Wrapping up 2021 in an epic way! 5 countries in 60 days! Part 2: SERBIA, THESSALONIKI, CYPRUS

Following up from my previous blog and post, I wrapped up MotoGP in Aragon, Spain, and headed directly for Serbia. This is where we proceeded to shoot my food/travel series, Maximum Foodie!

SERBIA

I'm no stranger to Serbia, I've been there a few times in the past, shooting our adventure travel series, Road less Traveled. I love Belgrade, and Serbians in general. The super relaxed way of life, highly walkable city, the unlimited appeal of the Serbian countryside, the hospitality, and of course, the affordability of it all; it just makes Serbia a great place to be!

I was invited by the tourism board of Belgrade, Visit Belgrade. They helped organize the shoot logistics and we had a fantastic itinerary sorted for us! From traditional Kafanas, to meeting the city's best chefs, rakia was always shared, and delicious food was found everywhere. We covered unique stories like Silosi Beograd, a NGO that repurposed the Soviet eras grain silos into an art exhibition space! They champion local projects like Mad Med, an urban bee-hive operation, and promote art exhibitions from around the world. A super cool spot right next to the Danube river. This is also where we held our wrap party!

We covered traditional dishes like ribja chorba (fish soup), made from scratch of course, delicious. I got the chance to meet Momcilo Antonijevic, the city's best forager and herbalist. Walking around the mighty impressive Kalemegdan fortress and exploring lounges, nightclubs and kafanas inside it, what a spot!

I had the pleasure in meeting and hanging out with Vanja Puskar, arguably, Belgrade's best known chef. Vanja and I got to hang out in traditional kafanas, trying burek, Serbian coffee (with rakia of course), and last but not least, a real insiders look at Eden Winery. Vanja's brainchild, nestled in the picturesque Serbian countryside.

Speaking of the countryside, I got to meet cheese-makers, and I came across a village where I got proper hands on with making ajvar, the deliciously ubiquitous Balkan side dish (made of peppers). I don't want to give away too much about this episode, but the episode should give viewers a really up to date look at modern Serbia; from Belgrade to the fringes of the gorgeous Serbian countryside. Živeli!

The next shoot location that we flew to directly was Thessaloniki, Greece

(them transit days! Pictured here with my ol' compadre, host of Road less Traveled, and cameraman for Max Foodie, Jonathan Legg!

THESSALONIKI

COMING SOON