Serbia, Day 6th, Tuesday

(Or else “One day in Zajecar and Cuprija”)

After a few efforts, i wake up around 9:30 and run to catch… what else? Of course, the bus!!!

Today i am going on a trip in two small cities, where two good friends live: Ivan and Ivana!!!

First city, Zajecar (Za-ecar). I enjoy the road trip while i’m thinking that there are much more villages and cities, which i want to see. Possibly i will, one of the next times that i will visit Serbia…

I arrive round 12:30 and meet my very good friend, Ivan, who is waiting for me in the bus station. We haven’t seen each other for almost 3 years, but we feel as if it has been… only 3 days!

We make a walk in the city and pass… through the central open air bazaar (which of course, i liked). We get to central café Stella, where we enjoy our coffee, talking about what’s new in our lives.

We leave after a while, since we don’t have a lot of time in our disposal. We go to Ivan’s house in order to see his wife (and my good friend, Biserka), but also… his son, who is only some days old! I got crazy about babies in Serbia (and about… “babies”!).

We sit a little bit in his house; we drink raki from wild grapes, for “good fortune” and we leave fast for the tavern, where Ivan has arranged a table for us. Coming out from the house, we meet Ivan’s mother, so… one more raki, from plums, in order to know each other better!

We arrive at the traditional tavern “At Mede’s”, we sit, we drink raki, from quinces this time (and i become… hik) and get warm. We speak, we laugh, we get troubled about our future, and we remember our past. Ivan is a true friend, one of the few, fraternal and eternal!

At some time, Ivan’s dad passes by the tavern, sits with us and suggests… to drink a beer, so we will get better known (oh, my God, more alcohol). Two beers later, we leave, because i have to catch the bus for Cuprija. I thank Ivan for the lunch and we get apart with the promise that we will get together soon… there or here, in Thessalonica!!!

In the bus for Cuprija, i’m listening to two old men talking. At some time, i hear a… “klank”! One of the two gentlemen, was carrying a bottle that fell and broke, so all the bus smells raki!!! Under the influence of alcohol that flows in my veins, but also enters in my lungs, i take my mobile phone and send messages to friends in Greece. Raki “speaks” a liiitle bit more and some people receive… a “drunk” message! Let it be, it’s funny!!!

My arrival in Cuprija, gets “marked” by a warm hug. Good friend from the student years, Ivana, one of the people that i will never forget and from what i understood, neither will she!

We walk through the city; i take some pictures, while Ivana talks to me about the history of the city and the river that crosses it. Morava is considered to be one of the most dangerous rivers of Serbia and that’s why people say that “if you know how to swim in Morava, you can swim everywhere”. By this occasion, we remembered that we always used to tease each other: we tried to use Serbian proverbs, old phrases and expressions. Something that often caused laughs and as it will be proved… not only laughs!

We go to Ivana’s house where we find her sister. We drink raki in order to get warm (but of course…) and coffee. We don’t stop talking and in order to remember the good old times… we cook! Together in the kitchen, we make soup for first dish and eggs with sausages for main dish. Kind of handy and fast cooked dinner, but seems to me as “royal” supper!

The time of my departure approaches and during our conversation i mention the expression which i learned recently (about the bear…) and the girls get surprised and burst out in laughs. Their laughs are supplemented by Ivana’s emotion and her thought to give me a gift: the book of Vuk Karadzic (not the known one), with many Serbian expressions (it’s the book that you see in the week’s suggestion section, as you look at my blog, on the left side). Very important gift not only because it’s something that my friend used for ages and had big sentimental value for her, but also because it includes a… dedication!

Round 21:30 i take the bus to Nis. On the way, i exchange messages with Ivana where we “confess” the emotion that both of us felt during our meeting and of course, we promise that we will meet again in the near future!

I return in Nis and think about going out for a drink, or not. Better no, i will stay in tonight, to talk with Emy, but also to get a better sense of these two “traveller” days that i passed! From tomorrow and on… i have to see a lot of people!!!

To be continued…