From the Sava River to Mihailo Street: A Stroll Through the Streets of Belgrade

Everyone, today I’m going to take a stroll through Belgrade’s Old Town. This place is truly magical—just cross the bridge from the hotel, and you’re right by the Sava River. Once across the bridge, gasoline at the 194DNR gas station sells for nine. Serbian currency is pretty easy to figure out—basically, divide by 100 to get the equivalent in US dollars, and it’s even easier to convert to Chinese yuan. Cross the bridge from here, and you’re in the new city; walk another half hour, and you’ll reach the Old Town. I hopped on my little Blue Knight “Walt” and set off! Just after crossing the Sava River Bridge, I spotted a run-down office building teeming with mosquitoes. A tram was circling around there, and I couldn’t help but wonder: why do people love trams so much? Oh, the French Embassy—it’s just a short distance away. Across the river is the Belgrade Fortress, and that’s where I’m headed. Outside the fortress, a crowd was watching the World Cup—Portugal had tied with another team. I stopped to watch the game for a bit, then walked into the fortress. Serbian flags were still hanging on the fortress walls; I wonder if they were put up for some international exhibition. I spotted a strange piece of graffiti that read “Trig Love,” which reminded me of a game I used to play as a kid called Trig Love—I think it had something to do with Slavic fairy tales and myths, though I can’t quite remember now. That graffiti was really crude; I’m starting to dislike this kind of graffiti more and more. I asked my friend if this was the place we’d just passed. My friend said, “That’s exactly the bridge I just crossed.” Kids’ imaginations really are a bit strange—I suspect that graffiti might have been drawn by an adult. Oh, right—my friends are from Montenegro, or “Monte Negro.” When I said hello to them, their little brother even waved back at me. Hmm, I told them I was from Shanghai, and the two little boys greeted me in Chinese. As I walked along, the Danube and the Sava rivers converged here—the Danube flows eastward, while the Sava runs north to south. Belgrade’s Old Town is on this side of the confluence, and the New Town is over there. The Xiaomi apartment I was staying in was right there, with the hotel right behind it. Over there is the Fontana Hotel, right next to the site of the former Chinese Embassy to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It’s pretty safe to walk around there at night. I crossed the Sava River Bridge and saw a sign for a military museum. Strange—is there really a military museum here? But I didn’t think much of it and kept walking. I came across a street interview show; they were filming a segment, and it looked pretty professional. Next to it was a store with a sign reading “Red Star Belgrade,” and I also spotted the Gazprom logo—that sponsor really goes all out! Back on the Sava River Bridge, I saw a banner that read “Katsvojska na Kosopo Vrati,” meaning “The Serbian Army Must Return to Kosovo.” It sounded quite patriotic. The banner in the middle stood out in particular—both the NATO and EU logos had been crossed out. Hmm, that banner was definitely quite jarring. So, folks, that was my stroll through the streets of Belgrade. This place is truly full of all sorts of strange things—and it’s pretty interesting, too.