Serbia

When I thought 'Serbia', I'm not quite sure what went through my head. I didn't expect it to be pretty, I guessed it wouldn't be overly warm and I suppose I thought there wouldn't be very much to do/see. How wrong I was! 

The journey got off to a bad start when our proposed seven hour train journey was delayed at border control and then again for a random police search, which I was told later was related to a local football game, which turned the trip into an 8 and half hour one. Add to that the fact that there were no snacks or refreshments available on board and you can imagine it wasn't the nicest start to a trip. However, rushing off the train in Belgrade and sitting down literally at the first cafe we found we became aware of what makes Serbia special. The people. Within a few minutes the waiter had brought our drinks and some directions to our hotel, and then a few girls offered to call a local taxi for us to save us being fleeced.  

After checking in quickly we headed into the main area of Belgrade to meet some friends and have a few drinks. For a Wednesday night, the city was absolutely hopping. Every bar/restaurant/cafe was full, music was being played in the streets and there was a general feeling of life. After a few hours here we made our way down to the small river running parallel to the Danube where we boarded a moored boat. On board, there was a live band entertaining the enthusiastic crowd and we danced until the wee small hours.

The next day was the wedding of two close friends, my reason for travelling to Serbia in the first place. A very low, key, relaxed party was had with traditional Serbian music and dance, traditional Serbian food and a random selection of Serbian drinks. No structured plan like speeches or formal seating plans were observed and the result was a big, carnival like atmosphere. And a lot of fun!

Later, the group continued to party by travelling back to the river boat bars, I however had to be sensible and take myself off home to bed as I had a 7am flight to London to catch!