Having visited all six/seven of the former Yugoslav countries, it was fitting that our final destination here would be the former socialist republic's capital, Belgrade*.
It was also fitting that we stayed in an apartment that didn't seem to have changed since the days of socialism.
Belgrade is beautifully situated on the confluence of the Danube and its second largest tributary, the Sava.
Due to this strategic location it has been the site of 115 battles throughout recorded history. The fortress, originally built by the Romans, has thus been destroyed and rebuilt by every civilisation that happened to be passing through town.
The Military Museum within the fortress did its best to tell the story of all these battles.
The city was attacked four times in the 20th century. Shelled by the Austro-Hungarians in 1914, bombed by the Germans in 1941, the Allies in 1944, and finally by NATO in 1999.
The military headquarters, bombed by NATO during the Kosovo War.
But Belgrade is by no means, all ruins and military history. It is a modern, growing city with a lot going on.
We went out at night to some kafanas (traditional bistro/pub) in the Bohemian quarter, but no pictures are available. So here is the parliament building instead.
Another night we went to see Đangova Osveta the new film by Kventina Tarantina. It was cool to see it in Belgrade cause it cost $4, and cause when you go into the movie theatre in Belgrade, you can buy beer. And we don't mean in a paper cup either. It's the little differences.
The Cathedral of Saint Sava, which may be, but probably isn't the world's largest Orthodox Church.
The grave of Josip Broz Tito, leader of Yugoslavia from 1943 until his death in 1980, described by many as a benevolent dictator.
We stopped in at the house of Belgrade's smartest and most electromagnetic citizen, Nikola Tesla. The museum was far more interesting than this photo.
So as the sun continues to set on our adventure, we say farewell to the Balkan Peninsula.
* In the local Serbian, Belgrade is Beograd†, which literally means "White City"
† Incidentally, Beograd when translated into Croatian, is "White City" ‡
‡ To quench your scholarly curiosity, it should be learned that "White City" in Bosnian is in fact Beograd §
§ Beograd when translated into Montenegrin is (not by coincidence) "White City"
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