Zemun ceremony for Crispus
In late afternoon, my nephew Stasa, the son of my late brother-cousin Bora, who I believe was the incarnation of Crispus in this lifetime, came to Sremska Mitrovica (Sirmium) to pick us up and drive us a short distance to Belgrade (see the maps). We had reservations at the Belgrade Intercontinental hotel which used to be my "headquarters" during my years as a war correspondent (1990-2000 - see the left map and the photo below). The hotel manager had the same suite reserved for me throughout that decade.
During the NATO bombing of Serbia in 1999, I was virtually the hotel's only guest. CNN and other western war correspondents used to stay at the nearby Hyatt.
So on my first post-war visit to Belgrade, the hotel staff greeted me warmly as ever. And then a worrisome frown came over the face of th
"Mr. Djurdjevic, it's been a few years since we saw you last," he said. "Is there going to be another war?"
Evidently, my (rare) visits to my hometown had become synonymous with war. That was the only period during which I was a "regular" at the hotel. I smiled and replied, "no, don't worry. Sometimes I can just come for a visit-visit, can't I?"
The clerk smiled back. He seemed relieved.
Our first stop, however, was the Zemun cemetery where Bora's grave is (see the left map). That's where I did my second Crispus ceremony, this time in the presence of my grandson from my Constantine lifetime - Stasa. Take a look...