2020 Travel the World - Week 2

I started a Travel the World Series last year. (It should be noted that I did a similar thing in 2018, only it was the 50 states.) For 50 weeks in 2019, I visited a different country (virtually) and shared facts about that country. I then selected one tidbit of information about that week's country as inspiration for a card. Fifty weeks; fifty countries... BUT there are 195 countries in the world so that was just a little over 25% of them. Of course I couldn't stop, so this year I'm continuing with fifty more countries, one per week.

This week's country is...

Serbia

Serbia is a landlocked country, situated in the Central and Southeastern Europe. It is enclosed by Hungary in the north; Romania and Bulgaria in the east and south; and Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro in the west.

Serbia is smaller than Portugal and around two-thirds the size of the US state of New York.

A country of wild landscapes and wilder nights, Serbia is renowned for its diversity and hospitality. It's a land of rich history with an abundance of monuments dating back to prehistory, ancient times, and the Middle Ages. Some of the country's most famous attractions are the medieval monasteries, many of which are still active and open to visitors. 

Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, is one of the largest cities in Southeast Europe. It is also one of the oldest cities in Europe.

Serbia is largely mountainous. Forests cover approximately 30% of its total land area.

There are 70 mammal species in Serbia, including deer, foxes, wolves, wild pigs, and bears.

Most villages in the world are made of houses and other structures built on different types of material. But in Serbia, there is a village located in Mt. Stara Planina that is made entirely out of stone. This village, known as Gostuša has all of its houses and other structures made out of mud, stone and natural materials and no other material. You would think that because these materials are weak compared to other modern building materials that the houses would have collapsed due to age but you are wrong. These houses are still very strong and structurally sound that people still live in them today.

Serbia has its own Grand Canyon. The Temštice river canyon is a canyon in Serbia that strikingly resembles the Grand Canyon of the Colorado because of its red cliffs.

In Serbia, trees are bought to celebrate New Year rather than Christmas (where a Yule log is the centerpiece).

Vampire is the only Serbian word which was accepted worldwide.

Earthquakes are quite common in Serbia, and the country gets devastated with these natural disasters multiple times a year. 

The Serbian clock making industry is older than the Swiss. Serbs had their own clock 600 years earlier.

One of the most beautiful sights in this part of the world, where Danube changes its width from a couple of kilometers to couple hundred meters, bends and rushes, making the Europe’s largest gorge, Djerdap gorge.

Serbia is the largest raspberry exporter, accounting for one third of all the raspberries in the world. Close to 95 percent of the world’s top quality raspberries come from Serbia.

The Church of Saint Sava is the not only the largest Serbian Orthodox church, it is the largest Orthodox place of worship in the Balkans and one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world.

Serbia is the place of the highest number of Roman emperors born in one country. Eighteen Roman rulers were born in this country and it accounts for a fifth of all Roman emperors.

Devil’s town –Djavolja varoš is one of the most attractive natural phenomena in the world. It is a place of strange forms with a strange name, a complex of stone-capped, spindle-shaped pillars in science referred to as soil pyramids. It consists of 220 soil figures created by soil erosion.

According to statistics, Serbians are known to be the most hospitable people in the world. They believe that they won’t gain any favor from the gods if they are not hospitable to their guests.

In Serbian, the word molim is a magic word.  It literally means please.  But it means more than that, or is used to mean more than please.  Molim could mean you’re welcome and I beg your pardon.

Serbians frequently visit one another, and it is an important part of the culture to keep close ties with family.

Serbians are known for having a good sense of humor.

Eye contact is important when shaking hands and greeting one another or when clinking glasses in Serbia.

When honoring an invitation to a Serbian home, one should make sure to take along a gift as a token of appreciation.  The gift could be anything from flowers to chocolates, but it would be more appreciated if it is something representative of your country.

When entering the home of a Serbian, make sure you take off your shoes.  You are expected to do this, unless the host expressly insists you should enter with your shoes on.  To make sure he/she is the one who insists, decline at first when asked to enter with your shoes on.

I decided to let this Serbia fact be the inspiration for this week's card... Coffee in Serbia is not just a drink – it's the whole ritual. Many people starting their day with a big cup of strong black coffee. Black coffee in Serbia is not the same as in Europe, and it's totally different than American black coffee. 

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Stamp: Stamp Anniething Gracie How You Bean? stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Papers: Recollections Black and 110# White and SU Cucumber Crush CS and Authentique Micro Basic Gingham DP and other DP from my scrap file

Embellishments: Brads from an unknown vendor