Belgrade, in Fast Forward.

So our first full day in Belgrade, and we hit the ground running. After a quick breakfast and run to the supermarket, we met the group at 10:45. Our first stop was The Cathedral of Saint Sava(to the left ). Saint Sava was credited with starting the Orthodox religion in Serbia. The Orthodox people of Serbia decided to build a cathedral in that location, because this was the location where the Ottomans, burnt Sava’s bones over 300 years after his death in response to the first Serbian uprising.  The next stops were a few separate statues including Black George, and then the man who ordered the beheading of Black George. We then headed over to the Kalemegdan Fortress. The ruins were set into the hill that overlooked the Danube and Sava Rivers. We found that there were over 40 wars fought on this one specific spot, solely due to the strategic location of this fortress (below right). After our visit we quickly headed to lunch.

For lunch we had a traditional Serbian salad served with lots of smoked meats, which were really delicious after a full quick day of walking. After lunch we were given the opportunity to explore a local square a group of us enjoyed the local coffee. Once we rejoined the group we walked to house where the archbishop resides.

The archbishop welcomed us with open arms, regardless of our individual religions, and the fact that only Mladen spoke Serbian (thankfully Mladen was able to translate ever so graciously for us). The main topic he discussed was the importance of the open dialogue between East and West. Within the residence of the archbishop were countless mosaics and symbols to show the importance of the different religions meeting and sharing dialogue which was very intriguing (I wish I had brought a notebook to record all of his answers) But, he was quick to explain that at every joining point of the buliding, iwhether it be the mosaics, or the walls merging, or the panes of the windows, the intersectiond were each gold, to represent the welcoming of the new people (the picture below is a mosaic of when Mary went to meet the mother of Joseph in the river. He also talked about Saint Sava, and his previous link to Catholicism, and how the Orthodox religion was derived from a man who was originally Catholic. The major point that hit home with me was the dialogue between the youth of all religions, and the countless people who are agnostic. I have been agnostic for the past few years, and it makes me think about the decisions I have made, and the things that have happened in my life

We then departed and went our separate ways for dinner, and walks around the city of Belgrade. From yesterday to today, I have realized the dramatic change of people’s habits. Close to no one was out on Sunday, but come Monday the city was in fast forward, everyone was quickly moving about their daily lives; shopping, heading to work, selling their goods, and miscellaneous other things. There is always something new to discover at every corner, I cannot wait to further explore.