{"id":41,"date":"2017-06-06T11:45:55","date_gmt":"2017-06-06T18:45:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/urbaneurope\/?page_id=41"},"modified":"2017-06-08T14:28:48","modified_gmt":"2017-06-08T21:28:48","slug":"the-plan","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/urbaneurope\/the-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"the plan"},"content":{"rendered":"

As with all travelling, it is difficult to predict what will actually happen when I’m in Europe, but doing a bit of research and planning beforehand has been really useful in fleshing out what I want to do and see (so I’m at least not totally lost).<\/p>\n

In short, my plan is this:<\/strong><\/em> I will be visiting some of Europe’s finest capitals, trying to get a sense for the\u00a0incredible history and culture that has shaped urban life in the modern day. Besides touring the major sites, I want to really get in touch with what makes each place unique and how local people experience it every day.<\/p>\n

The sections below outline where I’ll be going and (something along the lines of) what I’ll be doing there!<\/p>\n

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Serbia<\/h5>\n

The first month of my European adventure will take place in Serbia, my family’s “motherland”. I will primarily be hanging out in Belgrade – Serbia’s urban capital – where I hope to reconnect with the city I was born in through volunteering at Belgrade’s Institute for Urban Planning and actually living as a Beogradjanin<\/em> for a little while. I will also travel to nearby Zrenjanin and Novi Sad in the agricultural Vojvodina province, and possibly to the mountainous and forested Sumadija region.<\/p>\n

Some of the experiences I look forward to include:<\/p>\n

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    • Strolling through magnificent streets, parks, and public spaces in Belgrade.<\/li>\n
    • Taking in the kafana <\/em>(“cafe”) culture as I chat with local Beogradjani<\/em>.<\/li>\n
    • Connecting to my Serbian heritage through visiting historic museums, cultural events, and ancient monasteries.<\/li>\n
    • Experiencing the hustle and bustle of shopping at Belgrade’s many pijace<\/em> or “green markets” and eating delicious pastries from the pekara<\/em> (“bakery”).<\/li>\n
    • Meeting some of Belgrade’s top urban planners and architects and interviewing\u00a0the Minister of Agriculture.<\/li>\n
    • Visiting my mother’s hometown, Zrenjanin, where my cousin and his family have just started a raspberry farm.<\/li>\n
    • Exploring the beautiful Northern city of Novi Sad and nearby monasteries along the Fruska Gora mountain range.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n