“Make voyages. Attempt them. There’s nothing else.”
― Tennessee Williams
When I awake in Belgrade – at the wonderfully agreeable hour of 6am, cramped curled up on the overnight bus from Mostar – I am greeted by rain; chilling showers that fall all morning and coat the sidewalks with leaves as though they were cut-outs in a découpage project.
After a quick breakfast in one of the station’s cafés, I reluctantly venture into the rain, mind addled from a lack of sleep but determined to at least glimpse the city. After all, I’ll have just fifteen hours here before catching the night train to Bulgaria.
Travel is funny like that sometimes, isn’t it? Giving us these oddly scheduled arrivals and strange pockets of time in which to explore a new country. Five hours in Amsterdam. Sixteen hours in Singapore. In-between places that are neither the start nor end of our journey; places that will pass through us as quickly as we pass through them.
Even still, a few fleeting moments always seem to remain long after we’ve left, like flecks of gold caught in the mesh of a miner’s sieve.
When I think of Belgrade now – for instance, here in the shisha-filled air of an Istanbul café – I’ll think of a shoe shiner with the marvelous name of Aslan, whom I met after sketching the Temple of Saint Sava and who had, I am convinced, the world’s largest, most colorful assortment of shoelaces displayed on a stand next to his stall.
I’ll think of the flower market I wandered into on my way back to the station, with its mums and pansies, curiously shaped gourds, and a kind stranger in a navy blue trench coat, who stopped to ask if I was a professional photographer and graciously accepted my business card.
And finally, I’ll think of the leaves – the fallen, dampened leaves coating the city’s sidewalks like a découpage.
For in a way, that’s exactly what my time in Belgrade was – a few fleeting images, pasted forever to the surface of my mind.
Fleeting visits often leave a bigger impression in our mind than extended stays, where time is no object –
Maybe knowing we have but a few hours in a place we gulp it in, anxious not to miss a drop and in so doing get a true glimpse of time itself, which is short and precious.
Yes those quick trips are sometimes the longest lasting memories. It sounds like a lovely 15 hours even in the cold and the rain. The sketch is absolutely beautiful. I’m really excited to hear about your time in Bulgaria, and perhaps you even spend at least 16 hrs there :). So you did you end up getting your shoes shined, or just talk shop?
I’m sure the rain was a bummer for you, but it gives all your photos such a wonderful, moody atmosphere here! Lovely sketch, too – I really like the richness of the greens.
I love fleeting moments – I find they’re often the most poignant in my memory, even over memories from places I spent more time.
Have fun on the Evliya Çelebi Way! It looks beautiful.
Oh how I want to go back to Serbia. Our fleeting time there was just too short. And Belgrade is so pretty.
Wonderful pictures and I love the sketch!! The trek through Anatolia sounds amazing, I can’t wait to see your pictures. Turkey is one of my favorite places and I am already looking forward to explore when I move back to Europe! Have fun and safe travels
Kristina x
I love your sketches! So inspiring to a beginner like me. I don’t travel much so I sketch things closer to home but I love seeing the world through your sketches!
Lately, I feel like the queen of quick trips. But these short jaunts really force me to be more aware when I travel in an effort to absorb as much of a place as I can within a short amount of time. And your pictures and sketch of Belgrade are very insightful!
Loved this one !!!
I really don`t know what to love, your photos or your sketches. 🙂
A very nice sketch of the St Sava Church. Much better than the paintings I saw in Knez Mihailova street!
Wow. Amazing sketches and photos! We are going to be in Belgrade in just a few days and this post has made us even more excited!
I love waking up to rain. And here, where it is so dry, it’s a precious thing too. I often wonder what all places I’ll have visited in the future–perhaps under falling rain.
What a beautiful post! I especially love the line ” In-between places that are neither the start nor end of our journey; places that will pass through us as quickly as we pass through them.” How poetically put!
I love your photos! My journey to Serbia began in Belgrade and I had a wonderful experience driving over the Fruska Gora into Novi Sad. One day I’d like to visit Belgrade properly, spent a couple of days there instead of passing through. I think most of all, I love the way Serbians say ‘Beograd’.