The next stop on our cruise down the lower Danube was Belgrade, capital of Serbia. Our only rainy day of the entire trip, and the city's mood seemed to match the weather -- gray.
We took a driving tour of the city and did visit some impressive places, the first being the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sava. The doors to the church were embossed with a traditional prayer to the Holy Spirit in a number of different languages. What I mistook for Latin is actually Romanian.
The bronze central wheel chandelier is one of the largest and heaviest in the world, with a diameter of nearly 66 feet.
In addition to tour groups, there were a number of worshipers as well. But I was uncomfortable including any of the people in my photos here, so I waited for a moment when the space appeared empty. In hindsight, I wish I'd chosen differently.
We also visited Kalemegdan Park, an odd mix of ancient fortress, gardens, military equipment, a dinosaur park for kids, and even a carousel.
Graffiti was pretty noticeable at all of our stops, but nowhere as much as Belgrade. This poor Coke machine never stood a chance.
Even the welcome sign where our boat docked didn't escape. The palm trees in the background were admittedly unexpected.
In the afternoon I joined a bike tour to the district of Zemun. The skies really opened up when we arrived, and I spent more time protecting my camera than using it. I did manage to capture some long exposure shots of people walking by this covered alley, of which this is my favorite.
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