The spittle-covered streets of Belgrade

One of the most gripping scenes in my host Vladimir’s novel In the Hold (U potpalublju, 1994) is a scene from Bulevar Revolucije (a Tito era name of  Bulevar kralja Aleksandra) where

… the ground beneath our feet was breaking up [—] and out of this depths came the unbearable stench of the centuries, which, in our inertia, we had failed to use in a dignified way …

After this vision, the narrator

.. endeavored to move along the spittle-covered streets.

These are my two reflections:

1. I have also experienced Bulevar kralja Aleksandra as a place where you feel exposed and alienated.

The cruel April rain.
The cruel April rain. (”April is the cruelest month [—] mixing
Memory and desire, stirring / Dull roots with spring rain.”)
2. The streets of Belgrade are indeed spittle-covered, or at least gum-covered.

Skärmavbild 2014-05-04 kl. 11.14.35
My sneaker todding on the sidewalk of Bulevar despota Stefana.

Click here to se an star-filled pavement sky: IMG_4912

 

 

 

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *