On the bus again. Not so bad this time, but not wonderful. The lady driver had it in the bag, albeit very aggressively.
We arrived to beggars and rubbish, not making a great impression, but a pick-up from our AirBnB host improved the situation and our accommodation reversed initial impressions.
We spent the afternoon in the stari grad (old town), exploring laneways and shops before joining the 2 and half hour “free” walking tour.
The city blends the east and the west, the Ottoman and the Austro-Hungarian, the Muslim and the Catholic, with a smattering of Orthodox and Judaism for good measure.
We learned more about Franz Ferdinand and Sophie, as well as their killer Gavrilo Princip, a villain to some and a hero to others.
We also heard the funny story about the quaint Inat Kuća aka House of Spite, that was moved brick by brick so that the City Hall could be rebuilt after being obliterated by shells during the Bosnian war.
While the 100s of years of history is all interesting, I paid special attention to where to buy burek, cevapi and baklava. I’m feasting on these while we’re here.
Having enjoyed our walking tour, we booked on another for tomorrow, before devouring cevapi and sausages.
After an evening on the balcony we were ready for our tour, lead by our guide Christian, a Muslim. First stop, the lookout just below our house, then the tunel (sic) used to move people and supplies in and out of the city during the Bosnian war.
To end our tour on a happier note, we headed way up the mountain, briefly passing out of The Federation through a small part of Republika Srpska, to the ruins of the 1984 Winter Olympics bob sled and luge track at the top of Mount Trebević.
We opted to end the tour and take the cable car back to the city to indulge in yet more burek, some baklava, and a healthy dose of Bosnian Welcome Coffee (as opposed to Conversation Coffee or F$%# Off Coffee).
Our short stint in Sarajevo ended with a delightful relaxation massage and an evening on the balcony.
Sarajevo is an interesting city to spend some time in, especially given it’s recent history, all of which occurred in my lifetime. Volim te Sarajevo (and burek).
The Solo Avocado 