THE EXCURSION TO SREM
Not even the rainy, cold November weather could prevent the members of The NUSANTARA Association of Serbian-Indonesian Friendship from hitting the road this Saturday, November 12th. This time NUSANTARA was taking a tour around some of the cultural treasures of Srem.
The chosen itinerary for this Saturday morning started with the sightseeing of the archaeological site of „Sirmium“ in Sremska Mitrovica. The members of The Association had, thus, a chance to see ruins of the Imperial Palace, as well as to widen their knowledge with the important datum that even seven Roman emperors had been born in Sremska Mitrovica and its surroundings. A capital city in its past, Sremska Mitrovica has been existing and living for more than 2.000 years – during the period of tetrarchy, Sirmium was one of the four capital cities of the Roman Empire.
Accompanied by a professional guide, the members of NUSANTARA continued their tour with a walk across Sremska Mitrovica. The Museum of Srem, Church of St. Dimitrije, patron of the city, at the St. Stefan Square, The Stone Flower fountain, Žitna pijaca Square, Military Borderline district, the building of The IX Border Regiment from Petrovaradin… are solely some of the city’s landmarks NUSANTARA had the opportunity to see this Saturday. The members of the Association crossed The St. Irinej Bridge connecting downtowns of Sremska and Mačvanska Mitrovica, being at the same time reputed as the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in Europe.
The road led further to Pećinci, municipality of Srem that prides itself on its unique Museum of Bread JEREMIJA, founded in 1995. The Serbian Museum of Bread JEREMIJA is one of just two of a kind in the world. Only the German city of Ulm can brag about such a curiosity, which was the reason why the Embassy of the Netherlands in the former Yugoslavia organized on its own initiative an exhibition for Mr. Slobodan Jeremić Jeremija, founder and owner of The Serbian Museum of Bread JEREMIJA in Pećinci, in 1972. This unique museum represents a picturesque experience – this Saturday nobody remained indifferent!
Besides having acquainted with Mr. Jeremija and his wife Biljana, who actually presented the impressive collection of more than 2.000 items, gathered over decades, summerising the path of a wheat grain „from earth, over bread, to the heaven“, which stands for Mr. Jeremija’s creative credo, NUSANTARA also had the opportunity to meet Mrs. Ljubica Bošković, vicepresident of The Tourist Organization of Pećinci, who described enthusiastically beauties and diversities that her native area had to offer to a tourist. Mrs. Bošković kindly invited The NUSANTARA Association of Serbian-Indonesian Friendship to return to Srem at any time and took advantage of the opportunity to warn its members that they would be examined during their next visits. A useful reminder to the members of The Association of the educational side of these travels of theirs!
This Saturday the excursion ended at The Fenek Monastery, located at the farthest point to the South of all the monasteries of Fruška gora, whose brotherhood arranged refreshments for the members of NUSANTARA.
Biljana Djordjevic