Tag: Serbia

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Dubrovnik and The Game of Thrones

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DubrovnikEven if you’ve never traveled to Dubrovnik, Croatia, if you’ve watched The Game of Thrones you’ve see it. Many of the outdoor scenes of the hit HBO series are filmed in the city, along with other Croatian locations in Split and Trsteno. Ironically, the main filming is done at the Titanic Studios in Belfast, Northern Island. But Dubrovnik provides some of the most stunningly ancient auras of any of the locations.

I visited Dubrovnik as part of my summer tour that included Serbia and Montenegro. The ancient part of the city of Dubrovnik juts out into the Adriatic Sea in a region called Dalmatia (for which the famous spotted dogs of fire trucks are named). The vista is awe-inspiring, to say the least.

Dubrovnik

It takes 2 to 3 hours to walk the high wall surrounding the city. Taking the gondola to the top of the mountain gives you an overview that is guaranteed to take your breath away.

Dubrovnik

For those interested in Game of Thrones, you’ll be swarmed by guides even before you reach the city walls eager to take you on the Game of Thrones tour! To get a preview, check out this guide to the “10 Best Filming Locations” in Croatia. While I didn’t sign up for the formal tour, I did see many of the locations used in filming.

So take the tour if you’re interested, but more importantly, walk the wall, go up to the mountain vantage point, and eat at one of the quaint alley-way restaurants in the old town. One doesn’t just visit Dubrovnik, one experiences it.

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (both Fall River Press). He has also written two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate. His next book, Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, is scheduled for release in summer 2017.

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Meeting Tesla Royalty in Serbia

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I’m just back from a two week trip that took me to Nikola Tesla’s homelands in Serbia and Croatia (with Montenegro in between). Among many other other experiences I had the good fortune of meeting with what can be considered Tesla royalty (not to mention, actual royalty).

Dr. Branimir Jovanovic, Tesla Museum, Belgrade

Within hours of arrival I hiked up to the Nikola Tesla Museum to meet with the Director, Dr. Branimir Jovanovic. The museum was officially closed to the public, but Dr. Jovanovic and I had corresponded in advance and he encouraged me to stop by. Amidst an invite-only champagne reception we talked about Tesla, the museum, and the future, including the new exhibits and web site that would be launched the very next day. I presented him with a copy of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity signed and inscribed to him.

HRH Prince Alexander of Serbia

The next evening I attended a private reception of Tesla people at the Royal Palace and met HRH Crown Prince Alexander and HRH Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia. [Read here for background on the royal family and why he doesn’t use the term “King”] Prince Alexander and I  (with Tesla Science Foundation President Nikola Lonchar above) discussed ways to expand the public’s knowledge of Tesla. I offered to reach out to magazines in the U.S. and told I’m working with the Serbian Embassy in Washington DC to give a presentation at the Smithsonian Institution this fall. I also spent time talking to Princess Katherine about her many humanitarian efforts.

At the Royal Palace

While at the Palace I was introduced to another Tesla royalty of sorts, a gentleman who has published three books on Tesla in the Serbian language and who, along with Nikola Lonchar, is looking to get them translated into English. And, of course, there is the ultimate in Tesla “royalty” in William Terbo, the grandnephew of Nikola Tesla. Terbo was not in Serbian for these events (he was attending events in Canada for Tesla’s birthday), but I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Terbo on past occasions. It might sound a little saccharin to say, but it was a thrill to shake the hand of a man who shook the hand of Nikola Tesla (when Terbo was 10 years old).

I’ll have much more on this trip to Serbia and environs in the future. Before I end I have to thank Sherry Kumar for organizing the trip to Tesla’s homeland and Nikola Lonchar for his incredible leadership in helping today’s world come to know the incredible contributions of Nikola Tesla. Check back here soon for more of my travels.

Watch this space for plenty of great photos of Nikola Tesla’s heritage homelands.

David J. Kent is the author Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World, plus two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate. His latest book is Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Barnes and Noble stores now. 

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Visiting Tesla’s Homeland – Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia

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Nikola TeslaNikola Tesla was born 160 years ago at midnight of July 9th/10th. His father was a Serbian cleric; his mother the daughter and sister of Serbian clerics. In a portent of his future, Tesla came to this Earth during a lightning storm – “a child of the light” – in the little town of Smiljan, then part of the Austrian empire in what is now Croatia. This year’s birthday celebration will be held in Serbia, along with Montenegro and Croatia.

After a day in Amsterdam, Serbian Airlines will swoop us into Nikola Tesla Airport in Serbia’s capital, Belgrade. First stop is the Tesla Museum, which will be launching a virtual reality exhibition the day of my arrival. I’m looking forward to a personal tour by the new Director, Dr. Branimir Jovanovic. An updated permanent exhibit will open the next day. Also part of the Tesla celebration are an art exhibit, a conference, and an evening gala, at which an award is waiting for me in recognition of the fantastic distribution of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. I plan to donate a copy to Dr. Jovanovi at the Museum on my arrival.

Of course, I’ll also be visiting with HRH Prince Alexander and HRH Princess Katherine of Serbia during an evening reception at the Royal Palace. When not dining with royalty I’ll be doing a walking tour of Belgrade and a day tour into the interior of Serbia, complete with castles, monasteries, and wineries.

Then it’s time to hop on Montenegro Airlines to Sveti Stefan for some of the best beaches on the Adriatic Sea on the coast of Montenegro. Over a few days we’ll see the historical capital of Cetinje, the National Park of Loveen, and the Fortress of Kotor.

From there it’s up the coast to Dubrovnik in Croatia where the plan is to spend a day on a yacht enjoying the coastline. Another day will be on foot, exploring the famed walls surrounding the city. From here we fly Croatia Airlines (have to get all three airlines into the itinerary) to Frankfurt, where we’ll explore the old city for a day before heading back home (on a fourth airline).

Watch this space for plenty of great photos of Nikola Tesla’s heritage homelands.

And while you’re at it, don’t forget you can enter to win free copies of both Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World on Goodreads.

Nikola Tesla

Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

David J. Kent has been a scientist for thirty-five years, is an avid science traveler, and an independent Abraham Lincoln historian. He is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate. His book on Thomas Edison is due in Barnes and Noble stores in July 2016.

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Visiting Nikola Tesla in Belgrade

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I’m going to visit Nikola Tesla in Belgrade, Serbia. Last month I mentioned that my originally planned trip to Machu Picchu had hit a snag and that an opportunity to see the Tesla Museum in Belgrade had popped up. After examining the options I decided on Serbia for this July. [A bigger and better trip to Machu Picchu with my friend from Argentina will be done in 2017]

This particular Serbia trip was too good to pass up. Organized by famed Eurocircle travel guru Sherry Kumar in conjunction with an international Tesla Conference , the trip will take us to three countries and a cocktail party with royalty.

HRH Prince Alexander and HRH Princess Katherine

Yup, royalty. After a day of touring around Belgrade we’ll change into formal attire for an evening reception at the Royal Palace with HRH Prince Alexander and HRH Princess Katherine of Serbia. We’ll also get a tour of the royal palace.

While in Belgrade we’ll also visit the Nikola Tesla Museum, whose director I met here in the U.S. some time ago. Since I didn’t have a chance to visit the Museum itself prior to publishing my book, Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity, I’m eager for this chance. We’ll even have dinner in the Bohemian quarter.

Kotor

After Belgrade we’ll head to Montenegro, where we’ll have a chance to see the historic environs of Tivat and the island of Sveti Stefan on the Adriatic Sea, plus travel to see Kotor (photo above), Cetinje, and Lovcen. If that wasn’t enough, we’ll check out the Blue Cave.

The last few days will be spent in famed Dubrovnik, Croatia.

I’ll have a lot more information before and after the trip, which we’ll do in July, but to give you a feel for what we’ll see, check out these cool videos.

It should be an exciting trip. We still have to work out flights into Belgrade and out of Dubrovnik, but the deposit is down and we’re committed to visiting a part of the world I haven’t seen yet.

So who is coming with me?

David J. Kent has been a scientist for thirty-five years, is an avid science traveler, and an independent Abraham Lincoln historian. He is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (now in its 5th printing) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate. His book on Thomas Edison is due in Barnes and Noble stores in spring 2016.

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[Photo of HRH Prince Alexander and HRH Princess Katherine by By Holger Motzkau 2010, Wikipedia/Wikimedia Commons (cc-by-sa-3.0)]

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Machu Picchu, or, Serbia? That is the Question

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It seems I have to make a choice. The plan was to go to Machu Picchu in the Peruvian Andes in May. I even wrote a post last month, Preparing for Machu Picchu, in which I compared the area to a previous trip I made to the Argentinian Andes.

Machu Picchu

I admit I’ve been lax in following through on those preparations, some of which must be made sufficiently in advance to ensure getting in the queue. May is getting very close and arrangements are still not set.

And now a complication. The Tesla Science Foundation is planning a conference for July in Belgrade, Serbia. Attached to the conference is a 9-day trip that includes Belgrade (with a private reception with the reigning Prince and Princess), Montenegro, and Dubrovnik. I’ve always wanted to get to Serbia, and especially to the Nikola Tesla Museum in Belgrade, a place that I’ve held dear since the release of my book, Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity.

Nikola Tesla Museum, Belgrade

Logistically I can’t do both this year. Which sets up a choice. Given my dearth of organization for Peru I’m thinking that trip might best be put off until next year, and with the extra time to prepare, possibly expanded to include Lake Titicaca, northern Argentina, and Iguazu Falls. The Serbian trip would take less preparation on my part because it’s being planned by a highly skilled tour planner that also just happens to be a key player in the Tesla Science Foundation.

So this week is the time to decide all of this. I’ll let you know what happens.

David J. Kent has been a scientist for thirty-five years, is an avid science traveler, and an independent Abraham Lincoln historian. He is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (now in its 5th printing) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate. His book on Thomas Edison is due in Barnes and Noble stores in spring 2016.

Follow me by subscribing by email on the home page.  And feel free to “Like” my Facebook author’s page and connect on LinkedIn.  Share with your friends using the buttons below.