Today, residents in Sarajevo, Bosnia respect the varied religions in their city. I have heard the “Call to prayer” often, not all 5 times per day, but often. We stopped in at a Greek Orthodox Church and a Catholic Church.
Greek Orthodox ChurchGreek Orthodox Church. They do not sit in this church; they stand.
We visited the Tunnel of Hope, also called the Sarajevo Tunnel. The half mile tunnel was built in 1993 in 4 months, 4 days! It went under the airport and was used to bring in food and water to people in Sarajevo. The tunnel had systems to provide good air and lighting within the tunnel as supplies moved through by people and/or on a small cart on rails. More than 10,000 people were killed in this 3.5 year Bosnian War. This valley town was fired upon from the hills after the breakup of Yugoslavia.
Entrance to family home/tunnel.Tunnel reconstructed to show what it was like.
We had a speaker share his perspective of the conflict between Serbians and Bosnians in the 1990’s. Then there were almost 30% Serbians, but now only 4% in this mostly Muslim city.
We had a home-hosted dinner with our host. Her cousin spoke English and translated for us. We ate a delicious soup with okra, a meal of meatballs and mashed potatoes and baklava for dessert. I learned that Muslims do not drink alcohol in their home.
Finally, a brief explanation of the 3 presidents, but truly if you are interested, read the 1995 Dayton Accord agreed upon in Dayton Ohio, USA. There is the information as to the collective presidencies that resulted in 3 leaders: 1 Bosnian, 1 Croat and 1 Serb based on ethnic representation in the whole state of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Each of the entities have a president, parliament, ministries… many people are involved in government. I cannot explain much more; please research it on your own, if interested.
We are returning to Croatia tomorrow. A long drive. I’ll be back in a few days.
Sarajevo was founded by the Ottomans in the 15th Century, at a time when Jews, Croats, Serbs, Bosnians and Turks got along. We walked the town with a local guide. Proudly Sarajevo hosted the 1984 Winter Olympics, but since the Yugoslav War of the 1990’s most people have forgotten Sarajevo’s proud moment.
Our local guide talked of the Bosnian Serb artillery pounding this city for 3.5 years in the early 1990’s. We can see buildings that were attacked and so many others either restored or newly rebuilt. We stopped in at a mosque, a church and other historical points.
Gazi Husrev Beg’s MosqueCathedral of Jesus’ Sacred Heart
After a demonstration by a coppersmith and lunch, some of us took a cable car ride up to where the bobsled and luge starts were at the 1984 Winter Olympics. I also got a chance to listen to the birds and may have a couple of new ones for my life list!
Bobsled and luge tracks met here
Two of us were on our way down and jumped into a cable car with 6 guys. Their teacher was apoplectic at first, speaking a Slavic language we did not understand. After a few minutes, I noticed one young man wearing a New York sweatshirt. We started talking. He knew enough English to then translate to his teacher and peers! The guy next to me asked if he could take a photo with me and that prompted me taking a photo of them and my fellow traveler. Once out of the cable car, we shook hands.
Finally on good terms with these guys!
One thing we did agree on was the delicious food, especially the ćevapi.
Ćevapi … Delicious!!!
I visited the Museum of Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide, 1992-1995. Conflict/war is horrible, especially when fought with artillery and leaving behind utter destruction of lives and cities. Depressing to see what all the people endured. We’ll learn more tomorrow, but I hope you can read the sign with the statistics on it.
So much info on this sign!MessagesMore messages of peaceImportant message!
I’ll be back with part 3 to finish my visit in Sarajevo area.
Bosnia-Herzegovina (B-H) has a complicated history as told to us by our guide as we drove from Dubrovnik, Croatia to B-H. Our drive was slightly longer, due to the fact the first border crossing was not possible. Their new system to process our passports, finger prints and photo was not working. As a result we had to drive further through Croatia to another border checkpoint.
We made a few stops. One was at an oyster farm. Mussels are grown abundantly. You’ll see them in the waters, but I had not known that some were oysters. We saw the process and of course ate a deliciously fresh oyster!
OystersReady to eat!
Next stop was at an old bridge in Mostar. This 16th century bridge of Ottoman-Turkish architecture spans the Neretva River which divided the town into Muslim and Croat sections. The bridge was destroyed in 1993 as the former Yugoslavia broke up. In 2004 the town and bridge were restored and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The bridge is a symbol of reconciliation and continued peace for the region.
Minerals in water made it a shade of green!Mostar’s old bridge
Of course we had a delicious lunch and Bosnian coffee; it is like Turkish coffee.
I did need a sugar cube; strong coffee!
Our long transfer day of driving finally ended in Sarajevo! The only thing I knew about this place was the 1984 Winter Olympics. I’ll get that visit in tomorrow. More about the 3 presidents when I understand the history.
Our hotel is on the Dubrovnik Riviera, a stunning spot as we look out from our cove to the Adriatic Sea. We are a 20 minute bus ride from “Old Town”. A local guide spoke about the 13th and 14th century history of the Old Town area and more currently about what was destroyed in the 1991-92 war. In the olden days 4,000 people lived within the city walls, now only about 900 people. Their economy relies on tourism so visitors will see many shops and churches, museums, restaurants. I took advantage of the opportunity to walk the entire rampart/fortified wall. We are not here at peak season, but it is busy here with tourists. Since it is a UNESCO World Heritage site, only 2 cruise ships per day are allowed. Game of Thrones was filmed here prompting an increase in tourists.
Side street within city walls
We visited the War Museum toward Srd Mountain. A local speaker, who was 24 years old at the start of the Homeland War in 1991, shared her experience with us. She recalled the sporadic military attacks and then the 3 months: October -December when there was no water or electricity. The September sporadic bombing probably was purposeful. The world did not know what was happening to the people especially in Dubrovnik, but then the destruction was more frequent and destructive in the “old town”. Plenty of history here and if you want to know more and are visiting, I would recommend a visit to the War Museum.
Looking down on the “Old Town”Signage, videos to learn the history at War Museum
Cable car ride back to Old Town. I walked the Jesuit Stairs, a Baroque staircase consisting of 136 stone steps, connecting Gundulić Square to the Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Stopped in to say a prayer then joined a couple of my fellow travelers for a beer at Buza Bar. Beautiful view from the bar as it is on a rocky hillside!
Jesuit StepsInside the churchAt Buza Bar you can walk further down the rocky side.
Dinner was at a rural Konavle region outside of Dubrovnik. A fun way to end the day! We tried his cherry brandy… delicious! Learned about olive oil … and reminded to only use cold pressed extra virgin olive oil. Also do not cook/heat olive oil! Sauté whatever with another oil, then put olive oil on the cooked food. Cooking olive oil destroys the healthy benefits of it! Night ended with us singing and dancing after a delicious meal: cheeses, prosciutto, bread, olive oil, fish, potatoes, salad, and dessert of a fig and apple pie. We had plenty of his wine! I drank his red wine: 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon… wonderful!
Owner at farmstead and his cherry brandy … so delicious!Music and dancing… a fun night!
We are off to Bosnia-Herzegovina tomorrow, so I’ll be back in a few days with a post!
Montenegro is a small Balkan country surrounded by the Adriatic Sea and all these countries: Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo and Albania! (Montenegro is the size of Connecticut, for my USA readers to have a sense of its size.) We drove along the coastline during our pre-trip days of adventure in Albania to Dubrovnik, Croatia to meet our main trip fellow travelers. The Adriatic Sea has so many beautiful and different blues!
Perast, Montenegro
We returned to Montenegro now to spend a day in the towns of Perast and Kotor. I’ll leave the photos to show how the landscape climbs up from the water’s edge to mountaintops! Loved every view! There were clouds and rain throughout this day, but we saw great views when the sun shined!
Perast, Montenegro
We took a boat ride from Perast, around Our Lady of the Rocks, to Kotor, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Lady of the Rocks is a man-made island. A fisherman, according to legend, found an icon of the Holy Mother of God after a shipwreck. As seamen passed by on their big boats they dropped stones and eventually built a church in 1630. As we went by the island, each of us threw in a small stone.
Our Lady of the Rocks
Old Town Kotor is a medieval walled town at the end of the Bay of Kotor surrounded by mountains. We could see how it was not destroyed as were other towns, such as Dubrovnik. A local guide pointed out a few of the remaining numerous churches. People do live still within these walls.
Fortress higher on the mountainOrthodox Church within city wallNotice the clear water!Only 2 cruise ships per day allowed. I first thought it a building!
I’ll be back in a few days with posts. Till then, traveling on!
We left the capital area of Tirana, with its million people and traffic, and drove to Shkoder with a stop first in Mrizi. In this small town we visited a potter. He and his family collect and process the clay so it is of fine quality for all the work they create. He makes beautiful pieces. The visit provided a time to talk about the communist years when artists, writers and musicians were not allowed to be their creative selves. Many of those individuals were imprisoned for not conforming. The ceramics made by his family during those decades were for the state, not their personal business. Since the end of communism, approximately 1991, many businesses began to take form and families could have their businesses.
Some individuals returned to Albania, their home, after 1992 to start their own businesses. A couple of brothers spent years in Italy learning about agriculture and cooking to create what is now a productive agri-tourism business that we visited next. At their farm they grow vegetables and fruits, raise animals and buy local milk and produce to serve fresh, in-season meals at their farm restaurant. This place is quite an operation with the variety of cheeses and wines, along with meats prepared and smoked various ways. Mrizi has many individual farms and people working together. The lunch we had was WOW! and with some fruits I had never seen before!
Amazing skill with clay!Family member paints the design.Local making a corn pie with vegetables.Boiled cheese, new to me! I put it on bread.
There were almost 200,000 bunkers built during communist time… almost 1 for every 11 people. Some have an interesting look now.
BunkerA bunker at the farm.
In Shkoder, a town of 120,000 people, we walked their pedestrian walkways. Away from the traffic and many bicyclists!
We visited the Cathedral of Saint Stephen. During the communist years, it was transformed into the Palace of Sports. In 1991-93 when the church was restored, there was also recognition of the 40 religious martyrs. These individuals as Catholics, Muslims, and Orthodox religious people died rather than renounce their beliefs during communist period.
Cathedral of Saint StephenMartyrs
Rozafa Castle, an old fortress high on a hill, once had the original St. Stephen Church. In 1478, the invading Ottomans made it a mosque. Beautiful views can be seen of the city, countryside and rivers.
Fortress with lower part of minaretView of countryside from fortress
Our evening was with a speaker and visit at the Museum of Remembrance.
We headed south, a couple hour’s drive, for our day trip from Tirana to Berat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for its Ottoman-style homes. Notice the many windows on the second floor of the home. The first floor is made of stone and the second floor is a white-washed exterior with a ceramic-tiled roof. The second floor is one large room. These homes are on both hillsides of the Osum River.
Berat’s Ottoman-style homes
After walking a loop from one bridge to another, we drove up to Berat Castle. This is a 2500 year old fortress, considered a “living castle“ as 700 people live here. Residents have permits to drive within; everyone else walks in on the cobblestone paths.
Walkway at Berat Castle
We stopped at the Onufri Museum in Castle’s Cathedral of the Assumption of St. Mary. There were 19th century paintings on wood, labeled with artist and date!
At Cathedral
After lunch of soup, salad with cucumber, tomatoes, olives, etc and meatballs and stuffed peppers with rice, and a dessert, we headed back to Tirana.
View of an area of Berat from the Berat Castle area.
Our guide spoke of Albania’s complicated history while we rode from Tirana to Berat. No way could I condense all that info; however, it was interesting seeing all the old steel mills that were built and used in the 1970’s. Twenty thousand people were employed, but by the 1990’s they ended. Communist Party was on its way out and 50 percent of the country’s electricity was consumed by these mills. You’ll also notice there are some working oil wells, many fewer now than in the past. There is now less oil, but also the crude oil needs to be exported as Albania has no refinery. Gasoline here is about $7.00 per gallon with 60% of that fee as tax. (Side note: saw some self-supported bicycling tourists on the road. No bike lanes here. They were truly on the road!)
During Communist years, the Mother Party was more important than ones biological mother. Two hundred thousand bunkers were built. As the years went on, people were malnourished, yet listened to BBC and Voice of America and realized their “glorious leader” was a dictator. Again, so much happened in their history; do your research to learn more. Even as the new government in 1992 institutes land reform, this too has its challenges! History buffs must really love understanding how this country has come to be!
On a later note, let me end with a look at our dessert from lunch. This is Berat’s version of “ekmet” … a custard with shredded wheat below and on top. It was delicious along with soup, fresh tomatoes and olives, meatballs and stuffed peppers. It was an informative day!
The Adriatic Sea is rarely mentioned in comparison to the Mediterranean Sea, yet the Adriatic Sea is a northern arm of the Mediterranean Sea. My travels for the next few months will be to explore the Balkan Peninsula, not really a peninsula, and Italian Peninsula separated by this 500 mile long body of water.
For those of you who love water, I learned, the Adriatic Sea is relatively shallow, has clear, turquoise water and over 1,000 islands. Wonder if island hopping is a thing people do?
My time will be split: group tour and solo time. The entire travel involves places I have never visited, so this will be a true exploration! My blog posts are usually twice a week, however, if writing time is available, I’ll post more often.
Looking at a map, I’ll visit Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia and some locations on the eastern coast of Italy. If you have visited any of these areas, let me know what I should not miss! Thanks!
My sketch below is to orient myself to the locations of the countries I’ll eventually be visiting. I’ll start on the Southeastern European side. Can you name the countries labeled B thru F? Then I’ll visit eastern coast of country labeled A. Will not visit country labeled “?”, but needed to include it for my sense of the area.
Italian and Balkan Peninsulas. Can you name the countries?
Here are the answers:
A= Italy
B= Slovenia
C= Croatia
D= Bosnia and Herzegovina
E= Montenegro
F= Albania
How did you do? What about upper right corner with question mark? Answer: Serbia
Time to travel … and explore foods, birds, history with eyes wide open and to meet people from all over the world!
Packing for a trip can be a chore, especially when planning to pack all your needs for a 60 day trip in carry-on luggage.
I thought it a bright idea to search the Internet for any packing hints. It became a slight nightmare as I discovered there is way too much information! I’m not a newbie to this carry-on packing idea, I just thought it might be interesting to see what others do!
I previously knew about the 3-3-3 plan of 3 tops, 3 bottoms and 3 shoes. But, did you know …
there’s a 5-5-5 plan of 5 tops, 5 bottoms and 5 outerwear… hmmm.
New to me was the 5-4-3-2-1 plan of 5 tops, 4 bottoms, 3 shoes, 2 layers such as jacket/cardigan and 1 = week of undergarments.
Just as I was about to call an end to this Internet craziness, I saw a 1-2-3-4-5-6. Of course I had to check it out. This plan: 1 hat, 2 shoes, 3 bottoms, 4 tops, 5 socks and 6 underwear.
Am I any further ahead with my packing list? No. But I’ve checked the temperature in each area I am visiting … good start. Next, thinking about colors that coordinate nicely. Then making a list of must-have items: raincoat, clothing and shoes for one day, and items needed at morning/night: headlamp, toothbrush/paste, comb. Plus travel needs: passport, phone & charger, reading glasses, sunglasses, money/cards, water bottle, universal adapter, and hat. Now I’ll build from here. Wonder what the overall weight will be? Actually, I don’t care!
My goal is to have clothing I can layer for the varying air temperatures. Clothing I can easily wash on the road. Must keep my carry-on bag light as I schlep it on airplanes, trains and taxis. I’ll also have a smaller bag carried on the front of my body for daily activity use.
The reality about packing: keep it simple! I’m not in the middle of wilderness on this trip; therefore, a store will be within reach if I truly need something I forgot or need more of during my trip. Yes, simply simple and ready for fun! Most important: the carry-on bag needs to fit in the airline “cage” to assure airline personnel all the dimensions for the piece have been met … so don’t stuff the bag … meet their required dimensions.
Next post I’ll let you know where I am going for a few of months!
Bag with a rain cover! Time to pack it!
Here are my final bags: 22 pounds in Osprey and 13 pounds in black PacSafe bag due to batteries and power bank needing to be close to you and not above in cabinet on airplane.
Bird watching was not something I did during my youth. In my college days, the common loon may be considered my “spark bird”. (A spark bird is that bird making you more serious and interested in birding.) But in reality, I just loved seeing that bird. Hiking miles to Adirondack Mountain lakes in upstate New York State to see a common loon and sometimes its chicks was just a thing I did. Then I thought I started birding when the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020. I did not.
Recently I found a bird journal of mine. It looked like I took my bird watching to another level on August 30, 2018! I literally recorded more specific notes than I ever remember completing. Amazingly I was teaching myself the difference between some birds as I was identifying my observations. I had a 30 -70 mm camera lens at the time to help with my identifications. Two years prior, in 2016, Merlin Bird ID became available for uploaded photos which no doubt helped me identify birds.
In 2019, I continued to list birds per outing along with the guidebook page, some notes, and additional info about other wildlife seen. I also collected pictures of birds I hoped to see when visiting upcoming locations, such as “Ding” Darling Wildlife Refuge in Sanibel, Florida.
I was really learning so much about birds!
On December 25, 2019, at Sweetwater Wetlands in Tucson, Arizona, I was caught standing between a good-sized javelina and a bobcat. I do remember that day because a woman from Florida was birding also and very scared. My only way to calm her was to have her stand on a bench as I was convinced the javelina would walk by and the bobcat would turn and leave. Which all of that did happen!
That was an interesting day; will always remember it!
August 2020 I attended my first bird festival in Tucson, Arizona. I may have believed I was a birder now as I bought camera lenses for improved bird photography. (In reality though I was birding since 2018.) Photography really helped me learn the names of birds. Attending bird festivals in Texas and California were most informative too.
I noticed in my December 2020 listing I was keeping track of my life list of bird species in eBird. So I was well on my way with 177 species, yet I thought I only began birding at the start of the pandemic. Interesting! Through 2021 and 2022, along with my sightings, I listed places for future birding visits. Time of year with possible bird sightings and directions to the place. Of course, I did set out to visit some of these places!
Interesting seeing these notes now that I am over 700 birds on my life list.
2023 I set a personal challenge to record one bird sighting, therefore bird checklist, per day. For 365 days there is at least one checklist per day of birds I saw, and sometimes there were more than one checklist per day. It was an especially fun activity as I traveled cross-country in my van and stopped at wildlife refuges, rest areas, family member’s backyards and parks … wherever I thought I’d see a bird … and created a checklist for the observations.
An endangered bird I did see here and 2 other times in my life so far.
2024, only a few notes of the many birds I saw in Sicily, Italy and later in the year in Australia and New Zealand. Now I no longer have a paper trail of the checklists of birds I see per outing. All is entered in eBird and I search there for date and locations of specific birds I need to know about from my observations. Part of me misses the writing of the info in a book. I do scribble in a list in my travel journal, but it feels different than the listings of years ago when I started birding. Now I am pre-occupied with sketching birds … that I hope to see … or did see. Who knows what format my future listings will take. But now I know I actually started birding in 2018!! In my future travel I hope to see this bird: European robin.
Will be looking for it in upcoming months!
If you are interested in learning about birds and to have access to all of the free and valuable apps from Cornell University, check out, click on this link at All About Birds. Go have some fun!
