I think I'll write this page in english, just in case some of my serbian friends find some of this interesting.

It all started when my family said they where going to Croatia for the summer, and asked me to join them. I have'nt spent a vacation with my family abroud since I was about 14 years old, so it seemed like a very good idea. Then I came up with the idea to visit some friends who live in Belgrade while I was in that neighbourhood of Europe.

When my date of departure finally came, of course I did'nt hear either of my two alarm-clocks. My plane departed 08.35, so when Sindre woke me up at 10.00, it was already to late. I checked the Internett for other possibilities, and found a Lufthansa flight departing at 18.30 with pitstop in Frankfurt. When I called Lufthansa the greedy bastards wanted 900 euros for this one-way flight, so I ordered the same flight with return-ticket (wich I of course never used) on the Internett for 400 euros. Stupid Lufthansa :-)

When I arrived at Gardermoen* the same evening, I was supposed to check-in at a SAS-counter where the check-in guy didn't even know that Belgrade is the english name on Beograd so he asked me where it was. He didn't manage to find my flight or take my baggage either so then I had to stand in line at SAS service-counter. Then I was told that my flight was cancelled. What luck!

After some time the receptionist-guy finally found my flight and manage to give me a boarding card. Then when I got back to the check-in counter there was this grumpy bitch that still couldn't find my flight or take my luggage. She also told me that the flight was overbooked so it was probably full already. So after a while I kind of told her to go f... her self and took my bag with me trough the security check. Let this be a warning to everyone who ever consideres flying Lufthansa. If I had packed my things in a regular suitcase I would never be let in on the plane.

So with my huge bag with me, I was finally sitting on the plane heading for Frankfurt. I was thinking I must be a bit crazy to leave alone for a big city to meet up with some friends I have just met once, and it was even three years ago. Luckily the man and women next to me where going to Belgrade as well, so we had a nice long talk all the way and I was given several good tips on what to see in Belgrade.

Finally at Frankfurt I changed flights and where seated next to this very nice Serbian girl who was afraid of flying. She told me everyting about former Yugoslavia and it's history. As long as I calmed her down whenever the plane hit some turbulence, she happily told me about everything from the nice girls in Belgrade to where I should eat my lunch and such. Stupid me didn't invite her to lunch or asked for her phone-number!

Finally arrived in Belgrade the nice girl guided me through the passport-control, and I said good-bye to her. Since I already had my baggage with me I was the first one out in the arrival-hall. Here I met Danijela, who was kind enough to meet me at the airport with her cousin Milica and Marijana's two friends, Zeljko and Nenat. Nenat was driving so I didn't have to worry about taxi. My friend Marijana was singing at a club this evening so she could'nt meet me at the airport since I've overslept to my original plane. But ever so she had booked hotelroom for me. What a nice thing to do! I didn't have to worry about anything as soon as I arrived Belgrade.

After a quick check-in we went to the place where Marijana was singing. At first it looked kind of remote, in a dark unpopulated street. But when we got to the inner sections of the club it was a really different atmosphere. The music was really happy and everybody was singing, dancing and smiling to Marijana's singing. After a quick hello to Marijana we sat down by the corner and I was a big smile. The atmosphere in this place was energic and joyful. I did'nt understand anything Marijana was singing about, but I enjoyed the music. At 3 pm we left cause Marijana could'nt stop singing as long as there where people in the club. I was invited to lunch the next day at their home.

The next day I took a taxi to Marijana and Danijelas home, and when I arrived I was outside a huge apartment-building. When I looked around there was similar buildings all around the area, as far as the eye could see. This apartment-building area was huge, Ammerud* was nothing compared to this. Here I met Mr. and Ms. Andric, and Ms.Andric made us a really good lunch. Later we went for a walk by the nearby river of Sava.

In Belgrade you will find cafeterias, bars and restaurants on rafts all along the rivers Donau and Sava. After some refreshments at a beautiful raft, we met Zeljko and Nenat again in a local bar and watched the soccer world championship final between Italy and France.

The girls left during the game so Zeljko, Nenat and me went to my hotel where we had a beer before we walked through the streets of Belgrade to Kalemagden park. There was police everywhere in Belgrade. By the river Donau, in a part of town called Zemun, we met Marijana, Danijela and Milica again. Then we had a really good time at this popular raft with the same kind of serbian-music that Marijana was singing the day before.

The next day I ate Ms. Andric good lunch again and we went back to Kalemegdan park and took a walk in the old Belgrade fortress for a little sightseeing. I remember walking through a street just above the university in Belgrade where it was awfully dirty and a lot of gypsy's. I'm kind of uncomfortable among gypsy's, cause I've only read about them in newspapers, and I have this prejudice that they are all thieves. I noticed Milica was kind of uncomfortable in this area too. Although I'm glad we walked this way, cause it was different from any place I've ever been before and made my experience of Belgrade more complete.

"I cometh and found the noblest burgh from ancient times, 
the grand town of Belgrade".
Despot Stefan Lazarevic (15th c.)

Belgrade, formerly known as Singidunum, was founded during the Roman era in the 1st century AD and on which it developed right down to the second half of the 18th century. The fortress we see today was built in mid-18th century, but its walls encircle the old 15th century Acropolis or the Upper Town made when Belgrade was proclaimed for the Serbian capital in 1404. Belgrade castle is posisioned right where the rivers Sava and Donau meet.

On my last day in Belgrade we were supposed to visit this popular raft with the same live music as the two past days. At this club there was a "invitations only party" so it was not sure if we would be allowed to enter. Danijela wantet me to pretend I was a norwegian journalist so we could get in. This day Marijana lended this little car, an old Yugoslavian car called "Yugo". It was a funny car. I'll always remember driving in it :-)

When we parked the "Yugo" by the riverside and went on the raft, Marijana turned on her charm so we were allowed to access without me pretending to be a journalist. Sweet. This raft had everything. Live band, cool music, very nice girls and a really good atmosphere. I just sat there smiling. From time to time I had to ask Milica what they were singing about, cause now I started to reckognise almost every song. "Lepi grome moj" - do you remember. A beautiful song about drinking rain from someones shoulder or something. "Crno na belo" - black on white. Another joyful song about love. Almost every song was about a man and a woman and their love.

The last day I was again invited to a lovely lunch at the Andric's. We took some pictures before I had to catch the bus to Croatia. It was a 12 hour bus-ride through Bosnia. Now I've seen sunrise somewhere in the Bosnian mountains, cause I couldn't sleep on the full buss at all. I was seated next to a real beautiful Serbian girl again, but she wasn't too keen on speaking in english, although she was kind enough to translate everything the conductor said to me. It was a very long busride on small, bumpy roads, but somehow i survived thanks to pancakes, peaches and a sandwich provided by Ms. Andric. Good memories from Belgrade also helped me along the way. I'll definetly return to Belgrade some day. Probably already next year.