Novi Sad!

Our journey continued and brought us closer to the original purpose of our trip.  We checked out of our Belgrade hotel and cabbed to the train station.  At the ticket counter we were told that we could get a special price for a group of six, it amounted to the shocking price of about $2.00 each!  When we saw the train we understood why the price was so low

It was a fun experience to travel with the locals and see the countryside along the way.  An hour and half later we arrived in Novi Sad.  We caught two taxis to our hotel on the Fortress (more about that later), the group in the other taxi paid about half what we were charged!  Nothing like being ripped off to set the tone of a place.  Fortunately, we did not run into any more opportunistic people. 

Our hotel was located across the Danube from Novi Sad in Petrovaradin on a massive Fortress, its cornerstone was laid October 18, 1692 by the edict of The Habsburg Emperor Leopold I. The actual fortress is huge - the second largest in Europe.  The hotel is named for Leopold I and is very elegant and the staff were outstanding.   The view of the Danube from our room was breath taking!

Elegant stairway

Sculpture on the grounds

We spent our first afternoon wandering the extensive grounds around the fortress.  There are a few artists studios at ground level on the Danube side. It looked like the artists actually live in these tiny crowded spaces.  Some had rough open lofts with a bed and others just had a curtain separating the living space from where their art is created and where it is stored.  It was so interesting to talk to these artists and see not only their work but also their lives. There were a couple of pieces of art that I could  have easily taken home but I never did make it back to the studios when they were open.  I will just have to carry the images of these lovely works in my heart rather than dragging them all over Europe for the next 3 weeks!  Besides the art in the studios there are some beautiful pieces of art on the grounds. 

At the end of the evening we sat on the patio drinking a beer while we enjoyed an amazing sun set over the Danube.

The morning of our second day in Novi Sad dawned bright and beautiful!  We were met at 10:00 by a lovely retired lady named Dubravka who was our tour guide from Novi Sad Greeters.  She told us all about the fortress and pointed out the giant clock that stands on the corner of the fortress.  The clock has a black face and white hands, but the hands are reversed - the big hand is the hour indicator and the small hand is for minutes.  This was done so that the captains of the boats on the river could see the hour they came into the city.  

 Dubravka then led us down many stairs to the small old village at the foot of the fortress.  The streets of this area are old and in disrepair.  I found it charming but Dubravak was embarrassed and sad saying that the government needs to restore this area.  There is a lovely old church at the bottom of the stairs that was closed when we went by but I did get to go inside later that day.  Our tour took us across the Danube on a massive bridge to Novi Sad, then a short walk on a busy street to a peaceful park.  On the other side of the park we came to a pedestrian area and street market that was busy with families enjoy Sunday morning together.  We saw many beautiful buildings, visited a couple of churches and finished off with a visit to a juice/smoothie place - perfect refreshment after a couple of hours of walking.  

We bit farewell with gratitude to Dubravka and did a bit of shopping at the little market.  During this time I received a phone call from our new cousin Erwin informing me that he had arrived at the hotel and his sister Edita would be arriving shortly.  Finally, we were going to meet our European family!  When we returned to the hotel, I went up to my room for a shower after walking up all those stairs.  After which I wandered around the fortress trying to find the rest of the group, I didn't find them but I did bump into Erwin as he was carrying his sister's luggage into the lobby.  He wanted to find a cash machine, I had seen one in town so off we went down the all those stairs to the little church at the bottom.  

Erwin told me that when he did his military service in Novi Sad he we baptized in that church.  Because he was in the Serbian Army it was forbidden that he attend the Catholic Church, but he went ahead with his baptism and he wore his full uniform during the service.  When he left the church the military police were waiting for him.  As the army doctor Erwin explained to them that it would be a shame for him to have to deny them medical leave in the future, so they chose to not arrest him!  I knew from this story (and other conversations that we had) that I was going to get along well with my new relative!

We found the cash machine and then Erwin wanted to find the barracks building where he had lived during his time in Novi Sad.  That was another couple of miles into the city but the time passed quickly as we talked, joked and got to know each other.  

This was painted on the bridge.

Someone saying their piece!

The church was open when we were on our way by so we went in and sat in a pew but it looked like a service was about to begin so we hurried out!

Back up the stairs to the hotel and yet another shower in preparation for dinner.  There was excitement in the air as we assembled in the hotel's elegant dining room.  Edita gave us all t-shirts that she had printed with the family crest (that's right - a family crest!).    It was a lovely evening of good food, conversation, sharing and lots of laughter!  

A strong cold wind blew all night and the sky was grey and threatening as we piled into two cars and began our trip around Serbia and into Romania on our ancestry discovery quest. 

Our first stop was the little Serbian village of Cestereg where our great grandparents were born in the mid-1800's.  It's my understanding that there were a number of German families who had lived there for generations.  We saw the place where our great grandparents house once stood and then we found the cemetery where a number of the Pape family members are buried.  The shocking scene that confronted us was a decimated graveyard.  Apparently, after WWII any one of German descent was driven out of the town, the church was destroyed as was the graveyard.  I can understand the anger the Serbians felt towards the Germans but to see the ruined graves of those who were long dead and blameless was heart wrenching.  It was impossible to find any of our ancestors in this graveyard but we did light candles for them.  

Next destination was Romania.  We visited Jimbolia, the town through which our ancestor Anton Pape, and many other Germans, entered Serbia in the mid-1700's.   In that town is a huge graveyard that we wandered around in looking for family names.  Anton is buried there in an unmarked grave and is probably not alone in his resting place.  After leaving the cemetery we decided to go for lunch in Timisoara a large Romanian city.  The traffic was so crazy that we lost each other in the craziness and decided to bail on that idea and head back to Serbia.  

The final stop of our journey was in the village of Jermenovic where our great grandparents parents spent their married life and are buried.  We had was a much better experience at the grave yard in this town.  Erwin and Edita make sure that the grave is well tended and in good repair.  We finally saw the grave that we had seen a photo of for the first time in May and is the inspiration for this trip.  It was very emotional to stand face to face with Johann and Margaretha Pape.  I have to admit to shedding a few tears.  We spent quite a bit of time at the graveside, it was hard to leave but so good to have been.

Down the street from the cemetery is the house that once belonged to the Pape family where Erwin and Edita spent their childhood summers visiting with their grandparents.  A bit further down the road is the home of Edita's best friend from her younger years, Veronica, and Veronica’s  husband  Zolton - who just happens to be a cousin to Erwin and Edita! They welcomed us into their home,  we enjoyed a brief visit and their hospitality.

A long dark drive brought us back to Novi Sad.  We had a late dinner and talked about our very busy, emotional filled day.  It was an incredible journey to take in one day.  Processing it may take some time.

Belgrade - Day 2

18213 Steps on my Polar watch!  The day began with a visit to the tourist info centre to find out about a boat tour on the Danube and to ask about the possibility of a trip to an old Austrian town called Zemun located across the river.  

We found out that both were possible.  But first a stop at the post office and then off to the bank to fill our wallets with Dinars.  Jean wanted to check out a green market, it was conveniently located right near the bus stop we needed to take to Zemun.  The market was full of beautiful fresh veg and fruits, such a vast variety.  There was a section for smoked meats and cheese, the heavy smokey odour that permeated the area reminded us that we are in fact in Eastern Europe!  We don’t have a place to store or cook any of the delectable offerings so I just bought some delicious dried fruit and almonds for an emergency stash.  The bus was right there when we came out of the market so we jumped on, tried to pay the fare and were waved to our seats by the driver.  After a 15 minute ride on a very crowded bus I looked up and the driver was calling to me that we were at our stop!  

We walked down and very rough cobble stone street and came upon a sign for hand weaving.  Of course I had to go and see what was available!  Inside was a small room with two large looms and stacks of colourful yarns in every corner.  The weaver showed us many lovely creations, I chose a gorgeous shawl in lilac tones made from cashmere and wool.  It may be one of the most beautiful things I own.  I am very happy!

Just a couple of doors down we arrived at the Danube River.  The water front was lined with coffee shops and bars.  The one we stopped at is run by a young woman who, with her sister, have converted their family home into a pub.  On the water side you can have cocktails, beer, or coffee - delicious coffee, I might add, on the street side they offer light meals.  It was a nice interlude in our busy day.  

The important place to visit in Zemun is a tower which is the remnant of a medieval fortress.  It is on top of a hill that we reached by walking up a steep cobbled street lined with lovely old houses.  From the top of the tower we saw the convergence of the Danube with the Sava River.  In the fore ground the red tiled roofs of the town underlined the view perfectly.

Before we walked back into the town we took a few minutes to explore an huge ancient graveyard across the street from the tower.  It would have been nice to have spent more time there but we needed to catch the bus back to our part of town so we could get to our next adventure!  Once again the driver would not take our money - must have been free Friday!

Back at the hotel we all needed a little break to put our feet up and our heads down! Forty minutes later we were walking towards the waterfront to catch the “turtle” boat for our tour of the two rivers.  Just finding our way to the boat became and adventure itself.  It was clear on the map where we needed to go and we were pretty familiar with some of the streets but we ended up in a construction site with sidewalks replaced with wooden planks!  All ended well and we arrived in time to find good seats on the boat before it filled with other tourists.  It was the final voyage of the year, this being September 30.  I guess we may find that a number of the touristy things will be over for the season.   The ninety minute trip took us from the Sava to the Danube, around an island called War Island, back down the Sava as the sun was setting and then returning up the Sava to the port.  War Island received the name because of the fact that one side of the river was occupied by the Ottoman and the other side was part of the Austrian Hungry Empire and they were constantly fighting over this island.  We also sailed passed a memorial to over 50,000 concentration camp victims.  This part of the world has such a tragic history.

 The skipper of the boat was a scruffy looking older man but he turned the boat over to a handsome young man part way through the trip.  It turns out that the young man is a police officer who is friends with the skipper’s son.  I asked him to recommend a place for dinner along the waterfront that served traditional Serbian food. The place he recommended turned out to be a little bit more upmarket than the places we have been going to but we thought we’d splurge for our last night in Belgrade.  The server decided that he would serve us what he thought we would enjoy.  I wish I could remember all the fantastic food, I’ll just say that we had about 6 or 7 different dishes that we shared, we each had either a beer or glass of wine.  The final cost was about 2000 Dinars each - the equivalent of about $24.00 and that included a generous tip!   

Last May I received an email message that included a photo of my great-grandparents, Johann & Margaretha Pape, as well as a photo of their grave in Jermenovic, a small village in Serbia.  I was so surprised and pleased to see this as I didn't know anything about them or that part of my heritage.  

The photo came from my cousin Teresa via my sister Jean.  Afterwards there were messages sent back and forth with them and other cousins saying how wonderful it would be to travel to Serbia and see the village where our ancestors were born and to visit their grave.   I finally said that we should just quit saying it would be great and just do it!  So, after much discussion and planning we are here in Belgrade, Serbia!  Our group includes Jean, from Whitehorse, Teresa, from Delta, Bonnie our cousin, from White Rock, Alison, Teresa’s sister from the Iowa, Vivian another cousin from Quesnel and me!

We arrived yesterday late afternoon, checked into our hotel, Villa Forever, and walked about 200 meters down the street to a restaurant for dinner.  The cuisine here in Serbia is very much meat based with generous portions.   Having said that the salads have been very good and I had delicious grilled vegetables today for lunch.

This morning we walked to the main shopping area just around the corner from the hotel to find a bank and then on to Republic Square to take part in a free two and half hour walking tour.  Our guide was excellent.  She was so knowledgeable and filled our brains with so many facts about the history of Belgrade as well as Serbia.  It is all very complicated history because of the many different countries that have occupied Belgrade.  We walked up to Kalemegdan Fortress and saw parts of the walls built by the Romans, Turks and Austrians.  Belgrade is on the convergence of the Danube and the Sava rivers and from the fortress walls the view of the two rivers is quite a lovely sight.

Street laundry

Lots of graffiti 

A fountain

Streetcar

Kalemegdan Fortress

Kalemegdan Fortress

Door panel

Water fountain in the centre

After our walking tour we enjoyed a delicious lunch in the courtyard of the oldest cafe in Belgrade.  It is called Tavern Question Mark (?). It's across the street from an important Orthodox Cathedral, it had a number of different names that were deemed inappropriate by the church authorities so the owner finally just put a question mark on the sign as a protest but it has remained ever since.

We had to stop and have an afternoon coffee, tea, cake, gelato break after wandering the pedestrian streets and window shopping.  There are so many bakeries, shoe stores, book stores and dress shops here that there’s always something to be drooling after!

Our journey will take us from Belgrade to Novi Sad on Saturday where we will meet up with Erwin Pape and his sister Edita.  Erwin is our distant cousin, he sent Teresa the photos of our great grandparents.  They are his great great grandparents and through his ancestry searches he connected to Teresa who was doing her own research.  

Erwin will drive from Berlin to meet us and Edita will come from Zagreb.  We will have dinner together on Sunday, October 2.  The next day they will drive us around the areas in Serbia where our great grandparents were born and to the village where they are buried.  If there is time we will also cross the border into Romania to the place where our ancestor Anton Pape entered Serbia in the mid 1700’s.  

The following day, October 4, we will all drive to Croatia where we have two days booked in an apartment in Zagreb.    Our only other plans are to fly home from Berlin on October 27 so we are free to go where and when we decide.

This is day one - more to come!  Stay tuned!