32 If you go into the woods today....

32

entering serbia

Vokova to Sremska Mitrovica

Best bit: rolling hills

Worst: leaving Vukova before the final concert of that German orchestra

Distance 84km

So far Serbia wins on friendliness and draws equal number one for stupid drivers. As I left the haunting Vukovar I was chilled by the words from the lovely friendly in the tourist information, who told me how most of her family had been murdered during the war, and appropriately I passed the mass cemetary for them and others leaving the town.

I was careful not to enter the woods. The minefields had not been cleared....

Crossing the border into Serbia I switched to the scenic route through Fruska Gora national park. Near empty roads and green everywhere. And a nice chunky climb to stop me getting stiff on the saddle.Several of the handful of cars that did pass me hooted and waved {I interpreted these to be nice waves, and not the two fingered variety that you tend to get from drivers back home}.

hotel

About noon my stomach was telling me that it was time to eat the squashed bread roll and bit of cheese sweating away in my backback, when I smelt a barbie. Steering off the road into the woods I came accross a hidden valley and a bunch of mountain bikers from the local town who were cooking up. I was instantly welcomed and before I knew it was being stuffed full of home made sausages, and biscuits dipped in the serbian equivalent of nutella. The gang all spoke cracking English (Srdjan, Dejan,Ivana and Mirela) and gave me a invite to visit their local place in Sremska Mitrovica which apparently was groaning with roman stuff just lying around. So I scooted off in that direction, a short 30km downhill detour, and joined them for a beer in the evening. And of course, they were absolutely right. Ruins everywhere. Even my hotel had been built on a roman temple...

Minefield!!

New friends

old architecture S Mitrovica

oldchurch

one of 4 roman altars in hotel lobby

ruins in town centre