Sunday, November 11, 2018

Of Malls, Markets, and a pink Bra



I visited several malls in the serbian capital, but liked only one of them - the  Delta City mall.

Delta City Mall

Housed in an attractive, blue, modern circular structure, Delta City mall seems to be above the average. It is smaller (ground + two floors), but less crowded and noisy than Usce (near the bridge to the new city) and  Rajiceva (on the pedestrian shopping street Knez Mihailova).


Rajiceva  Mall  (on Knez Mihailova street)

Usce  Mall

Delta City  offers good stuff at affordable prices.(I bought an embroidered cotton top and a small umbrella for travel, and was very pleased both with the quality and the price). Delta has a McDonalds and KCF, a cinemaplex, a  supermarket (Maxi discount chain),cafe-restaurant for gourmet customers, shops (with domestic & international brands), bank, pharmacy, shiny toilets, murals,  and more.


murals on the wall leading to the toilets

Everything about this mall is in good taste (except, perhaps, the pink Bra... painted at the bottom of the mirror in the ladies' room of the toilets. Where are the feminists?! just kidding; it doesn't bother me and probably nor the other women visitors). 


see `pink bra painted on  the mirror bottom in the toilet room

live fish at Roda's mall big supermarket dept. nice attraction.

The city green markets (pijaca = market) are all structured in the same 'trio' manner: stalls with fresh veggies and fruit, stalls with clothing, and stalls with household / miscellaneous items. They differ a  little in size , quality and prices, according to location mainly (for example, the open-air market 'Bajiloni', at the end of the touristy, bohemian cobbled street Skadarlija - its prices are , methinks,  a bit more 'tourist oriented').  

The biggest  of the city markets seems to be 'Kalenic' which is located in the district of St. Sava church and Tesla museum (I went on foot from the museum  along the street which ends at the market;  quite a distance!). 

Bajiloni (in Skadarlija) market entrance (see the green sign)

 market entrance Sign with activity hours of Zeleni Venac

Most of the city markets have a bakery ('pekara' in serbian),cheese and meat shops/or trailers, some fast food eatery, and nearby - a discount supermarket (usually Maxi). 

Zeleni Venac (the oldest) in the heart of the city seen from the outside

miscellaneous items

veggies and fruit stalls

flower stands

When I enter a market I first look for grapes - I'm sickly in love with them. Belgrade markets had a nice supply of both white and black grapes at cheap prices (except the sultanina brand which was more costly).. After  enjoying the sights and  smells of the place, I bought some grapes to fuel my body and soul for the day.


one has to be careful - bag hanging from the neck

Two big markets  - the chinese ('Block 70' on Gagarin street;  big '70' sign over its main entrance), and the somehow isolated market with the outer sign 'Tepih Centar' ( 'tepih' means rug - the sign is probably an ad. for a rug business). These markets, as far as I could see,  sell no agriculture products, only household and clothing stuff. 

I  liked  neither the merchandise (overloaded halls, passages and stalls, which is both exausting and frustrating) nor the atmosphere there. Maybe it was not the right day and time. The Belgrade China Town is closed on tuesdays, I didn't know that and went again the next day. Waste of time; I left empty-handed.

A piquant fact: they say the chinese community in Belgrade is actually a whole chinese village transferred to the serbian capital in the nineties.

exterior of Tepih Centar market seen from the street

The above market, located on a big empty space not far from the Sava river and the Delta City Mall is probably very popular among the locals as it has just about everything one could possibly need (except green, fresh products). For a tourist, with limited time, it's not recommendable. It's discouraging to start looking for some item in such an over dense display of things.

36 comments:

  1. It takes a certain amount of stamina I think to shop in a new city and looks like you did great, and surely found all the range of places from the mall to the smaller local markets!! Fresh fish to flowers!! So good you could find some items you liked. Enjoyed to hear how much you love grapes, and glad you found many varieties! seems they give you strength for your travel and shopping adventures!! That's great!!

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    1. It's not easy at my age to wander about, but curiosity overcomes it all.
      In shopping places, especially markets, one could feel the real pulse of life in that city, and it's a must to visit them, if you wish to learn something about the people living there.

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  2. Oh, Duta, the pink bra is part of Avon's campaign for female breast cancer, the pink ribbon next to it is the symbol of cancer survivors. They are trying to make women check themselves often.
    The Chinese shops and markets are the worst :) They sell the cheapest of stuff with the cheapest of quality but they thrive here as we are a very poor nation and most people have no other option than to shop there :( My town has at least ten of their malls and you sometimes feel like you live in China :) I do, however, like to do my christmas decor shopping there, after all everything made in the world is made in China LOL

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    1. Shame on me for not making the connection with the breast cancer campaign! Still, campaign or not, I wouldn't make that painting a permanent thing there.

      I've got some useful chinese-made items at home, and wanted to "re-stock", but no success at Block 70.

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    2. what did you buy in the end as souvenirs from Belgrade? :) I sure hope you bought some 'vegeta' and also some 'ajvar' :) And maybe some 'shlivovitza' for your husband :)

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    3. Not much. I bought some souvenirs at a small shop in Zeleni Venac: magnets of Belgrade for the fridge, samples of serbian confiture which I'll probably give away as presents, tiny, painted glasses for rakyia with a tiny bottle of the stuff, a key ring with the Victor statue. And.. I'm always left with some coins and money bill which I also consider souvenirs.

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  3. I loved all the pictures. It's so interesting to see places other than where I go. My husband loves grapes too.

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    1. Grapes have a lot of sugar, but the good part (at least in my experience)is that the black ones (smaller ones)help losing weight. How and why I don't know and, frankly, don't care. The result, is the main thing.

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  4. I love markets of any kind -- inside, outside, all that. And you have a wonderful selection from which to choose. Oh, and like you, I love the black grapes. I'd never had them till recently and now I can't get enough.

    Thanks for coming over to Marmelade Gypsy this week. I appreciated your visit and comment.

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    1. I'm kind of addicted to black grapes (especially those grown in Hebron near Jerusalem), and like any addiction it requires attention so that things don't get out of hand.
      It's a great pleasure to read your blog;I feel I learn a lot from it.

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  5. Loved seeing all of this, DUTA. I always remember the store you wrote about years ago, that had only black and a mustard color items. I'd love that!!

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    1. Oh Bica, it makes me happy when someone remembers after years a specific thing mentioned in my blog!
      The black store was something special and I'm glad I wrote about it. The shop doesn't exist any more. I suppose the owners made no profit out of the black merchandise, so it got closed.
      I still have a black toilet paper unit to remind me of it. With the price paid for this curiosity I could have bought a package of 30 paper units.

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  6. the circular structure mall looks wonderful.
    thank you for series of beautiful photos.

    have a great day.

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    1. The structure is beautiful both outside and inside. By the way, in 2009 this mall was awarded the title of the best shopping mall in Europe, category of middle-sized malls.

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  7. I enjoyed reading about your visit to the mall and markets. You've covered a lot of ground, there's so many things to see there. The flower stalls would be beautiful, full of fresh blooms. Glad you found some grapes!

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    1. Flower stands (not available in all markets visited) add a lot of color to the already colorful site. Flowers are a delight to the eyes and joy to the soul.

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  8. Just heard the damn Palestinian terrorists bombed the south of your country, hope you are well and safe!

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    1. Thank you Dezmond. So far I'm OK as I live in the central part of our tiny country. When they're quiet, it is because they get lots of money and aid from all kinds of sources, including us. But as we all know how things go in life, the more you give the more they want. May God help us!

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    2. yes, that is our experience with them too - you give them nine fingers, they will bite off the tenth one too!
      I hated the way the story was covered in Western media, and the comments from Western people were just disgusting and deplorable.

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    3. I like it that you're not politically correct. You've got a mind of your own and are not afraid or ashamed to speak up. I'm like that too, and I'm proud of it. Sometimes we have to pay a price, but it's worth it to keep our conscience clear.

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  9. i seem to do more wandering and looking around than actual shopping in large (or small) malls. Glad you found some items you liked, Duta. I also enjoy grapes and black ones are favorite as well. How nice to read they can also help with weight loss, a definite bonus!

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    1. In my younger days I used to be constantly on the lookout for items to buy. Now, I feel that I have all I need, and any additional purchased things will just add to the general clutter of which I'm trying to get rid of.

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  10. Another very interesting post of your travels Duta. I enjoyed seeing your photographs.

    I always enjoy visiting markets, especially food ones, and your picture of the fruit and vegetables looks lovely.

    All the best Jan

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  11. Thanks, Jan. Visiting the food markets is a great way of experiencing local food trends, and perhaps get acquainted with new sorts of vegetables and fruit that could expand our nutrition options.

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  12. Interesting, I love grapes, but have never seen or heard of black ones. Markets are great and I enjoy them. But, malls are a thing of the past in this area, near Chicago. They've been storn down and it's back to strip malls, go in one store and out, not connected to another store. I actually like that better, am able to go to the one store I want to and no others. Leave the "shopping" to others.

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    1. It's surprising you've never encountered black grapes (not to confound with red grapes). They're so delicious that one easily becomes addictive.
      Malls everywhere are facing difficulties, so I wouldn't wonder if even our malls become 'a thing of the past'.

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  13. The pink bra here would probably be in reference to breast cancer - heightening people's awareness of the dreaded disease.

    I stay well clear of large shopping malls/centres. I've not been near or in one in years...that's just how I am...I hate crowds...the hustle and bustle. I stick close to home...I'm boring, I know! :)

    I do my sight-seeing through you, DUTA. Thanks :)

    I find it strange that Pam hasn't heard of black grapes, too. We have red grapes, black grapes and green (white) grapes. Actually, over the last couple of months, here in our supermarkets grapes, green and black, are products of the US and have been imported from the US.

    There are a couple of different varieties of black grapes, too...some round...and other are long in shape.

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    1. One of the commenters has already enlightened me on the subject of the pink bra.
      The thing is, the bra is permanently painted on the mirror, and I'm reluctant about that.
      They won't do a similar thing in the men's toilet room regarding prostate cancer which is also common (though less fatal) and on the rise.
      I'm for awareness campaigns, but not for this kind of permanent painting.

      The small, round black grapes are the best!

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  14. Hi Duta, Just stopped by to say hi and wish you a Shabbat Shalom!! BTW about the pink bra story I had a similar thing though it was with a pink coffee cup. It was so surprising to see stacks of pink cups, not the usual brown paper one for coffee in a deli this summer. Actually I really liked the pink ! And then later found out it too was for breast cancer. It looks like they use different ways to bring attention to it. Blessings and love to you!!

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    1. Thank you, Shayndel for the information.
      You're right, they try various ways to bring attention, and that's good. However, making the pink items a permanent sight is kind of agressive, and it might not achieve its purpose.

      Shabbath Shalom to you!

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  15. Are those live fish for sale like for eating? :-/ oh my...

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    1. So it would seem. It's a big supermarket called 'Roda', and the only place I saw live fish in such a special looking device.
      Usually,we can get live fish only at a store that specializes in selling live fish which are kept in a little pool of water. At the supermarkets they sell frozen fish displayed in a counter.

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  16. I really prefer outdoor markets to malls, that said, it's been -12 C. in the mornings here! Lovely tour, thank you. And I, also, am glad you are safe.

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    1. Me too. However, the small-middle sized malls (like Delta) can sometimes be a positive surprise.
      Thanks for thinking about my safety.

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  17. I LOVE flower stands. Good to see one in your pictures :-)

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    1. Rightly so. Flower stands enliven the the atmosphere. They add beauty and color to the area and attract both bees and humans.

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