Kosovo hadn’t been on my list of possible destinations when I decided to tour the ex-Yugoslavian countries this summer. I’d been repeatedly advised that Kosovo was dangerous, so when, on a whim, I decided to visit the capital city of Pristina on my way to Macedonia, I admit to being a little anxious. I had … Read more
Peppers, like these beauties in a market in Niš, Serbia, are a mainstay of Serbian cuisine. They are served stuffed and topped with cheese, roasted, baked, fried, ground into a paste used as a spread, and probably a dozen more ways that I did not try. I was told that Serbians eat meat for breakfast, … Read more
I waited uncomfortably as our guide prepared to demonstrate the Tesla Coil at the Nikola Tesla Museum in Belgrade, Serbia. Would my hair stand on end? Would I be shocked? He threw the switch, and a lightning bolt split the air, reaching for the copper ball suspended above the coil. The people holding flourescent bulbs … Read more
The copper-coiled tower that rose before me was simultaneously fascinating and frightening. I knew the enormous Tesla Coil had the ability to create lightning bolts that could fry a person. Our guide eased my nervousness, explaining that we would be perfectly safe, as electricity channeled through the coil would seek the highest conductive point in … Read more
Local legend says that this geologic formation in southern Serbia was created when a furious God turned a wedding party to stone. Known as Devil’s Town, the spires are formed when softer volcanic tufa that lies below a hard layer of andesite rock is eroded by wind and water. Known as “hoodoos” by geologists, there … Read more
