Thinking Allowed: Catching up time

Sometimes the unplanned destinations are the most liked. We had no expectations of Novi Sad, and had not even heard of the town until our friends mentioned they were going and invited us along. Much of what we already knew about Serbia stemmed from history books, so, you can sort of imagine our skewed and minimal impressions. Novi Sad was a hopping little city on the Danube. We enjoyed our time sitting on the river beach watching the kids swim and run around playing while barges and recreational boats all skittered by in the background. We appreciated the regional fusion of local cuisine, with savory puff pastry juxtaposed with sweet poppyseed cakes. The old town, preserved from all the conflict of the twentieth century, was endearing with open squares, churches, a grandiose synagogue, and cobbled pedestrian pathways. We revelled in the beautiful company of friends and the unexpected constant kindness and good nature of the locals we met. It seemed like everyone would take the time to stop and smile and chat with our baby. We got to climb, enjoy the last swims and ice creams of Summer, watch a small guitar concert, run in the mud, and eat figs off of trees. Thanks Novi Sad! Maybe we will be back one day, and if not, hopefully our stay has inspired us to look beyond the usually visited destinations.