Novi Sad

We were still in Croatia when we went to sleep, but awoke this morning docked in Novi Sad, Serbia. It's much more of a different culture than any other place we've been on this trip. The name translates literally as "new garden," but I think that the "Sad" part of the name is more appropriate because we rarely see anyone smile here. Every face reflects Slavic stoicism.

Part of this may be the political situation. We had a morning lecture from a sociologist who tried to explain why Serbia is not part of the European Union. The short answer is that they have a corrupt, undemocratic government that leans toward Russia, while (if this speaker is correct) the majority of the people would prefer a Western democracy.

Apartment building from before WW II.

However, the fact was hardly mentioned that Serbia attacked its neighbors 30 years ago and committed numerous atrocities, and that those neighbors may not yet be ready to let bygones be bygones. In fact, the speaker told us that many Serbs consider that more than 70 of their top politicians and generals were convicted of war crimes as evidence that the E.U. is picking on them unfairly!

Our walking tour with a local guide was overly long and not very exciting. She kept saying how beautiful the city is -- and some things here really are. But even many of the restored 17th century buildings could use some paint, and the Soviet-style buildings left over from before the fall of the Berlin Wall are downright depressing to look at.

The main Roman Catholic Church in the city center.

We had lunch at a restaurant in town, and the food was very good, even if the waiters acted like they hated their jobs. Also, there are some very pleasant parks and a few nice, tree-lined streets. Serbs tend to be tall, slender and generally good looking people. Obesity does not seem to be nearly the problem it is in the U.S., despite a Serbian diet that is heavy on meat and potatoes.

There have been high points in Serbian history, but most of them came prior to World War II: Nikola Tesla was born in Croatia but applied to a technical university here and became a patron of the school later in life, even though they rejected his application for admission. Albert Einstein lived and worked here, and his wife is a native of this city, but he left before completing his theories. Some of Serbia's best known poets are from here, as are a few politicians who were well-known in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Market square.

There's also a very nice bike trail along the river the runs for many miles, and we got to ride part of it by checking out a couple of the boat's e-bikes. These were a new experience for us, but it was a very pleasant ride on a nice bike trail along the Danube.

The clock on the white tower at the fort is right twice a day.

Before the bike ride, however, we took a hike up to the Petrovaradin Fortress. This fort sits on a hill high above the Danube, across the river from Novi Sad. It was built by the Hapsburgs to keep the Ottomans from reaching Belgrade. It didn't exactly work, as the Ottomans went around it and got all the way to Vienna. But the fort itself was never taken.

View from the fort.

Dinner on the boat was not very good this evening. We've had some excellent meals, but tonight's was an exception. Dessert was a great cheesecake, however.