Biking up cobblestone hills, amazing city views, and Serbian dinner at a kafana

Srbo left Beerfest early the night before since he had to work the next day.  He is an engineer, as well as a computer programmer.  When Valentina and I got back to her house, our feet were covered in dust.  

I woke up the next morning to sunshine flooding into their beautiful guest room.  Valentina had put my clothes in the laundry the previous night so after I woke up, I hung them up to dry.  Srbo was already up and was sitting on their veranda working.  He invited me to pull up a chair.  Valentina joined and we all had cantelope and grapefruit for breakfast.  We sat and chatted for most of the morning.  

The beautiful guest room.  Notice the picture in front of the television.  Its a painting of a dog whose job it is to guard them from TV.  They haven't watched TV by choice in months!

They decided to take me on a bike tour in the city.  They both had bikes and we walked to a bike rental place just along the Danube river so that I could rent one as well.  We biked through New Belgrade, and to Zeumen which used to be a separate city.  They wanted to take me to the top of a hill that had amazing views.  When we finally got to the top of a hill, we stopped at a nice cafe and enjoyed a glass of lemonade.

Srbo and Valentina in front of their home

Views of Zeuma 

Valentina teaches private Russian lessons and had a student at 4pm.  (She is from Belarus originally which is how she speaks Russian).  I also wanted to buy a bus ticket to Budva, Montenegro which was in the same direction as Valentina's student's house.  So we all biked together, then split off.  Srbo biked with me all the way to the bus station.  It was great exercise biking on the bridge over the Danube river.  I think we biked nearly 10 miles that day.  

On our way home, we stopped at a supermarket so that I could try pita, a Serbian cheese filled bread.  When we got home, Srbo told me such an interesting story about his life.  He is originally from Serbia, and moved to Budva Montenegro when he was in his 20s.  The war was going on at this time and after work he would just sit outside, listen to the sirens alarm, and watch kudzas being launched at enemy aircraft.  I can't comprehend how he could be in a city where bombs are dropping and not fear his life.  He said that life was very "boring" at the time, roads and bridges were either destroyed or blocked off, and he was trapped in the area he lived without being able to visit friends else where in the city.  Gasoline and food was also very hard to find. 

He had a girlfriend at the time (not Valentina) who just came back from India and brought with her a souvenir that folds into different shapes.  Because he was an engineer, he decided to make these and sell them in Montenegro, which he did and made a good living.  While in Montenegro, Valentina was there on holiday with mom, when she met Srbo, fell in love, and the rest is history!  

After Valentina came back home, she and I went to a kafana where we had a delicious Serbian meal.  After the meal, we took a cab to the bus station, and said our goodbyes.  Then I was off to Montenegro

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