Day 10 - Novi Sad, Serbia - 2940 miles

I eventually slept well but probably not for long enough. In a very relaxed mode Kit and I strolled down for breakfast with five minutes to spare. It was a nice meal and while it was the usual continental breakfast in style all the meats and other ingredients were slightly different in style and flavour. Serbian coffee was like Turkish coffee in style which was interesting but not really surprising when you think about Serbian history and there was even Earl Grey tea for Kit. Back in the room we sat around, reading, writing and talking about last night. Sonja sent me a text to say that she and Nebojša had slept in and were behind schedule. I wanted to write about last night while it was fresh in my mind so I told her to relax and we eventually met a couple of hours later. Kit and I needed the relaxation time to be honest. It was the right thing to do to stop an extra day in Novi Sad. We were able to take stock and talk about what we have achieved so far.

We were met by Sonja, Nebojša, Tijana and Miloš and walked around Novi Sad looking at the town. Mopi was came along for the walk. He also attended last night's gig and enjoyed it as much as any human, joining in with the applause by running around the room and barking between each song. As we walked around Novi Sad a gentle conversation developed between us all. I had my first intimate, face to face conversation with my friend Miloš. Each little moment of the trip being as precious as the one before. It was a Sunday and quiet but the sight of the shops made me think again about gifts for Chris and Holly. The trip was more than half over and we still hadn't got anything. We then sat in a cafe for an hour and talked. We discussed our onward journey and looked at a map that Nebojša had given me. Yes, I finally have a map of Novi Sad! I'm again keen to continue to avoid motorways and toll roads and also to see something of Croatia. We will get the sat nav back tomorrow but the road route to Zagreb is so straight forward it should be easy to get to the border without it. As we sat in the cafe in an endless moment during which time went slowly for us I felt perfectly at peace. What a precious place Novi Sad is and what precious people they have here.

After lunch we were taken back to the Petrovaradin fortress and we looked at Sahat-Kula, the famous clock tower that looks over the town. A shop belonging to Novi Sad's Studio Radošević was opened for us and I was able to buy a t-shirt as a gift for Holly with a tasteful modern art print of Novi Sad on it. Kit couldn't resist one for himself. I was presented with a card by the artist in honour of my visit, the full significance of which only became apparent when I looked at it later. It is a plain black card in a bright red envelope but is nicely cut to house a separate red heart at the centre of which is a tiny envelope. When you open the envelope it folds out to reveal minature photos of the bombed bridges of Novi Sad. An extract from the text on the card reads 'The city is unique by its Danube bridges, no matter if they are built or carried away by the wars. It is exceptional for its bridges of friendship. It is always open to the world and all passers-by. This is Novi Sad.' Like a card written in advance just in case a foreigner comes to visit with a song about the very same subject.
We then drove out of Novi Sad to the home of Bogomir Mijatović, who is a Serbian rock journalist, and his wife Marija. I think we drove out of Novi Sad along the Danube valley but I can't be sure. Bogomir and Marija's house was built into the steep incline of a valley side and inside was open plan and split-level. I think there is a Serbian tradition of brotherhood through profession and this was the reason for my introduction to Bogomir, 'Bogy' to his friends. I don't think of myself as a journalist, more an amateur writer but when he showed me his 'office' I had to laugh out loud. It was the nearest thing I've ever seen to my own music room at home with thousands of albums, CDs amidst a mess of memorabilia. The walls that didn't have shelving attached were covered with autographs he has collected over the years with numerous world famous acts alongside Yugoslavian acts and others. He enthusiastically showed me his favourite items which included original Fleetwood Mac albums signed by Peter Green and a book on Bob Dylan. He also had the street signs from a Novi Sad street once named after John Lennon.
After looking round the room we sat and talked about music and football half distracted by the FA Cup semi-final between Portsmouth and Tottenham which was being played live on a massive TV screen. Bogy's second love was Liverpool FC and he shamed me with his detailed knowledge of my home town club and enthusiastically swapped opinions with me like a genuine Scouser would with his mates in some Liverpool pub. Bogy also moved onto the Liverpool music scene and lamented the lack of major acts coming from my city. He wasn't particularly impressed by the most recent wave of acts such as The Zutons and the like. I told him about Liverpool's vibrant, underground acoustic scene, which he was very interested in, and promised to send him a compilation of acts from the scene. I also promised to send him advanced news of any new Liverpool rock act that is likely to break big. He presented me with a book he wrote about the history of the Novi Sad music scene with the words 'I want to give you a very important piece of my life.' I love these people. I really do. We parted reluctantly. I could have talked to Bogy for hours and hours and sincerely hope I get another opportunity to.

The day wasn't over and Vesna had prepared a pancake feast when we got back to the house. Within what seemed like the blink of an eye it was time for Miloš and Tijana to leave. Tomorrow is Monday and a work day. I realised with a sinking heart that the end of our brief time in Novi Sad was nearing. I hugged them both very hard and told them I will miss them and as they left I already was. After they left we sat in Sonja's lounge with Nebojša and Vesna and for the final couple of hours took it in turn to sing songs with acoustic guitars. I played some songs from cobwebbed corners of my songbook that don't appear anywhwere on this blog and I loved doing so. I think we all played as well as we could and listening to Sonja and my son singing beautifully was yet another precious moment of this trip. Sonja's voice is such a thing of beauty and she closed the session by playing her song 'Godine Neke Daleke' which was the first song by Prkos Drumski that blew me away right at the beginning of this story. I don't know what time it was when we finished but back at the hotel I couldn't sleep anyway and I sat up for a while writing and thinking. I will return to Serbia and Novi Sad and I sincerely hope some of the people I met here will one day visit me. My house is an open door, after all. Sometimes when you leave people it feels like goodbye but on this occasion I didn't feel that way at all. My friends, I believe I will see you again. There will be new songs to sing together.