#Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady

[dknuth]

Ajijic and Guadalajara

We are wrapping up our two weeks in Ajijic. Generally taking it pretty easy, which was the idea after all.

It's generally pretty quiet here. Of course, it's Mexico so there are the roosters and dogs, but since the nights are cool, we can close up and they don't bother us.

BUT, and it's a BIG BUT the neighbor here had a big party last Friday and Saturday nights. The loud music started about 5 PM and ended about 5 AM both nights. Both houses have walls around the yard, but it makes little difference. Inside with the doors and windows closed it's not too bad but still irritating. Apparently this is pretty common around here. So if you are coming to Ajijic pack earplugs!!!

We've made two trips to Guadalajara. The first was on a Friday, which was not a good idea. The traffic was bad going in and worse coming out in the afternoon.

We went to Bosque Los Colomos, a large park first. We walked around some, but it would doubtless be much better in the rainy season when more is green.

We went to the Japanese Garden, which was nice, but fairly small. But Japanese gardens squeeze a lot of green and features into a small area. It was pretty popular.

Cathie was still pretty low energy and was walking really slowly, so we didn't try to do more.

Our second stop was Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Zapopan, a Franciscan church and abby. It's the big Catholic Pilgrimage site in this part of Mexico.

Among the statues of saints and such I noticed this statue of Our Lady of Transit. My guess is she probably died waiting for a bus.

Then we decided it was time to had back and we hit the traffic of everyone else trying to get out of town. A one hour trip took two ans a half, so we were all pretty tired by the time we got back to the house.

The second time we tried to be smarter and went Sunday morning.

We started at the Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady in central Guadalajara. It contains altars dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Sorrows, Our Lady of Zapopan (patron saint of Guadalajara), Saint Dominic, St. Nicholas, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Christopher and St. John of God, I guess there should be someone there for most issues you might have.

It's a large stone structure that looks to be in great shape, but I see it has suffered earthquake damage many time including in 2003. It's made of Cantera stone, a volcanic ash based stone common in México.

In the plaza beside the church they were constructing a large sculpture made of wood laths. It worked surrisingly well.

Then we walked to the Templo Expiatorio del Santísimo Sacramento, a Gothic style church, also of the same stone.

We also stopped at MUSA a small art museum associated with the local university. The murals in the theater were especially striking.

They seem to relate school to hell.

After that we hit a couple of the downtown markets plus the street markets along the way. I think we bought nothing. Yea!

On the way to the market we passed by the Teatro Delgado, a handsome building, but we were not able to get inside.

With that it was time for the drive back to our Ajijic home. Not too bad on a Sunday, but we are finding that the engine and air conditioning both overheat in slow traffic.

[northameicanblog]

Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral, Granada, Nicaragua: The Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral also called Granada Cathedral is a neoclassical Catholic cathedral located in Granada, Nicaragua, 40 kilometres southeast of Managua. The church is the main temple of the Diocese of Granada, and its bishop is Jorge Solórzano Pérez. Wikipedia

[manessha545]

Asunción Cathedral, Paraguay: The Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption It is the main Catholic church in Asunción. It is located in the neighborhood La Catedral, in the historic center of the capital of Paraguay. It was the first diocese of the Río de la Plata. Wikipedia

[beardedmrbean]

Pope Francis on Thursday called for solidarity against religious extremism during his visit to Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country.

The 87-year-old head of the Catholic Church highlighted the importance of unity to "defeat the culture of violence and indifference," during his visit to the Istiqlal Mosque, the largest in South-East Asia.

Pope Francis met with Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar and signed a joint declaration which underscored values common across different religions to promote reconciliation and peace. They both expressed concern over climate change.

He and the grand imam stood at the entrance to the "Tunnel of Friendship," an underpass which connects the mosque compound with the neighbouring Catholic cathedral, Our Lady of the Assumption.

It was an "eloquent sign," Pope Francis said as the two places not only faced each other but were linked, allowing for "encounter, dialogue ... a genuine experience of fraternity."

On the third day of his visit, the pope later celebrated Mass in a football stadium before a congregation of more than 60,000, using his sermon to repeat his call for tolerance between the world's religions, dialogue and peace.

Pope Francis arrived in Indonesia on Tuesday, kicking off the longest foreign trip of his tenure so far, due to take him to four countries in South-East Asia and Oceania over the next 12 days.

With more than 240 million Muslims, Indonesia is the most populous Muslim country in the world.

On Friday, he will continue his journey to Papua New Guinea, before visiting East Timor and Singapore.

[shannonselin]

Happy birthday Napoleon!

The house in Ajaccio, Corsica in which Napoleon Bonaparte was born.

Napoleon Bonaparte was born on Tuesday, August 15, 1769, in Ajaccio, Corsica. France had acquired Corsica from the Italian city-state of Genoa the year before. Napoleon’s parents were Carlo and Letizia (Ramolino) Buonaparte. Their first surviving child, Giuseppe (Joseph), was 19 months old when Napoleon was born. Two older children, born in 1765 and 1767, had died in infancy.

August 15 marks the celebration of the Catholic Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady the Virgin Mary. Letizia was at mass in the Ajaccio cathedral when she felt severe labour pains. She left the service and walked the short distance to her house (Casa Buonaparte, now a museum), aided by Carlo’s sister Gertrude Paravicini.

Here, on a couch in the salon – for there was no time to reach her bedroom – with the assistance of Gertrude and a maid-servant, Mammucia Caterina, she was delivered of her fourth child – a boy, with a big head and a very intelligent face, who screamed loudly, and soon began sucking his thumb, which was considered a good augury among the peasants of Corsica.

Nine days later, Letizia turned 19 years old.

Nobody recorded anything about Napoleon’s birth at the time, and Letizia did not leave detailed memoirs. It wasn’t until Napoleon became a famous general that people became interested in his origins. Many myths sprang up surrounding his birth, which you can read about here (along with one element of Napoleon’s birth that might appear to be mythical but actually is not): https://shannonselin.com/2016/08/birth-napoleon-bonaparte/.

[m1male2]

Holy Cathedral Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and of San Frutos #Segovia, Spain. Gothic and Renaissance in style, it was built between the s. XVI-XVIII.

(Photo©️Cristina Moreira Photography)

[cruger2984]

THE DESCRIPTION OF SAINT DOMINIC Patron Saint of Astronomers and Astronomy Feast Day: August 8

"One day, through the Rosary and the Scapular, Our Lady will save the world."

Dominic de Guzmán (Domingo Félix de Guzmán), the founder of the Ordo Praedicatorum (Order of Preachers aka Dominicans), was born in Caleruega, Kingdom of Castile (present-day Castile-Leon, Spain), on August 8, 1170.

In the earliest narrative source, by Jordan of Saxony, Dominic's parents are not named. The story is told that before his birth, his barren mother, Joan of Aza (Juana de Aza), made a pilgrimage to the Abbey at Silos, and dreamt that a dog leapt from her womb carrying a flaming torch in its mouth, and seemed to set the earth on fire. This story is likely to have emerged when his order became known, after his name, as the Dominican order, Dominicanus in Latin and a play on words interpreted as Domini canis: 'Dog of the Lord.'

Joan of Aza was beatified by Pope Leo XII in 1829.

After his ordination, he was assigned to the Burgo de Osma Cathedral, where he followed the Rule of St. Augustine. In 1204, as he was on his way to Denmark, he converted the owner of a hotel in Toulouse. This event made him realize that preaching was his special charism (or spiritual gift). Afterwards, he was sent by the Pope to convert the French Albigenses, and after a few years of intense preaching, accompanied by the example of a holy life, many people returned to the Catholic church.

To the monks of Cîteaux, whose efforts against the heretics were fruitless, he said: 'Arm yourself with prayer, rather than a sword; wear humility rather than fine clothes.'

One day, when being asked in what book he studied his beautiful sermons, he answered: 'In no other than the book of love.'

Together with a few missionary companions, he founded in Toulouse the Ordo Praedicatorum, or 'the Order of Preachers', whose members were dedicated to sacred studies and preaching.

They received official approval in 1216. Dominic advised his brothers in these words: 'Speak only of God, or with God.'

One day, he had a vision of the Virgin Mary, who instructed him to propagate the prayer of the Holy Rosary throughout the world.

On the feast of the Assumption in 1217, he sent the Dominicans in all directions, saying: 'We must sow the seed, not hoard it.'

Dominic spent a couple of years in Rome before taking up permanent residence in Bologna (present-day Emilia-Romagna, Italy). There, he died on the Feast of the Lord's Transfiguration - August 6, 1221, at the age of 50, worn out by a life of an intense apostolate.

[allaboutjoseph]

Miraculous Image of Our Lady of the Assumption, Dauis, Bohol, Philippines

Pintakasi PH, a popular Catholic blog in the Philippines, relates this beautiful story of how Our Lady travelled over the sea to "be near" St. Joseph (the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Tagbilaran is very near the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, Dauis).

Our Lady of the Assumption, Dauis has recently given a pontifical coronation last August 15, 2023.

Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion de Dauis: the Miraculous Pensive Lady of Dauis, Bohol – Pintakasi (wordpress.com)

History is silent on where the image came from and who carved the image. During the 18th century, a tale was mentioned about a lady hailing from the town of Dalaguete in Cebu. She asked a banca drawer to ferry her to Mariveles (old name for Dauis). Afraid that the lady will not endure the rough sea conditions, the man refused the lady’s pleading. The lady kindly insisted that he’ll bring her to Mariveles, to which the man in the end agreed. She said she wanted to be near her husband. It was said that during the ride, the man did not experience turmoil in the seas. Instead, he felt that the boat that they were riding seemed to float in the air. When they were nearing Mariveles, he heard the lady spoke: “Duol na ang Mariveles” (Mariveles is near).

Docking near the church, the man turned his back to where the lady was seated. But to his amazement, the lady was no longer there. In her stead was a little camiseta, which he remembered the lady was brought during the trip. Startled, he hurried inside the then newly-built Dauis Church, only to be stunned once more when the lady showed semblance to the image of the Virgen de la Asuncion in the main altar. And true enough (as the lady previously said that she wanted to be near her husband), the Church of Dauis can be seen not far from the imposing church of St. Joseph in Tagbilaran City. This miracle is foretold in the Gozos in her honor and this event is commemorated every Last Sunday of January as a Secondary Feast.

All photos by MTQS Photography.

[rabbitcruiser]

Church of Santo Tomás, Haro (No. 1)

The Church of Santo Tomás (Spanish: Iglesia Colegiata de Santo Tomás) is a church located in Haro, Spain. It was declared Bien de Interés Cultural in 1931.

The façade, designed by Felipe Bigarny, was finished in 1525.

The baroque bell tower was built under architect Agustín Ruiz de Azcárraga who was commissioned to work on the tower in 1719, and has inspired other buildings such as the Co-cathedral of Santa María de la Redonda or Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Briones.

Source: Wikipedia    

[steliosagapitos]

       ~ “One of the most famous emerald-set art pieces of cultural heritage is the Crown of the Andes, known as Corona de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Popayán, an iconic sacred image crown made in solid gold with a total weight of 2.4 kg, featuring 443 fine Colombian emeralds totalling 846.15 ct, including the 24 carat Atahualpa emerald. It was made in 1660 to adorn the image of the Nuestra Señora de la Asunción (Our Lady of Assumption) of the Cathedral (Basilica) of Popayán in the then-called Nueva Granada colonial territory (in today’s Colombia). In 1770, the four gold imperial arches, the orb and the top cross were added to the crown, following the evolution of heraldry. It might be speculated that the earlier segment may include emeralds from both the Muzo area and also from Chivor, the first emerald deposit explored by the Spanish conquistadores in 1538 and closed in 1672 (rediscovered in 1896). This historical sacred image crown can be visited at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and the fine gold work and superb emeralds, in antique step cuts and polished drops, fully appreciated.“ ~

[nibaldop]

La Iglesia Catedral Basílica Metropolitana de la Asunción de Nuestra Señora de Valencia, la Seu en valenciano, fue consagrada en 1238 por el primer obispo de Valencia posterior a la Reconquista, Fray Andrés de Albalat, pese a que su construcción se inició el 23 de junio de 1262 y se extendió hasta mediados del siglo XIV. Posee una longitud de 94 m, una anchura de 53 m y una altura de 55 m. El gótico valenciano es el estilo constructivo predominante de este templo, pero dado los años de construcción, ampliación y restauración, posee también elementos del románico, del gótico francés, del renacimiento, del barroco y del neoclasicismo. Obra del arquitecto Pere Compte, natural de Gerona, aunque avecindado y formado como arquitecto en Valencia. Desde 1931 es Bien de interés cultural y patrimonio Arquitectónico y cultural de España. ... The Metropolitan Basilica Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady of Valencia, La Seu in Valencian, was consecrated in 1238 by the first bishop of Valencia after the Reconquest, Fray Andrés de Albalat, despite the fact that its construction began on June 23 from 1262 and lasted until the middle of the 14th century. It has a length of 94 m, a width of 53 m and a height of 55 m. Valencian Gothic is the predominant construction style of this temple, but given the years of construction, expansion and restoration, it also has elements of Romanesque, French Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassicism. Work of the architect Pere Compte, a native of Gerona, although resident and trained as an architect in Valencia. Since 1931 it is an Asset of Cultural Interest and Architectural and Cultural Heritage of Spain. ... #turismo #turisme #tourism #arquitectura #architecture #iglesia #church #Iglesiacatólica #catholicchurch #catedral #cathedral #basilica #nuestraseñoradevalencia #vacaciones #vacations #otoño #autumn #fall #otoño2022 #autumn2022 #fall2022 #arquitectura #architecture #valencia #comunidadvalenciana #españa #spain (en Catedral De Valencia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmADmiPLMQ8/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[northameicanblog]

Granada Cathedral, Granada, Nicaragua: The Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral also called Granada Cathedral is a neoclassical Catholic cathedral located in Granada, Nicaragua, 40 kilometres southeast of Managua. The church is the main temple of the Diocese of Granada, and its bishop is Jorge Solórzano Pérez. Wikipedia

[manessha545]

Sao Paulo Cathedral, Brazil: The Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady Assumption and Saint Paul, also known as the See Cathedral, is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of São Paulo, Brazil. Wikipedia

[lasororiteinfernale]

. ʙ ᴇ ᴀ ʀ ɪ ɴ ɢ ꜱ .

. ꜱ ᴀ ɪ ɴ ᴛ . ꜰ ʟ ᴇ ᴜ ʀ .

. ɢ ᴇ ɴ ᴇ ʀ ᴀ ʟ .

Well off the beaten path, SAINT FLEUR is a small hillside town famous for its figs. The town has narrow cobbled streets, many of which overlook a valley, and many medieval and Renaissance buildings, and a castle.

While exploring the town centre you will see many interesting medieval houses, small picturesque shady squares and the ornately carved 16th century Renaissance-style entrance to the Hôtel des Fleurs.

On a hot day, Saint Fleur, with its unusal number of waterfalls, fountains and ancient lavoirs, feels cool and refreshing. (As well, there are three small rivers which run alonside the town and attract a fair amount of recreational swimmers.) And, on its squares, there are shady café terraces beneath towering plane trees.

Open-air market on warm weather Sundays.

. ᴘ ʟ ᴀ ᴄ ᴇ ꜱ . ᴏ ꜰ . ɴ ᴏ ᴛ ᴇ .

The Collegiate Church of Our Lady of the Assumption ~ The local cathedral has never once been entered by a Fell, but architecturally speaking, it is very much a treasure and the focal point of Saint Fleur.

Hôtel des Fleurs ~ The current uncontested seat of illicit local liasons. It's a fine historical building with charming Edwardian decor and old-timey chatelaine-decked "house keepers".

Market Square ~ Flourishing with people immediately following Mass on Sundays. Locals flock to stalls of flavoured ice, handsewn goods, ceramic odds-and-ends, fresh chocolatine, and so on. Apart from being a well-established market, it's also /the central Saint Fleur (gathering place outside of the church, of course).

Médiathèque Florencia Gable ~ The only library in Saint Fleur. It happens to have a rather strange, musty "basement" area carved out of the earth for quiet reading.

Le Café de la Fontaine Rouge ~ A tiny café located on the slanted Red Fountain Square of Saint Fleur. It's far too hole-in-the-wall to have in-door seating, and therefore its terrace-seating only. When the weather is not amenable, the café is closed.

Le Café de la Fontaine aux Champignons ~ The Mushroom Fountain Square-located café, directly opposite the old cinema house.

The Cinema ~ It doesn't show anything new- hasn't since the premiere of "Raphaël ou le débauché" in the 70's. But every now and then its purveyor, the elderly Mrs. Rebecca Zelle, decides/is persuaded to show an oldie but a goodie for a couple of nights only.

The Ancient Water Garden ~ A Medieval stone garden of water features in which children (and adults) use to keep cool. There are fountains (of course), a communal lavoir (used by the ancient denizens of Saint Fleur to wash clothes), and shallow bathing pools containing ancient stone fish-shaped spouts which cascade umbrella streams of cool water straight up into the air.

Verte Fontaine Sushi ~ A "health food" Japanese restaurant in Saint Fleur's Green Fountain Square.

Chez Chiffon ~ French-Mediterranean cuisine in a swanky Art Nouveau setting. Seating indoors, but in warmer weather, all meals are taken on the fountain studded terrace.

La Pause Gourmande Patisserie & Tea Room ~ The "dignified" ladies of Saint Fleur gather together here on Friday mornings to indulge in a little gossip and freshly-made petite madeleines. If you were wondering, a Fell is as likely to be invited to such a gathering as they are to set foot in the cathedral.

La boucherie ~ The butcher's shop.

Club Ombra ~ A rather clandestine nightclub, tucked well out of the way of the central Market Square.

Cascade du Reliquaire ~ The largest waterfall on the Polyphemus River. It attracts a fair amount of tourists, and locals like to avoid the area as a result of all the foot-traffic. That said, it's a beautiful area- the rocks are completely carpeted in moss and the cascade, spliting into lots of smaller falls, resemble ethereal bridal veils draped over the hillside.

La Grotte d'Aenaia ~ One of many grottoes on the outskirts of Saint Fleur, but Aenaia's is popular for its ancient columns and frescoes, lending it the distinct feel of being a pocket out of time. A place for naiad revels, some say.

River Acis ~ The smallest of the three rivers circumnavigating Saint Fleur. The Acis' distinction from its sibling rivers is its remarkable crystal green waters.

River Galatea ~ The second smallest of the three Saint Fleur-adjacent rivers. The waters of Galatea run a bit rougher than the other two- in fact, it's too dangerous to traverse in the rainy season.

River Polyphemus ~ The largest, and most popular, of the three Saint Fleur rivers. In the summer, people enjoy swimming, tubing, and even fishing on the Polyphemus.

. ᴄ ᴀ ꜱ ᴛ ʟ ᴇ . ꜰ ᴇ ʟ ʟ .

. ᴇ x ᴛ ᴇ ʀ ɪ ᴏ ʀ .

What is now referred to as "Castle Fell" is, in fact, a centuries-old keep surrounced by time-worn stone walls and well-hidden from view by a thick over-growth of ancient foliage (which somehow does little to mask the cloying scent of the grounds' massive and ancient red rose garden, mind you).

It's retained it's imposing arches (from what anyone can tell)- but upon Malfante Fell's obtaining of the castle in the early 90's, it's structures have since been safely (if not faithfully) reinforced. The outer walls and gatehouse have remained somewhat untouched, but more modern touches have come about by way of electricity, plumbing, heating/cooling systems, etc.

The Rose Garden ~ Prevalent and of vital importance to the integrity of, not only the orignal body of land the castle resides upon, but also the man and family who occupy said land, the ancient red rose garden takes up a great deal of Castle Fell's landscape. These roses not only out-grew the original garden but also managed to choke the life out of anything else living and growing in their path. They are considered "parasitic", in a sense, as their relationship with the master of Castle Fell is, indeed, symbiotic. They also happen to feed on a certain kind of blood rather than water like any other plant. The Fells imagine this fact gives them their extra-ordinary red colour. They do not abide "human" touch, have consumed strange meats, and despite emitting an admittedly "amplified" rosy aroma, have often caused locals to sicken merely at their smell. [As a side note, the Fells do not keep small pets.]

. ɪ ɴ ᴛ ᴇ ʀ ɪ ᴏ ʀ .

More modern renovations within are far more steep than without. Electricity alone has made the castle into another creature entirely (to say nothing of plumbing and everything else that comes along with modernity). However, the "Wives" were insistent that some of the rooms, particularly "bedchambers", should retain their historical charm if at all possible. And, thus, many of the Fells find themselves living in a bizarre amalgam of Arthurian-esque and twenty-first century interior design. The result is eclectic and anachronistic moreso than any straight-forward aesthetic. A certain charm particular to the Fells.

. ꜰ ᴇ ᴀ ᴛ ᴜ ʀ ᴇ ꜱ .

30 bedrooms and 47 modern lavatories

Great Hall replete with original tapestries, massive fireplaces on either side of the room, and a single sturdy oaken table for sharing meals

Extensive underground kitchens, a larder and pantry room

Several so-called "drawing rooms" and private studies, only one of which is barred from use by the Wives and children of the family

No shortrage of subterranean storerooms, a vaulted undercroft (currently being used as a bedroom), and cellars

A defunct-dovecote, once used by the Fell children as a sort of secret playhouse

[christianpureofficial]

What it’s like to be a Catholic in the world’s largest Muslim country

The Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Jakarta, Indonesia. / Credit: EWTN News Jakarta, Indonesia, Sep 3, 2024 / 06:08 am (CNA). As a Catholic living in the world’s largest Muslim country, Baso Darmawan does not think twice about making the sign of the cross as he prays before a meal at a restaurant in the bustling capital of Jakarta. Darmawan says that he personally knows many…

[balapann-blog]

Day 9 - 14 September - Belgrade

We got up and went to the train station to book our sleeper train to Montenegro on Sunday night, however lots of the streets were closed by the police and there were armoured vehicles and police dogs around which was slightly intimidating. We did manage to get to the station and then book the train, (we initially thought we had got a private cabin but the lady had booked us on the Saturday train and there were only couchettes for Sunday, however this will hopefully be better than the night bus or sleeping on across 3 seats like our last night train).

We then went and spent the most opulent £16.90 I’ve ever spent at breakfast at this bib gourmand restaurant. It was a modern take on Balkan food and I had this polenta portage with blue cheese and mushrooms and Nin had cold oatmeal with every nice fruit under the sun on it. Considering we had that and 4 coffees, I couldn’t believe the price!

The breakfast was quite heavy so we went home to chill for a bit and then went on another excellent free walking tour. The guide was a very dry woman (i think called Ivana) who spoke through lots of different things, such as the three main architectural styles of Belgrade; Habsburg (very much friends of the blog at this point), brutalist, modern (she really did not like the modern stuff). We walked down the street our apartment is on, and then into the more hipster part of town that during the time when organised crime most ran the country in the early 00s was called silicone valley because of the breast implants of the mob wives who went to the clubs there. This is also where the oldest families in Belgrade live in, as there are very few people whose families have lived continuously in Belgrade for generations (apparently the city empties on orthodox holidays as everyone goes back to their village or town).

Although Belgrade was very Ottoman for hundreds of years, almost nothing of this architecture remains bar a couple of houses. She spoke through the Serbo/Croat language and the fact that it has two scripts (Cyrillic and Latin) because when Serbia and the rest of Yugoslavia merged Serbia used Cyrillic and Slovenia/Croatia used Latin and since the languages are the same, both scripts are usable.

We went to Belgrade castle which is absolutely massive and has an amazing view down onto the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers. The tour finished in the orthodox cathedral where there was a wedding on. Serbian weddings seem to be soundtracked by gypsy brass bands who seranade the bride as she enters the church. It was fun and very over the top.

Our tour guide was interesting, on one hand, she was very liberal in her views and spoke a lot about government corruption and hoping all the things from the Yugoslav wars were behind the region. On the other hand she was very clearly Serbian in of her outlook, she crossed herself going into the cathedral, she preferred the Cyrillic script to the Latin, and was very proud of her Serbianness (if thats a word). Her explanation of the place of rakija in Serb culture was really interesting and heartfelt. I think that sometimes there is an assumption people in the east of Europe want to be like people in the west of Europe, but that that view I think is lazy and quite condescending (even if we can all stray into it) and that there are loads of ways to be a good person and be a good society. And nice liberal people from metropole cities in Western Europe don’t have a monopoly on a good life and we have lots of faults and blind spots that we don’t often interrogate.

After the tour we went to a grill called GrillRepublik which had 4.9 stars on google (‘unheard of’ Nina Jones) they were playing the Liverpool game which was nice I hadn’t watched any football since the season started. The food was so good we both had burgers with kajmak on it which is a Balkan cream thing that is half way between butter and clotted cream. It was delicious but I think dangerous to have on meat like that. My burger came with cabbage and I got a shopska salad, Nin had onions and a slightly different salad. The bread we had was also very fresh and airy. This was supposed to be a little snack so we got the small burger, but it was so big we could just about finish it!

After food, we went home and chilled out for a bit and then went to this fun bar for a couple of drinks (it was Saturday night after all), however we were both quite tired and so we left and went for a little walk and then went back to our apartment, I published my blog from Sarajevo and we did some planning and got a relatively early night.

What we ate - Iva New Balkan Cuisine, GrillRepublik

What we liked - My polenta thing got quite heavy after a while so i think the grill was the best thing of the day.

Day 10 - 15 September - Belgrade > Bar

We were planning to go for a run before we checked out but it was absolutely lashing when we work up so we just had a coffee in the flat and packed. When we left we went to do laundry in a laundrette, which was needed as we hadn’t done any washing since Zagreb! There were lots of tourists there trying to wash (or dry) their stuff. Walking there had been a bit of a mission and I am very thankful for the waterproof cover for my bag!

We then went and stored our stuff in a luggage storage and looked for place for lunch, we found this very classic boogie coffee shop/brunch place. I had this french omelette with mushrooms which was amazing, I think I said it was one of the best omelettes id ever had, not sure if that was hyperbole or not but it was good! It was probably one of the most expensive meals we had had since Slovenia (about £33) but the space was very nice and the food was good!

After that we failed at getting a bus to the Museum of Yugoslavia, so in the end got a taxi. It is quite a random museum, and mainly houses The Big Man’s (Tito’s) mausoleum and then a museum bit that seems only there to house the presents that he got from other world leaders, among some other things about the formation of Yugoslavia. The most numerous thing in the museum was relay batons from Youth Day celebrations over the years, my main thought was that I just want someone to love me like Tito loves relay batons.

After the museum, we walked to St. Sava’s temple which is the second biggest Orthodox Church in the world. It was pretty amazing and I think had been restored quite recently and was latterly shining gold. The pictures I took do not do it justice. They were also piping in some sick plainchant music which added to the atmosphere.

We then walked back into town (the other two places had been a bit out of town) via a Boots/Superdrug type shop, which in the rain and after being in lots of cites that id never been to before felt strangely comforting (something about the lighting and familiarity), even though we didn’t get anything. We went to the National Museum of Serbia, which is mainly an art gallery with some early artefacts on the second floor. The art was pretty good, would have liked a bit more socialist realism, but there was some great stuff there (it was free and in the main square too!)

We then went to a Vietnamese (Asian fusion really) that was in the bib gourmand but was really just fine, I think in London we are spoiled it’s Pho Mile. We then got our bags and got a taxi to the station. The driver said he hoped Putin sent nuclear bombs on the UK as he showed us a building that had been destroyed in nato bombing (good thing I said we were Irish).

I enjoyed Belgrade much more than I expected to, particularly after being in Sarajevo and Republika Srpska, and reading and hearing about how the Serb Government is acting and its close relationship to Russia. I guess it is true that most people are generally friendly and welcoming and that politics generally sits above individual interactions with people. It also feels like Belgrade is pretty liberal (particularly the places we went), and I doubt the rest of the country is quite like that. Our taxi driver slightly shattered that assumption, but looking at his age, he could well have been in the Yugoslav army at the time of the wars, and what would an experience like that do to someone. It takes lots of courage and self reflection to go against the view of an institution you are part of, particularly if you hear of atrocities committed by the other side (real or not), and NATO are bombing your country. The graffiti below is from the main square in Belgrade, written in English with stencils of Radovan Karadžić beside it, even with all the perceived liberalism in Belgrade, this politics is impossible to ignore.

We were very early for our train and when it came we were both top bunks in a couchette. We have definitely got our night travel better and a night train is definitely preferable to night bus. The guy in the bunk below me snored quite a lot and my noise cancelling headphones ran out of battery at about 1am! I think I slept a bit and am definitely not as tired as after the bus. At about 8am I woke up and went to look out the window, the train we were on is famously very beautiful and it was a very nice view to wake up to, first the mountains then Skroder lake! We are now in a coffee shop in Bar waiting for our check in at 2 to our hotel down the coast. The weather is much nicer here so let’s hope it stays that way!

What we ate - June cafe, Istok

What we liked - June was nice, Istok i would say is overrated but wasn’t bad.