Out of the swamps—but still followed by their monsters. The water of the Danube is murky and uninviting.
We covered only a short distance today, heading to Smederevo to visit Tomi from Tomi Trade, the biggest shipping operator in the area. We moored next to a line of push boats and barges.
We know Tomi through the river network. He’s Serbian but spent nearly 20 years living in Vienna, so he speaks fluent Viennese.
Tomi is a fascinating person. Originally a truck mechanic, he built his river transport business from the ground up in the mid to late 1990s—right after the breakup of Yugoslavia.
The interview involved a lot (a lot!) of quince schnapps. It somehow felt like our first truly Serbian night—the kind of experience you only have when you’re really out there, traveling.
Interview follow shortly.
