Category: Travel

Balkans, Pokretači, The Nutshell Media, Travel

SpomenikDatabase: How an American Helped Preserve Memories of Yugoslav WWII Memorials

About a decade ago, Yugoslav WWII monuments were almost forgotten at home but started capturing people’s imagination around the world when Jan Kempenaers, a Belgian photographer, created his ‘Spomeniks’ (‘Memorials’) series, which included images of striking monuments at Kosmaj in Serbia, Podgaric in Croatia and Tjentiste in Bosnia and Herzegovina. His eerie photos of oddly-shaped memorials in dramatic settings attracted the attention of design and … Continue reading SpomenikDatabase: How an American Helped Preserve Memories of Yugoslav WWII Memorials

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Balkans, Guide to Belgrade, The Belgradist, Travel

Best Three Places to Visit If You Are Planning a Staycation in Belgrade

Belgraders are often restless to escape the congested streets of the capital. Thankfully, they need not go far: there are plenty of hidden gems within reach to sate your wanderlust if strapped for time or money to venture further.   Grocka’s Archeological Treasures  A 40-minute drive east from central Belgrade, spread over hills above the Danube, Grocka has been a popular place for Belgraders to … Continue reading Best Three Places to Visit If You Are Planning a Staycation in Belgrade

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Balkans, Guide to Belgrade, The Belgradist, Travel

National Museum of Serbia, preview

On this rainy day, I had the privilege of being allowed to see a preview of the National Museum’s new permanent display. As the old one was removed 15 years ago, the Museum for me is a vague memory, conspicuous by its absence. It was a place where I can’t take my visiting friends, it contained artworks that I, alas, cannot see, and was proof … Continue reading National Museum of Serbia, preview

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Balkans, Pokretači, The Nutshell Media, Travel

Pokretači #31 Donald Niebyl – Spomenik Database / Illinois, USA

Donald Niebyl founded and manages Spomenik Database, a website dedicated to monumental Yugoslav WWII memorials. Donald not only travelled up and down former Yugoslavia visiting monuments (or ‘spomeniks’ as they are called in local languages), but he also researched and wrote detailed history of many of them, soon to be published as a book – ‘Spomenik Monument Database’ (pre-order on Amazon). Notes Spomenik database on … Continue reading Pokretači #31 Donald Niebyl – Spomenik Database / Illinois, USA

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Balkans, Travel

Zagreb: a Belgrader’s take

Despite being named as the best destination in Europe by travel guide publisher Lonely Planet in 2017, Zagreb was the target of a scathing and, at points, hilarious review in the German weekly news magazine Der Spiegel last July. The review not only claimed that Zagreb is the most boring capital in Europe, but also said that its highway to Croatia’s famed Adriatic coast was the best thing … Continue reading Zagreb: a Belgrader’s take

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Balkans, Travel

Finding Count Vronsky in Serbia

In 1878 Leo Tolstoy somewhat abruptly ended the story of desperate and broken Count Vronsky in Anna Karenina by sending him to Serbia to fight in the Serbo-Turkish War of 1876-1878, where he sought adventure, or even death, as penance for his famously ill-fated affair. A century and a bit later, this slightly inelegant end to the story of one of the protagonists of this … Continue reading Finding Count Vronsky in Serbia

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Balkans, The Belgradist, Travel

Why are Serbians not outdoorsy?

As we were climbing around the ruins of Machu Picchu, feathery clouds clung to peaks covered with thick emerald forest. Rain, which pounded from the morning, stopped and allowed sunlight to shyly caress the sheer black cliffs above the foaming river. Around us, hundreds of tourists were jostling with selfie sticks to capture these magical scenes. My chain-smoking Belgrade-born-and-bred mother slowly moved uphill, panting. Once … Continue reading Why are Serbians not outdoorsy?

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Central America (2018), Travel

The Nutshell Guide to Costa Rica and Panama

Costa Rica and Panama are both wonderful in very different ways.   Costa Rica’s lush nature, as well as Ticos’ relaxed attitude create an overall sense of contentment and good life (Pura vida!), for which the country is famous. Nature-lovers and adrenaline junkies will love the opportunity to see all sorts of animals, white-water-raft, zip line and hike. Despite Panama City being the most cosmopolitan … Continue reading The Nutshell Guide to Costa Rica and Panama

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Balkans, Serbiana/Srpska posla, Travel

Sarma, Testicles and Kid-roasts: Rural Serbia’s Real Foodies

The global foodie trend made urbanites in Serbia more conscious about their consumption, and even inspired some of them to try their hand at making healthier, or at least, tastier food. In Belgrade, there are now numerous events devoted to producers of anything from Serbian truffles to Serbian tabasco. Although there are some misfires, Belgrade’s Cheese festival, Night Market and Wine Jam constantly deliver a … Continue reading Sarma, Testicles and Kid-roasts: Rural Serbia’s Real Foodies

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Central America (2018), Travel

The Nutshell Guide to Nicaragua: Leon to San Juan Del Sur

Nicargua is a fantastic country to visit, especially if you are looking to escape the winter in the Northern Hemisphere: it has wonderful colonial towns, great beaches and wonderful landscapes, from active volcanoes to Central America’s largest lake.   We did a short, 10-day version of the “Gringo trail” through Nicaragua, sticking to the Pacific coast from Leon to San Juan Del Sur.  As we … Continue reading The Nutshell Guide to Nicaragua: Leon to San Juan Del Sur

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Central America (2018), Travel

Bocas del Toro, Panama

After a day of intense rain in Bocas del Toro, normally a picture-perfect spot in the Caribbean, K and I bagged a reservation in a hostel that Lonely Planet insisted you should “beg, borrow or steal” to get.We moved from a small hostel dive-shop in the main city of the archipelago. Although the weather did not serve us well, Bocas town, a charming mix of … Continue reading Bocas del Toro, Panama

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Central America (2018), Travel

Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

Our move from Nicaragua to Costa Rica was a matter of much trepidation. Our phones were constantly warning us of the bad weather over the whole country, that we even considred changing our plans and going to Honduras or El Salvador, or even cutting our trip short.  Nevertheless we decided to press on, ignored the Weather Channel and as soon as we crossed the very … Continue reading Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica

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Central America (2018), Travel

Granada, Nicaragua 

“I hate to say it, but I think you will really regret not going to the volcano.” K. seemed genuinely concrened, as if the fate of my soul was in question. I looked at the looped video showing the mesmerising infernal depths of Massaya on the hostel’s TV. For a moment I felt sinful for even doubting the majesty of the night tour of a … Continue reading Granada, Nicaragua 

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Central America (2018), Travel

Leon/Las Penitas, Nicaragua

This is my attempt at writing a travelogue from my current trip around Central America – hopefully it continues regularly, but no guarantees. I’ll do a few posts with just the ususa where to go what to do stuff later “Manny, we will suck your dick for a beer!”  This cry of desperation came from one of the Canadian Bros on our truck, as it … Continue reading Leon/Las Penitas, Nicaragua

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Balkans, Culture, Travel

Serbian New Year: the perfect time to start appreciating Turbofolk

The extended holiday season in Serbia finally ends with a bang and a hangover on Serbian New Year’s day, on January 14. Like our belated Christmas, it is a consequence of the Serbian Orthodox Church’s continued adherence to the old Julian calendar, which lags 13 days behind the predominantly used Gregorian calendar. Unlike Christmas, Serbian New Year’s eve is a very raucous affair and a … Continue reading Serbian New Year: the perfect time to start appreciating Turbofolk

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Balkans, Politics, Serbia, Travel

Westsplaining the Balkans

Twenty years ago, while the embers of war in Bosnia and Croatia were still smouldering, Bulgarian historian Maria Todorova published “Imagining the Balkans”. In this seminal work, she detailed the ways in which the Balkans have been perceived and documented for centuries both home and aboard – most often as a somewhat brutal and uncivilised forecourt of Europe. Todorova called this discourse “Balkanism” as homage … Continue reading Westsplaining the Balkans

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Balkans, Travel

Serbia’s Magic Mountain

Rising majestically above the rolling hills of Eastern Serbia, Rtanj mountain has long captured the imagination because of the strange, pyramidal shape of its highest peak, Siljak (1560m). The mountain’s reputation for the otherworldly goes way back, as a local legend says the mountain was the site of a castle of a powerful (and bling-loving) wizard who decked it out with gold and diamonds, before … Continue reading Serbia’s Magic Mountain

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Pokretači, The Nutshell Media, Travel

Pokretači 1.12 Biciklom od Beograda do Manhajma – Ana Novaković i Aleksandra Cvetković

Zamišljate da ostavite sve i samo odete na dugu avanturu? Posle pobede na konkursu Ciklomotive, Ana (koju znate iz prve epizode) i Aleksandra su 21 dan vozile bicikl od Beograda do Manhajma u Nemačkoj. Pričali smo o pripremama, peripetijama, i, naravno, promenama koje su se desile tokom ove avanture. Ana i Aleksandra su takođe podelile i svoju top listu sa puta (veoma kosrisno ako idete … Continue reading Pokretači 1.12 Biciklom od Beograda do Manhajma – Ana Novaković i Aleksandra Cvetković

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