Serbia, Day 1, Thursday

Even if i hadn’t been for many years in Serbia and my anxiety to see the city of Nis was enormous, i woke up… almost at noon! Thank God, Darko knows me well so he left me sleep to get some rest after the journey!

We speak a little bit with his parents and leave for the police. Serbian law: the Serbs must declare their foreigners guests to the police, in three days after their arrival (in case of tourists in a hotel, the hotel employees undertake the whole process and the tourists have no worries). We finish with this procedure easily (i was lucky enough to meet a well known policewoman from the old days, what a joy), then we eat Serbian breakfast (burek and yogurt: something like the Greek cream (or cheese)-filed pastry and sour milk) and afterwards we start meeting friends!!!

Friend number one: Sandra B. Darko had arranged to pick her up and go for a coffee. Of course, she doesn’t know that i came and the surprise is well organised! Surprise yes, but for whom? Sandra has a 2,5 months old son, Andrej! I lost my mind; I got crazy with the little guy! Naturally, we left him sleep and went for coffee with “mum”, to the new shopping centre Merkator (another surprise for me).

On today’s plan next was the centre of Nis and… the welcome band (i don’t know why the chorus was there, but it gave Darko the opportunity to joke with me: “they came for you, in order to welcome you, because it took you centuries to return in Nis”). We get to Pleasure cafe (pronunciation: “plezir”), we drink coffee and we talk, the two of us, at last, as the good old time…

We get back to the house, eat, relax and a friend of Darko joins us, so i get to know him: Svetislav. He is the cousin of the best man of the friend… well, ok, i am glad to meet you!!!

We get ready and go out for “one” drink, since in Nis bars close at 12 o’clock, on working days. We go to Pleasure, but this time to the underground, the Pub. The company grows; Sandra with her husband Milan, Milena, Ana and Marina (ach…) meet us there. We have a drink; we receive another one “on the house”. We talk, we laugh… at some time, i speak with Marina:
Dr [Pako]: “are you sitting comfortably?”
Marina : “yes, thank you”
Dr [Pako]: “eh… you are sitting on my leg”
Marina : “but… it is fine and comfortably… ;) ”

After two more drinks (we ordered one more, got another one on the house), we leave. I don’t want the night to end and luckily neither do my friends. Fortunately, the river boat coffee bar Porto Belo, in the river Nisava, is open till (almost) dawn and tonight it’s live Serbian music night (mainly Serbian “ethnic” songs). It’s not my style, but after the Vodka drinks that i drank and with such good company, i believe that we will have some great time!!!

It’s been ages since i felt as tonight… as if i am in Paradise! On one side, good company, men and women, my friends! On the other side… beautiful women, tall women, everywhere around me! Heaven, i’m telling you!!!

The mirth goes on, drinks come and go, my friends sing and dance and with them, so do i! Really, I sang this, this and this and because i insisted that it will be heard and this one, i received RESPECT from Marina (we had an… exchange). At some time, Sandra looks at me and says: “I am glad for you… it can be seen that you are happy”. And i was, even if i was listening to Serbian “ethnic” music!

Back to the house with “heavy” heads and joy that overflows in rivers… of alcohol! We sit a little with Darko and talk, while this and this are on TV, that remind us some old girlfriends and finally we sleep late. How glad i am that i am in Nis!!!

To be continued…