Ana je imala dvadeset devet godina i živela je u Novom Sadu, ali je dugo želela da poseti Suboticu. Mnogi prijatelji su joj pričali da je grad veoma lep, miran i pun zanimljive arhitekture. Jednog sunčanog subotnjeg jutra, Ana je odlučila da konačno ode tamo. Spremila je malu torbu, ponela vodu, telefon, svesku i lagani džemper, jer je jutro bilo sveže.
Do železničke stanice stigla je pešice. Voz za Suboticu stigao je tačno na vreme. Ana je sela pored prozora i posmatrala ravnice koje su prolazile pored. Polja su bila široka i zlatna, a ponegde su se videle male kuće i farme. Putovanje je trajalo oko sat i po, ali Ani se činilo da je prošlo mnogo brže, jer je bila uzbuđena.
Kada je stigla u Suboticu, prvo što je ugledala bila je velika železnička stanica u secesijskom stilu. Ana je zastala na trenutak i gledala šarene detalje na fasadi. “Stvarno je kao sa razglednice,” pomislila je. Iza stanice nalazilo se nekoliko malih kioska. Jedna prodavačica joj se nasmešila i rekla: „Dobar dan, devojko! Treba li vam karta ili voda?“ Ana se zahvalila i kupila malu flašu.
Krenula je prema centru grada. Ulice su bile čiste, a drveće visoko i zeleno. Ubrzo je stigla do Trga slobode. Tu je prvi put uživo videla poznatu Gradsku kuću. Zgrada je imala crveni krov, visoke tornjeve i velike prozore. Ana je uzela telefon i napravila mnogo fotografija. Zatim je sela na klupu da malo odmori. Pored nje su prolazili turisti koji su slikali i pričali na raznim jezicima.
Posle kratkog odmora, Ana je odlučila da obiđe poznatu Sinagogu. Ulaz je bio otvoren, pa je tiho ušla. Unutra je bilo mirno, a svetlost je padala kroz vitraže u plavim i zlatnim nijansama. Ana je polako šetala i čitala kratke tekstove na zidovima. Iako nije znala mnogo o istoriji, osećala je veliko poštovanje.
Oko podneva, Ana je bila gladna. Našla je mali restoran blizu centra. Konobar joj je doneo jelovnik, a Ana je izabrala supu i gulaš, jer je želela nešto domaće. Hrana je bila topla i veoma ukusna. Konobar je bio ljubazan i pitao je da li joj treba još nešto. Ana se zahvalila i rekla da je sve odlično.
Posle ručka, nastavila je da istražuje grad. Ušla je u knjižaru i kupila malu knjigu o Vojvodini. Zatim je obišla park kod Palića. Tamo je sedela pored jezera i zapisivala nove srpske reči u svoju svesku. Vetar je bio blag, a voda mirna. Videla je porodice kako šetaju, decu kako trče i starije ljude koji igraju šah.
Kada je sunce počelo da se spušta, Ana se vratila prema stanici. Kupila je još jednu vodu i čekala voz. Bila je umorna, ali srećna. Osjećala je da je dobro iskoristila dan. Dok se voz vraćao prema Novom Sadu, Ana je gledala krajolik i mislila: „Subotica je zaista divna. Vratiću se opet, možda već sledećeg meseca.“
Kada je stigla kući, zapisala je nekoliko rečenica o svom putovanju. Naučila je nove reči, videla puno lepih mesta i osetila da sve više razume srpski jezik. Pre spavanja, poslala je prijateljima fotografije i napisala: „Ako imate vremena, idite u Suboticu. Vredi svakog minuta.“
Tako se završio Anin miran, ali bogat dan u Subotici—dan koji će dugo pamtiti.
Ana was twenty-nine years old and lived in Novi Sad, but she had long wanted to visit Subotica. Many friends had told her that the city was very beautiful, peaceful and full of interesting architecture. One sunny Saturday morning, Ana decided to finally go there. She packed a small bag, taking water, her phone, a notebook and a light jumper, as the morning was fresh.
She reached the railway station on foot. The train to Subotica arrived exactly on time. Ana sat by the window and watched the plains passing by. The fields were wide and golden, and here and there small houses and farms could be seen. The journey lasted about an hour and a half, but to Ana it seemed to pass much more quickly, as she was excited.
When she arrived in Subotica, the first thing she saw was the large railway station in Art Nouveau style. Ana paused for a moment and looked at the colourful details on the façade. "It really is like something from a postcard," she thought. Behind the station there were several small kiosks. One saleswoman smiled at her and said: "Good morning, miss! Do you need a ticket or water?" Ana thanked her and bought a small bottle.
She set off towards the city centre. The streets were clean, and the trees tall and green. Soon she reached Freedom Square. There she saw the famous Town Hall in person for the first time. The building had a red roof, tall towers and large windows. Ana took out her phone and took many photographs. Then she sat on a bench to rest a little. Tourists passed by her, taking pictures and talking in various languages.
After a short rest, Ana decided to visit the famous Synagogue. The entrance was open, so she quietly entered. Inside it was peaceful, and light fell through stained glass windows in shades of blue and gold. Ana walked slowly and read short texts on the walls. Although she didn't know much about history, she felt great respect.
Around midday, Ana was hungry. She found a small restaurant near the centre. The waiter brought her a menu, and Ana chose soup and goulash, as she wanted something traditional. The food was warm and very tasty. The waiter was kind and asked if she needed anything else. Ana thanked him and said everything was excellent.
After lunch, she continued exploring the city. She went into a bookshop and bought a small book about Vojvodina. Then she visited the park near Palić. There she sat by the lake and wrote down new Serbian words in her notebook. The wind was gentle, and the water calm. She saw families walking, children running and elderly people playing chess.
When the sun began to set, Ana returned towards the station. She bought another bottle of water and waited for the train. She was tired, but happy. She felt that she had made good use of the day. As the train travelled back towards Novi Sad, Ana looked at the landscape and thought: "Subotica really is wonderful. I'll come back again, perhaps as early as next month."
When she got home, she wrote down a few sentences about her trip. She had learnt new words, seen many beautiful places and felt that she understood the Serbian language more and more. Before going to sleep, she sent photographs to her friends and wrote: "If you have time, go to Subotica. It's worth every minute."
And so ended Ana's peaceful but rich day in Subotica—a day she would remember for a long time.