Welcome back Dear reader! Eunjae and I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving. Our Thanksgiving in Serbia was so much better than we anticipated, all thanks to our lovely friends; more about that shortly. Winter has arrived in Novi Sad and the Town Centre has been transformed into a winter wonderland with lights and a small Christmas Market. The smell of Funnel Cakes, Mulled Wine and roasted chestnuts is everywhere and the kids are excited to see all the goodies. Vendor stalls offer food, drink and plenty of toys, and there are photo opportunities everywhere for the Instagram obsessed parent.
Speaking of Instagram worthy photo opportunities, have you ever seen a cuter Christmas tree? The kids were singing their hearts out and the parents had such a look of pride and joy, it was honestly heartwarming. Now don’t think we are getting nostalgic for kids. It is one thing to appreciate them versus wanting one. For our American readers can you ever imagine the mall letting kids sit in a 25 foot tree without safety devices? Never mind, it would never happen.
Thanksgiving
Initially we thought Thanksgiving would be a low key day for us, as it is not a Serbian Holiday. To our surprise and delight, Stefan and Gorica invited us to their home to celebrate as they had lived in the US and wanted to host a dinner. This also offered the opportunity to break-out the BBQ grill to smoke a turkey. Finding turkeys in Serbia is not super hard but it isn’t easy either, because it is just not a common food. Comments like “dry and tasteless” were used. Fortunately, Dusan and the “I know a Guy Network” saved the day, and we found a beautiful 7 kilo (15 lbs) bird that was delivered direct to our door.
Stefan and I decided to brine the Turkey for 15 hours and then cook on the rotisserie using hickory wood. Over the next 3.5 hours we patiently tended the grill as the temperature dropped to 3C / 37 F (with strong wind gusts). Due to the cold and wind we ended up adding 2 additional chimneys of hardwood coals to ensure a fully cooked bird.
Throughout the cook, all I could think about was “Don’t screw this up, or you will never live it down!” How many horror stories have you heard where the Turkey is under cooked, delaying dinner by hours, or so overcooked it is dry and desiccated? For most of the 15 guests, this was their first exposure to American BBQ, and our national pride was on the line. All of the time and attention resulted in a perfect Turkey and you can see the steam rising from a super moist and juicy bird.
Gorica was so busy cooking that I think she was in constant motion for 3 days. We had dishes originating from Bosnia, Serbia, America and other parts, and they all blended so well together. Everything was great and the party a huge success. Also, Stefan and Gorica really put together an interesting group of party guests. We had musicians, doctors, retirees and kids all sharing the meal. Fortunately for us everyone spoke English, so it really was a perfect example of how Thanksgiving should operate, and we are very grateful to have been included.
Romania….Almost!
We were supposed to go to Romania this week to visit Bran Castle, Sibiu and Timișoara. Everything was booked, we got up early for the drive and off we went. All good you say? Well not so much. I really screwed up! After having driven to Slovenia and Croatia, I ignorantly assumed that using my US drivers license, since we are temporary residents, is sufficient. After all, the Serbian, Slovenian and Croatian Customs Officers never asked any questions when I presented it to them. Well I was wrong, and it really sucked.
After driving about 90 minutes, we arrived at the Serbian / Romanian border. The Serbian Customs officer was very nice and as we were about to leave he inquired if I had an “International Drivers Permit.” I said I didn’t and he indicated that it might be a problem at the Romanian Border. All started well, at the Romanian Border, but then the Border agent asked to see my IDP. I indicated that I didn’t have one and he promptly informed us to pull over and wait while he spoke to his supervisor. Long story short, you cannot drive in Romania without an IDP, and what really pisses me off is that an IDP can only be acquired from your home country. So what is an IDP? Well it is nothing more than a document that has your picture, vital information and a translation of your license into multiple languages. No test is required to obtain an IDP!
The Border Officer informed us that I had “committed a crime” by entering Romania in my car without an IDP (only with US drivers license), and they have to have another officer come and interview me. I asked if I can just return to Serbia, as the Serbian Border was only 50 meters away, and of course that was not allowed. I will say that the Border Officers were very nice and acted sympathetically, as they understand the IDP is just a translation of my license, and after all we are visiting their country to spend money. Another 90 minutes go by and finally the police officer arrives for my interview. I have to accompany him to a room where he informs me that this happens frequently and in all likelihood nothing will come of it. Not exactly comforting, but I give my statement and the officers finally allow us to return to Serbia. So, 1.5 hours to drive to the Romanian border, detained for nearly 3 hours for paper work and interview, and another 1.5 hour drive back to home. Not exactly a great way to spend 6 hours!
Will we go back to Romania? I honestly don’t know. After this experience, it makes me question if we should even bother. The only bright spot was that the hotel we were going to stay at called while we were being detained to inform us that they had to cancel our reservation due to a water issue. So maybe the universe was trying to tell us something? I will say that having been held for 3 hours at the border ,and not sure if the Romanian Police were going to arrest me for the “criminal activity” of driving without IDP or confiscate our vehicle, made me hyper-aware that crossing borders will require better planning. Had we flown into Romania, this would not have been an issue as only a passport is required.
Final Thoughts
The Romania incident served as a needed “Wake Up Call” and we will be much more careful when traveling outside of Serbia by car. Our friend in America will help us acquire an IDP before we travel again. Thanksgiving was magical and we really enjoyed meeting new friends and having a chance to share American cuisine. Looking forward to the Christmas holidays and wish you all a Happy Holiday!