Italy, Montenegro, Serbia and Austria

[RB]

Zlatibor Day2 13th June-
This continued our run of hot fine days. We walked to Monument of Executed Partisans. Set in a fantastic location with vast rolling hills in all directions (the rocks of Montenegro are gone). Such was the weather there were many people sunbaking at the lookout. We walked back through town via a few residential areas & some of the many “pop-up” style shops-local cheeses, honey, pottery, souveniers, preserves, meats, hand sown & knitted clothes. The town has a big numbers of food outlets. For dinner we opted for Grand Irish Pub-a good choice. They have comfortable seating choices. the barman noted that$18 (our 4 drinks) is what he earns for a 9 hr shift-we used 28 degrees no problems. Our black burgers were a great choice

Miladin Pećinar, born in 1893, in village Ljubiš on Zlatibor Mountain, was a civil engineer, university professor and was a member of Serbian Academy of Science and Art. Already at the beginning of his career, he got interested in hydromechanics and founded an agency for designing buildings on the water. His scientific and expert work encompasses almost all branches of hydromechanics and in each of those branches, he made valuable and significant achievements. He received many medals and honors for his work, and people of Zlatibor erected memorial bust next to King`s Fountain.


The Monument of Executed Partisans


Next 4 photos are taken from the Monument of Executed Partisans












Grand Irish Pub

 

[RB]

Day 3 14th June- Stopica Cave- Some info lifted from a Serbian Tourist Brochure

The Stopića cave, on the left bank of the Prištavica river, is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Western Serbia, near the city of Užice. The cave entrance, at 711 meters above sea level, is 18 meters high and 35 meters wide. It is a river cave as the Trnavski stream flows through it. Its main attraction is a 10 meters high underground waterfall. The Stopića cave is comprised of five sections: the Light Hall, the Dark Hall, the Great Hall with Pools, the Channel with Pools and the River Channel. It is not very rich in cave formations, but it can boast with amazing inter pools, some of which are even 7 meters deep. The climate in the Stopića cave is influenced by outside conditions – in winter it is cold and in summer warm, while the waters of the Trnavski stream also affect the cave’s micro-climate. Sixteen hundred meters of the cave system have been explored, including a part of the underwater system of channels.
The limestone layer in the cave dates from the Triassic period and is more than 100 m thick. Several hundred meters of the cave, starting at the entrance, are open for tourist visits, including the Light Hall, the Dark Hall and the Great Hall with Pools.
Recent research have discovered that the amount of water passing through the Stopića cave is three times less than the amount of water that enters the cave, thus it is certain that there are still some undiscovered channels.
Large sinter pools, formed from the layers of limestone, are the unique feature of the Stopića cave. Large number of pools of different sizes creates a wall with water overflowing the pools. Some pools are up to 12 meter long and up to 7 meter deep.
From the the Great Hall with pools the path leads to the 10 meter high underground waterfall called “the Well of Life”. You will stand breathless in front of the mighty creative power of mother nature.
The first written documents about the Stopića cave date from 1901 and the Records of Serbian Geological Society, while the first speleological researches were conducted by the Serbian scientist Jovan Cvijić in 1909 and 1913. Czech speleologists conducted the first diving explorations in 1984 and discovered underground passages and five halls that are two kilometers long.

We arranged to go by taxi (3000 Dinar). We had a Non-English speaking driver in a Merc-good safe driver who was already waiting prior to arranged time. Beautiful countryside for the 20 odd km drive. We managed to avoid hordes and there are around 100 steps each way along the path from parking area to cave entrance. Not a massive cave but well worth the visit-the siga tubs are impressive & the waterfall area had a reasonable flow. The cave maybe overlit in spots but is easy to get around. The rest of the day is spent wandering around town-we enquired at the various tourist offices in town but no tours of Mokra Gora were happening.

An explanation board at the car park


Steps down to the entry


Cave Entry






Approaching the walkway that leads to the top of the sinter pools




Looking down on some of the pools

 

[RB]

More of Stopica Cave






Entry way as seen from within the cave


Beautiful countryside on the ride back


Back in town Kings Fountain- a web link King`s Fountain - Palisad

 

[craven morehead]

Looks like they have done a great job setting up the walkways in the cave system.

 

[RB]

Zlatibor to Belgrade-Gaga Tours bus
We bought the tickets a couple of days ahead at the station-no English spoken but mananged to get things done. As we walk to the bus station we note there is still the traditional way of finding tenants for some apartments-owners are standing at roundabouts holding up signs. Our bus is relatively express-a few stops early in the trip on a large bus (around 50 seats)-mostly full & allocated seats. For sightseeing there are rolling tablelands, plenty of hay baling, a never ending supply of car washes (same throughout Montenegro), many ag supply businesses & quarries. There are a few single lane bridges which also have rail lines down the middle. Corn again seems to be the main crop. The road surface is good but the road is very dangerous in spots with tractors using the highway & some wild overtaking. There is a new 4 lane tollway but it only lasts a few kms at moment. I read where some new road building is being done in partnership with Chinese companies-the Export-Import Bank of China has provided a loan to Serbia. We arrive in Belgrade around 30 min late-pretty good considering the traffic.

 

[RB]

Looks like they have done a great job setting up the walkways in the cave system.

Yes super easy to get around once you are in there. The lighting was what seemed to be getting the most criticism-people think there is too much artificial light

 

[RB]

Around Belgrade

I have reviewed our apartment stay here Beograd Apartment Belgrade

15th June-A Saturday and it was late afternoon before we were organised so just a supermarket shop and a walk around to get our bearings. We are only 1 block off Kneza Mihaila that is a long street of shops, restaurants and it leads to the Fortress at the western end. Dinner was at Mala Gostionica (22 of 1,439 in Belgrade on Trip Advisor). Quick polite service and the food was a step-up on what we had been having-only downside was the tap beer was Heineken! The restaurant was only a few minutes walk from the apartment and there was plenty of people watching available.
Impressed by Belgrade throughout our stay-very modern and big crowds out and about, dining out & living in the present-(there is a rich history & plenty of wars).
There seemed to be no safety concerns with many people walking by themselves at all hours. Belgrade was the first place on this trip that we saw a tattooist but still very few people with tats-huge contrast to Aust
Photos from our first afternoon stroll

 

[RB]

Day 2-16th June-Washing & then 1st up we walked to the Tesla Museum and did the guided tour (11am was in English). Great exhibition and some fun practical displays of his work. they had a 20 min video that outlined his life & the challenges of his ideas being accepted. I think the world would probably have been much different if Westinghouse had stuck with him. Interesting that Edison got mentions when I was at school in Aust but not Tesla.-a mate who went to school in Switzerland said Tesla got a lot of attention there.

New Royal Palace Belgrade


Still some unhappy people in Belgrade


Outside of Tesla Museum


The Tesla Coil


Tesla & Westinghouse


Tesla's ashes-apparently the Orthodox Church are keen to get them

 

[RB]

From Tesla Museum we wandered to the Fortress via any major sites in between. St Marks Church is a very striking building. Being Trinity Sunday there was grass spread all over the floor-for weaving Pentecost wreaths. It was also “Police Day” with a special parade & various activities on the edge of the Belgrade Fortress. The Fortress area overlooks the confluence of the Sava & Danube Rivers. There has been 16 centuries of destruction and rebuilds. The Romans, Serbs,Turks and Austro-Hungarians have all had an impact. There is the Upper & Lower Town & various gates. The Victor Monument is very impressive in its location.
It was a pretty hot day so we returned to the apartment and had a spell before a late dinner-the Serbs are similar to the Spanish in that they eat very late. We totally enjoyed our visit to Restaurant Vuk. It is only a couple of hundred metres from us (if you head in the right direction to start) and is rated 89/1439 in Belgrade.We thought probably better than the previous night. Great pork and turkey dishes with excellent veggies and nice bread. Credit card is very much common place in the Serbia we have visited.
St Marks Church


The Trinity Sunday Tradition


Some beautiful buildings on the way to the Fortress


Clock Gate


Despot's Gate & Dizdor Tower


The Sava & Danube


Victor Monument


Monument of Gratitude to France

 

[RB]

Walking back from Belgrade Fortress
Getting ready for Police Day parade


Future Chess Champs


Everyone was heading for the shade


Out of order-the Inner Stambol Gate

 

[RB]

Day 3 in Belgrade 17th June
A bit cloudy & some respite from the heat. We walked towards the waterfront and came across a great market. You can buy whatever here-saw shoelaces, buttons,remote controls, watchbands, rubik’s cube, sowing threads, reading glasses, plumbing goods etc. Also plenty of vendors of fruit & veg-great quality & super low prices-remembering that 100 dinar is around $1.37 Aust.

 

[RB]

From there we crossed the Old Sava bridge & then walked up to the Danube. A good walking path with perhaps the dominant feature being the multitude of floating bars/nightclubs or splavs. Much more sombre is the Holocaust Memorial near where the Staro Sajmistc concentration camp was located.







There are some river cruises calling at Belgrade-this was the River Navigator-max 134 passengers & 110m

From there it was back over the Branko’s Bridge & back via the Orthodox Cathedral and the Church of Saint Sava


King Petar Elementary School King Petar I Elementary School - Wikipedia



Another wander via different streets saw us come upon even more restaurants-some great decorations


Republic Square back near our apartment is getting a lot of refurbishment. Plenty of discussion here Republic Square (Belgrade) - Wikipedia



We don't spend much time visiting cities but we totally enjoyed our time in Belgrade

 

[RB]

18th June -BEG-BSL EZS1178 10A & 10C A319
We had a 9.30 flight so it was a relatively early start. Transfer was arranged by our host-Bit of a F1 driver in his little Fiat but got us there in less than 20 min. As with rest of Serbia huge amounts of corn being grown yet rarely see it being sold (used more for stock feed & export). We converted our last of Serb money with an airport money changer-spot on rate even gave us a 100 dinar note as change. EasyJet open check-in at 2hrs. We were first in speedy check & no one else at passport control. Security done at gate-belts off, laptop out, liquid restrictions, everyone did the stand & face a screen with feet apart. I managed an extra pat-down on the back of the shoulders. No separate line at security for speedy boarding. Speedy boarding worked well but we ended up with a middle passenger in our exit row despite there being around 30 odd empty seats. Some views of snow capped alps at one stage during a very smooth flight. Stopped at a remote bay & got in the first of 2 buses. Quick, long walk & we were among the first at passport control. Bags were in the first dozen out. Caught the No.50 bus to Basel SBB. At SBB we just missed a train then waited 30 minutes for short ride to Lorrach Germany.
Very easy airport to use




VA scores a mention


Certainly not busy

 

[RB]

I have reviewed our hotel stay here Hotel Meyerhof Lorrach (Germany)

Around Lorrach (Germany)
Lorrach is only 20 odd minutes by train from Basel and staying in Lorrach instead of the Basel saved us significant cash.

Lorrach dates from 1102 and lies in what is apparently the warmest region of Germany (German Tuscany). The train link to Basel is extremely easy & comfortable. From Lorrach there are car trains are available to Hildesheim, Bremen, Hamburg & Berlin. Rottein Castle is nearby as is the edge of the Black Forest, We had a general walk around with nothing specific in mind-this was basically a relocation day. Again there are many people out & about & dining out/drinking. Had our first gyro for the trip-genuine shop and excellent food- we always find it a good way of breaking up the monotony of endless eating out. Had a couple of drinks and then an early night




First encounter with spargel on this trip


Tomorrow it is off to Schruns in Austria

 

[RB]

Lorrach to Schruns

19th June-A big travel day on train. Train1-Lorrach to Basel on a suburban train Train 2-Basel to Zurich on ICE, just a non-packed train with nothing special in the viewing-quite a few tunnels. Train 3 Zurich to Bludenz-Railjet Express 167-not overly busy but glad I wasn’t staying on until Bratislava. Some beautiful countryside-the water views near Zurich, beautiful small farms, then the mountains. Nothing of note as we crossed into Liechtenstein. Train 4-Bludenz to Schruns-a small regional train ride of 19 minutes through beautiful countryside. At Bludenz we left from platform 11 which was a bit confusing as it was actually beside platform1-bit like Bolzano trains going to the Dolomites for those that have been there.
We had connection times of 8min, 14 min and 9 minutes and had no problems. The Railjet train displayed the timetable & indicated we were 6 minutes late at one stage but quickly caught up the time.













Now in Liechtenstein.




The approach to Schruns

 

[RB]

I have reviewed our Schruns apartment here Eckis Apartments Schruns Austria

Day 1 19th June- After arriving in the afternoon it was a walk to get breakfast stuff at the supermarket + drinks and a basic look around the main centre. The town is certainly not overrun with people and being early in summer season not all restaurants are open yet-certainly not food capital of the world but simple food done well where we went. First night we eat at Hotel Restaurant Krone-the pork schnitzel was well cooked & presented and the waiter was very helpful (English menu). Had a guitar player who was good but too many Eric Clapton songs for our liking.
The town really is set in a beautiful spot.




Plenty of melt still happening!




Biggest hotel that we used to walk past to get to town- Lowen Hotel with 3,000sq m spa area


Pretty nice spot for a pub

 

[RB]

Day2 20th June-thunderstorms forecast so we delay our ski lift purchase & do a general wander around the villages. Pretty flat in the valley & some raging water flows from the melt. Some great town facilities-nordic ski jump centre, pool/beach volleyball complex, golf course and fantastic bike/walking tracks that are wide and extend throughout the valley!
We are caught off guard by a “bank holiday” with no shops (including cafes, bakeries, supermarket etc) open so it is an Austrian cooked meat sandwich for lunch. Back in town we came across a special local walk to the church for a ceremony-they were in period dress & apparently do so about 3 times a year.
Dinner was at Pizzeria Al Fiume- couple of pretty good pizzas, couple of half litre beers & small jug of wine for 34 Euro is pretty good value.





Volleyball, pool complex with water slides

Nordic Ski Jump Complex-saw some very talented youngsters in action


Nice background to a Par 3


Fair to say they have cold winters here


Some gardens were in their prime


Standard fare at a German Servo


Think they were announcing the arrival of twins

 

[RB]

Day 3 in Schruns 21st June.
A visitor card (via our apartment stay) gets you a discount on various services in the Montafon Valley (public transport, cable & chair lifts). Passes are for consecutive days. We opt for 4 days-60 Euro’s each. Bit of info here Holidays in Austria: Hiking & Skiing in Montafon, Vorarlberg and here Montafon - Wikipedia
We love these lift systems as it allows us to enjoy high altitude hikes without busting yourself getting up to the start of the hike. Not all hikes or lifts are open as the snow lingers in spots and some hikes are beyond our physical capabilities. Today we opt for the Hochjoch Bahn which is only a couple of minutes walk from the apartment. This is a 2 stage lift (3rd stage still not open). Can carry 55 at a time-about 20 when we went up and we rode by ourself on the way down! We did 2 walks-No2-Alpwanderung Innerkapell and No3-Wanderung Seebligassee. Not busy at all so no hassles on tracks or getting photos.

Stage 1 Lift


The -Alpwanderung Innerkapell Hike-an out and back hike






One of many refuges



You return to the lift station at the top of level 2 to start the Wanderung Seebligassee hike. This is a shorter hike but steeper right from the start







A catching pond

 

[RB]

Wanderung Seebligassee Hike Continued











Looking up towards Stage 3


On the way back down to Schruns


Just as a general guide some prices from our supermarket shop in Schruns-Colgate toothpaste 75ml 1.69 Euro, 185 gram prepared salad 3.19 Euro, tomatoes 2.49 Euro per kg.
Pork cutlets 4.99 Euro/kg.

 

[I love to travel]

Going to Vienna and Salzburg next week. Any tips from your time in Austria?