Category: Serbia

The Black Book: What is it and Why Should I Care

18/12/2020

The Black Book of Pushbacks, this formidable publication, in two enormous volumes, is the most depressing thing you can read.

It documents the illegal removal of refugees and migrants from European Union countries, almost always using violence and other breaches of human rights.

It launched today, International Day for Migrants, with a Zoom conference with German MEP Cornelia Ernst, The Left coordinator in the Parliament’s Civil Liberties committee.

Presentations were by:
• Hope Barker, Policy Analyst, Border Violence Monitoring Network (BVMN)
• Milena Zajović, President, Are You Syrious and Head of advocacy, BVMN
• Andras Lederer, Senior Advocacy Officer, Hungarian Helsinki Committee
• Neeske Beckmann, head of mission, Seawatch airborne operations

You can watch it back here.

I have to say, it was really depressing listening. More than 12,000 people were effected by illegal activities in 2020. In fact, many many more. I know from first hand experience of collecting reports for BVMN, that incidents go unrecorded, perhaps because the victim doesn't want to talk about their traumatic experience, and also because the scale of the issue is too large for the volunteers on the ground.

The authorities are aware of these illegal acts.

The European Parliament knowingly and willingly funds the border authorities of Croatia and Greece.

Yet human rights violations continue. The passionate and professional contributors to the conference detailed the atrocities in their own fields - how Hungary have legalised pushbacks to Serbia, how Seawatch monitor the Libyan Coastguard.

But there was a message of hope. Hope that the voices of the wronged will be heard and that in the future we will look back with shame on what happened in the past.

To learn more visit borderviolence.eu and to show support to the situation you can donate or buy an e-voucher here

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The minimalist life: How backpacking made me tidier

7/12/2020

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My trusty black bag, complete with my scallop shell pendant from the Camino de Santiago and ribbons I've picked up along the way.

I have always been untidy. I had a pretty big bedroom growing up, with plenty of storage space for clothes, toys and school stuff. Yet I’d still end up with a pile of books next to my bed - usually half read, or lined up to be read next - and clothes covering the floor (all the better to see what you’ve got!). But I seem to be changing…

I’ve spent the last 4 or 5 years being largely nomadic. I cleared out the clutter, packed up some things into storage (thanks to Mum’s garage) and took with me only what I really needed. That first big trip to India, I had a sizable backpack stuffed full, plus another bag as a day pack. Well, who knows what you’re going to need during 4 months in a strange land? But it wasn’t long before I got fed up with carrying bags! In fact, as soon as I got to my cousin’s lofty Mumbai flat, I crammed the contents of the small backpack into the bigger bag so I only had one to carry.

Delicious sweets at the market in Kozhikode.

There was one particular day that I bemoaned my big bag the most. I was in Kozhikode in the southern state of Kerala. I had found my way from the bus station to the train station amidst the crazy traffic of retro cars and horses pulling carts but I had ages before the train that would take me to the city of Kochi. There was nowhere to leave bags at the station, so I stubbornly explored the fascinating market with my enormous bag. Sweaty, tired and a little bit cross, I remember giving up and sitting at the station for well over an hour - all thanks to my heavy belongings.

So the next trip I took, I was determined to take less stuff. Encouraged by my budget flight, which charged for hold bags, I packed hand luggage only. My black rucksack was meticulously packed so that everything just fitted in. It was great! I didn’t have to wait at baggage reclaim when I landed at LAX, and I could dash around downtown Hollywood with all my stuff. And who needs much clothing in Hawaii?? Ok I had to wash my few t-shirts pretty frequently thanks to Hilo’s humid climate, but walking up and down the beachfront in Kona waiting for the right time for the airport bus was still enjoyable even with all my stuff.

Near the end of the world - Finisterre, the end of the Camino, beyond Santiago.

I love that black bag. It’s walked the Camino de Santiago with me, travelled Peru, Bolivia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand as well as Mexico. The only problem with it is that it packs only from the top, meaning you have to take EVERYTHING out to find the thing at the bottom. Yes, I got used to packing pajamas and wash-bag at the top, but there were frequent occasions when my bunk in the hostel was covered in all my belongings. And this is how things get lost… I had this great t-shirt that I loved from Tribe Nutrition (an awesome, conscious, sports nutrition brand. Check them out here!). It was quite new, cotton and I used it to sleep in. However, it was the same colour as the sheets in the hostel and I left it behind somewhere in Mexico.

Happily I’ve not lost many things whilst globetrotting (pens, hair-ties and a book), but keeping a careful eye on my stuff has made me more tidy. Never leave your wash stuff in the bathroom if you don’t want someone else to use it. Expect your towel to go missing when it looks like everyone else’s travel towel, unless you hang it up carefully near your bed.

Stef tending to our travelling garden on our way from France to Serbia.

But I’ve noticed that it’s not just while I’m backpacking now. My last trip - to France and the Balkans - was by car. I find I now have the habit of putting things back where I took them from and keeping my stuff in one area. Ok that area might not be that tidy (right now, my bag is just dumped out into the bottom of the wardrobe in the apartment that I call home at the moment) but everything is in there, and with the doors shut it looks tidy.

Ask my Mum and she may not agree - my room at her house tends towards the childhood habit of keeping clothes displayed on the floor (yes I do need that many pairs of black leggings), but travel has made me tidier and more aware of where my stuff is - just one more reason to go around the world!

Are you a tidy person? And when you travel? I can’t wait to travel again! Once we can, where do you want to go? And how much stuff will you be taking? Comment below.

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World Day of the Poor:FARM STREET ORGANIST CHANGES KEY TO OFFER SUPPORT

17/11/2020

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It was back in January that I last played the organ at Farm Street Church in Mayfair before taking a sabbatical. The world I returned to was very different. Have a read of the article I wrote for the church.

Read Here

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Hiking Near Čačak Serbia

12/10/2020

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I’m not sure I would have ever visited Serbia on holiday had it not been for the pandemic and the migrant crisis combined. Perhaps I would have done a long weekend if there were a sale on flights to Belgrade. Even on my break between projects, I hadn’t planned to visit Čačak (pronounced Charchak). Stef and I were travelling in southern Serbia and Kosovo on our way to Bosnia. We visited Niš in Serbia with its ancient Ottoman history and concentration camp museum, before stopping in Kosovar capital Pristina. It was at this point we had to decide how and where to get a Covid PCR test which is required before entering Bosnia. Some map searching and googling led to Čačak. After a whistle-stop visit to beautiful Prizren and it’s many mosques, and a quick stop in the divided city of Mitrovica, we arrived to a small health centre in a random city. Here’s some info about the city, and what we got up to while waiting for the test and for the result.

Mountain Cabin life.

Čačak

The city is located just over two hours on the bus from Belgrade, in the West Morava Valley in Central Serbia. There are over 30 monasteries in the vicinity dating from the 14th century. Many of these are located in the Ovcar-Kablar Gorge. More on this later. The city has a bustling main square, busy market and friendly inhabitants. But if you visit, you'll likely spend most of your time out of the city.

Mountain Air

We stayed at this mountain cabin near Prejevor, not too far from the centre. It was the perfect antidote to the bustling cities we had been in. Peaceful, green and stunning views of the surrounding mountains. Jovana and her mum Lily welcomed us with coffee, homemade jam and fresh salad before lighting a BBQ to cook corn on the cob. We went for a walk up the hill, passing the orchards of plum trees, the encroaching darkness revealed the multitude of stars.

Hiking and Monasteries

The next morning we set off to scale the mountain of Kablar. We had some vague directions and had a very adventurous drive through old mountain tunnels before arriving to Ovcar Banjar, a tiny town in the river valley. We had a quick look at the hiking map before starting our ascent. There are plenty of trails here and different ways to reach the summit. We of course didn’t notice the ! that accompanied our route. There were very steep sections where scrambling was required, metal handholds had been positioned in some places but it was definitely quite dodgy. The views paid off though. We gained height quickly and the view along the valley in both directions was stunning. We reached the top, sweaty and proud, and sat and ate some chocolate admiring the view, while those who had driven most of the way up bustled to the viewpoint and back. The trail we chose for the descent was much easier going. There were fruit trees to keep us energised, and a really different landscape. None of the same stunning river views though.

Hiking Trails Map

Čačak Centre

We stayed at an apartment in the centre of the city for a couple of nights. I’m not sure I’d recommend the place we stayed but it will remain memorable for a host of reasons…! I had a lovely run through the pedestrianised centre to the river. Then we visited the church as we wandered around. The highlights of many trips are often the food. We found THE best bakery. Serbia is a vegan paradise. No, I’m not joking. Thanks to the Eastern Orthodox tradition of abstaining from animal products on Wednesdays and Fridays, many baked goods are vegan. Zmej pekara was amazing! Not only did they have friendly and patient staff, but a wealth of vegan choice. I think we visited about 4 times in 3 days. The mushroom burek, potato pitta, sweet breads and weird cheesecake thing were all amazing but were however shadowed by THE CHOCOLATE CROISSANT. Chocolate filled and chocolate covered. Bliss.

The market in Čačak was another absolute highlight. The colourful stands of fresh and local produce were a vegan heaven. We were admiring a man’s melon stall and were offered a taste. “Dobro” we had a multilingual conversation about which countries we were from, which somehow resulted in us being given half an enormous melon!

Paintings and refreshment at Monastir Preobrazenje

Hiking Mount Ovcar

Undeterred by our adventurous hike, we returned to Ovcar Banjar to scale the second of the twin peaks. The monasteries in this area are extraordinary. Many are still inhabited by monks or nuns, and have ancient wall paintings. The first that we visited was Monastir Preobrazenje where we had to put on long clothes to be allowed to enter. The nuns were very friendly and had provided fruit and water, and the paintings inside the dark chapel were beautiful. We continued our hike on the other side of the river where we saw three or four other monasteries. Another larger one had refreshments for travellers too. It was at this point that we decided that the weather wasn’t quite bad enough to deter us from scaling the peak. It was shortly after this that it started with the thunder and lightning. You’ll have to let me know what the view is like from the top…

If we had more time, there were miles and miles of unexplored paths and numerous other monasteries to visit. And I'd definitely return to the city just to visit the pekara!

What's the best bakery food you've had? Comment below.

The view from Kablar before it rained!

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Sliding Doors: My Pandemic, France, Serbia, Bosnia

5/10/2020

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Corona Virus has undoubtedly touched all our lives. Every interaction is tinged with a new caution, all plans are made with a new uncertainty. Some people have managed to survive in a relatively unaltered way, others have lost businesses, relationships, homes. I was supposed to be a scuba professional in Mexico, then a church organist in London. When neither of those options were available I went looking for usefulness and adventure - and I found so much more than I could ever have imagined. With all the lows that I have written about, there have been many, many highs too. Here's how it happened.

The scar on the mountain, Croatia's dreadful border.

Another organisation offered to take us shopping! They let us spend their money on hygiene supplies.

I nearly didn't go. In April, the restrictions were incredibly tight and despite the piles of paperwork, I heard that it was no longer possible to travel directly to France to volunteer in Calais. I spoke to the organisation, they whispered about another possibility via Belgium, their enthusiasm for my arrival spurred me on. A beautiful sunset, an overnight ferry and a bit of a drive. I could've made another decision. That film Sliding Doors, where you watch both realities play out - the one where she catches the train, and the one where she misses it, the doors slide closed in front of her - it could so easily have been a different reality. I was only going to stay three weeks.

The people I met in France are entirely responsible for what happened next! "There's a guy in Serbia, on his own, why don't you do there?". I can remember the conversation that Stef and I had which resulted in our commitment to join No Name Kitchen. 3 days driving later and my piano and my little British car crosses the 8th country border of the trip, out of the European Union and into the tiny town of Šid in Serbia. I learnt so much in Serbia. I learnt to make huge pots of food, to communicate in different ways in order optimise the reach of our organisation. I learnt some Pashto, some Serbo-croatian, a wariness of the police and where to find the best accidentally vegan pastries. I learnt about the brutality of the Croatian border guard, the hoops that need jumping through to get medical treatment if you're a person on the move, and the hopes and dreams of my new friends. Always hopes, despite everything.

"Serbia is bad, but Bosnia is worse. The police, the camps, the whole situation." Stef and I had decided to have the same time frame. This meant we wanted to go somewhere else after Serbia. Bosnia presented itself when No Name Kitchen wanted to set up something new in Bihać. Sounds mad doesn't it? I'm a church organist but seem to be being trusted to start operations in a new place for an organisation we've been with for 2 months. Me, Stef, the piano and the little British car toured Serbia and Kosovo before arriving in the mountain city. Sliding doors had placed us there with a familiar colleague and rather a lot of freedom to find out the need and work towards filling it. I am still amazed at the trust NNK put in us to do this, and amazed that we were able to use the skills we'd learnt to connect with other organisations and people on the move in a way that seemed very much lacking in the city.

I didn't know it was possible to be so stressed and still be able to function. There were a couple of days in Bihać when circumstances were mindblowingly stressful. There is always more to do, always someone we had to say "I'm sorry, we can't help you today." There are always reports to write, articles to pitch, friends to chat with, plans to make, lists and lists of things to do. There was one day in particular where I had a few minutes. I lay on my bed and wept, then dried my face and went back out there. We had already extended our stay for a few more days to try to fit more in.

On our last day, we went to visit the other No Name Kitchen in Velika Kladuša. It was only going to be to drop off some keys. A lovely lunch later and we couldn't resist going on one more distribution. We were greeted with surprise by guys we'd met in Bihac but were now in VK. "Hello! How are you? Bihać!" We had some nice chats while the distribution happened around us, then said our goodbyes to people on the move and volunteer friends. Being able to drive across the Croatian border with our shiny passports is sickening. Our friends stay months and years at the gate of the European Union, living rough, being beaten, not having enough to eat or a safe place to sleep. But it is still better than the alternative of a war-torn country or persecution for what you think or believe.

I am forever changed by the people I've met. As I write this, with a week's distance in the safety of Germany, I wouldn't change a thing about my pandemic experience and I am excited for my new future, which I can see beginning to spread out in front of me. Always do more.

Donate to the work of No Name Kitchen in Bosnia and all the other bases via this link.

"Place your hand in mine,
Run into the sunset,
Chase the future,
Always be kind."

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Dinner in Novi Sad, Serbia

9/7/2020

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We had a lovely dinner at Otvorena Kuhinja Ck13 yesterday evening. We collected donations of clothes and toiletries and raised some money too! It was great to chat to sympathetic people about our work in Šid and the situation for migrants in Serbia.

If you could make it and want to donate, you can do so here.

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Day to Day Life in ŠID, Serbia

7/7/2020

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The town sign written in Cyrillic

This tiny town, surrounded by fields of corn, wheat and sunflowers, feels like a different age. A trip to Serbian capital Belgrade was quite overwhelming after a week in the country. The shopping centre where I parked my little British car was a dissonance with the vegetable market and bakeries we frequent here. Upon my arrival in Šid, our branch of No Name Kitchen had to be restarted almost from nothing as operations had ceased during the coronavirus lockdown. We had to establish connections with people on the move and figure out how best to help them. Now we have a vague schedule which allows us to plan our time and resources, which looks something like this.

Shopping

Each day we go to the market to buy vegetables to cook with. We try and see what is cheapest in order to stretch our minimal budget as far as possible. We also buy bread from one of the many bakeries in town. 20-30 loaves of bread fit in this massive bag we have, a bit of a challenge to carry home!

Helen and the bread!

Chopping

Our big kitchen is in the garden. We have a big table for chopping vegetables and some big gas burners for huge cooking pots. We’ll put some water on to heat for lentils, beans, rice or pasta, then peel tonnes of onions and chop thousands of potatoes. We’ve got pretty creative with the spices and flavours. Balsamic cabbage was a hit, and hummus was awesome. It’s a challenge to estimate how much food to make for 60-100 people each day on a tight budget.

Admin tasks

Each of us has a specific role within the organisation which requires time. Logistics involves obtaining clothes and supplies for us to use, as well as the management of volunteers arriving and plenty of other details. Finance is a complicated task of maintaining our financial records, applying for an appropriate budget and monitoring our spending. Violence reporting requires conducting interviews with people who have been victims of illegal pushback from another country to Serbia. The often violent crime that is committed by Croatian, Romanian or Hungarian border guards are reported by the Border Violence Monitoring Network. Communication involves creating content for social media as well as a weekly podcast that goes out in Spanish. Health involves first aid as well as directing people towards services that they can access, or facilitating payment for things they can’t afford. This is my role, and so far I have got someone a new frame for his glasses, and facilitated medications for people where the camp doctor doesn’t cover it. All these tasks have to fit into the day. This means meeting with people, writing reports, filling in forms and liaising with other organisations.

Distribution

In the afternoon we pack up the food, as well as powerbanks that we have charged overnight, and laundry that we have collected and washed the previous day. We also include hygiene items like toothbrushes, tissues and any medical supplies that have been requested. We load it all into our adventure van or my little British car and drive to the meeting point. We have to find meeting places away from where the police might see us, as the guys could get taken back to the camps if they are discovered. Being taken to the camp means they can’t try to cross the border and the camp conditions range from ‘not too bad’ to ‘utterly awful’. One place that we meet is teeming with mosquitoes, so we’re trying to provide bug spray and bite treatment to as many people as we can.

Sunflowers in Serbia

By the end of the day there are usually some left-over tasks. Washing up, meetings or discussions can take up some time, we have to plan regular trips to Belgrade in order to restock on cheap food and meet with other organisations. Otherwise we can go for a walk in the sunflower fields with Una the Bosnian street dog and then wander to the centre of town. There’s a place for vegan ice cream as well as some friendly bars to relax in. Every day is busy and full and there are tough times. The stories of the violent pushbacks are the hardest to hear, and managing a tiny budget when trying to help so many people is difficult. It’s hard having to say no to so many requests for essential items, but we know we’re helping even if the lists seem endless at times.

To help us with our work here you can donate to No Name Kitchen here.

I'm always happy to answer questions about the work here and the migrant crisis in general. Let me know in the comments or contact form if you want to know more about it here.

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Sid, Serbia: the migrant crisis

27/6/2020

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Serbian countryside - sunflowers and the adventure van

Two weeks ago I drove with my adventure buddy Stef from Calais to Serbia on a three day expedition, through 7 countries (France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia) to arrive in the small border town of Šid (pronounced Shid) in Serbia. I started learning about the situation in the Balkans from fellow volunteers in Calais, as well as from refugees that had come that route. Stef and I were put in touch with No Name Kitchen, an organisation with several operations in the Balkans and Greece, and who were very short on volunteers in Serbia. It has been a steep learning curve, both about Serbia as a country to live in, and about how the migrant crisis is being handled here. Here’s something of what I’ve learnt so far.

Two sorts of camps

The Serbian government runs two sorts of camps for refugees and migrants, reception centres and residential camps for those wishing to make an asylum claim. There are also separate camps for families and for unaccompanied minors. In the town of Sid there’s a family camp reception centre which I have visited.

Outside of the camps

Right now the camps are locked down. The excuse being used is coronavirus, but there was an election at the weekend and it’s likely the camps were used as a political move too. There are some people outside of the camps who don’t want to be in them, or chose to leave in order to try and cross the border into Croatia or Romania. These are the people we have trying to help the most.

Violence

One of the tasks of No Name Kitchen is to collect violence and push back reports. A push back is when someone is forced back from Croatia or Romania into Serbia. It’s illegal. Once someone has got to the new country, they have the right to make an asylum application. Many of the push backs are violent, with border guards and police beating and robbing people before sending them back to Serbia.

Walking in Sid Photo by Helen Tennyson @helen.tennyson12

The political situation and the coronavirus situation have both become more intense since being here. Democracy is not in evidence and the borders have just been closed again as the number of covid cases rise. For us, that means we can’t access the donations of clothes and equipment from abroad. However, from a day to day life point of view, Šid is a pretty nice place to live. The small town has lots of bakeries and green spaces, and is surrounded by fields, with lots of walking and running routes. People are friendly, if a bit confused by us foreigners. We cook massive pots of food every day to take to various groups, the coordination of that is quite delicate, and we all have administrative work to do for the organisation and for our ‘real’ jobs. Our days are long and busy, it’s extremely difficult to plan for the changing situation, but it’s a privilege to be able to help people in need.

The more I learn about politics and conflict, the more I realise how much Western Europe has to answer for. Not only are many people fleeing war and oppressive regimes caused or supported by the west, but people on the move (asylum seekers, refugees, migrants) are used as a political bargaining chip for Serbia to gain membership of the EU. Croatia, Hungary and Romania receive millions of Euros to keep people out using whatever methods are necessary. And this all happens with the knowledge and support of the west.

I will be staying in Šid until the end of July and will happily answer any questions anyone has. Comment below or send me a message, and stand by for more content. Follow Hannah the Traveller on facebook for more updates.

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Kayaking in Belgrade, Serbia: Lockdown Adventures

22/6/2020

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Coronavirus has managed to make all our worlds smaller. For a long time we were only aware of the situation in our own countries and localities and it remains quite difficult to find information about the situation in other countries. I was living in France for a couple of months, and watched as the restrictions were gradually lifted. Cafes reopened for takeaway, bars and restaurants started taking customers again - and there was a glimpse of normal life returning. Each country has had a different experience. I’m in Serbia now and visited Belgrade as part of my work with an aid organisation. Belgrade seems 100% back to normal. It’s such an interesting city to visit and I felt very fortunate to have the city experience without tourists! And even more so when I happened to call up Belgrade Adventures when I realised that myself and fellow volunteer Stef were going to have some free time…!

Belgrade sits on the confluence of two rivers - the Sava and Danube. Rivers mean water so naturally I looked up the water sport opportunities in the city. Belgrade Adventures could accommodate us right away, with a bespoke tour to fit into our schedule. Vlada the guide met us and asked a few questions about what we wanted to see and if we had any experience before we were set afloat in our double kayak. I’ve paddled quite a few different crafts in my time but this was my first time with a rudder operated by foot pedals. So my feet were doing the steering. As an organist, you’d think I’d be competent at multitasking with different body parts, but it certainly took some getting used to (sorry for Stef)!

We zig-zagged our way upstream to begin with, and saw an army base where the warship formerly called SMS Bodrog is tethered. This ship was instrumental to the beginning of WWI. Vlada gave us plenty of local history and an amazing amount of information about the nature that inhabits the river islands. He’s seen a white-tailed eagle on more than one occasion. No eagles for us today but plenty of ducks and herons, all within moments of the bustling city. Belgrade’s two million inhabitants have nature on their doorstep. We continued towards the confluence of the two rivers and floated on the mighty Danube. It is a vast river! I’ve paddled on the Thames in London and felt like a small dot but the Danube dwarfs Old Father Thames. The views of the city on the hill above were spectacular. Just as the sun came out we headed for a secluded channel where we left any noise of human habitation behind, and meandered through the reeds watching out for catfish and turtles that call this place home.

On our way back, Vlada talked about the other adventures that are on offer. Caving and mountain biking in Serbia sounds cool. I am very tempted by their Novi Sad to Belgrade kayaking journey. Two days, 70 km and a night camping on a river island - that’s my kind of adventure.

Coronavirus is going to have a huge impact on tourism for a very long time. Here in the Balkans, movement between nearby countries is going to be acceptable before long so hopefully tourism will start to grow in the coming months. I feel incredibly privileged to have experienced Belgrade as very few people do, and I am really grateful to Vlada and Ivan at Belgrade Adventures for showing us the unique, watery perspective of their beautiful city. See you soon guys!

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The Black Book: What is it and Why Should I Care

The minimalist life: How backpacking made me tidier

World Day of the Poor:FARM STREET ORGANIST CHANGES KEY TO OFFER SUPPORT

Hiking Near Čačak Serbia

Sliding Doors: My Pandemic, France, Serbia, Bosnia

Dinner in Novi Sad, Serbia

Day to Day Life in ŠID, Serbia

Sid, Serbia: the migrant crisis

Kayaking in Belgrade, Serbia: Lockdown Adventures

Hannah the traveller

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