It really deserves the name Arena

Belgrade Arena

My first visit inside of this colossal building was on September 7th 2008 when I was taking my daughter to a concert of ultra-mega-extra popular teenage band. As if the fact that I have to attend the teenagers' concert wasn't terrible enough for itself, the temperature that day was some 37 degrees Celsius - complete hell!

We came there two and a half hours earlier, because she has won the "Meet & Greet" (don't ask about it!), so we were able to find one of the last parking spots. Arena is really huge, with a large plateau in front, easy to find and reach, but the parking lot is definitely too small. Only 4.800 parking places comparing to up to 25.000 visitors - that is completely irrational. So if you're going by car you have to options: to come a lot earlier, or to look for parking somewhere else. If you decide to use taxi or public transportation, just think about that twice, because the crowds after events are enormous - it is easy to get there, but it is very hard to get out of there.

The building is very impressive during day and fantastic in the night. It is in perfect spot, next to the highway, not too far from the old part of town, surrounded by big and luxurious hotels. It is very easy to reach, either by car, or a large number of public transportation lines. It is impossible to miss it, so it is used as a landmark for explaining how to get somewhere in New Belgrade.

When we came there, there were already crowds of screaming teenagers waiting in front of many entrances. "Many" is the key word here: there are four main entrances which are easy to find as the signs for EWNS are visible and easy to follow. But if you have to find some smaller entrance, than you might have a problem, unless you're lucky enough to find it immediately. When you try to look for that smaller entrance, don't even bother asking any of Arena staff - they won't give you any info, because they don't know anything that you cannot see by yourself (I suppose that they are there just to look good in uniforms). Just go around and look for yourself using simple logic: you'll find what you're looking for, at the end, if you stick to the side of the Arena you need. And don't even try to ask security staff anything - they're rude and ignorant, and won't even hesitate to yell at you! In addition, they don't even understand their native tongue - so don't try their patience with foreign languages. The best and kindest info I've got from Police officers, who are not related to Arena in any way (they were just doing their regular jobs).

After more than 2 hours of waiting in the hell of a heat and constant sweating in front of the official entrance, where I was waiting for my daughter (to return from that "Meet and Greet" thing), I thought that I was going to drop dead when we enter the hall. But, none of that happened. We have entered without being pushed and pulled by a mass of kids (and their parents), because entrance points are nicely organized. We have freshened up in large toilets, with enough WC and lavatories, so we didn't have to wait in lines. I took a deep breath and prepared myself for enter the main hall, filled with screaming teenagers. It took a while before I've realized that the air wasn't moist and heavy, as one would expect, regardless of some 25.000 people present - the ventilation is so fantastic that all the way till the end of concert we didn't feel any difference. In fact, it was colder and easier to breathe inside the hall (away from the fact that you couldn't hear yourself thinking from all that screaming), than it was on the outside, where temperature did not dropping below 30 degrees (not even at 11 P.M.).

At the end I was completely exhausted, but very proud to know that my city has such modern and completely functional hall. The only two things that should be changed are the number of parking spots and staff friendliness.

My second time in Arena was for the Il Divo concert. Luckily, I did not have to interact with staff, too much, since there was only one (!) entrance. Correspondingly, only one exit - but still sufficient. I'm not an expert for the acoustic, but I think that the hall has perfect acoustic characteristics. As I have heard from others, who have also attended events in the Arena, there is no place in the hall from where you cannot see or cannot hear. This time there were no thousands of screaming girls, and I could really enjoy the perfect concert, with perfect performers, with perfect sound.

Now Arena has put me on real torture: in next two months, there will be three concerts of musicians I like - ZZ Top in October, and Eros Ramazzotti and Tom Jones in November. Three concerts in a row, and even two, are too much for the home budget, so I have to pick one. Poor Eros did not stand the chance with such competition, but I'm still in dillemma - ZZ Top or Tom Jones?

All photos are from Il Divo concert

What and where to eat in Belgrade if you are vegetarian?

Being a half-Serbian who has lived almost all her life in Belgrade, means that I eat all kind of meat, like all Serbs do, so it never occurred to me that foreign visitors might have problems finding food here if they don't eat meat, or have other special diets. But, during last year, I've started to read travelers' reviews and blog posts from people who have visited Belgrade, and suddenly I've started to notice that some of them had a really huge food-problem here. I have discussed a little bit on this topic in my post about one Belgrade restaurant, but now I see it's about the highest time to give some more explanation - no one must not starve in Belgrade!!!

Having hungry visitors would be a great shame for us, for Serbs are known as people who are highly sensitive to food and guests, which means that Serbian hospitality has two important characteristics: a) there always has to be a lot of food (especially if you have a guest), and b) guests are considered as sacred, so they have to be pleased by food, drink and comfort. Failing to fulfill a single item of the above mentioned, draws to a great shame, even if no one else, except the host, knows about it.

Since this post is about to be about lot of food, I will have to find photos on-line, because I don't have a habit of taking photos of my food :o))) And one more thing: please, don't be too harsh on me for not knowing about how many types of vegetarians, vegans or pescetarians there are (I've just found out about the latter few days ago)... I'll just try to simplify the explanation and description of food, so you could include or exclude it from your diet.

So, the famous sentence "no meat, no eat" should be banned from our our dictionaries!

GREEN MARKETS

There are lot of green markets in Belgrade, almost every quarter has it. Some are bigger and some are smaller, but the main characteristic is that they offer fresh vegetables and fruits. The important thing is to know that all vegetables and fruits grown in Serbia (except for very few kinds of soy beans) are not genetically modified. I cannot guarantee that for imported ones (which you can usually recognize by a lot higher price) which are mostly imported when it is not the natural season in Serbia for its growth. For example: tomato's natural growing season in Serbia is June-October, outside of that period it is most probably imported. Carrots are available almost during all year long, and so are cabbage and potato. Strawberries are available only in June, cherries end of May-beginning of June, etc. Bananas don't grow in Serbia LOL

But this info is more important for people who are going to spend a longer period here. The problem is that if you are traveler, this info probably won't be much useful for you, if you don't have a refrigerator to use.

Green markets are mostly closed in the afternoon and some of them are closed or working with reduced number of sellers on Mondays. Most of the time prices are not displayed, and can vary, so try to get info on prices before you go shopping, or at least check prices on several stands, before buying.

MACROBIOTIC SHOPS

Macrobiotic shops are often called Bio dućan Био дућан (pronounced as Beeo duchan) can be found around green markets, but also around town. They sell macrobiotic food, and have sandwiches, cookies and other macrobiotic snacks, but also all kind of food for preparing a microbiotic meal. Those shops are usually small, and they can be recognized by lot of shelves with small compartments.

FOOD FOR VEGETARIANS EATING DAIRY PRODUCTS

If you're eating dairy products, it would be a lot easier for you to find ready-made food in Belgrade. First of all, there are numerous bakery stores, some of which working 24/7, offering all kinds of pastries, but let's take them one by one:

BUREK БУРЕК (pronounced as boorek) is being sold in most bakeries, and some are even specialized only for burek (trust me, you don't even want to try to say the name of that store, it's even tongue-twister for us). What we mean when we say burek is the one you can see on the picture on the right. There are several fillings for burek and only one is with meat (and it's called burek "sa mesom" which means "with meat"). My favorite is with cheese ("sa sirom"). It is very greasy, so you should find a place for eating it slowly - usually you can eat it at the shop.

SARAJEVSKI BUREK САРАЈЕВСКИ БУРЕК (burek from Sarajevo, pronounced as Sarayevski boorek) or someone would call it pita пита looks like this. Whatever you call it, it comes with several fillings: cheese, spinach, potato, mushrooms, etc. and again, only one is with meat. It is less greasy than the above mentioned burek, so you could also eat it on the way, but it will prevent you to drink yoghurt at the same time :o)))

PITA ПИТА is also very popular. It comes in different shapes, the most simple is when it's cut to cubes. It also comes with various fillings cheese, spinach, zelje (pronounced as zelye), potato, mushrooms, etc. It is not so greasy, so you can take it with you.

PROJA ПРОЈА pronounced as proya, is a traditional corn bread with white cheese. It can be found both in restaurants and bakery shops. Traditional proja is cut on cubes, but now they also make it shaped like small muffins.

GIBANICA ГИБАНИЦА pronounced as gibanitsa is made with cheese, but it contains eggs. It has rich filling and it is made in two shapes, but taste the same.

FOOD FOR PESCETARIANS

If you're a pescetarian, the keyword for you in Serbia is posno. The word posno means the absence of unsuitable types of food during Orthodox fast. The Christian Orthodox fast is not allowing any products of animal origin, including dairy products and eggs, except for fish. Two biggest fasts are before Christmas (Orthodox Christmas is on 7th January) and before Orthodox Easter, and during that time many restaurants offer appropriate food. So it's easiest for you to eat here. There are also grills around markets specialized for fish.

FOOD NOT CONTAINING ANY INGREDIENTS OF ANIMAL ORIGIN

AJVAR (pronounced as ayvar) is a kind of salad, prepared from roasted paprika, garlic and aubergine. It is mostly red, but if it's green, than it's made from green tomatoes. It is sour and refreshing and can be found in restaurants. It can also be found in supermarkets, packed in jars.

PINDŽUR (pronounced as pin-joor) is similar to ajvar, but it is not minced, but cut into small pieces. It is made from tomatoes and paprika. The taste is also sour and refreshing.

PREBRANAC (pronounced as preh-branats) is traditional meal made of kidney-beans. It should be posno, but be sure to ask if there is any sausages or other meat in it (sometimes they put meat in it).



Paprika stuffed with nuts (no need for Serbian name, because these can be found only in restaurants, which usually have menues in English).

KISELI KUPUS is literally "sour cabbage", a Serbian specialty that you should try. It is used for salads, and some other meals (mostly with meat). Unfortunately, it is only available during winter period.

PODVARAK is a meal made of sour cabbage. Should not contain any meat, but be sure to ask before you order.

There are many international, Chinese and other restaurants in Belgrade that have vegetarian food selection, but only 3 vegetarian restaurants: Slasta, Priroda (Svetogorska 18, 011/ 334 51 81) and Joy of the Heart (Batutova 11, 011/ 241 1890).

Well, that would be all that I could remember. I hope that you will find this post useful, and that it will make your visit easier.

I also ask my fellow citizens to leave me a suggestion, if they can think of anything else that could be added to this list.

Please notice that none of these photographs are not my property.

Romantic fireplace and excellent food

Of all restaurants in Belgrade, Zlatar is one my favorite restaurants.

The main hall is on upper floor; there are few tables at ground floor, plus summer garden (but I always go there in the winter season). The interior is completely in old Serbian cottage style: furniture is made from natural wood and shaped in style, and numerous items from everyday's country life from late 19th/early 20th century are hanged on walls and placed around very tastefully. For each interesting thing you see around you can ask your waiter - they'll be glad to explain you what it was used for. It is a real treasure consisted of old petroleum lamps, baby cribs and loads of other original items. Even the architecture resembles to cottage. But the highlight of the interior is the big open fireplace which really works. It creates such endlessly romantic atmosphere, that it doesn't even matter if some smoke comes in (Belgrade has one nasty wind called Koshava which is unpredictable and strong - but not dangerous). That's why my husband and I find it's the best choice for romantic occasion diner. All staff is also dressed in traditional clothes.

The warm atmosphere you find in this restaurant is not coming just from the fireplace - the restaurant is owned by a family, and the quality of service and food is constant. Complimentary roasted almonds and dried plums stuffed with hazelnuts are waiting on the table, with which I can never be reasonable in "appetizing", spreading the strong appetizing scent. If you choose to start with a shot of homemade rakija ("rakiya" - strong brandy) it will be served in a cute little shot-glass shaped like tiny bottle, which is also a part of Serbian tradition.

Since the restaurant offers Serbian national food, that means that it is mostly based on meat. For people coming to Serbia for the first time I would recommend "The Zlatar dining table" dish, which is a combination of all kind of grilled meat specialties. But beware: this dish is so large that it can cause a "protein shock" just by looking at it. However, people who don't eat meat also can find great variety of dishes to suit their taste, especially during Orthodox fasting period, before Orthodox Christmas and Easter, when each meal marked as "posno" (the word confirming the absence of unsuitable types of food during fast). A short explanation: the Orthodox fast is not allowing any products of animal origin, including dairy products and eggs, except for fish (but if the fish is present in food, it is usually highlighted). In regular menu there are already some "meatless" dishes, such as cheese layered corn pie, roasted paprika, ajvar (pronounced as "ayvar") etc. What is also special about the food is that most ingredients are delivered daily from the valley of Lim, so they can be considered as "highly organic".

In the evenings they have authentic music program: the acoustic music, known as "Old City Music", performed by excellent musicians. Combination of interior, food and music brings you to another place, far away from everyday rush of city life and relaxes your body and soul. Well, at least the soul, because if you failed to resist overeating, you can leave out the body part.

If you're not familiar with Belgrade, you'll need some additional instructions how to get there, but nothing too complicated. Considering that it is located in wider area of city center, The good news is that they have their own parking space, so you don't have to worry about that problem (trust me, this is a BIG PLUS in Belgrade). Prices are moderate and very reasonable. Some major credit cards are accepted. Reservations are recommended for evenings.

All photos are taken from Zlatar's web site.

Belgrade "Nikola Tesla" Airport - Surprisingly small

Belgrade "Nikola Tesla" Airport is located some 20 km from Belgrade. Since Belgrade is a city of two million inhabitants, you would expect a much larger airport, but even this one seems to be big enough. It has only one runway, so delays of all sorts are not unexpected, but surprisingly rare. It is consisted of two buildings which are simply called Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. There is not much to see in Terminal 1, as the building is old and not so well preserved, but the good news is that you probably won't have to use it at all - since Terminal 2 was built few years ago, all passenger traffic was moved to the new terminal. The only thing you can look in terminal two is one kiosk which is very hard to find, because it's almost hidden, but worth a try (IF you have time to spend) considering the fact that prices are normal - unlike in all other shops in the airport. So, if you need something, it is better not to buy it in the airport, or else you'll have to pay even double or triple price (except for cigarettes and magazines).

Arrivals are in the underground floor of Terminal 2 and that gives a very ugly first impression. Glass doors and walls are white, so you cannot see if someone's waiting for you until you pass Custom and Passport check points and step outside in the "lobby". The "lobby", or should I rather call it "waiting room" is something like a narrow corridor, with little space, so it creates a problem if you want to meet someone. You can go outside using the exit doors on the ground floor, but if you want to grab a taxi, it is better to use the stairs and go to the ground floor of the terminal. The ground floor and first floor are much better looking, spacious with lot of natural light during day. It is quite clean. There are modern check in desks, cafes and shops (but don't say I didn't warn you about prices), banks and exchange offices. Smoking is still allowed within cafes. During seasons' holidays terminal is nicely decorated so it has the holiday atmosphere. Exchange offices on the ground floor (I haven't checked those in underground floor) are OK, there is no significant difference in exchange rate from ones in the city, so you can freely exchange your money here. Duty free shop has some special offers, and they're OK, but all other prices are similar (sometimes even higher) as prices in the city.

Departures are on the 1st floor, where you also have bank, post offices and cafes. The waiting area is spacious enough, but there is not enough seats, which forces you to sit in cafe. If your flight is delayed, I would recommend you not go inside as the prices in cafes behind Passport Control check point are even higher.

If you need special bags for carrying liquids, you can find them all over the airport, or you can as personnel at the check-point desk to provide it to you. Unfortunately, that is not the case with pushcarts at the departure.

TRANSPORTATION

If you don't have prearranged transfer (the option which I recommend warmly) you'll have to exchange your money at the airport, as the only acceptable currency is Dinar.

Transportation from the airport is questionable, since you don't have much choice. There are taxis, which should be around 10-15 Euros for ride and some additional money for your luggage (per piece) that is where problems can occur, so be sure that taxi driver tells you price for the luggage BEFORE you enter the vehicle. Not to mention that the taximeter should be turned on - do not except any bargains.

The other possibility is the bus of the JAT Airways, but it's timetable is depending on its carrier's flight schedule, so check if there is some flight near your time of arrival. The bus goes through New Belgrade to Slavija Square (pronounced as "Slaviya"), which is in wider territory of city center. The ticket is about 2 Euros and some additional Euros for each piece of luggage.

The third possibility is the worst one, and that is public transportation. You can buy the bus ticket in newsstands at the airport, or you can buy it in the bus (it costs less than 1 Euro, no additional charges for the luggage, as far as I know). The bus goes every 30 minutes, but during afternoon rush-hour (between 3 and 5 P.M.) it might be late up to 1 1/2 hours. It goes in the very center of the city, but has a strange route, which is 3 times longer than normal, so it takes at least 45 minutes to reach the center (during rush hour it takes a lot more than 1 hour).

I took all photos during winter Holiday season 2008 (with mobile phone).

Vox - Rhythm Blues club

Vox is located in Banovo Brdo, a district of Belgrade between two very popular attractions - Ada Ciganlija and Košutnjak. It's very accessible, as there are more than 10 busses connecting this place with different parts of the city.

Vox was founded in 1995 and started as a small pub with music played for Rhythm & Blues and Rock fans, but very soon it has grown into The Rhythm & Blues and Rock Fans Society. The Society enforces development of the Serbian blues scene and helps both famous and unknown musicians in many ways, from selling their CDs to organizing the International Blues Festival Voxstock. Vox is one of very few clubs in Belgrade with this kind of music. It's a membership club with an open-minded policy: everyone can become a member for a symbolic fee of 6 Euros per year. Honorary members of the club are blues and rock music celebrities like Van Morrison, Michael Hill and Ana Popović.

If you are not a member you can still go to Vox, but on nights with live performances you'll have to pay an admittance fee of less than 1.5 Euros. Drinks are sold for very reasonable prices. During the winter period, live performances are on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays, and during the summer period, performances of acoustic music are mostly on weekends, but there is no particular schedule, and performances are announced two weeks in advance.

Vox is my favorite club because it's so different in many ways from all other places you can hang out in Belgrade. Everything about Vox has a very special story, starting with the wooden interior, which was hand-made by the club owner Budimir Vuletić - Buda, with a little help from his friends. Most of the decoration - paintings, posters, old instruments, and other music accessories, like the old microphone from the 30's, which is the symbol of a Society - was given by guests so they also took part in shaping up the look of the club. That is what I cherish the most about this club: the really friendly atmosphere that makes you fall in love with this place from the first time you step in it. And not only with the place - 36 wedding ceremonies were held here, between couples who met in Vox and fell in love (and we're expecting the No. 37 soon).

Regular guests are from all horizons: they are professors, workers, musicians, students, people from their early twenties to over 55, parents with children, and they all fit together very well and give warm welcome to new guests. Vox has a nice open terrace, which is open from March to October. The atmosphere in the club is so relaxed that it is not unusual to find a guest on the other side of the bar, helping the bartender on busy days. This is the only place where our teenage daughter still wants to go with her parents (otherwise hanging out with parents is so "un-cool"), since she is a "veteran" in the club, being a "regular" since she was a three-years-old.

Live performances are held at night, but since many bands are rehearsing in the club, you might run into unexpected music performance during day. Live performances are very interactive and it's not unusual that some guests (many of them are professional musicians) "pop in" during performance, or even switch with the band members for a few songs. Even though, performances are very good and professional, leaving no one indifferent.


Sometimes after the official program, musicians who came from other places where they have finished their performance as guests, leaded by a club owner (also a musician), give you a special treat: late night jam session that everyone who's present can join. Many bands from Serbian Rhythm & Blues scene have started their careers in Vox, like Ana Popović. Among musicians who had live performance in club Vox are Pera Joe, Point Blank, Raw Hide, Blue Family and Ana Popović (all from Serbia), Michael Hill (USA), Jazz Pistols (Germany) and Dr. Agrinovski (Russia).

Whenever I have guests from abroad I take them to Vox and it's never a mistake. They're all delighted, not only with the music, but also with the place, people and atmosphere.

Dream Island

Badija has always been my favorite excursion place. It is a small island next to Korčula with beautiful beaches and rich nature. And when I say small, I mean really small - only 1 sq km. The name Badija (pronounced as 'Badiya") originates from the Latin name "abbatial" which means "abbey".

The first thing you see when you approach the island is 14th century Franciscan monastery (founded in 13th century), built in Gothic style. I remember that during 70's and 80's this monastery was used as a hostel, mostly for Czecho-Slovakian tourists, but in 2003 the state returned it to its original owners, the Franciscan order.



The pier is between monastery, on the left side, and a beach with sports terrains in the background, on the right side. Sports terrains are surrounded with pine, cypresses and olive trees, so it is never too hot for sports enthusiasts to enjoy sports activities. Next to terrains is a mid-sized restaurant, modestly equipped, but with beautiful terrace, with astonishing sea view. Although the restaurant might not seem like an encouraging place for eating, the food is good and you can have a decent three-course meal.

If you follow the path from the restaurant, it will lead you to beautiful rocky beaches, which are emerging from woods and go straight into crystal clear water, which is slightly warmer than the sea in Korčula bay. If you walk further, you'll find white pebble beaches, surrounded with pine trees offering lots of shade, so there's no need to carry your sun umbrella. On the opposite side of the island is a nudists' camp (also called the F.K.K. - whatever that means), but naturists often spread to other beaches, too (remember that island is extremely small), so don't be surprised if you find a beach with "mixed" sunbathers. Since the water is very clear, you can watch lot of small sea animals that live in shallow water, without any special equipment. Maybe it sounds naïve to watch the sea life just by walking through the water, but if you're patient and you pay attention, you'll see that there's lot to explore - lots of different fishes, small crabs, shells etc. But be careful not to be carried away and step on sea urchins, as they often hide in the shade of rocks. The good news is that those sea urchins are the most "dangerous" animals that that can be found here. Jellyfishes are extremely rare in Badija and Korčula, as they prefere warmer water, so they appear only after sea storms, when they're brought by strong waves, but even then they leave very soon.

Sea animals are not the only animals that can be found here. Badija's woods are home to numerous does, which were brought here few decades ago, by former Yugoslav president Tito. It is not unusual to see does to come to the beach, very near people, to seek food. Since there are many people that want to feed them, they are very picky, and they'll approach you only if they like the food you're offering. As far as I know, apples are among their favorite food, so be sure to bring some apples with you if you go to Badija. They are used to people, but be aware of the fact that they are still wild animals and approach them with extra care. Try to calm your kids of becoming overexcited as too much noise will drive them away for sure. This is a most precious experience, a true magic, if you're an animal lover.

Badija is some 20 minutes away from Korčula town, by small taxi-boat. Taxi-boats are very frequent (every 15 minutes) and inexpensive, so it is not a problem to get to Badija. Returning from Badija might be a problem, because last taxi-boats leave around 6 P.M. and, which is expected, most people want to stay on the island as long as they can, so boats are very crowded. What you can do, to assure your return is to buy a return ticket, which does not oblige you to use the same taxi-boat if "yours" was full. And what was always amazing me is that taxi-boat captains remember all passengers in that day, and they know exactly which passengers did not return to Korčula. Once, when I was a teenager, 5 of us were late for the last taxi-boat, and the captain returned just to find us - but don't try to do that, as there is no lodging facilities, so you'll have to spend the night in the open (and you even might be prosecuted for that, as that is considered to be a minor felony).

You might consider to bring food and drink with you (and don't forget the apples!), as there is only one restaurant (other is in F.K.K. area - where you cannot enter from the ground), which is so crammed full during lunch time, that you might wait for a whole hour before they serve your lunch. And while you are in the restaurant, you'll loose your spot on the beach for sure, so you'll have to spend additional half hour looking for another one (and you might miss the opportunity to see does).

All photos by: merkat

This is my review posted on trivago