Hey, everyone, it's good to finally talk to you again! I took some time off, busy with other projects but I'm now ready to share new material with you. :) Last week I went to Avala mountain which overlooks the city of Belgrade. It takes a little over an hour to get there by bus so I had to wake up early and avoid the crowd.
From the foothill of the mountain you have to climb up, either via the winding road that goes from side to side, or straight up through the woods. The later option is much more challenging and recommended only if you are in good condition and have spatial awareness. In order to get to the top as quickly as possible and enjoy the benefits of early sunrise, I always choose the quickest path. :)
The cute little doggie came out of a church backyard to greet me as I arrived. He must have experience with visitors, as soon as I pointed my camera he lied down and started posing on the middle of the road. And when I took a few shots and petted him one last time, he knew it was time to say goodbye.
Monument to the Unknown Hero (Spomenik neznanom junaku) is at the highest point of the mountain. It offers beautiful view of the surroundings but the city is hidden from this spot by the tall trees around. If you want to see the entire panorama of the city, you have to go with the elevator to the top of Avala tower. I passed on it this time, you can see it reaching high through the trees in few of the photos.
I took advantage of the fact that I was the only person on the mountain (at least that's how it felt like) and did a Tai Chi practice in front of the monument. You don't get many more beautiful locations for training than this. It has both modern and classical look and was built (and after WWII rebuilt) in the memory of soldiers who died in the Great War.
The church that was built recently on the mountain top offers a space for relaxation. It is surrounded by a beautiful garden and wooden tables where you can chill out and order drinks.
The climbing down was interesting as I wanted to see if I can run all the way straight via not so beaten path. Dangerous endeavour luckily completed successfully. It must have been some record breaking descent. :)
Reconnecting with nature is always a nice way to spend the morning. Hope you enjoy the photos!
