MS Amadeus Riva: Day 3! During the night, the ship proceeded upriver to where the Sava meets the Danube. From there, the room the Sava to Belgrade - we were docked by 0500. I was awake about an hour later and immediately went on deck to take photos of the city skyline. We had our typical (filling) breakfast and an opportunity for a history lecture (“Modern Serbia”) but I skipped the latter event. At 0915, though, I departed the ship so I could go on my excursion: a visit to the Tesla Museum! To put my choice in perspective, there were 60 people on the main tour (“Belgrade City Highlights”) and only 10 on mine (the other 10 did a “Foodie” tour). Our bus drove south from the pier and we got some color commentary about several important city sights: Republic Square and the City Assembly building. We arrived at the museum for our 1000 tour and were treated to a historical video about Tesla’s life, practical demonstrations of his experiments and inventions and exhibits on his personal life. The museum was small but our guide made up for that with enthusiasm. Our next stop was supposed to be at Kalemegdan Fortress Park but I’d noticed that the museum was close to one of the most impressive landmarks of the entire city (Temple of St. Sava). I’d previously gotten permission (from the Cruise Director and my tour guide) to leave the group and walk the four blocks to the landmark. I found it easily and was blown away by the amazing frescos, gilded mosaics and towering architecture. After visiting the unbeatable church, I started walking north (on Kralja Milana and Knez Mihailova) towards the fortress. On a normal day, this would have been stroll for me but the sunny day had yielded 100+ degree temps again. I stuck to shady areas as much as possible and made a few stops (to change money and get a drink from a newspaper stand). By the time I reached the “Pedestrian Zone” (shopping area), I was hot and sweaty. Fortunately, though, I soon encountered my tour guide and original group. This allowed me to walk through the fortress with them. It was hot and I became lethargic but enjoyed the guide’s narrative. Afterwards, we returned to the shop for a light lunch (1300) that recharged me a bit. Still, I needed a shower and nap to reach equilibrium… As a result, I missed another few minor events. I was able to join a presentation of traditional Serbian dancing and music - that was good. At 1800, the ship resumed its upriver journey, retracing its route on the Sava and then turning west on the Danube. I spent time watching Amadeus Riva getting underway (very efficient) and observed the fortress from several good river vantage points (the only other people on deck were crew members). I joined a lecture on the Baroque Period (in progress) and stayed for the Port Brief at 1900. Dinner was full of good options: I had salad, gnocchi, eggplant parmigiana and white chocolate mousse, accompanied by a Cab Sav from France. Good conversation and service! Before bed, I went on deck again and found myself in a pitch black part of the river. After some additional steps, I returned to my cabin and spent the rest of the evening reading, blogging and Duolingo exercises. Bedtime was at 2200. By morning, we’ll be in Croatia!
