Our friends John & Chris arrived the day before Val left. We took them to lunch at an outdoor restaurant behind the Museum of Arts and Crafts.
I had rented a car so that we could go to Belgrade the next day to see Ellen. We dropped Val at the airport on the way out of town. We had an early start, so no time for a proper cup of coffee. Of course, as soon as Chris suggested we stop, there were no more gas stations with coffee shops on the highway. Finally we found a place. When we sat down in the outdoor cafe, I had an eerie feeling I had been there before. Sure enough, when I went inside it hit me. This was the bus stop where the bus had left without me on an earlier trip to Belgrade. Since I had the car keys, that was not going to happen this time.
We met Ellen at the Belgrade airport where we caravanned to a restaurant for lunch. After that we visited Tito's tomb. For some reason I did not take any photos. The most interesting part was the collection of runner's batons. Shortly after he became president for life, the citizens of Yugoslavia began honoring Tito one day a year by running carrying a baton. Apparently who could come up with the best, most original design became a competition. Tito kept them all and they are displayed in a room next to his tomb. There is a museum next door that displays all the gifts he received from various countries and foreign dignitaries over the years. After that, I took a nap while John, Chris and Ellen did more sightseeing. Then I met them for what was perhaps my last dinner at the Iguana.
The next morning jet lag finally caught up with John. We had decided to head back to Zagreb anyway because John and Chris were catching a flight to Dubrovnik the next morning. On the way back we visited Novi Sad where Ellen said there was an interesting fortress. When we got there we were able to walk around the walls but the museum, where the underground parts are, was closed because it was Monday.
We had lunch in a restaurant on a terrace below the fort overlooking the Danube.
Rather than retracing our steps to get back on the highway to Zagreb, I decided that we should triangulate. We were in farm country so it promised to be a pretty drive on back roads. Our map was one they give away in gas stations so it was less than ideal. But it looked like we could pick up the highway at Ruma, which would have cut off about a 100 K's.
When we drove into Ruma, the cops started directing us away from the signs pointing to the highway. We ended up on a small street with a barricade at the end. There was a cop who would not let us turn onto the street we needed to be on. We backed out and tried it again, ending up in the same place. Finally, as we sat there trying to figure out what to do, brightly colored bicyclists began passing, riding very fast, on the barricaded street. After the first few, the peloton, about 50 riders, zoomed by followed by the support vehicles. There were girls in the street wearing green t-shirts which had on the back "Tour de Serbie." Having seen the Tour de France I felt sure that we would be moving any moment but the cop still would not let us pass.
Finally, a large bus drove up beside us. The driver looked very angry when he got out and questioned the cop. After that he backed the bus out of the street, a delicate operation indeed. There was a destination sign on the windshield of the bus. I asked Chris if it was anywhere near where we wanted to go. She said it was. So, we followed the bus out of town and made it back to the highway after a frustrating hour in Ruma. Next stop Zagreb.
I had rented a car so that we could go to Belgrade the next day to see Ellen. We dropped Val at the airport on the way out of town. We had an early start, so no time for a proper cup of coffee. Of course, as soon as Chris suggested we stop, there were no more gas stations with coffee shops on the highway. Finally we found a place. When we sat down in the outdoor cafe, I had an eerie feeling I had been there before. Sure enough, when I went inside it hit me. This was the bus stop where the bus had left without me on an earlier trip to Belgrade. Since I had the car keys, that was not going to happen this time.
We met Ellen at the Belgrade airport where we caravanned to a restaurant for lunch. After that we visited Tito's tomb. For some reason I did not take any photos. The most interesting part was the collection of runner's batons. Shortly after he became president for life, the citizens of Yugoslavia began honoring Tito one day a year by running carrying a baton. Apparently who could come up with the best, most original design became a competition. Tito kept them all and they are displayed in a room next to his tomb. There is a museum next door that displays all the gifts he received from various countries and foreign dignitaries over the years. After that, I took a nap while John, Chris and Ellen did more sightseeing. Then I met them for what was perhaps my last dinner at the Iguana.
The next morning jet lag finally caught up with John. We had decided to head back to Zagreb anyway because John and Chris were catching a flight to Dubrovnik the next morning. On the way back we visited Novi Sad where Ellen said there was an interesting fortress. When we got there we were able to walk around the walls but the museum, where the underground parts are, was closed because it was Monday.
We had lunch in a restaurant on a terrace below the fort overlooking the Danube.
Rather than retracing our steps to get back on the highway to Zagreb, I decided that we should triangulate. We were in farm country so it promised to be a pretty drive on back roads. Our map was one they give away in gas stations so it was less than ideal. But it looked like we could pick up the highway at Ruma, which would have cut off about a 100 K's.
When we drove into Ruma, the cops started directing us away from the signs pointing to the highway. We ended up on a small street with a barricade at the end. There was a cop who would not let us turn onto the street we needed to be on. We backed out and tried it again, ending up in the same place. Finally, as we sat there trying to figure out what to do, brightly colored bicyclists began passing, riding very fast, on the barricaded street. After the first few, the peloton, about 50 riders, zoomed by followed by the support vehicles. There were girls in the street wearing green t-shirts which had on the back "Tour de Serbie." Having seen the Tour de France I felt sure that we would be moving any moment but the cop still would not let us pass.
Finally, a large bus drove up beside us. The driver looked very angry when he got out and questioned the cop. After that he backed the bus out of the street, a delicate operation indeed. There was a destination sign on the windshield of the bus. I asked Chris if it was anywhere near where we wanted to go. She said it was. So, we followed the bus out of town and made it back to the highway after a frustrating hour in Ruma. Next stop Zagreb.
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