One of our offensive linemen, Djole (Joel-A), invited Stan and I to his village over a month ago. He was thoroughly preparing for May 28th, his “Village Day.” At 12 PM on Thursday Milosh, another offensive linemen, picked us up and we drove 30 minutes north to village of Kotraza (picking up Mirko, a defensive back on the way). Once we entered the mountainous village we had to wait for Djole to direct us to his house. We were pleasantly surprised when Djole and his friend met us on a tractor (Reminded me of Iowa, where it’s common to find tractors on the road during harvest season).
We traveled another 1/2 mile up a long, elevated road before we reached Djole’s family land. After meeting Dusan (Djole’s dad) and Rick (fake name; Dusan’s friend), we got a tour of the surroundings.
Djole’s grandparents lived in the village for nearly 70 years (they passed away in 2003). They were totally self-sufficient and raised their family in the village, including Dusan. They owned pigs and goats; grew corn, tomatoes, and other vegetables; owned bee hives for honey; made wine and Rakia from grapes; picked fruit off surrounding trees; got fresh water from the well on their property. The family would barter and trade with other villagers on Mondays in the village center to accommodate any lacking nutritional needs. The family stretched out their food sources, as corn kernels were ground up and made into bread, lamb’s wool was wound for garments, and domestic leather shoes were produced.
Self-efficiency does exist today. The well is still intact and working, bee hives are maintained to produce domestic honey, the wine cellar is still active, the Rakia equipment is in tip-top shape, and corn is still harvested.
An interesting note about the old house on their property – a room inside the house was used to transmit radio signals during WWII. The high elevation must have benefited the urgent troops, as they marched up to the house and transmitted their signals away. There is a new house on the property now and the remains of the old house have been left untouched.
We were once again treated to a great Serbian meal of grilled lamb and cucumber/tomato salad. Of course we were convinced to try the Rakia, as every new fruit flavor was coined to be “better than the other flavor.” Yeah, we caught on to their attempts to get us drunk.
After our lunch and a crazy interaction with Djole’s uncle (see picture above), we went on a hike to see some of the countryside. I was surprised to come across wild strawberries, cherries, and plums. Unfortunately due to the rain, we were unable to hike to the top of the mountain to explore the old ruins. Rumor has it that Djole’s sister Jovana, who is a player for the city’s volleyball team, honed her athletic skills as a kid by climbing up and down the ruins. I was sad I didn’t get the chance to get a workout in before our game this weekend.
I enjoyed visiting Kotraza. Kragujevac is in a valley, and most of the surrounding villages are higher in elevation (like Stragare, the village I celebrated Slava in about three weeks ago). It is nice to get out of the city and see the countryside. It is also relaxing, leaving you with ZERO worries. Once again, it is hard to replace the interactions I am having with the Serbian people. At one point during the day I ventured out of the house and started talking to Dusan and Rick near the grill. There was an obvious language barrier, but attempting to understand each other while disregarding language was challenging and unique. However, I got a great feel for the quality people they were. And again, the hospitality was tremendous – inviting us in and feeding us with open arms. Thanks to Djole and his family for a great day in the village.
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