Serbia: September 2022

One Month Into Our Posting

We visited Ada Mall to purchase some new clothes and items for the house. I don't typically like shopping malls, however here they are quite nice. Easy to navigate, clean, not busy (which is key), and a good variety.

A bonus at the malls is that most have entertainment, one mall here has a trampoline park, another has a bunch of arcade-type rides and games, and another has a selfie museum (which we have yet to explore).

In the past Brooke and I have typically ordered online, so she is really enjoying it too!

At Ada mall, we found familiar stores, such as H&M (Brooke's new favorite), Aldo, Nike, Zara, and The Body Shop. We also found new ones, such as Gigatron (this will be our go-to for electronics) and a store with nice household decor (can't remember the name).

Brooke found cotton candy machine and now wants to visit this mall all the time! It's roughly $2.00 CAD, has numerous options, comes out looking like a flower bouquet and you get to watch the process.

Brooke had a sleepover at a new friend's house (Louisa), so Graham and I went out for a night on the town. We visited a recommended area and fell in love! It's an area called Skadarlija, it's a car-free area with cobblestone streets, it's artsy, and has lots of restaurants and cafes. Once the center of bohemian life in Belgrade, it has stayed the same.

We really enjoyed a restaurant called Dva Jelena: The Two Deer, the food was good and the service here is exceptional! In Europe, being a server is taken very seriously and they are very attentive. The fellow that served us at Dva Jelena says he makes their bread each morning, and it was delicious!

Belgrade is very pet friendly, allowing pets in many restaurants and malls. The below picture was a photo of a cat lounging at one of the bars we visited on our date night.

Unfortunately, I have to note, that there are a lot of strays in Belgrade. In my research, I found it is because of past wars, poverty, and lack of neutering/controlling the stray population. As of February 2022, it is estimated that ~20,000 stray dogs and cats are on the streets.

Brooke really enjoys finding the cats and giving them cuddles, but it is sad to see.

One of our favourite places we visited was a speakeasy Coctail Bar, called Riddle Bar. Instead of ordering a specific drink, you tell the waiter what tastes you are feeling like and he makes what he thinks you will like. I asked for sour and refreshing, and got just that, no idea what was in it though!! Graham asked for smokey and just watching the fellow make it was fun!! Both drinks turned out great, we will be back for sure

Graham smokey drink at the back, which gets poured into the smaller glass

My sour, yet refreshing drink

I am still working with CORE Landscape Products, from home. This is really nice, as I like to keep busy and feel like I am achieving something. Working from my office, alone, does get a bit boring, so I now switch it up. There is a cafe about 30 minutes' walk from here, which has amazing coffees, desserts, and snacks, so I try to go there once every week or so. I also found a shared workspace (a 15-minute drive away), that I signed up for last Tuesday. I really enjoyed it and plan to go again tomorrow. The objective of the space is to allow for a comfortable, warm location to do your work. They also set up evening and weekend events, to get to know others that share the space. They have options to purchase quiche, coffee, and very delicious chocolates!!