Tuesday in Belgrade

It was hot, 90 degrees hot. We were docked on the Sava River, a tributary of the Danube. Belgrade became the principality capital in 1878 after years of Ottoman rule. We were bused to the French embassy, whose marble facade uses the same marble as the US White House.

Our guide was very passionate about her country and her city. She discussed the collapse of the train station canopy in Novi Sad last November (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novi_Sad_railway_station_canopy_collapse) and how no one had been brought to justice. At the Art College there was a counter of how many days and since the accident, a list of demands and other signs showing how upset they were with the government for stonewalling charges or arrests. There was a mall and the city library across from the college. We walked to Kalemegdan park to the Kalemegdan Fortress. Through the inner and outer entrances and into the start shaped fortress. We could see the convergence of the river where on July 28, 1914 WWI began.

At the furthest most point of one of the stars in the status, Pobednik, "The Victor" built to commemorate Serbia's victory over the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires during the Balkan Wars and the First World War. Cast in 1913, erected in 1928, and standing at 46 ft high, it is one of the most famous works of Ivan Meštrović.

It was now time to get back on the bis and tour the city. We passed the Zoo, the location in 1896 of the first soccer game, a 12th century tower used by the Ottomans as a dungeon and the 1842 bell tower. We also passed the location of Amy Winehouse's last concert.

We passed the old, now abandoned railway station which was the used by Agatha Christie in "Murder on the Orient Express". We passed the mostly destroyed building of the old Yugoslavian Army army that was hit during the 1990 NATO bombings because of the Kosovo ethnic cleansing. The empty US Embassy on Embassy row was next on the way to the church of St. Sava.

In 1594, a major Serb rebellion was crushed by the Ottomans. In retribution, Grand Vizier Sinan Pasha ordered the relics of Saint Sava to be publicly torched on the Vračar plateau; in the 20th century, the church of Saint Sava was built to commemorate this event. The church was many tears in the planning and building stages and was only recently finished.

Dinner, for me and about 20 others from the ship, was in the Bohemian Quarter. Local food is always the best.

We started with fresh fluffy Pita Bread and a cottage cheese and paprika spread. There was ham, fresh vegetables and a cheese puff pastry to go with it. For the main course was small grilled burgers, chicken thighs and breast. with a cabbage slaw on the side. Desert was creamy chocolate cake. All supreme. And finally, 30 minutes of live music.