Spring

Firstly, a follow-up to last night: what wonderful encounters you have when travelling! When I had finished eating in the vegan restaurant closest to my accommodation and was writing yesterday's post, I started to wonder when the waitress would come back so I could order dessert. But okay, I was busy. Then suddenly two gentlemen came in and sat down at a table not far from me. And then I was amazed when they actually spoke Swiss German. I didn't immediately recognise myself as Swiss, but when they asked what the recommendation for the main course was and the answer was different to mine - I had just asked - I couldn't help but make a comment. When asked where I came from, I replied calmly «from Switzerland, like you». Viktor and Boris were also amazed and enthusiastic about my journey. Viktor immediately said: «I'll buy you a drink», which I gladly accepted and asked if I could join them. That was the start of an evening-long conversation with the two men from Valais, until we were finally thrown out of the restaurant at 11 o'clock because it was about to close. We then took a photo together outside and by the time I got home it was 11.45pm, even though my accommodation was only a 3-minute walk away. Thank you again for the great conversation and the 2 drinks you bought me, dear Viktor and Boris, I loved the evening with you!

Now to today: I used my rest day to sleep in first. Afterwards, however, I wanted to see a bit more of Belgrade and booked a tour. With my guide Petar, I explored the city centre and the most important sights of Belgrade on foot for about two hours in spring-like 18 degrees Celsius and sunshine. This gave me a good insight into the history and culture of Belgrade and Serbia. Many of the things I had already seen yesterday took on a new meaning. Afterwards, I grabbed lunch at the «Veganski Kiosk» and then went to the Cathedral of St Sava as recommended by Petar. It's handy that all public transport in Belgrade has been free since 1 January 2025. This meant I could easily travel by bus without having to worry about a ticket. I then went back to my accommodation to relax a little and rounded off the day with dinner at another vegan restaurant. There probably won't be as many vegan options on my onward journey, so I took full advantage of the local options again today.