8/4 Sunday
We
have our entries to two museums for today. To get there, we have a pleasant
walk through an Upper West Side kind of neighborhood, very shaded and pretty.
The Museum of Vuk and Dositej is described in Wikipedia as “one of the most
important memorial museums in Belgrade.” It’s in a lovely small estate that was
one of the original institutions of higher education in Serbia. It also seems
to be closed. But as we poke around, a man comes to the door and lets us in.
Unlike our enthusiastic director at the Museum of Literature in Sarajevo,
however, this guy tells us simply that “there is no English,” and lets us walk
through the first floor rooms for a little while. We know we’re looking at
exhibitions describing the important contributions of these writers, but we
really can’t decipher anything.
Our
next stop is the Fresco Gallery, an odd place. It contains replicas of frescos
and carvings from several churches and monasteries in the region. It’s a plain,
utilitarian space, but with huge walls and high ceilings. I recognize the
portal from the cathedral at Trogir in Croatia, presented here full size. There
are giant paintings of Byzantine era frescos and several other portals. The
pieces are done with the wear of the ages intact, just as they would look if
you went to see them on site. The lions of Trogir are worn with age; the
frescos have bare spots throughout. It’s a very interesting place, giving
access to works that would be difficult to appreciate otherwise.
As
we come out of the Gallery of Frescos, we find ourselves right near the city
zoo, so we decide we may as well see it. It’s actually built right against some
of the walls of the Fortress. It’s very shady and park like, a pleasant spot
for a walk. The habitats could use some updating, but the animals seem to be
well cared for. In one building, we see some workers cleaning a room full of
chickens. Hey…they’re not zoo animals. Wait a minute, what are those lions
eating! The lions are especially nice, very blonde and pretty. And well fed.
The
afternoon heat starts to get to us, so we head back to the movies to see Wolverine.
Then it’s time to pack up and get set for departure early Monday morning.
1 Video Included
Belgrade Frescos and Zoo
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