stop…and we haven’t even left the station yet. Then the overwhelming body odor and not knowing whether it is yours or ???.
It seems the last day or two have been spent trying to navigate the streets to no avail. Three maps in hand, three different languages and none in English. The Cyrillic alphabet consists of 30 characters that barely resemble our Latin alphabet with each character representing a different sound. David knows Da for yes Ne for no and Hvara for Thank You. He did manage to get off at the correct stop then proceeded to get lost while exploring the neighborhood in search of the Nikola Tesla Museum.
Nikola was the most outstanding inventor EVER. He was from Serbia and worked for Edison but the two completely disagreed on everything. He quit Edison and partnered up with George Westinghouse to win the contract to illuminate the White City and the whole Chicago Colombian Exposition in 1893. A year later they built the Niagara Power Co…the first of it’s kind and a life long dream of Tesla’s since he was a young boy. JP Morgan backed his effort to build a world telegraph station on Long Island with another in Colorado Springs but Tesla wanted 7 of them throughout the world . He wanted them to be free for humanity and when JP Morgan couldn’t figure out a way to make money, he folded the project and Marconi got the credit when his station on Cape Cod succeeded after Tesla. When Marconi received the Nobel Prize , he told the Committee that he was not a scientist and had no idea why it worked only that it did. Edison stole the other Nobel Prize that also belonged to Tesla. Tesla lived almost 90 years and died in 1943. New York Mayor Guardia gave a speech in his honor and the funeral was packed at St John’s in NYC where he was buried but later exhumed and his cremated remains put inside a brass ball I got to end my tour seeing. Unfortunately David had no camera to verify the occasion. David is not sure of all his facts as poor hearing sometimes distorts the message. The fact that he found the museum was a triumph in itself. He walked home, got his camera and returned to the Vuka.

The Vuka was the highly recommended Serbian restaurant that closed early the evening before. It was packed when he arrived around 3pm for lunch. The Veal Goulash and noodles with a Serbian salad accompanied by delicious Serbia bread was worth it. A great Turkish coffee and Fresh Bowl of Raspberries with Ice Cream finished off the afternoon and he returned for an early bed.
Slavisa, a CouchSurfer in Belgrade left a message that he would like to meet to show David some of the City when David returns in August. David purchased his bus ticket to Zagreb for tomorrow.
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…Late Night Dinner???

David had worked up an appetite exploring Belgrade. He researched the restaurant scene determined to find a good Serbian restaurant to compare to what he had the night before. Thinking that most Serbians don’t go out to eat until around 11pm, 10:30pm seemed an appropriate time to dine. David noticed the resident lodger, who offsets his rent by doing odd jobs to help out, had just mopped all 5 flights of concrete stairs and was mopping the entrance carpet with the mop! David didn’t say anything because he spoke no English anyway. He caught the Tram but got off a stop too late and had to back track to get there. It was a pleasant evening and still crowded for a Monday night. He noticed a few places were closing up and sure enough by the time he arrived at 11:30 the VANU and all surrounding restaurants had there kitchens closed. He bought a ” Serbian” sandwich at a fast food joint on the way home to snack at midnight. So much for treating himself.

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Beograd in Serbia…Balkan Baptism

JAT air served a sandwich snack with a Chocolate covered Prune as dessert.
David thought that an odd dessert until he realized Plum Brandy is one of the National Drinks and Prunes are dried Plums. David slept the rest of the flight.

He ATM’d 20,000 dinars then for 250 dinars ($3) he took a Bus. He was told to get off at the Last main bus station stop. A taxi would have been about $75. Everyone was exiting the bus so David asked the driver …is this the Last stop? He said this is the Bus Station Lasta. It was the NAME of the bus station not the Last Stop…but he didn’t understand English and I realized that this was the correct exit.
It was a short walk to Mr Walker’s Hostel. David buzzed the Manager and he cheerfully encouraged me to come on up. Fifteen minutes later he found David on the fourth floor huffing and puffing. Oh I would have carried that for you. How about just carrying me!
The manager said David would have to wait about 30 minutes as the last couple was just checking out and he needed to tidy the room. A middle aged couple came down, thanked him, dropped the key and left. He tided up the room then gave David the key. David realized that the couple never had any luggage and a notice advertised that rooms could be rented after 10 am for a short time to “freshen up” or get laid!
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Dinner with the tourists in the Bohemian Section of Belgrade

David paid the current 3 nights for $60 then took off to the Bohemian section of Belgrade. Belgrade is on top of the Mountain…1000 steps up…turn left….1000 steps up…turn right….1000 steps up…whew. David managed to make it to the Bohemian section for a nice dinner of Meat and Cheese with Silovice Brandy and Wine. He retired late that night then awoke around 8 am all ready to go. He took a shower then his Meds and an hour later fell asleep again while checking his email. He awoke again at 2:30 pm!

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First Day in Amsterdam

Peter and Jeannette were on their way to Germany and on to the Czech Republic for their annual 2 week vacation. Peter just recently received his eagerly awaited retirement in May so now both were free to do as they please. David had delicious leftovers for breakfast then went back to bed. Joe Duffy, his friend from Phoenix, flew in from Ireland while on holiday. They were supposed to get together at the Bull Dog Coffeehouse that afternoon around 4pm. David awoke at 2pm finally refreshed and over Jet Lag. He showered and ran out the door. While on the Tram to meet Joe he realized he forgot to put in his hearing aides. Just then a gentleman across the aisle asked him what number Tram was this. David replied he only spoke English. The man, very puzzled said , so do I and asked the lady behind him much to everyones amusement.Preview
Joe, and his friend Hugh, an Englishman the worked for an airline based out of Phoenix, was waiting on the Cafe Terrace at the Bull Dog Coffee Shop and were both quite Mellow. They passed the joint and ordered another beer from the waiter. David got some food and chatted a spell before making arrangements to meet Saturday at Mulligans Irish Pub, an old haunt of David’s. We went our separate ways and David walked almost all the way home while reorienting himself we his favorite city …and stopping by a Smart Shop for some Majic Truffles. It was an early night.
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Honey…I’m Home

He managed a brief nap before the rising sun was coming through the window. David’s Delta 244 was landing. Holland’s weather was…well Holland’s weather. It was overcast and in the sixties with an occasional glimpse of the Sun for a half hour or so. A ChipKaart was precured for local transport. David exchanged $300 for 190 Euros and then 59 Euros for 50 Euros of credit on the ChipKaart which was good for 8 years . Credit could be added as needed. When you boarded public transport you simply waived the card at a sensor that lit up to show it was registered and when you exit, you waive it again and it flashes the amount charged to your card for the trip. If you don’t waive it on exiting, it assumes your riding the Trolley to the last stop!
David was on the train to the Amsterdam Central station and boarding the trolley for Jeannette and Peter’s apartment shortly after. A warm welcome awaited with one of Jeannette’s terrific meals and wine to follow. It was an early evening for all after some homemade Mushroom Soup followed by an outstanding Lasagna and Garden Salad ending with a Triffle layered with a vanilla pudding, fresh ‘Dutch Strawberries, Whipped cream garnished with some dried Cranberries. Jeannette’s other hobby is marrying people. She just married her next door neighbor and friend of over 20 years. We all slept well.