The first leg of our journey south took us from Novi Sad to Belgrade, where we changed buses for Niš, a town in the very south of Serbia. Our ultimate destination was Skopje in North Macedonia, but it was too far to do in one stretch, so we booked an Airbnb for two nights in Niš to break the journey.

The scenery was once again beautiful — vast fields of corn, sunflowers, and wheat. Serbia really does have some of the most stunning sunflower fields I’ve ever seen. People travel to Italy and France for them, but they should come here instead.

We arrived in Belgrade around lunchtime and navigated the usual bus station chaos. A kind man helped us find the right departure area, and after buying our ticket we were soon on the bus heading to Niš.

We reached Niš late in the afternoon and walked the 2 km to our Airbnb. The apartment was in a fantastic location — just off the main square, close to the pedestrianised walking street and Tinkers Alley, yet on a quiet side street. The main square and surrounding streets were full of restaurants, cafés, and bars, buzzing with people enjoying the warm spring evening. It reminded me a little of Sofia in Bulgaria.

Our host had recommended a traditional Serbian restaurant in Tinkers Alley. We ate there both nights — chicken livers, homemade sausage, and a cabbage salad just like AP’s grandmother used to make. The food was delicious.

The next day we explored the town. There’s an impressive old fort, but our visit coincided with a big festival, so the park and fortress were packed with people, bouncy castles, and music. Instead, we found a lovely shady Irish pub on the banks of the river and enjoyed a gin and tonic and a Guinness under the trees — perfect as the weather was getting hot.