Day 22. Novi Sad

This place we stayed in is worth a mention. 

  While Mum and the kids are enjoying any sport you can think of , dad can fish all day for only $15 NZ. Fish guaranteed ,but you have to put them back ! (WHATS the bleeding point )

The bill ,including dinner , breakfast and drinks, was 5700 dinar (about $70 )

  It was a massive heap of notes and when we commented on it, the receptionist said she could remember Tito's days as a child ,when this amount of notes was needed for a loaf of bread, and a week later, for half a loaf.

   

This is market garden country, lots of workers in fields, roadside stalls , and the most fergy tractors I have ever seen. Mum and Dad would even use them to drive into town !

Now what's very typical of Serbia are the large number of these currency exchange shops as everyone here tries to play the currencies with the countries around them. 

   Novi Sad is a bustling city with many different cultures represented . We passed over the Donaz again on the way out , past the old fort

 Just out of town , confused and a bit lost, I asked a man the way to Karlovci. 

 " no problem , just follow me".  Typical Serbian attitude.

  He led us out of town and when we reached his house invited us in for coffee.

Great stroke of luck, Androv is his name and seemed to be in charge of the beautiful old church you can see opposite his house (he's on the right )

 The other man is George and he's an organ restorer.

   Before we look inside ,notice that the opposite end of the church looks like a mosque. That's because when the Turks dominated this area in the 16/1700's it was. Once they were sent packing , it was a Catholic Church again. 

The organ was in a semi stripped down state as George was giving it the full monty. He played it for us ,and to be able to see its workings and hear its music was just beautiful. The ceilings had some of the best church murals I've ever seen.

Got to keep moving, we've decided to stop at the next descent hotel we see. This road is undoubtably the busiest we've encountered

  And finally Karlovci . Looked around this beautiful village before booking into the Donau hotel . Right on the river.

Sitting on the hotel balcony overlooking the river, I noticed  at the table next to me 

Claudia ! 

  Her and Gerard were the couple from Sate (south of France) that we'd met at the Croation border. We had a lovely evening with them, comparing travel stories and sharing a great bottle of local wine

'A demain'.   ( until tomorrow)