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And so my spontaneous Balkan adventure is over.

First, and most importantly,
Millions of happy “thank you-s” to all those wonderful people who generously hosted me, cooked for me, talked to me, listened to me, shared their stories, hopes, plans, dreams, their lives with me. Those who helped me to decide where to go next, who carried my backpack, treated me to ice-creams and limunadas, translated for me, taught me some Serbian, learned from me (if anything), gave me rides, met me at the stations and saw me off, helped me to find my way, played music for me, kindly shared their art with me, educated me, asked me questions, recommended great local writers and artists, showed me their astonishing cities, let me laugh ceaselessly, made me think, inspired me for good.
Also, many thanks to all my beautiful friends and loved ones who successfully went with me through my pre-departure anxiety.

And very special thanks to Montenegrian border guards for finally letting me in (and out of) the country, even if they didn´t necessarily have to.

Serbia: Beograd, Novi Sad, Subotica, Sremski Karlovci, oz. Palič
Montenegro: Podgorica, Cetinje, Kotor, Perast, Baošići, Herceg Novi
Bosnia and Hercegovina: Mostar
Croatia: Dubrovnik, Zadar

Some disorganized flashbacks in alphabetical order.

PhotoAlphabet –>

(How to read Serbian)

Аа

Август. Аjдемо!
August. Let’s go!

It all started in Barcelona. I got a one-way Ryanair ticket, lent a last-moment backpack (thank you, Joel!), packed two dresses, a skirt and three t-shirts, got a pair of hiking sandals, completely forgot about socks and shampoo, went to bed five hours later than I was planning to, ultimately overslept and almost missed my flight. Nevertheless, got to Budapest, spent some memorable days there and caught this miraculous train to Serbia.
August, 1 I was in Novi Sad, it was warm, cordial and very kind.

Cetinje, MNE. August, 14

Бб

Бескраjно, бесконачно.
Infinite.

I can’t estimate how many steps I walked those days, seems like mileage deduction is N/A in my particular case.
One thing is certain though: if you walk the infinite number of steps, you will end up in infinite number of places. Until the moment you want to stop, if ever.

Sremski Karlovci, SRB. August, 7

Вв

Време
Time

There´s this old clocktower in Petrovaradin fortress, it’s commonly known as Drunken clock.
They say the time goes faster when it´s hot and slows down when it´s cold.
They say that small hand of the enchanting clock shows minutes and the big one shows hours.
And so I’d come there and sit there for hours full of gratitude to someone who just knew that time is never steady nor precise.

Petrovaradin Fortress, SRB. August, 5

Гг

Град, Стари Град
Town, Old Town

Old Towns are magic and spiritual (especially late at night and early in the morning), silent and desolate, and full of age-old unspoken stories. Those days I fell in never-ending love with early-hour Kotor and Dubrovnik.

Herceg Novi, MNE. A perfect spot for an afternoon nap. August, 17.

Дд

Девоjке. Момци.
Girls. Boys.

Girls are gentle, sweet and beautiful. Boys are compassionate, diplomatic and over-polite.
Every now and then girls keep telling me they wish boys were more daring.
Boys wouldn’t even know what the girls are talking about.

Not accurate.

Ђ ђ

Ђеца
Children

A lot of young joyful parents. New children have happy childhoods.

Please, no more war for Bosnia. Mostar, BIH. August, 19

Ее

Евентуално.
Perhaps.

Aleksandar couldn’t host me but wished me best of luck in their “messed up little Balkans”. Although I wouldn’t call it a mess, there’s a distinctive feature about the region – nothing is ever certain, anything might happen – or not.
In any case, open-mindedness and flexibility are highly encouraged :)

Kotor, MNE. August 14-15

Жж

Животиње
Animals

My favourites are Isa and Bisa, two swans from Novi Sad who peacefully co-exist with fellow ducks and turtles.
Also, I was very fortunate to meet a wonderful bear who knows very well how to appreciate simple joys of life.

Palić Zoo, SRB. August, 8

Зз

Закати. Восходи.
Sunsets. Sunrises.

Most loved sunrises – Kotor, MNE and Dubrovnik, HRV.

Kotor, MNE

Ии

Изненађење
Surprise

Sometimes you find a gift. Sometimes you find a friend. Sometimes you find both :)

Prizes – Surprises

Jезик
Language

During my first days in Novi Sad I was progressively mistaken for Serbian and approached in Serbian so many times, that I thought it a good idea to get a phrase book. My Russian speaking friends may share my thrill of learning such words as кокошка (рус. “курица”), киша (“дождь”), Немачка (“Германия”), удата (“замужем”), шаргарепа (“морковка”), приколица (“прицеп”), волан (“руль”), конобар (“официант”), бибер (“перец”), самоуслуга (“супермаркет”), сунцобран (“тень”), диван (“супер”), рукомет (“гандбол”), а также, такие интереснейшие места как биоскоп (“кино”) и позориште (“театр”). Не будем забывать и о райском овоще (фрукте? ягоде?) помидоре (парадаjз).
Молим вас, моj рачун. (“Принесите, пожалуйста, счёт.”)

Хранить животных в парке запрещается.

Кк

Каучсерфинг
couchsurfing

Maja has a husband and a daughter named Ženia, Ženia is nine and adventurous. The three of them are traveling the world, hiking, hitchhiking and couchsurfing. G. crossed Africa on foot; I. bakes the best carrot cakes; M. and N. sang and danced for me; M. introduced me to lemon squeezer and contributed to my motorcycle experience; B. sacrificed his skateboard, even if for a couple of minutes.
So many precious lives to be shared. Even if for a day, or two.

The legendary white wall.

Лл

Литература
Literature

For the long winters and new summers – Serbian / Montenegrian Reading list :)
* Xenia Popovich A Lullaby for No Man’s Wolf
* Xenia Popovich A Boy from the Water
* Mesa Selimovic Fortress
* Danilo Kiš Early Sorrows,
* Danilo Kiš Encyclopedia of Death

and a bit more of a challenge:
* Ivo Andrić Bridge in the River Drina
* Petar II Petrović-Njegoš The Mountain Wreath

Subotica, RSB. August, 8

Љ љ

Људи
People

People (mostly people I met in Serbia) make an impression of somewhat conservative, often opinionated, but naturally kind, genuinely hospitable, and with very particular sense of humor which I, personally, simply adore :) Not to forget regional superstitiousness and oh, so many smokers! :/

Belgrade. August, 12

Мм

Мостови
Bridges
The breathtaking night motorcycle ride over the Ada bridge.
“Bridge over the Drina river” by Ivo Andrić as a lifetime challenge.
Also. crossing the never-ending bridge at 41°C in a long Pakistani dress was probably not the best idea.

Every single bridge in Mostar was destroyed in 1992-95s. All eight, all of them.

Stari Most, “an indispensable symbol of revival and hope“.
Mostar, BIH. August, 19

Нн

Новац
Money

To the diversity of bills and coins in our pockets :) –> Dinar, Kuna, Euro, Convertible mark.

Convertible Marks from Bosnia and Herzegovina

Њ њ

Њен
Her, hers,
that which belongs to her.

Moderna Galerija Likovni Susret, Subotica. August, 8

Оо

Оданост
Devotion

There was a woman once, who loved and hoped.
Her name was Jacinta Kunić-Mijović and she wouldn’t stop waiting for her husband to come back from a way too long journey. The unique work of art she embroidered for at least 25 years includes her own hair – golden in her youth and silver in her old age.
Gospa od Škrpjela, Bay of Kotor. August, 16

Пп

Путник / Сапутник
Travelmate

“Do you have a bad feeling? No problem, let´s get our bags and go.”
A great travelmate is generally good at people-watching and fortress climbing, very skillful at mind reading and knows how to make you laugh whenever necessary (or not). He will introduce you to survival blanket, share the last cookie and will appreciate and go along with ten crazy plans of yours, and, well, you will approve of his eleventh one.
You might travel together for five days – and they will feel like five years, or, perhaps, for five years – and they will feel like five days. The day you’ll go your separate travel paths again will feel so uncontrollably cheerless, but, mysteriously, even this feeling will be a peaceful and luminous one. And the inspiration will stay and stay :)

Beer, Coke, two ice-creams and Kinder-Surprise. Maybe some fish :)

Рр

Рат.
War.

There is always this moment of shyness and insecurity when you meet people who lived through the horrors of war. War which was an indispensable part of their lives, but now is gone and no one really talks about it there, because no one really knows how to talk about something that dreadful and incomprehensible.
I talk to a very few people, I ask questions slowly and intentionally, but suddenly they talk back to me, mingling Serbian, English, German and Russian, they talk to me quietly and calmly, those otherwise cheerful people with mute eyes. I listen for as long as I can, and then I have to go, and then I want to be back. Back, and sit and listen and try to find more questions, so that they can keep talking. Somehow I feel they really need to keep talking, just as simple as that.

Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. August, 19

Сс

Сунце
Sun

They have a Monument to the Sun in Zadar, Croatia. Sun Salutation (Pozdrav suncu) is probably the most wondrous place I came across with.
Project depends on a large circle of photovoltaic cells, interspersed with LED lights that come to life after sunset. The installation uses the rhythm of the waves to create the colorful series of light pulses. The cells absorb the solar energy during the day, converting it into electricity. When dusk comes, the lights switch on, displaying the colorful and bright patterns. –> source
A wonderful Sea Organ (Morske orgulje),a real musical instrument powered by the waves of the sea, is right here, too.

Zadar, CRO. August, 20

Тт

Транспорт
transport
BalkanBus was helpful. Sometimes. The website will tell you that the bus from Dubrovnik departs at 15.40, the Information window lady will confirm that there´s a bus, but it´s at 18h. The ticket-officer will sell you a ticket for a 17.00 bus, warning to be at platform 8 at 15.15 (just in case).
Then a driver will charge you two euros for backpacks, and another driver will tell you that you can´t take this bus, because you are supposed to go with a different bus company. They will return you backpacks at the last moment, two euros will be gone in their pockets.
Bosnian trains are cheap and slow, international overnight buses are pricy and extremely, extremely, extremely cold. At some point I considered tearing the window curtain and using it as a last-resort blanket. Dark blue, dusty dear blanket.
The best bus was still the folk-disco one on the way to Herceg Novi

Somewhere in between Baošići and Herceg Novi, MNE.

Ћ ћ

Ћебе
Blanket

Sometimes all you really need is a sleeping bag. And then, the night after, 4**** hotel might seem as a good idea, too :)

Me, Jenny, and the tastiest water ever. Kotor, MNE

Уу

Утисци
Impressions

Then, when you walk alone, you will inevitably come across dozens of little miracles. Reaching new levels of receptivity.

Beograd, August, 11

Фф

Фотографисати
To take a photograph

Sometimes the best photographs are those taken at busiest streets at 8 am :)

Knez mihalova street, Beograd.

Хх

Храна
Food
Oh Index sandwiches in Novi Sad, Chimney cake in Subotica, Plescavica in Baošići, Burek in Podgorica, Palačinke with peaches, bewitching Moritz ice-cream.

Blurry after-cake time at Hotel Moskva with my dear Jelena,
Beograd. August, 12