Newborn Monument in Pristina, Kosovo, symbolizes the birth of the new country. Kosovo was an autonomous region within the former country of Yugoslavia. After the breakup of Yugoslavia, leaders of the Kosovo region expressed their desire for independence. Forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (by then consisting of the Republics of Montenegro and Serbia) … Read more
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
