Belgrade, Serbia. Day 1

Waking up at 5.30am is never fun. Even if it means the start of a five week journey. It is even worse knowing I am getting on a no leg room airline. Yay Wizz Air. After this journey I think I might start flying 'non budget' airlines.
I digress
Serbia
While reading this, remember this is a city recently bombed in 1999. Destroyed in ww1, bombed on two separate occasions during ww2 and been involved in approximately 149 wars in its history.
If first impressions are important to you, then be prepared for disappointment. The airport is outdated. But hey, no one cares about that. Driving into the city it becomes very obvious it has seen many years of communism. Dilapidated apartment blocks all over the place and a general greyness that I have seen in Budapest, Riga and Bucharest to name a few. Unlike these places, there doesn't seem as though efforts are being made to revitalise the place unless you keep eyes at street level.
After checking in I walk the city and see the main sites in about four hours. First up is Kalemegdan where the Belgrade fortress is located. It surprises me. A beautiful part of the city located on a hill where the Danube and Sava meet. It is a lovely fortress and in decent condition. Impressively, community facilities have been incorporated more recently into the structure.  Looking out over the rivers, all I can see is potential for a beautiful city. And with time this could certainly happen. Stockholms beauty didn't take fifteen years.
From here I move on to the more central sites. The Republic square and the bohemian quartet.... and so we move on.
Wandered to the south of the city to see Cathedral of St Sava. An impressive church on the outside. The inside is barren. Lots of work to be done. Although it is a lovely Church, my feelings were similar to when I visited Gaudis cathedral in Barcelona. A waste of monetary resources when that money could be better spent.
Walking back to the hostel I went via bombed buildings. This is when the reality hit as to how recent everything was. Empty shells that once was offices, work places etc. And as I look around with more intent, there are burnt out lots all over the place. All my reservations about the place dissipated as I thought of the locals who spend everyday passing these buildings and being constantly reminded of the horror of war.
Last act of the day, experiencing Belgrade in the way it is known for. It is meant to have the best nightlife in Europe. Many fellow travelers had stopped here for a night and are still here weeks later due to how much they enjoyed the nightlife. And Belgrade didn't disappoint. In the summer it is all about clubbing on boats,  and most of these boats are packed. Cheap beer, good djs and friendly (surprised me) locals, and when it comes to partying,  they are crazy in a good way. Sadly my early morning caught up with me and headed home at 4am. Fun times though. Slept lots in preparation for night two.

Btw, feel free to offer advice on places as i travel.

Joshua