SUNDAY BRIDGES -- The siren....

It's that bridge again, this time with an air siren tower to the right. During the NATO bombing of 1999, which began on March 24th of that year, this tower and others like it wailed at least twice a day. Its warning to take cover siren, nicknamed Šizela (she-ZEL-a) from the verb that means 'to freak out, panic', sounded at least once a day, and its twin sister, Smirela, (smee-REL-a), from the verb 'to calm down', followed at some point. If you'd like to listen to Šizela, you can do so right here. We did so for 78 days....still gives me goosebumps.

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SKYWATCH--Prince Miloš Obrenović

Prince Miloš Obrenović (MEE-lush O-bren-o-veetch, 1780-1860) was Prince of Serbia twice (1815-1839 and 1858-1860). He participated in the First Serbian Uprising against the Ottoman Empire and later led the Serbs in the Second Serbian Uprising in Takovo, Serbia. Under him, Serbia became an autonomous duchy within the Ottoman Empire. I used to drive down Belgrade’s main boulevard, Kneza Miloša, just about every day and never noticed this statue...until I walked by. Slow down and see.... Photo taken before our big snow...since then, I pick my way along sidewalks, lest I slip or be hit by a falling icicle.

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SUNDAY BRIDGES-=Building Gazela Bridge

Gazela Bridge, built from 1966-1970, is an important bridge in Belgrade across the Sava River. It is a part of the city network connecting Belgrade with cities to the south and north and is the chief connection between Old and New Belgrade. Because traffic was so congested, the bridge was almost completely redone in 2011 and it now supports up to 200,000 vehicles per day. This is an old postcard with a view looking north.

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Karadjordjeva Schnitzel

Hungry? Not worried about your cholesterol? A famous Serbian specialty is the Karadjordjeva Schnitzel, a rolled veal or pork steak filled with ultra-rich cream cheese (kajmak), then breaded and fried, and if that weren't rich enough, served with fried potatoes and tartar sauce.

This heart-stopper got its name from Prince Djordje Petrović, known as Karadjordje or Black George (1768 –1817), the the founder of modern Serbia, who led the First Serbian Uprising against the Ottoman Empire (1804-1813) and personally led armies against the Turks in several battles.

I have never ordered one of these. They're just too big.

Sunday Bridges: the Siege of Belgrade

Belgrade was besieged many times in its history, as early as 488. In the siege of Belgrade from September 15^th 1789, an army of Hapsburg Austria besieged an Ottoman Turkish forces in Belgrade and three weeks later succeeded in capturing the fortress. Austria held the city until 1791 when it handed Belgrade back to the Ottomans according to the terms of the peace treaty. Serbia remained under Turkish rule until 1878.

How many bridges can you count here?

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