TRAVEL AND LIFESTYLE DIARIES

This is the only picture of the Clock Tower in Novi Sad's Petrovaradin Fortress that I have on a good blue skies day. I have other shots of the clock tower but they all looked somber (see below). And it so happened that I am in this picture as well which does not always happen a lot these days. I have since forced myself to do selfies so that I have souvenirs of the places I have been to. But sometimes I get tired of selfies. Who would have thought that I get tired of selfies? I mean, I used to love selfies. Don't we all? Hmm, must be the case of getting older? That suddenly I find this selfie thing so trivial. Yes, so silly and teenage-ish. But don't worry I will still take selfies for posterity's sake. Anyway, my hair is too long. Too long for my age (I am turning 46 in 3 months). So I think I am going to the hair salon this weekend to trim this a bit, hopefully have a hairdo representing my 40ish age. I find it quite soothing to grow older though, but this...

The view from my hotel on Terazije... Taken from the balcony of my room on my first day in the capital of Serbia, Belgrade. Terazije is one of the main streets in the centre of Belgrade. All the main attractions in the city are just within walking distance which is really nice. Belgrade really surprised me! The popular pedestrian shopping and cafe terrace street is just around the corner. The Belgrade Fortress is just a few minutes walk as well. Today, I walked a lot. A lot that my calves and back have started to hurt. Because I do not do exercise and sport stuff, this is something like a compromise. I will be posting more stories soon. Travel Period: March 2016 Destination: Stari Grad (Old Town), Belgrade, Serbia Keep in touch and follow me on Facebook: Travel & Lifestyle Diaries by Dutched Pinay Travels Happy Travels! Enjoy Life =)

Здраво! So that is supposed to mean hello in Serbian language which is in Cyrillic alphabet. If we translate that to the Roman alphabet it would be this: Zdravo. I kept hearing this word today actually and now I know what it means =) Here are a few pictures during my arrival and first day in Serbia in this lovely town (the second largest city) of Novi Sad. I actually arrived in Belgrade, after which I took the rental car and drove north for an hour to Novi Sad. I am staying inside the Petrovaradin Fortress and I am quite stoked because my room looked so royal, and with views down to the ramparts and the Danube River. Will blog about Novi Sad more soon! I promise. The Petrovaradin Fortress in Novi Sad. My hotel sits on top of it =) Arriving now here at the fortress. So I landed in Belgrade, took the rental car and drove for an hour to Novi Sad (north). The staff welcomed me the traditional Serbian way with a Rakija drink! And some jam as well. They say you d...

They say here in the Netherlands that the IJ-Hallen is the biggest flea market in Europe. I'm not sure really. I have been to many larger-than-life markets in other countries. Such as the huge and bustling El Rastro flea market in Madrid which I have visited more than a decade ago. My friend G kept telling me to mind my bag because of the pickpockets. Nonetheless, I was here at the IJ-Hallen last year together with Bru. We had our usual catch up and we did this over drinks at the Smederij Restaurant of Brooklyn Hilton Hotel, which by the way has a very cosy lounge, bar and restaurant. It was really timing that there was a flea market at the IJ-Hallen on that day, so Bru and I decided to rummage the area. Unfortunately, we did not find anything persuading us enough to part with our cash. I found though some really cool industrial hanging lamps which were probably used in a factory in the past. It is just too bad because they would not fit well in my home. Maybe I will come...

Here is a photo essay of the beautiful sunny and blue skies day in the French Alps when we went skiing to Les Carroz d'Araches village. For this blog entry, I will shut up and let the pictures do the talking. It is not always easy when the slopes go flat. Push, push, push. I am waiting here for the Dutchman as he had trouble pushing through with the snowboard on a flat slope. When this happens, most of the snowboarders take off their planks and walk. What Dutchman did precisely. Les Molliets chair lift at Les Carroz. People having barbecue at Les Carroz. We are back here in the chair lift. Yours truly =) Directional signs on top of the alpine mountain. The Grand Massif Ski Resort has views to Mont Le Blanc but I do not think this is Mont Le Blanc. I was never really able to point them out in my pictures. The mountains seemed to have the same height to me. I should pay more attention next time. Taking a break...