Day 9: Belgrade, Serbia, and it confounds the science (again)

 

THB and the staff are still on different schedules today

THB det up a bit after 6am and listens to his current Dunnett novel. The clock on THB's side of the bed agrees with THB's phone time. OOOPS, it is a bit after 5am.

THB waits a bit and goes to the small cafe to get our morning coffee (it's a machine, doesn't need a staffer). Whoa!!! The pasties and other cold items are already out, they aren't due for another hour (according to the printed schedule and prior days' experience.

Even more confounding, the main dining room was announced as opening at 7am. Somebody forgot to tell the kitchen staff. By the time THB and DB got to the main dining room, the orders for eggs any style are backed up until lunch (what time is lunch?).

Otherwise: it was a full and bizarre day. Let's start from the end of the day. Since we are leaving Serbia tonight, we have to do another fa(r)ce check with our passport. So far there have been 5 announcements and three changes of when it will occur. It is now 10:15 pm, way past THB's beddie-bye time. 

At 10:45, the Serbian security shows up and does the face matching and DB and THB are back in 306, lights out after 11pm.

Remember, this is reverse order. 

The bus back to the Esprit takes the long way around, at least 10 minutes longer than just letting the group cross a street from the ship.

Remember, this is reverse order. 

The tour group has dinner in one of the buildings at the royal compound.  THB barely touches his, DB like her fish and burrata salad.

Before dinner (remember, this is reverse order) the tour group meets the Crown Prince and his wife (the crown princess?) and they each talk for 10 minutes. THB cannot hear a word they say. Before that, drinks and canapes are served while a harpist is playing.

Remember, this is reverse order. 

Our portion of the group is led by a local guide; THB takes out his earpiece and finds a place to sit down.

Now the rest of the day told in the normal sequence, with pics 

another river cruise pull up next to the Esprit

remember those joggers on the beach in Monterey carrying a battery ram? What the hell are they doing in Belgrade?

THB and DB skip the tour's outing and branch out on our own, so there lots of pics that other people won't have

no clue as to what the signs say; DB is navigating based on our notes of what to do, a paer map, and her i-phone map

Borek, this version of philo with cheese is terrific

Abu Dhabi is funding the dramatic construction in Belgrade ("money laundering")

clear skies, mid to high 60s, THB got plenty of sun

Esprit and another river boat share a dock

Contemporary art museum is full of works from the 1920s to mid 1930

this bronze is sitting on the floor: worst attribution siting even

the most contemporary art work in the museum?

THB is not sure what cruise line is docked here

lunch spot: Drama, local brewskies, sausages, great pizza-oven bread, $17 for two (hmmmm...we're not Kansas anymore, Toto)

ice cream store tip...ahhhhhhhh

2 small cups, $2.50 each

this is the real Contemporary museum: one exhibit, all by same artist, featuring records and album covers

finally, a wedding photo! Just the bride, no hint of the groom. Maybe it is a car ad photo shoot

short walk downhill to the Esprit

Back aboard the Esprit, before we head out to the Royal Compound, a local troupe entertains us with dance numbers. THB thinks the lead dancer/drummer is a Mick Fleetwood knock-off