The official journey is over — but we’re still moving, still documenting, still listening as we bring the ship back home. The crew has changed: Gigi and Stephan have left; Markus and Christine remain on board, heading upstream with a changing cast of artist-friends. The logbook continues.
Our guests have left the ship, and soon after, the Romanian border police came aboard. Clearing out of the EU was surprisingly quick and straightforward – so by late morning, we were already on our way to Serbia, heading for Veliko Gradište to check in.
And again – checking in was as simple and easy this time. We even managed to refill our water tanks and had time for a walk through the town. Veliko Gradište, although just across the river from Moldova Veche, feels like a jump forward in time. Unlike the many small Romanian and Bulgarian towns we passed, it’s lively: cafes are open, people are out, and young people fill the streets.
We continued onwards, heading toward Belgrade. For the night, we found an anchorage – a former shelter harbor next to an industrial area. The canal leading there was lined with private houses, huts, makeshift sheds, small docks and boats. Serbia always lifts my spirits. There’s a certain practicality here, a mentality of „just make it work“. Cars on boats, caravans on pontoons – everything seems possible. Everything works.
