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Almost missed the alarm, oops! But all good, I’m on time at Ниш (Niš) train station. This time, I ask the station personnel about the Interrail pass. And it’s OK! Actually, it is not valid on the new fast trains, like the one I took exactly a week ago. Have I been too harsh on Serbia? Its countryside warms me up to the country. This time, on the six-hour journey, I took a seat with view on the information display. We are going most of the time at 30 km/h, with some occasional sprints at a whopping 100 km/h.

10 min to change train (and buy a ticket!) in Београд (Belgrade), perfect timing. By 2 PM, I’m already in Нови Сад (Novi Sad), for the big question: will I have a bus ticket for Croatia today?

Well…

No.

Niet.

Not today.

Come back tomorrow.

Ah! Serbia! Why are you like that?

Emergency reorganisation. You see, last week, when I planned the mad return sprint, I had actually the entire route from İstanbul (Istanbul) to Colomiers written in my notebook, with several options at some points when I felt the connections would be hard to get. I left some leeway, aiming to get back home by Friday, so I can still afford a two-day delay. The one thing that wasn’t in the pass and that I couldn’t buy online was the Нови Сад-Osijek bus (the one that already screwed me last week). However, it turns out just fine somehow, and I will take the same Torino (Turin)-Chambéry train than original planned. All good!

With that off my mind, I can relax, drop my bag at the hostel (the one held by the Serbian grandma), and go for a walk. I went south and crossed the mighty Danube, to climb on the battlements of the Petrovaradin fortress, which has a stunning panorama over the city on the opposite bank, snuggled into the river’s meander, and the forest and relief on this side of the Danube. Turns out Нови Сад is the European Capital of Culture this year!

In the evening, I fill myself with a chic-esque restaurant just at the corner of the hostel, for just 27 €, including a Long Island. It’s a cocktail with Vodka, Tequila, Rum, Gin, Triple sec and Coca-Cola.

I think they were out of stock on Coca-Cola though.