You may already know about the world famous Testicle cookbook by a Serbian chef, but do you know about the testicle cooking championship? Read the report in Guardian and NPR. I don't know why it's considered a Serbian specialty, I personally never tried it, nor do I know anyone who has, but hey -- maybe I just don't know the right people. Have you tried it? (comment on Testicle cooking championship)
Jim Jarmusch is making a movie about Nikola Tesla - I can tell already now that it's gonna be a must-see. Plus - it's not just a movie, but an opera! In case you missed it, check out this old article where I argue that Tesla is one of the greatest mad scientists of our time, if not the maddest of them all. (comment on Jim Jarmusch making a movie/opera based on NIkola Tesla)
Teofil Pancic, columnist of "Vreme" and several other watchdog journalism medias, was attacked last night by two men in a bus to Zemun. He is recovering from injuries made by metal bars, his head and arm are injured but his life is not in danger. The list of suspects is long, since Pancic has been known for criticizing all sorts of nationalists, and religious fanatics, and Serbia is unfortunately full of both kinds of assholes. Read more reactions from Serbian bloggers on Global voices. Also, read more about this topic on google news or twitter. (comment on Teofil Pancic attacked)
Maybe it's just some of Macy's ironic quips, I don't know - in a recent interview to London's tube paper Metro, she stated that Belgrade "wasn’t so good. It was very racist and behind the times. The streets were full of fat, ugly people;" I mean, racist - ok, it could be that something unpleasant happened to her, so she was upset. And yes, we can be behind the times sometimes. But the streets full of fat and ugly people? Hmmm. (comment on Macy Gray unimpressed with Belgrade)
History and break-up of Yugoslavia are difficult enough to comprehend for the locals, and we always have a tough time explaining it to the curious foreigners (usually drunk at parties). You would say that those actually studying Balkans would know a great deal about it, but it seems it simply is a subject beyond mere mortal's comprehension. Take a look at some of the student thoughts on Yugoslavia collected by Florian Bieber from the University of Kent. Enjoy! (comment on Yugoslavia Was One Big Mess)
Srdan Golubovic, Serbian director known mostly by his previous movie The Trap, managed to secure funding for his next project, a movie entitled "Circles" (Serbian: Krugovi). What's interesting about the movie is that it's inspired by the heroic deed by Srdjan Aleksic, Bosnian Serb soldier who lost his life while trying to protect a Bosniak civilian [belgraded article here]. The movie will focus on the aftermath of the murder and follow life paths of those involved in the tragic event. [via @ieishah] (comment on Srdan Golubovic to film a movie inspired by Srdjan Aleksic)
Gerard Butler is filming in Belgrade these days, and when he is not listening to the director Ralph Fiennes' orders, he having a typical tourist time. He already managed to wind up in a hospital because of too much Serbian food and alcohol, he's visiting sport matches, and he's a frequent nightclub partygoer. The only thing that sets him apart from the other average Belgrade male tourists (that and the presidential suite in Hyatt) is that women are chasing him, and not vice versa. First one that managed to actually catch him is a certain Martina Rajic, local model [pic] (comment on Gerard Butler as a Belgrade tourist)
I already mentioned Boogie the photographer on this website before. Boogie has recently moved to Serbia and he takes some great pictures of his neighborhood, while setting up a studio in Belgrade - take a look, explore it and enjoy. Be sure to check out his other blog too. (comment on Boogie: from Brooklyn to Belgrade)
Ksenija Pajcin (32), Serbian turbo-pop singer and dancer and her boyfriend Filip Kapisoda (22), Montenegrin model have just been found dead in her apartment in Vozdovac, part of Belgrade. So far, there is a lot of speculation, but the theory that has been confirmed so far is that Pajcin was killed by Kapisoda who committed suicide afterwards. What is interesting about the case is that both of them were very young and that this could be the first such case of Serbian celebrities (albeit minor ones) who ended their lives in such a manner. Other rumors suggest drug overdose, as well as the possible double murder, because of Pajcin's rumored former affairs with people involved in drug trade in Serbia.
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Ksenija Pajcin and Filip Kapisoda found dead)
One of Belgrade's off-landmarks, the fast-food stand Loki was forced to shut down it's operation two days ago. David Dowse posts a fitting farewell to this charming fast food joint. I must say that I can't really feel sorry for Loki's demise, because the owner could have prevented it if he really tried. Not to worry, I'm sure another Loki will eventually pop out somewhere soon. Until then, here's a 360 panorama to remind you how Loki looked like. (comment on Loki is no more)
An old Serbian saying states that the JAT air hostesses are the only air hostesses in the world that die of natural causes. So don’t be surprised when you find out that, instead of young, slim, and beautiful babes (and guys) (you saw in videos, movies with a peculiar plot, or practically, every other air company you flew with), you will be served by ladies much, much older than the plane you are flying on. And our planes are quite old. Not to worry, the story also goes that pilots and crew are some of the best in the world, and you will arrive to or leave Belgrade safe and sound.
The Airport is small, but rarely crowded, so you shouldn’t have any problems getting around. The airport is nevertheless, at safe distance from the city center, and most people will find it difficult to walk 20km to reach Belgrade. That’s why we recommend taxi or bus or (mini) bus shuttle service.
Be careful when catching a cab, most cab drivers will try to exploit the unsuspecting and naive passenger such as yourself, so remember never to accept a ride that will cost you more than 10 euros and that the number of people and the size of your luggage don’t affect the price of the ride. The Cab ride lasts about 20-45 min, depending on the traffic, and riding the bus will take about 30-50 minutes of your time, making one stop at (in, on) New Belgrade. Still, the best, fastest and cheapest way is, of course, to have a friend come pick you up. If you don’t have friends in Belgrade, make some.
Good news: Germanwings just announced that it will launch a new low budget route Cologne/Bonn – Belgrade in September 2006. Prices go as low as 19 EUR for one way ticket! You can already book your tickets on their site. From 2nd September you will be able to fly three times weekly to Belgrade (and back maybe). Hopefully this will be only the first in a series of “no frills” and discount airlines to make Belgrade its regular destination.
Assumption is that tourists’ interest for Belgrade is still pretty low. But also the fact that Serbs need visa for almost every country in the world represents a problem when it comes to last minute deals and offers that these companies rely on.
Still, there are also other ways to fly cheap in vicinity of Belgrade. Wizz Air recently connected London and Zagreb, Croatia which is not that far from Belgrade. Train ride lasts for 6 hrs, and there are 5 departures daily, plus you get a chance to visit Zagreb, also a great city. Many other European low budget airlines fly to Sofia, Bulgaria and almost all of them fly to Budapest, Hungary. Both Budapest and Sofia are approximately at the same distance from Belgrade as Zagreb, but trains run very slowly, so I suggest a bus ride. One more city in Croatia is on the map for low cost companies, Dubrovnik, certainly worth a visit. More info about these and other cities in the region on Belgrade daytrips page