A place to return to: Zornica's (Etno) Kuca, Bacevac

We started our tour by train, jumping on in Topcider station just 5 min down the road from our flat, and jumping off 45min later in Veliki Potok, an ancient military camp site, as Miller, a very friendly Serbian man who now lives adjacent to the abandoned railway building explaiened to us. Years ago he has been working in Austria, he is an assistant geometer, was fluent in German...and nowadays lives in poverty, in ripped apart shoes, living in a shack, repairing cars - another face of Serbia one easily tends to oversee. We will return with cold beer and some good food next time we either get on or off the train in Veliki Potok.

The landscape South of Belgrade is a softly hilly one, lush green over and over, with many week end houses, some abandoned, too, and farms. And every village shop, open any day of the week, has its own bench, table and umbrella where customers can enjoy the bought drink - integrated village shop cum bars. We started to like this institution!

So while we refreshed with juice and beer, a traktor stopped as well, reminding us of Great Grandfathers Bucher model, but made in Jugoslavia!

Thanks to Andrew's extensive research on Google earth we followed traffic free wonderful biking path...great, if you can cope with the occasional dead dog lying by the side, or a snake crossing!

Our destination was Zornica Kuca, recommended by Seka, our great, great cleaning lady living not far from this wonderful place. Run by two brothers, who renovated an old farm with a lot of stile and taste, the place offers excellent food (including lots of very traditional ones, like this very slow and long cooked meat in earthern pots on the fire), nice rooms with hand made linen, and a little zoo with quite a selection of domesticated animals, a fox and even two wolves (kept in way too small cages, but with great care).

ET was working hard on her art's book...

...while Mama and Papa enjoyed Turkish coffee with rose bud delights!

Setting off the next day under her own steam!

Along fantastic old little farmhouses, where Andrew and myself repeatedly get temped to buy and renovate one (but try to stick firm to our decision not to do that!)...

...before returning home from Veliki Potok again.

So, much encouraged by the first attempt to go biking South of Belgrade, leaving town by train, we gave it a second try just two weeks later! And: 

Trails were blooooody dirty, sticking tons of muds to our bikes and making every meter of move extremely hard work!

After a good two hours of awfully muddy tracks, they became better again, and we reached a little holiday house settlement, where we did not refuse the invitation to juice, beer and homemade cakes, as this had really been hard work to get there! But the bravest of all was our little lady: inbetween Mama and Papa pushing their bikes (and swearing) she worked her way all alone through the mud, and faced a snake! She reacted well, and we all learned a lot that day!

After another great overnight stay in Zornika Kuca we made our way to the three old oaks, a cultural heritage site on the way to Leskovac Kolubarski, our (we thought) final destination of the day. Three fantastic old tree, with branches as long as 15m!

And here we were waiting for the train back home at Leskovac Kolubarski, well in time, with the bikes packed into their bags, enjoying a little lunch! Well, the train never came, neither did the bus we were promised by two helpful villagers, so we finally had to reassemble our bikes, head across to Bacevac, Seka's home village, have another stop in a village cum bar shop, and finally waiting for yet another bus, a pitiful soul found us a  very, very old van with a great driver to return us safely, and ultimately very comfortable home to Lacarevascka 1! Great trips both of them, but we truly hope that this was the only time the Serbian railways have led us down so completely!

140kms Through Fruška Gora National Park and Along the Danube

Saturday, 28 April to Wednesday, 2 May

At least four different cyclists we asked assured us that it was possible to take bicycles on the train. We even asked the conductor on the train coming back from Sremski Karlovci whether in future we could travel with bicycles and he also (without much enthusiasm) said it was possible. So with Options B & C in reserve we headed to the main railway station at 07:15 for the 08:15 to Novi Sad. Bikes loaded, we waited to depart.

All good trips must start on a full stomach so we headed for a big breakfast at the Četiri Lava (Four Lions). No prizes for guessing who's plate this is... 

After a cycle-push-cycle we reached Brankov's Grave, and the hundreds on people participating in the annual Fruška Gora marathon! It started at 09:00 that morning and runs through the night for 24 hours. There are numerous route options (a large-scale orienteer) - the longest being 110kms with a little more than 4000m ascent, with some participants running and cycling but the vast majority walking, chatting and having a good time as they go. Everyone without exception enjoyed our riding past and Ella Tili on follow-me. There were many many people on painful feet so our passing lifted their spirits just a little.

Overnights 1 & 4 at Planinarski Dom Vojvodina. 

A well earned dinner...

...soon done justice of! Washed down by 'Black Cat' wine.

The following morning back onto the 'heartsli' / 'härzli' trail. Each junction and leg of the network of marathon trails is marked by a red heart surrounded by a white band. Fruška Gora is a vast Oak, Beech,  Fir and Lime forest.

On the edge of the National Park, descending to Čerevič.

Sundowners on the bank of the Danube.

And time for another entry in Ella Tili's picture diary.

The view over Čerevič onto the Danube and down towards Novi Sad.

A bedroom with a view. Ella Tili observes the early morning activity at the Eko Etno Kuča (Eco Ethno House) in Čerevič where we stayed nights 2 & 3. Maya was a great host and guide.

One of three puppies.

Always a good start to the day...

Rest day: A cycle up the river to a ferry to take us across the Danube into a wetland area for lunch. 

The view across the wetlands, the Danube and onto Fruška Gora.

Plenty of wildlife to observe.

Ferry number 2 for the return trip back across the river.

Ella Tili's first ride on a horse - a 24 year old old lady, so no fear of her taking fright!

Ella Tili holding a Malamute puppy. 

An older sister and a prize winner for the breed. A lot bigger and stronger than the more common Husky. A truly magnificent animal!

Eko Etno Kuča Čerevič.

Frog and frogspawn catching on our way back into Fruška Gora.

Well stocked by Maya with Pastete and fresh cheese.

The final morning and a descent past two of the 16 monasteries that encircle the National Park. Manastir Grgeteg.

Manastir Remeta.

Well in time for the 13:20 back to Belgrade.

The train finally arrived but with only two wagons. No matter, the bicycles and follow me were loaded, and were squeezed past by the many people getting on and off during the one and a half hour journey home. Everyone was incredibly relaxed about us and our luggage! All in all a fantastic five days.

West Along the River Sava

Saturday, 21 April

Shortly after arriving in Belgrade we were told that a river taxi runs between Ada Ciganlija and Block 70 on the opposite bank of the Sava. After checking we discovered that it was already running from 10:00 to 20:10 daily. The service greatly simplifies getting out of town and onto good cycling paths along the Vojvodina bank of the River Sava. 

Looking along the private dwellings along Ada Cignalija:

A fresh early morning breeze down the river.

The Vojvodina side, 'splavovi' floating restaurants and bars.

Crop spraying...not for the faint hearted least of all those stood on the ground watching this low level aerobatic display.

Salaš Stremen. A welcome break while the weather decided what it wanted to do on a changeable day! The wedding lunch and local music added to the ambience. 

Mobile honey production.

Almost all the flood banks can be made by bicycle, and when not vehicle tracks appear to run along the bottom. These offer huge potential - a possible summer trip is along the River Tisa, a tributary of the Danube draining Vojvodina.

Heading home so under her own power. 

A tortoise making its way from winter hibernation to the river.

Approaching Novi Beograd.

Sundowners on one of the splavovi.

And back home on the river taxi.