June 2006

Poetry as the Secret of Life "A people that do not create have no literature; they have no reason to justify their existence. They do not know why God placed them where He did. Our great folk poetry, medieval painting and memorials outnumber similar works among any other peoples in the Christian east…" wrote Matija Bećković, one of the most distinguished authors of contemporary Serbian literature. (...) The Šargan Eight The narrow-gauge railway line located amidst the gorgeous scenery of Mokra Gora on the slopes of three Serbian mountains – Tara, Zlatibor and Šargan – is one of the most beautiful railways in the world. The 300- metre ascent was skillfully designed by constructing an unusual loop in the form of the figure eight – the popular "Šargan Eight". (...) The Syrian Desert’s Ancient Rose The beauty of the Bride of the Desert, as Palmyra was often called by ancient travellers, continues to this day to captivate visitors – representing Syria’s biggest tourist attraction. (...) Years with Andrić and Years without Him Ivo Andrić, the most well known writer of the former Yugoslavia, passed away thirty one years ago, and sixty one years ago published his novel "The Bridge on the River Drina", for which he won the Nobel Prize for Literature. (...)