100 degrees in Subotica. The air feels thick with heat.

Mortal hot.

My Hungarian friend who comes from here says though he's sorry Szabadka is no longer in Hungary the Hungarians brought their fate on themselves by letting the Dual Monarchy grab Bosnia, which was obviously in Serbia's sphere of influence.  

Yes, good point. 

Spheres of influence are out of fashion except when the influence is American, but they are useful. 

Serbia is accused of falling short of being completely democratic. This may simply be because she has good relations with Russia and China and the US Nato deep state wants to regime  change her. 

In fact Serbia is more democratic than any European Union country and especially than Starmer's island prison island. 

A joyful reminder of this is my plastic bottle of water, the cap of which came off without the least resistance.

As if on cue two teenage boys just walk past speaking Serbian but using, clearly as a joke, the very rude English word for black person.

I finally on my fourth visit see the synagogue. Of the roughly 5,000 Jews who lived here when the Hungarians invaded most were murdered by the Germans. 1,000 came back.

This weekend is an enjoyable cultural festival. The folk dances remind me of the ones Michael Redgrave recorded in Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes. 

When I first came here the town was mostly Hungarian but now it's half Serb and the festival reflects this. Many Croats too live in the area. They seem to get on well.

Demographics (and theology) drive history.