Apologies for the long intermission between updates. How is your summer going? Ours is going well, but the heat is still oppressive and shows no signs of abating soon. Since Corfu, we have attended EXIT Festival 2024 and stayed with friends at their camp on Hvar, Croatia.
Humanity
Why is the blog titled Empathy and Compassion? This week six people perished in a house fire; sadly four of the six were children under the age of seven. We were unaware of the tragedy and learned of it when we entered our gym. Normally, our gym blasts Rap, Hip Hop and EDM, but on this day only somber jazz was playing softly. A very unusual situation that left us curious as to why? We inquired and were informed about the fire. Although the gym staff were not related or knew the victims, it was evident how upset they were by the tragedy. All of Novi Sad officially was in mourning, flags were flown at half mast and restaurants, gyms, radio stations all played quiet music for the remainder of the week. We were touched by the empathy and compassion, to see the Serbian heart and humanity on full display.
EXIT Festival 2024
EXIT continues to be an unrestrained hair-ball of positive energy that reaffirms the importance of music and dance. So many great acts including the Black Eyed Peas, Gucci Mane and John Newman to name a few. By night four, Eunjae was done but I was on a mission to see Tom Morello, guitarist from “Rage Against the Machine” and DJ Steve Angello. It was another beautiful summer evening, and by midnight Morello rocked-out and just when my energies were flagging, around 04:30, Angello set the audience ablaze. It has been a long, long time since I stayed up all night partying and it felt good! << Not so much the next day >> A post concert highlight was walking across the Danube river bridge, back into town, as the sun was shinning down on me while eating Burek.
The Americans Are Coming – Again
As I shared previously, my mother visited in May with her then-boyfriend Bernard. Little did we know that only a few weeks later they would marry. Did the sudden marriage have to do with Serbia? We will never know, and are extremely happy for them both and wish them the best.
In July, our friend Rosemary visited and we ensured she experienced the best of Balkan hospitality. Rosemary is tiny and as any Balkan grandmother would say “EAT SOMETHING!”. Fortunately, this being Serbia, portion sizes can be excessive, and she had no idea that an appetizer and main are enough to feed a small army. Over an extended weekend, we toured Novi Sad and dined at some great restaurants. We even visited the Iriški Venac Tower in Fruska Gora. She had a great time and promised to visit again next July for EXIT with her new boyfriend so stay tuned for updates.
Mileva, We Are a Rock
One of the best experiences was stumbling upon the “Mileva, We Are a Rock” exhibit at the City Museum of Novi Sad, Petrovaradin Fortress. Mileva Einstein-Marić, born in Novi Sad, was the second woman to receive a Mathematics and Physics degree from the Zurich Polytechnikum. She eventually married Albert Einstein, collaborated with him and gave birth to three children. Mileva separated from Einstein in 1914 and divorces in 1919. In 1921 Mileva Marić received the Nobel Prize money Einstein was awarded as a part of their divorce agreement to support their sons. Sadly, Einstein didn’t credit her for a lot of their joint work, so she does not receive the recognition she deserves. Honestly, we had know idea she was such a genius with so many achievements. The museum focuses on her work and life, and was one of the best audio / visual experiences filled with inspiring, intellectual and ethereal motifs. The exhibit employs augmented reality to really tell the story. We all came away with a very different view of Albert Einstein and realized he had his own flaws.
Hvar, Croatia
Success!!!!! We crossed a land border, in our car, without issue. No detainments, long delays or other snafus. Driving to Croatia can be an ordeal during holiday season. It is typical to encounter border delays of up to 8 hours during peak periods, so to avoid this fait, we departed Novi Sad at 03:30 and drove through the night. Our strategy paid-off, and we cleared the Serbia / Croatia border in under 30 minutes. Croatia has a beautiful highway system that winds through pristine valleys and great seaside views. I also really like that the speed limit is mostly 130 KPH / 80 MPH, so you can really move.
Hvar is a small island off the Croatian cost and sits between Split and Dubrovnik. You take a ferry to reach the island, and once on the island, you really slow down. Dotting Hvar’s coast are tons of small camps where people either stay in RVs, travel trailers or tents. Driving on Hvar is challenging. Roads are extremely narrow, 3 meters in many places for both lanes. Most of the shoulders feature drop offs or a meter or more. To add more challenge, the roads twist and turn and are filled with tourists gawking at the sights. We even saw one car that drifted onto the shoulder, and its two passenger side tires fell off the shoulder so the van’s bottom was resting on the road. I have no idea how they recovered this vehicle and can imagine how much time and frustration this must have created for the driver.
Our friends have two travel trailers parked mere steps from the Adriatic sea. The camp transports you back to your youth, with better food and toys. Most of the campers stay two to four weeks and they bring full amenities including kitchens. I am talking residential refrigerators, outdoor ovens, pantries, you name it. Our neighbors baked fresh bread daily and the main meal was a multi-course affair. Families are everywhere and so friendly. Kids wander around by themselves without a care in the world while the parents relax. It was really nice and with minimal internet you really focus on reading, swimming and relaxing. I should also mention that the camp is filled with Croatians, Serbians, Slovenians, Bosnians and others which is kind of amazing to me considering the dissolution of Yugoslavia happened recently in terms of Balkan history. Everyone got along very well and there was no signs of tension or animosity.
No trip to Hvar would be complete without staying in Hvar City. Hvar City is the main tourist attraction, and in July / August is overwhelmed with Americans and Western Europeans on holiday. It is really nice but after staying in the camp it felt crowded. This has to be one of the most charming locations, and is loaded with amazing bars and restaurants. Three places I would highly recommend include BackLane craft bar – Craft cocktails and beer, Konoba Bunar, and Antika (located in Stari Grad). We really loved BackLane craft bar, as it is tucked into a back alley, has a great atmosphere, and produces some of the best cocktails around. One thing you quickly realize is that most of the bar / restaurant / hotel employees are Serbians who spend the summer working in Croatia due to the higher wages. Unfortunate, but it is what it is.
Final Thoughts
Summer is coming to a close, and looking forward to seeing friend in Turkey. Our house in Virginia is being renovated for sale, and we hope to have it on the market by October 1st. We are looking forward to visiting the USA in November. The USA election is nearing and we are set to vote remotely from Serbia.
