.....but it was overcast and trying to rain for most of the day.
I slept in, had breakfast, and headed back to the Fortress which was closed yesterday. I got in today and it was well worth the second effort. The Old Clock Tower is at the entrance of the museum and the museum itself consists of two floors of military history dating back to some old Roman relics. I've visited a lot of military museums around the world and this was one of the best.
There is so much military history here--Belgrade has been occupied by enemy armies 28 times and destroyed several times only to rise up again. The Ottoman--Hapsburg Wars were very well exhibited and World War I was really featured--of course the war started very near Belgrade.
The museum had thousands of weapons from Swords to flags, uniforms and all kinds of weapons. World War II and the German Occupation were also covered on one whole floor as well as exhibits from the 1999 NATO bombing campaign here.
You might remember our stealth technology was brand new back then and they shot down one of our F-117 stealth fighters--which was really a big thing at the time. Part of the wing is on display at the museum.
One odd moment occurred at the exit. After spending an hour or so wandering around taking--according to my camera--86 photos, I found at the exit a sign posted saying "No photography". Oh well, wasn't going to delete them.
Since I've been here, I've noticed I hadn't seen one of the characteristic "General on Horseback" statues that is so common in European--especially Eastern European--capitols. Finally found one today.
Came across the famous Hotel Moskva (Moscow) during my wandering today. I had heard of the hotel before but wasn't familiar with its history. Opened by the King of Serbia in 1908, it has been known as a world-class hotel ever since and was filled with priceless artifacts and paintings. The Germans occupied Belgrade during WWII and the Gestapo used the hotel as their headquarters--even digging a water well inside so the locals couldn't poison their supply. It was the last building bombed in Belgrade before the end of the war and of course all the art and artifacts had already been looted.
I made a long hike over to the Church of St. Sava which has--like so much here--a sad and turbulent history. In 1594 the Serbs rose up against the Muslim Ottoman Empire occupiers and fought under a flag featuring St. Sava. When the rebellion was put down, the Turks raided a nearby monastery containing the Sarcophagus and remains of St. Sava as well as many ancient and priceless artifacts and manuscripts. These were brought to this location in Belgrade and the Serb population were forced to watch as his remains and all the religious manuscripts, paintings and crosses were burned.
Three hundred years later--1895--the independent Serbs decided to build a cathedral on the spot where the saint's remains were burned. Several wars have interrupted the construction and the interior today is not complete by any means but it is the the largest Orthodox church in the world and one of the ten largest churches anywhere.
I was fortunate to be there around noon when they rang the huge bells. The interior is fashioned much like the Hagia Sophia which I visited in Istanbul last fall.
Since the train station is directly across the street from my hotel, I walked over and had a look. I've always had an admiration for European trains and stations--they are still such a part of daily life over here. I used trains a lot when I was in Germany in the army and in England going to grad school. The one here is very typical with a restaurant and hotel located above the waiting terminal.
I remember in 1970 going from Austria through Venice to Zagreb (then part of Yugoslavia) by train and the last segment--the one in Yugoslavia--being on an old coal-fired steam engine probably very similar to this old 1943 model.
I didn't have any luck getting tickets for tomorrow night's soccer game but will keep trying tomorrow.
I slept in, had breakfast, and headed back to the Fortress which was closed yesterday. I got in today and it was well worth the second effort. The Old Clock Tower is at the entrance of the museum and the museum itself consists of two floors of military history dating back to some old Roman relics. I've visited a lot of military museums around the world and this was one of the best.
The museum had thousands of weapons from Swords to flags, uniforms and all kinds of weapons. World War II and the German Occupation were also covered on one whole floor as well as exhibits from the 1999 NATO bombing campaign here.
You might remember our stealth technology was brand new back then and they shot down one of our F-117 stealth fighters--which was really a big thing at the time. Part of the wing is on display at the museum.
One odd moment occurred at the exit. After spending an hour or so wandering around taking--according to my camera--86 photos, I found at the exit a sign posted saying "No photography". Oh well, wasn't going to delete them.
Since I've been here, I've noticed I hadn't seen one of the characteristic "General on Horseback" statues that is so common in European--especially Eastern European--capitols. Finally found one today.
Came across the famous Hotel Moskva (Moscow) during my wandering today. I had heard of the hotel before but wasn't familiar with its history. Opened by the King of Serbia in 1908, it has been known as a world-class hotel ever since and was filled with priceless artifacts and paintings. The Germans occupied Belgrade during WWII and the Gestapo used the hotel as their headquarters--even digging a water well inside so the locals couldn't poison their supply. It was the last building bombed in Belgrade before the end of the war and of course all the art and artifacts had already been looted.
A walk around the streets today revealed a much different Belgrade than the drab buildings I had seen coming into the city on the first day. This is what I had imagined Belgrade to look like.
I made a long hike over to the Church of St. Sava which has--like so much here--a sad and turbulent history. In 1594 the Serbs rose up against the Muslim Ottoman Empire occupiers and fought under a flag featuring St. Sava. When the rebellion was put down, the Turks raided a nearby monastery containing the Sarcophagus and remains of St. Sava as well as many ancient and priceless artifacts and manuscripts. These were brought to this location in Belgrade and the Serb population were forced to watch as his remains and all the religious manuscripts, paintings and crosses were burned.
Three hundred years later--1895--the independent Serbs decided to build a cathedral on the spot where the saint's remains were burned. Several wars have interrupted the construction and the interior today is not complete by any means but it is the the largest Orthodox church in the world and one of the ten largest churches anywhere.
I was fortunate to be there around noon when they rang the huge bells. The interior is fashioned much like the Hagia Sophia which I visited in Istanbul last fall.
Since the train station is directly across the street from my hotel, I walked over and had a look. I've always had an admiration for European trains and stations--they are still such a part of daily life over here. I used trains a lot when I was in Germany in the army and in England going to grad school. The one here is very typical with a restaurant and hotel located above the waiting terminal.
I remember in 1970 going from Austria through Venice to Zagreb (then part of Yugoslavia) by train and the last segment--the one in Yugoslavia--being on an old coal-fired steam engine probably very similar to this old 1943 model.
I didn't have any luck getting tickets for tomorrow night's soccer game but will keep trying tomorrow.
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