Next Day

Off to the Fair

An agricultural fair, that is - in Novi Sad. These are for farmers to see all kinds of products in one place so they can buy what they need. Most notable were a huge assortment of tractors from all sorts of countries. Did you know Turkey and China and many other countries make tractors, too?

... so you can grow monster vegetables like these. (hm, maybe not)...

.... with monster tractors....

After which one might be hungry and need a snack.... Yep, that is what you think it is.

choices of pork and lamb and chicken

....heads and all....

Next to those grills are these griddles. This is the local fast food: select a meat, it gets put on a flat bread, and you help yourself to veggies and sauces. If you want a hot stew, it gets dipped from a huge copper pot on a fire and served to you in a handmade pottery bowl, from which you eat with a metal spoon right there. No, do not ask for a paper bowl and plastic spoon to go - that doesn't exist.

Some animals were exhibited, like this stout bull.

Note the traditional farm shoe hanging on the left. I didn't see any feet that big.

This tiny pony gave children rides in its American saddle.

Some very bored but very high quality horses occupied one barn.

For some inexplicable reason mares were stalled between stallions, and frequent squeals and gnashing teeth caused ruckuses.

This handsome heavy stallion and an identical match next to him would have made a fine sight on one of the carriages in the hall.

The breeds exhibited were not what we typically see in the West.

Various other farm animals were here and there.

This rabbit was nearly three feet long - huge!

All very interesting

Then, in the evening, I attended a concert of the local orchestra. They played a work of a young local composer, then had a virtuoso young violinist from a famous Roma (gypsy) family play some remarkable solo parts on another work. The third work they played was  Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 5 "Reformation" - the fourth movement of which has elements of "A Mighty Fortress." It was magnificent. What a way to celebrate the 500th year of the Reformation this year!

The local synagogue is owned now by the city and used as a concert hall. 

A stroll and drinks in town followed.

And the evening and the morning were the second day.