Cathedral Church of St. Trinity
Now back in the downtown area, the pedestrian street was lively. People ambled down the wide street, eating ice cream, chatting, and pushing kids in strollers. The whining motors of the toy vehicles were heard above the bustle, the kids happily driving around the area and their doting parents/grandparents looking on. Just beyond the post office and its fountain was the Cathedral Church of Saint Trinity. Burned by the Turks and Albanians shortly after completion in 1841, a current structure was erected in 1858. Typical of Christian architecture in the Ottoman Balkans, the church lacked a bell tower, had low blind domes and was hidden amongst houses. Likely constructed later, a tall white bell tower is separate, made visible due to its height and bells that ring hourly. The interior of the church has portions of its walls painted in a naïve fashion, with iconostasis carved by local artists. The domes each depicted a member of the Triune God and the one closest to the entrance was dedicated to Mary. Like other Serbian churches, this one had a large golden chandelier. After lighting a few candles, we moved onward.
Markovo Kale
After relaxing in the hotel for a couple of hours, we took a taxi up the steep tree-covered hills to
the fortress of Markova Kale. Named after the most significant figure of Serbian folk poetry, the fort was actually built much earlier than Marko’s time – probably in the 11th century. Along the narrow winding road we met young people hiking back to Vranje. Our taxi driver explained that an area beyond the fortress was a favorite picnic spot. With the beautiful views of the valley, Vranje, and the plain of the Južna Morava River far below, I can easily see why. Our guidebook cautioned us to be on the lookout for lumber trucks, but since it was a holiday, that traffic was absent.Located high above a bend in the road was the fortress. We hiked up a steep narrow path to the remains of the fortress, which sit precipitously on a steep ridge. Although not much was remaining, there were some high thick stone walls that showed that it once was an imposing structure. Between the towers was the foundation of a structure that was in the shape of a small church.
From the fortress we stopped to admire the view. The light of the setting sun illuminated the tops of the wooded hills. Over the hills to our left was Kosovo. Even though the sunset was non-spectacular and colorless, it still was pleasant. Right below the fortress were some wild yellow irises. I carefully climbed down to take some close-up photos. From here I could also see a few young couples, enjoying a picnic lunch and enjoying the view.
Back in the taxi, we headed back into town where we had an ice cream cone and then played several rounds of UNO. With peanut butter M&M’s as the “loot,” the stakes were high.
Back to Belgrade
The next morning after a breakfast of more greasy fried eggs and ham, we headed down the stairs of the Communist-era hotel. Pat brought along some water for a tired-looking plant, a floor above a sorry one-leafed plant. When getting closer, she realized that it was artificial – didn’t know that a fake plant could look so sad! At least it matched the rest of the hotel – tired, outdated, and in desperate need for an upgrade.With the museums closed again for the day, we decided to go for a photo walk through some more streets. A beautiful morning, people were sitting outside in their lush front yards, enjoying an early cup of strong Turkish coffee. The hamburger place already had customers, as did the pizza and rostilj (serving meat) places. After relaxing in a nearby park, we headed back to the hotel and packed up.
After waiting at the bus station for over an hour (the bus was late coming from Skopje, Macedonia), we finally boarded the crowded bus. Our reserved seats were taken, but at least there were two seats way in the back. A number of people had to stand in the aisle for nearly two hours until the bus stopped at the first major city. Although a common sight on city buses in Belgrade, this is the first time I saw a private long-distance bus over capacity. Interestingly enough, I didn’t hear any of them complain. Five and a half hours later, we were back in Belgrade, our journey now to an end.
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