I can only identify a few of these dancers, but here goes:L to R: Eleanor, their modern teacher, Vivian, Allie, Jenn, and then I'm lost since I don't know the Serbian dancer's names (sorry about that)
The sun finally peeked out from behind the clouds again today...at least briefly! It also reached 71 degrees--what a change from the 50's on Tuesday.
Eleanor and I were up late last night and I went back to sleep after she left this morning. I finally got up around 10:30 and we went out around 11:30. On today's agenda was finding an 'Apoteka' (apothecary) to buy some gel to relieve insect bites. I got some last year and it was so much more effective than anything I get at home. I bought two tubes.
I also stopped a linen shop that I saw last year and never went into. Souvenir shopping was in full gear! :-) I did buy a couple of beautiful embroidered lace tablecloths at good prices--I just couldn't resist.
We were invited today to have lunch at Stevan's nephews home. It was a long and leisurely lunch, which is customary here. I found out that I like feta cheese. At home, it is hard and crumbly and I really don't like it. Here it is soft and has the consistency of cream cheese...and it is terrific. I had it spread on fresh bread, along with bean soup, and more homemade baklava. Truly wonderful. Debbie and Mykell joined us on our journey back into town after lunch. We window shopped and I found a tote bag to use as a carry-on. I have bought just enough souvenirs that I can't fit into my luggage on the way home--whoops! Amelia will want to steal this bag from me. It is pink and very cute!
We got to the dance studio as they were ready to leave and stopped and had a drink on the way home. There is quite the cafe' culture here. The city center is lined with tables and umbrellas and it was warmer today, so there was a bustling business at them. We came home for a little while and then back out to a cafe' for dinner. Not much going on really. I watched a little TV this evening...nothing special, but there are quite a few channels in English....and then there are the more "exotic" channels--things that you either have to pay for at home or that are only shown late at night if you know what I mean. They are inserted into regular programming like commercials here--it's quite a shock to the puritan values! :0
Dragan, one of the porters here, brought us some cookies and fruit to try this evening. He called the fruit "smokva". Eleanor correctly identified the fruit, while everyone else guessed around the truth. I saw it and immediately knew what it was since we have several of the trees in our backyard. It was a little green though and I really prefer mine in a Newton! :-) Yes, it was a fig. Everyone argued good naturedly with me about it and so I came back to the room and looked up the word on the internet--it is indeed a fig! The name of it is interesting though--I thought it had a smoky flavor and the name "smokva" sounds that way.... At least, I found that interesting.
Eleanor took some pictures today, but it's after midnight and I don't have the energy to upload them right now. I'll do so in the morning and add a picture to this post at that time. Tomorrow is the last day of class, with a performance at 4PM. I should have pictures to add tomorrow too.
Random thoughts:
1. Food is served differently here from home...at least in restaurants. Food is brought to the patron who ordered it whenever it is ready....piecemeal if that is how it is ready. So, in other words, there were 7 of us at dinner tonight. Three people ordered Greek salads which were served quite quickly; then came soup for Lynda; then a while later came everyone's elses food, except for Eleanor. Her side of fries came and she munched on those, but her main course of bacon and eggs took so long that we were wondering if they had forgotten about it or not written it down (it came about the time we verbalized that thought). You are expected to eat your food as it arrives, even if everyone else in your party has to wait awhile. Very different from home.
2. A reiteration of the thought that a smile and an effort at communication go a long way. The lady in the linen shop spoke no English, but the language of commerce spoke eloquently and fluently.
That's all for tonight. I'm too tired to type any more! Ciao!
The sun finally peeked out from behind the clouds again today...at least briefly! It also reached 71 degrees--what a change from the 50's on Tuesday.
Eleanor and I were up late last night and I went back to sleep after she left this morning. I finally got up around 10:30 and we went out around 11:30. On today's agenda was finding an 'Apoteka' (apothecary) to buy some gel to relieve insect bites. I got some last year and it was so much more effective than anything I get at home. I bought two tubes.
I also stopped a linen shop that I saw last year and never went into. Souvenir shopping was in full gear! :-) I did buy a couple of beautiful embroidered lace tablecloths at good prices--I just couldn't resist.
We were invited today to have lunch at Stevan's nephews home. It was a long and leisurely lunch, which is customary here. I found out that I like feta cheese. At home, it is hard and crumbly and I really don't like it. Here it is soft and has the consistency of cream cheese...and it is terrific. I had it spread on fresh bread, along with bean soup, and more homemade baklava. Truly wonderful. Debbie and Mykell joined us on our journey back into town after lunch. We window shopped and I found a tote bag to use as a carry-on. I have bought just enough souvenirs that I can't fit into my luggage on the way home--whoops! Amelia will want to steal this bag from me. It is pink and very cute!
We got to the dance studio as they were ready to leave and stopped and had a drink on the way home. There is quite the cafe' culture here. The city center is lined with tables and umbrellas and it was warmer today, so there was a bustling business at them. We came home for a little while and then back out to a cafe' for dinner. Not much going on really. I watched a little TV this evening...nothing special, but there are quite a few channels in English....and then there are the more "exotic" channels--things that you either have to pay for at home or that are only shown late at night if you know what I mean. They are inserted into regular programming like commercials here--it's quite a shock to the puritan values! :0
Dragan, one of the porters here, brought us some cookies and fruit to try this evening. He called the fruit "smokva". Eleanor correctly identified the fruit, while everyone else guessed around the truth. I saw it and immediately knew what it was since we have several of the trees in our backyard. It was a little green though and I really prefer mine in a Newton! :-) Yes, it was a fig. Everyone argued good naturedly with me about it and so I came back to the room and looked up the word on the internet--it is indeed a fig! The name of it is interesting though--I thought it had a smoky flavor and the name "smokva" sounds that way.... At least, I found that interesting.
Eleanor took some pictures today, but it's after midnight and I don't have the energy to upload them right now. I'll do so in the morning and add a picture to this post at that time. Tomorrow is the last day of class, with a performance at 4PM. I should have pictures to add tomorrow too.
Random thoughts:
1. Food is served differently here from home...at least in restaurants. Food is brought to the patron who ordered it whenever it is ready....piecemeal if that is how it is ready. So, in other words, there were 7 of us at dinner tonight. Three people ordered Greek salads which were served quite quickly; then came soup for Lynda; then a while later came everyone's elses food, except for Eleanor. Her side of fries came and she munched on those, but her main course of bacon and eggs took so long that we were wondering if they had forgotten about it or not written it down (it came about the time we verbalized that thought). You are expected to eat your food as it arrives, even if everyone else in your party has to wait awhile. Very different from home.
2. A reiteration of the thought that a smile and an effort at communication go a long way. The lady in the linen shop spoke no English, but the language of commerce spoke eloquently and fluently.
That's all for tonight. I'm too tired to type any more! Ciao!
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