I am desperately trying to hold onto the first season that
welcomed me to Subotica, Serbia.
Over the past three months, summer slowly melted into fall and then recently took a drastic turn towards winter. In Subotica, you don't control your own heating unit; rather you wait for the city to decide when you and your neighbors deserve a little indoor heat. For about a week, Chris and I bundled up and prayed for the Mayor and his "people" to decide that it was too cold to live without a little warmth coming from our heating units. The heaters were finally turned on, and with the changing weather, cafe lined streets morphed into desolate sidewalks. Fashionable boots and high top sneakers replaced casual sandals, and ice cream became almost impossible to find. Winter is here, and it's time to stubbornly unpack my sweaters and bundle up with the rest of them.
Farewell to my first Serbian summer.
This picture perfectly sums up my first Serbian summer. Chris and I had made a trip to Palic to read and relax, but I was more interested in people watching. I quickly took a picture of these four elderly people just soaking up the final rays of summer on the lake. They read, munched on sunflower seeds, talked way too loud (probably about politics), showered off several times, and just had a grand time with each other.
A peaceful time with community - that is what summer in
Serbia felt like for me.
Although outdoor seating disappeared just as quickly as highs in the mid-80's, you can still enjoy a cappuccino INSIDE Plato Books. Peace and community can still be found indoors, but I am already missing the warmth of my first Serbian summer.
Summer is not that far away - right? Don't laugh. I know that it will get a lot colder before it gets warmer in Serbia. Chris and I have traded our summer clothes in for dark winter jackets and wool scarves, But my summer clothes are not too far away . . . just in case I can find an excuse for a trip to Turkey or Greece. Doesn't that sound grand about now?!
Don't forget a good knit hat; you will need it! Get one that covers your ears and blocks the wind! I thought I would never wear wool knit hats until I lived in Belgrade and had to wait outside in the elements for public transportation! It will become your most prized possession! Srecno!
ReplyDeleteGreat suggestion! I will get one as soon as possible! I may have a few knit hats that I used to wear snowboarding. . . they will probably show up on more than the slopes now.
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