I arrived in Belgrade three weeks ago and although there was no snow, it was pretty cold out and about - jacket-beenie-scarf type weather - but in the past few days the sun has started to get some warmth in it and winter is at last retreating into a memory - and the locals are shedding their furs and leathers and basking in the warmer clime ...
Time to say good-bye to the mighty Danube - though I will be crossing over it three more times as I continue on with my travels around Eastern Europe ...
I spent many hours during my stay exploring lots of interesting galleries and museums - ranging from the larger municipal venues to the smaller private galleries and specialist museums dotted throughout the city ...
Art Pavilion Cvijeta Zuzoric
Prima Gallery
And I was fortunate to get to see a bit of performance art as well - starting with a great production of the Broadway-hit "Chicago" at the Terazije Theatre ...
Terazije Theatre
... and at the National Theatre, a wonderful production of Verdi's opera "Aida" ( no elephants on stage for this one ... ) and two visits to the ballet - "Nutcracker" and "the Lady of the Camellias" ... all fantastic productions by the Belgrade Theatre Companies ...
National Theatre
... empty foyer ...
... filling-up stalls ...
Belgrade is home to a wide variety of interesting architectural types ranging from the beautiful 19th century palaces to the not-so-beautiful solid blocks left over from the Soviet days ...
Art Deco French Embassy
the imposing Hotel Moscow
I just had to walk through those shiny gold doors and found myself in a very swish foyer and off to the side was an equally swish cafe-lounge that served not-so-swish coffee ...
the Old Palace - built 1880s
once the royal residence of the Obrenovic dynasty
now government offices ...
House of the National Assembly of Serbia
built in the 1930s
originally as the Seat of the Parliament of Jugoslavia
imposing entrance ...
Palace Albanija
built in 1930s
it was then the tallest highrise building in the Balkans
Government offices
And of course amongst the historical buildings of ages past are the Soviet-style concrete Brutalist buildings of the 50s 60s and 70s - many covered in ugly advertising for consumer goods - and now the contemporary glass and steel structures are springing up throughout the 'burbs ...
this "don't-take-your-guns-to-town-boy" caught my eye
Dotted throughout Belgrade are many Serbia Orthodox churches - some very simple, while others are imposing and full of beautiful art ... here are just four out of the many that I visited ...
Saint Michael's Cathedral
built 1870s
interior ...
Saint Alexander Nevsky Church
build 1870s
interior ...
Church of Saint Demetrius
built 2000s
interior ...
Church of Saint Mark
built 1930s ...
interior ...
Tomb of Tsar Dushan the Powerful
Emperor of the Serbs and Greeks
1308 - 1355
... and speaking of tombs - a visit to Belgrade is not complete until you have paid your respects at the Tomb of Josip Broz Tito - president of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1953 to 1980 - considered by many historians as a 'benevolent dictator' - but regarded by most world leaders of the time as an equal. His funeral in 1980 is considered the largest of any world leader drawing kings, presidents and political leaders from 128 countries.
The House of Flowers
Mausoleum Of Tito
Josip Broz Tito
by Antun Augustuncic
So a final Berties ( Polish ... )
... then all aboard my Aegean chariot and up-up-and-away for me and onto my next destination ...
... stay tuned ...
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