Monday, August 11, 2008

What a scoop!

The latest "scoop" for Serbian readers is that instead of paying 25-60 dinars a scoop for ice cream (sladoled=SLA-doe-led) here in Belgrade, if you drive three hours down to the town of Pirot (PEER-rut) near the Bulgarian border, you can get a cone for only 5 dinars a scoop! Currently, there are around 50 dinars to $1.00, so you can see what a deal this is. People of Pirot, or Piroćanci (PEER-row-chahn=tsee) are known for their thriftiness, much as the Scots are, and don't like to spend money when they don't have to. That's my husband's hand modestly accepting just one scoop (kugla=KOO-gla) of strawberry ice cream. Note that Serbs wear their wedding bands on their right hands, according to Serbian Orthodox practice.

IN THE VILLAGE

 A rooster and his hen (or one of them....) keep a watchful eye on me as I passed their enclosure in the small village of Deguric near Valje...