Travel Blog: Balkans 2022

Day 1: Mumbai-Dubai-Belgrade (30-6-22)
Mum and Dad came to IITB
Went to Hiranandani Estate, Thane
Late night/early morning flight from Chhatrapati Shivaji International, Mumbai (BOM) to Dubai International, Dubai (DBX)
Highlights of the flight: Food: Omelette + Chicken Sausage + Blueberry Rice Krispy Bar + Vanilla Muffin + Coffee
Sights: Marine Drive and coastal SoBo in night light + Aesthetic cloud pics + Dubai dunes and infra 
Connecting flight from Dubai International, Dubai (DBX) to Nikola Tesla Aerodrom, Belgrade (BEL)
Highlights of the flight: Food: Omelette + Chicken Sausage + Chocolate Oats Bar + Chocolate Muffin + Coffee
Sights: Silhouette of Burj Khalifa and Palm Jumeirah + Rivers in inland Turkey + Richly hued in varied blue northern Turkish coast 

Day 2: Belgrade (1-7-22)
Saw on the way: Brutalist architeture: Genex towers, Yugoslav Aeronautical museum
Check-In: Hotel Nobel (note: Breakfast spread had lots of variety, especially local Serbian local delicacies. Almost everything was really tasty too)
Supper: Savoury Croissant + Ham, Cheese, Mushroom stuffed from a bakery near Hotel Nobel
Sightseeing: Kalemegdan Park, USCE shopping centre (SFO), Sava riverside
Nightlife: Skadarlija (Bohemian quarters) 
Food: ? Café ---> Traditional Kafa (Turkish Coffee served with Turkish Delight) + Beef Goulash (soft chunks of beef in gravy with a side of creamy mashed potatoes) + Frappe
Bucko Pizza ---> 36 cm meatball pizza topped with chicken salate

Day 3: Belgrade and N. Belgrade (2-7-22)
Food:
Restoran French Vibes wali jagah, Belgrade--->
Leg of Lamb, prepared in white wine, and served with a side of creamy mashed potatoes Comments: Passed this place by car the day before, and it had such nice aesthetics that we took some pics too. Travelling on foot, we crossed this place by accident, and on the pretense of going to the washroom, I went in and clicked a few pics. Ultimately we sat there and ended up enjoying a meal. It was one of those kinda expensive places that one usually avoids, but the atmosphere and the food lived up to the price (meh, maybe a little bit pricey still, but well).
Makoka, Blok 22, Novi Beograd ---> Gurmanska Pljeskavica (Ground beef patty & Bacon in Bun) + Makoka Sandvici (Chicken + Bacon + Cheese + Sour Cream) Comments: As non-touristy and local as an establishment could be. It was populated by locals enjoying a beer and a bite on a Saturday afternoon. A totally no-frills affair, the food was great and absolutely worth the price. 
Koi toh Ice Cream Shop, City centre ke paas, Belgrade: Belgian milk chocolate flavour ice cream (meh) + Dark chocolate sorbet (yay)
Sightseeing: Sava Temple, (note: Car keys left in the boot, had to rush back), Walking tour of city centre, Nikola Tesla Museum (SFO), Natl. Assembly of Serbia, Window shopping in a bookshop (highlights: saw Serbian editions of famous english language titles, including Crime and Punishment, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Trial etc.), Cultural Centre of Belgrad (Saw a mixed media exhibition of a pair of Croatian and Russian artists and another photo exhibition of award-winning modern European architecture), Trg Republike Square (Had a frappé topped with whipped cream, and appreciated the idyllic setting: A European city square in summer, bustling with shoppers in the streets and locals in cafés, accompanied with the sound of birds chirping and the sight of children prancing around fountains)
Shopping (?): Purchased adpater and power bank from a Serbian electronic store (Technomedia?), First grocery shopping round of the trip at Lidl, Ada Ciganlije (Saw the biggest ginger rhizome of my life!)
Self-styled tour of the Brutalist architecture of Novi Beograd:
1. Sava Centar
2. Blok 22
3. Palace of Serbia (Police HQ and Ministry of Interior)
4. City Municipal Office
Nightlife: Sava riverfront bar hopping
Day 4: Belgrade-Gorbulac-Donji Milanovac-Negotin-Zajecar (Scenic drive along Danube river/Romanian border) (3-7-22)
Food: 
Kircanski Bakery, Belgrade: Cheese Burek, Mushroom Burek, Meat (Bacon and Cheese) Burek (Review: Meat✓, Cheese X,    Mushroom X)
Donji Milanovac mein kuch kuch seafood jaise naam ka restoran: Skewer meat (bacon wrapped around beef and roasted), Potato salad (in a citrus dressing), Pljeskavica Hamburger (Review: Skewered meat tasted awesome and seasoned well. Potato salad dressing really good. Pljeskavica patty kinda bland and lacked seasoning)
Negotin ke paas Vineyard waali jagah: Coffee and cheese platter 
Sightseeing: Fortress wali jagah (car almost got stuck on an incline, limited climbing capability revealed, Serbian bus driver helped to get it unstuck), scenic drive along the Danube (natural Serbo-Romanian border), Lepenski Vir UNESCO World Heritage site (archaeological marvel, an 8000 y/o civilization was discovered here in the 60s), Visited an aesthetically exquisite restaurant called Kapetan Misin Breg, saw a church near Negotin, drove through the beautiful sunflower fields of Serbian countryside 
Stay: Got literally an entire house for the night for peanuts. The proprietor spoke Russian reasonably well and hence chatted with a enthusiastic, friendly vigour with dad (who reciprocated equally)
Day 5: Zajecar-Kragujevac-Vrnjacka Banja-Kopaonik (4-7-22)
Food: Rostilij Zoja something: Skewers of chicken wrapped in bacon, traditional Pork sausage, 
Day 6: Kopaonik-Zlatibor (5-7-22)
Day 7: Zlatibor-Stopic Cave-Sirogojno Old Village-Tara National Park-Valjevo-Surcin
(6-7-22)
Local food and music festival near Valjevo- Ate two types of custom Pljeskavica, one with regular bread and one with pita bread
Shopping: Lidl, Valjevo (bought coffe flavoured ice cream with lots of enthu, turned out to be one of the most disappointing ice cream experiences)
Day 8: Surcin-Fruska Gora-Sremski Karlovci-Subotica-Novi Sad (7-7-22)
Food:
KFC near Belgrade airport: Fried wings, strips, drumsticks, fries and fountain soda (very disappointing, fr)
Pekara near Novi Sad: Pizza burek, Fried chicken breast with coleslaw and mashed potatoes, Cheese burek with Serbian sour milk (Kisli Mlekom or something)
Food stall near Lake Pelic, subotica: Hungarian Langos (Fried fermented dough, stuffed with sour cream, veggies and roasted pork. And cheese. Lots of cheese.)
Giro Land, Novi Sad: Chicken Gyro + French Fries 
Day 9: Novi Sad-Petrovardin (8-7-22)
EXIT Festival: Molchat Doma, Masked Wolf, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Shouse, Pocket Palma
Saw a real life DMC Delorean (of Back to the Future Fame) at an exhibit in the pavilion
Further notes: Unexpectedly, the house band of Jack Daniels was pretty decent (they covered pop hits and managed to gather quite a decent crowd)
Expectedly, the food was much more expensive than outside (and inferior in quality too) 
Day 10: Novi Sad - Sarajevo
Day 11: Sarajevo - Mostar
Day 12: 
Day n : Belgrade-Dubai-Mumbai (22-7-22)

Afternoon flight from Nikola Tesla Aerodrom, Belgrade (BEL) to Dubai International, Dubai (DBX)
Highlights of the flight: Food: Chicken Noodles + Risotto Salad in Olive Oil Vinegarette + Chocolate Mousse topped with Cherry sauce + Multigrain bread + Coffee
Sights: Marine Drive and coastal SoBo in night light + Aesthetic cloud pics + Dubai dunes and infra 
Connecting flight from Dubai Intl. (DBX) to Nikola Tesla Aerodrom Belgrade (BEL)
Highlights of the flight: Food: Omelette + Chicken Sausage + Chocolate Oats Bar + Chocolate Muffin + Coffee
Sights: Silhouette of Burj Khalifa and Palm Jumeirah + Rivers in inland Turkey + Richly hued in varied blue northern Turkish coast

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