Trip report Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia in October 2010
Nov 9th, 2010, 11:40 AM
#22
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Danon, I made a decision years ago to try to visit without judging.
That does not mean I visit without caring. Nor is it always possible not to judge. Many times I have wandered through places where unspeakable atrocities occurred, meeting lovely, friendly people and wondering how on earth they, or their parents or earlier ancestors allowed such obscenities to occur. Have you been to Cambodia, or Peru, or the Deep South, or, closer to your home, Verdun or Auschwitz? Just a few of far too many blood-soaked plots of land with terrible stories to tell.
I try not to judge the cultures I visit; don't let your passion cause you to mis-judge those who post on forums about their travels.
Passion can be a good thing. But passion about sins of the past has a habit of re-creating that past with the next war or the next dictator.
I'll not answer your further responses, I am already guilty of adding to the hijack of the thread. My apologies to other readers.
Cheers, Alan
http://loraltravel.blogspot.com/
That does not mean I visit without caring. Nor is it always possible not to judge. Many times I have wandered through places where unspeakable atrocities occurred, meeting lovely, friendly people and wondering how on earth they, or their parents or earlier ancestors allowed such obscenities to occur. Have you been to Cambodia, or Peru, or the Deep South, or, closer to your home, Verdun or Auschwitz? Just a few of far too many blood-soaked plots of land with terrible stories to tell.
I try not to judge the cultures I visit; don't let your passion cause you to mis-judge those who post on forums about their travels.
Passion can be a good thing. But passion about sins of the past has a habit of re-creating that past with the next war or the next dictator.
I'll not answer your further responses, I am already guilty of adding to the hijack of the thread. My apologies to other readers.
Cheers, Alan
http://loraltravel.blogspot.com/
Nov 10th, 2010, 04:28 AM
#24
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I'm back. I wasn't scared away by the controversy, just busy.
Day 2–more Sarajevo
We set out in the morning around 8:45 to make final arrangements for the car rental for our Croatia trip. The rental company is located in a big hotel/office building complex called the Radon Plaza a few miles west of the old city. I think this is a 5 star hotel but it and the neighborhood lack any charm/character and it is far from tourist sights. I certainly would not recommend staying there. There is a revolving restaurant at the top so we went up for some coffee and to see the view before heading out for a tour of the city.
A slight digression about coffee: drinking coffee is an important part of the local culture. There are many, many cafes throughout the city. "Bosnian" coffee is what most of us would call Turkish coffee. The coffee is boiled with water in a special pot called a dzezva and served in small espresso size cups with cubes of sugar. As you reach the end of the cup you are left with some sludgy grounds. At least in Sarajevo other types of coffee like espresso and even cappuccino are also served, and I have to admit I preferred the espresso to the Bosnian style coffee.
After our coffee break we left the Radon Plaza for our next destination, the "Romeo and Juliet" Vrbanja bridge, near the university. In 1993, a Muslim woman and her Serbian boyfriend/fiance were killed on the bridge while they were trying to leave the city. The bridge is also known as the Suada and Olga bridge in memory of the first two people killed in the war, two young women shot by a sniper during a demonstration in April 1992. The memorial tablet to them reads “A drop of my blood flowed, and Bosnia did not drain”.
From the river we walked up to the History museum. Most of the exhibits are about the 1992-95 war and the siege of Sarajevo. It is hard to imagine how only 15 years ago people lived through these terrible conditions in a modern European city.
We walked through the surrounding area including the infamous Sniper's alley and the Holiday Inn where journalists stayed during the war, It is still the ugly mustard yellow color described in another post. Nearby, there are some beautiful old trees along the river and new park benches had recently been installed. Ironically, the trees are still there because this area was so dangerous during the war that no one was able to use them for firewood; trees in other more protected areas were cut down.
By this point it was lunch time and we caught a cab downtown. With three people, the cab was no more expensive than the tram for a short distance. Our friend took us for Cevapi, a very popular dish in BiH, Small grilled lamb sausages, five for a half portion and ten for a full portion, are stuffed in a thin pita-like pocket bread. Our friend ordered ours with chopped onions, and kajmak, a delicious soft cheese. It looked like a lot of food when it arrived, but I managed to polish it off.
After lunch we wandered some more through the old town. We walked through the old covered market (Gazi Husrefbegov bezistan), a massive basilica-like stone building with many shops. We walked through the famous pigeon square with its Sebilj (fountain), then crossed the river to the south side.
We had a good view of the National Library (former City Hall), a beautiful building built in 1896 in “psuedo Moorish” style. It was heavily shelled in 1992 and 90% of the collection was destroyed. There is an extensive renovation project going on, and the building is covered in scaffolding.
We then walked along the river and back across the Latin Bridge, site of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie in 1914. Rebecca West has a LONG description of their visit and the assassination attempts (there was an earlier unsuccessful one the day of their death) in Black Lamb and Grey Falcon . There is a small museum at the corner NW of the bridge with several good historic plaques on the outside. In general, Sarajevo has some useful historic markers with English translations at many tourist sites. Most of the information inside the museums is also translated into English.
Back in the main part of the old Ottoman section of the city, We visited an art gallery, a clothing store owned by a woman who is also a pianist and was practicing for a concert and a book store along one of the side streets. We also visited another carpet shop in a small courtyard and watched some workmen doing repair work on the minaret of one of the mosques.
On the way “home” we passed the Old Synagogue, and decided to go in. Our friend was quite excited because she had never gone inside before (many of the opening hours are during her work hours). The synagogue/museum is very interesting. The ground floor still has services on special occasions. The rest of the building has a well-done historical exhibit. Sarajevo had a Jewish population of about 12,000 before WW II. They were descended from Sephardic Jews who left Spain in the early 16th century and a later group of Ashkenazi Jews who arrived in the 17th century. Most died during the war, and some of the survivors emigrated to Israel. The city still has a small Jewish community of about 700 people.
We spent a few hours back at the apartment before returning to the old town for dinner. We had made a reservation for 8:30 at
Dveri, a nice restaurant near the tourist office. Dinners out start fairly late and tend to be long affairs, and tables are not expected to turn over during the evening. Prices are very reasonable by U.S. standards. Local house wines are good and most meals end (and/or begin) with liqueurs.
Before going to bed, my friend and I turned on the TV to check the weather forecast. To her horror, she found that her selection of cable channels had suddenly changed. She could no longer get CNN and there was a new channel featuring VERY explicit lesbian sex. The only positive note was a good forecast for the coming weekend.
Day 2–more Sarajevo
We set out in the morning around 8:45 to make final arrangements for the car rental for our Croatia trip. The rental company is located in a big hotel/office building complex called the Radon Plaza a few miles west of the old city. I think this is a 5 star hotel but it and the neighborhood lack any charm/character and it is far from tourist sights. I certainly would not recommend staying there. There is a revolving restaurant at the top so we went up for some coffee and to see the view before heading out for a tour of the city.
A slight digression about coffee: drinking coffee is an important part of the local culture. There are many, many cafes throughout the city. "Bosnian" coffee is what most of us would call Turkish coffee. The coffee is boiled with water in a special pot called a dzezva and served in small espresso size cups with cubes of sugar. As you reach the end of the cup you are left with some sludgy grounds. At least in Sarajevo other types of coffee like espresso and even cappuccino are also served, and I have to admit I preferred the espresso to the Bosnian style coffee.
After our coffee break we left the Radon Plaza for our next destination, the "Romeo and Juliet" Vrbanja bridge, near the university. In 1993, a Muslim woman and her Serbian boyfriend/fiance were killed on the bridge while they were trying to leave the city. The bridge is also known as the Suada and Olga bridge in memory of the first two people killed in the war, two young women shot by a sniper during a demonstration in April 1992. The memorial tablet to them reads “A drop of my blood flowed, and Bosnia did not drain”.
From the river we walked up to the History museum. Most of the exhibits are about the 1992-95 war and the siege of Sarajevo. It is hard to imagine how only 15 years ago people lived through these terrible conditions in a modern European city.
We walked through the surrounding area including the infamous Sniper's alley and the Holiday Inn where journalists stayed during the war, It is still the ugly mustard yellow color described in another post. Nearby, there are some beautiful old trees along the river and new park benches had recently been installed. Ironically, the trees are still there because this area was so dangerous during the war that no one was able to use them for firewood; trees in other more protected areas were cut down.
By this point it was lunch time and we caught a cab downtown. With three people, the cab was no more expensive than the tram for a short distance. Our friend took us for Cevapi, a very popular dish in BiH, Small grilled lamb sausages, five for a half portion and ten for a full portion, are stuffed in a thin pita-like pocket bread. Our friend ordered ours with chopped onions, and kajmak, a delicious soft cheese. It looked like a lot of food when it arrived, but I managed to polish it off.
After lunch we wandered some more through the old town. We walked through the old covered market (Gazi Husrefbegov bezistan), a massive basilica-like stone building with many shops. We walked through the famous pigeon square with its Sebilj (fountain), then crossed the river to the south side.
We had a good view of the National Library (former City Hall), a beautiful building built in 1896 in “psuedo Moorish” style. It was heavily shelled in 1992 and 90% of the collection was destroyed. There is an extensive renovation project going on, and the building is covered in scaffolding.
We then walked along the river and back across the Latin Bridge, site of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie in 1914. Rebecca West has a LONG description of their visit and the assassination attempts (there was an earlier unsuccessful one the day of their death) in Black Lamb and Grey Falcon . There is a small museum at the corner NW of the bridge with several good historic plaques on the outside. In general, Sarajevo has some useful historic markers with English translations at many tourist sites. Most of the information inside the museums is also translated into English.
Back in the main part of the old Ottoman section of the city, We visited an art gallery, a clothing store owned by a woman who is also a pianist and was practicing for a concert and a book store along one of the side streets. We also visited another carpet shop in a small courtyard and watched some workmen doing repair work on the minaret of one of the mosques.
On the way “home” we passed the Old Synagogue, and decided to go in. Our friend was quite excited because she had never gone inside before (many of the opening hours are during her work hours). The synagogue/museum is very interesting. The ground floor still has services on special occasions. The rest of the building has a well-done historical exhibit. Sarajevo had a Jewish population of about 12,000 before WW II. They were descended from Sephardic Jews who left Spain in the early 16th century and a later group of Ashkenazi Jews who arrived in the 17th century. Most died during the war, and some of the survivors emigrated to Israel. The city still has a small Jewish community of about 700 people.
We spent a few hours back at the apartment before returning to the old town for dinner. We had made a reservation for 8:30 at
Dveri, a nice restaurant near the tourist office. Dinners out start fairly late and tend to be long affairs, and tables are not expected to turn over during the evening. Prices are very reasonable by U.S. standards. Local house wines are good and most meals end (and/or begin) with liqueurs.
Before going to bed, my friend and I turned on the TV to check the weather forecast. To her horror, she found that her selection of cable channels had suddenly changed. She could no longer get CNN and there was a new channel featuring VERY explicit lesbian sex. The only positive note was a good forecast for the coming weekend.
Nov 10th, 2010, 08:29 AM
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vt...you are having an unforgettable travel experience. By the way, is that Holiday Inn I described still there? Just curious to know if it has been rebuilt. I did hear that the old Europa Hotel is back in business. Will you be posting pix? Hope so.
stu
stu
Nov 11th, 2010, 05:51 PM
#26
Your report is wonderful. My daughter, who is getting her Master's in Int'l Human Rights, spent the summer interning in Sarajevo. She fell in love it with and I'm going to let her know about your report so she, too can enjoy it. She lived with a woman whose apartment, I believe, in the general area of your friend.
Stu, I'm sure I remember my daughter referring to the Holiday Inn. Is it near the American Embassy?
The Balkans have a rich culture, warm and wonderful people and you obviously got the most out of your experience. I'm looking forward to the next installment.
Ellen
Stu, I'm sure I remember my daughter referring to the Holiday Inn. Is it near the American Embassy?
The Balkans have a rich culture, warm and wonderful people and you obviously got the most out of your experience. I'm looking forward to the next installment.
Ellen
Nov 11th, 2010, 07:07 PM
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Vttraveler,
I'm ellen75005's daughter. I loved reading your report and know every place you went. One tiny clarification though - the National Library was set on fire, not heavily shelled (it may have been but that didn't lead to its complete destruction). The devastation occurred not just of the building, but centuries of archives/ancestral records/books, etc were destroyed. That, to me, is what is truly sad about its destruction.
The Vrbanja bridge was right next to my office. If you're walking across it, away from the Parliament building so the plaque on the bridge is on your right, you'll see an orange gas station. If you cross that busy street and walk up the hill next to the gas station you'd reach my office.
We went to the History Museum towards the end of the summer and as simple as the siege's display was, it was one of the best experiences of the summer. You realize your new found appreciation for everyone living and traveling around Sniper Alley after seeing the exhibit.
I lived on Alipisena Street (sp?) next to the old American Embassy. I think the new Embassy which is next to the Holiday Inn is now open. I walked past the park dedicated to the fallen children every day on my way to the BBI center (the big mall on the opposite side of the street)- it was about a 10 minute walk from my apartment.
Anyways, I loved reading everything and imagining you walking down Ferhadija into Bascarsija, stopping at what I imagine was Zjelo for your cevapi(the best in Sarajevo)and stopping at a "pekara" or two on your way back to the apartment. It's truly and amazing city and since I drank the water, as they say, I'm destined to return.
I'm ellen75005's daughter. I loved reading your report and know every place you went. One tiny clarification though - the National Library was set on fire, not heavily shelled (it may have been but that didn't lead to its complete destruction). The devastation occurred not just of the building, but centuries of archives/ancestral records/books, etc were destroyed. That, to me, is what is truly sad about its destruction.
The Vrbanja bridge was right next to my office. If you're walking across it, away from the Parliament building so the plaque on the bridge is on your right, you'll see an orange gas station. If you cross that busy street and walk up the hill next to the gas station you'd reach my office.
We went to the History Museum towards the end of the summer and as simple as the siege's display was, it was one of the best experiences of the summer. You realize your new found appreciation for everyone living and traveling around Sniper Alley after seeing the exhibit.
I lived on Alipisena Street (sp?) next to the old American Embassy. I think the new Embassy which is next to the Holiday Inn is now open. I walked past the park dedicated to the fallen children every day on my way to the BBI center (the big mall on the opposite side of the street)- it was about a 10 minute walk from my apartment.
Anyways, I loved reading everything and imagining you walking down Ferhadija into Bascarsija, stopping at what I imagine was Zjelo for your cevapi(the best in Sarajevo)and stopping at a "pekara" or two on your way back to the apartment. It's truly and amazing city and since I drank the water, as they say, I'm destined to return.
Nov 11th, 2010, 08:01 PM
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Thank you Ellen and Ellen's daughter Katie...for information on the Holiday Inn. I don't exactly remember where it was...trying to go back to 1983 is too trying for my aging memory. Katie, this remarkable Sarajevo experience will be with you for your entire long life. I have some poignant scenes of Sarajevo c.1890 in one of my novels, when it was an outpost of The Austro-Hungarian Empire. My leading character is a 17-year old recruit for the Emperor's army at the time.
Katie is the Europa still there? I had heard there was a name change of some sort.
stu tower
Katie is the Europa still there? I had heard there was a name change of some sort.
stu tower
Nov 12th, 2010, 07:11 AM
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It is still there, I think it's officially Hotel Europe but I'm not sure. We had a conference there this summer and it is a very nice hotel. We took advantage of their free wireless in the lobby and the nice outdoor seating area several times.
We hiked up to the old Austro-Hungarian forts on the hillsides a few times. It's sad they are completely abandoned but the young Sarajevans enjoy them. I especially love how the sidewalk changes from Austro-Hungarian to Ottoman and the entire feel of the city changes with it in that neighborhood. It truly is an amazing city and I can't wait to go back. The entire country is amazing, really, but there's something about Sarajevo that makes it special.
We hiked up to the old Austro-Hungarian forts on the hillsides a few times. It's sad they are completely abandoned but the young Sarajevans enjoy them. I especially love how the sidewalk changes from Austro-Hungarian to Ottoman and the entire feel of the city changes with it in that neighborhood. It truly is an amazing city and I can't wait to go back. The entire country is amazing, really, but there's something about Sarajevo that makes it special.
Nov 12th, 2010, 07:30 AM
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My feelings exactly Katie. I was there for barely 2 days in May, but loved what I saw and felt. I had found myself 'drawn' to Sarajevo for some years, and am now feeling the pull to return and spend more time there.
My feelings exactly Katie. I was there for barely 2 days in May, but loved what I saw and felt. I had found myself 'drawn' to Sarajevo for some years, and am now feeling the pull to return and spend more time there.
Nov 12th, 2010, 02:13 PM
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Interesting sentiments from julia and katie.
I visited Sarjevo several times before the war.
Since the 'partition' , I have been invited to visit but just cannot bring myself to see the place where I used to run ( the former Stadium) looking like this:
http://www.guiltandpleasure.com/admfiles/upload/124.pdf
I visited Sarjevo several times before the war.
Since the 'partition' , I have been invited to visit but just cannot bring myself to see the place where I used to run ( the former Stadium) looking like this:
http://www.guiltandpleasure.com/admfiles/upload/124.pdf
Nov 12th, 2010, 05:35 PM
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Danon,
I didn't live far from that Stadium. It's true that Sarajevo's landscape is much different now than before the war in that Sarajevo is covered in cemeteries. Even though I never visited before the war, the cemeteries that dot the city now give Sarajevo a new "aura" and its own beauty. The cemeteries are primarily on the west side of Sarajevo and can be seen if you are on the hills above Sarajevo. Sarajevo will, for better or worse, be remembered as a war-torn city. However, the changed landscape adds a different beauty that a lot of citizens now appreciate (as much as possible). The former president of BiH is buried in one of the cemeteries just past Pigeon Square up the hill.
Since I was never there before the war I can't say what it was like to see the city before the mortar scars, shelled buildings and cemeteries, but if you ever get a chance to visit Sarajevo again you should - there's a new beauty that deserves a chance.
I didn't live far from that Stadium. It's true that Sarajevo's landscape is much different now than before the war in that Sarajevo is covered in cemeteries. Even though I never visited before the war, the cemeteries that dot the city now give Sarajevo a new "aura" and its own beauty. The cemeteries are primarily on the west side of Sarajevo and can be seen if you are on the hills above Sarajevo. Sarajevo will, for better or worse, be remembered as a war-torn city. However, the changed landscape adds a different beauty that a lot of citizens now appreciate (as much as possible). The former president of BiH is buried in one of the cemeteries just past Pigeon Square up the hill.
Since I was never there before the war I can't say what it was like to see the city before the mortar scars, shelled buildings and cemeteries, but if you ever get a chance to visit Sarajevo again you should - there's a new beauty that deserves a chance.
Nov 14th, 2010, 03:07 PM
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katie--I am glad you have enjoyed reading about our visit to Sarajevo. You were fortunate to be able to spend time there and really get to know the city. Your apartment was definitely near our friend's. We frequently walked back past the old U.S. Embassy--a beautiful building.
I read that just after our visit this fall Hilary Clinton dedicated the new Embassy to Robert Frasure who was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Balkans. He died 15 years ago on his way to peace talks trying to end the war.
You are also right that most of the damage to the National Library collection was the result of fire caused by "incendiary grenades." I have read that many people from the city went to the library to try to save the collection as it was burning even though snipers were targeting the library. At least one of the librarians was killed by a sniper.
Re the Holiday Inn: My husband and I actually went inside on Day 9 of our trip after visiting the nearby National Museum. It has a huge open atrium with rooms built around this center. The design is definitely more 1980's than 21st century.
I read that just after our visit this fall Hilary Clinton dedicated the new Embassy to Robert Frasure who was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for the Balkans. He died 15 years ago on his way to peace talks trying to end the war.
You are also right that most of the damage to the National Library collection was the result of fire caused by "incendiary grenades." I have read that many people from the city went to the library to try to save the collection as it was burning even though snipers were targeting the library. At least one of the librarians was killed by a sniper.
Re the Holiday Inn: My husband and I actually went inside on Day 9 of our trip after visiting the nearby National Museum. It has a huge open atrium with rooms built around this center. The design is definitely more 1980's than 21st century.
Nov 14th, 2010, 04:51 PM
#36
I'm glad Katie chimed in - you can see what an effect Sarajevo had on her. I think back to those years, reading newspapers and listening to news reports about "the war in Bosnia" and how far away it seemed, never in a million years thinking we or our daughter would ever travel to the Balkans, let alone fall in love with that part of the world.
Vt, thank you again for your wonderful report. I hope to visit in the next couple of years, hopefully with my daughter as my guide
Ellen
Vt, thank you again for your wonderful report. I hope to visit in the next couple of years, hopefully with my daughter as my guide
Ellen
Nov 16th, 2010, 06:57 AM
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Great diary,great journey, this country has a lotv to offer, only one little completion: Bosnia-Hezegovina trully has two entities, the Serb and the Muslim-Croatian, but the latter one is also consist of 10 cantons. Every unit has its own parliament, government, police etc. So BiH is probably the most confusing and complicated state in the world.
Nov 17th, 2010, 06:31 PM
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It is incredibly confusing and I'm still trying to understand the government. However, the United States created the government so the war would end. It probably would've been better if the present Republika Srpska was created as either a separate or autonomous region than the rest of Bosnia. Three presidents, 14 (or however many) cantons and two different regions just don't work in one country.
The country has so much to offer but with recent reports that it is lagging behind other European nations that are also applying for EU accession, high unemployment and corruption rates, and major lag in development, BiH has to do something to work towards unification from within and with also the rest of the Europe, EU or not. It is almost completely surrounded by nations that have already begun their bid for EU membership and BiH will fall behind even more in comparison to Croatia, Montenegro, Macedonia and eventually Serbia and Albania.
I find it a little confusing that our country will accept Kosovo's independence but doesn't support a separate Republika Srpska.
The country has so much to offer but with recent reports that it is lagging behind other European nations that are also applying for EU accession, high unemployment and corruption rates, and major lag in development, BiH has to do something to work towards unification from within and with also the rest of the Europe, EU or not. It is almost completely surrounded by nations that have already begun their bid for EU membership and BiH will fall behind even more in comparison to Croatia, Montenegro, Macedonia and eventually Serbia and Albania.
I find it a little confusing that our country will accept Kosovo's independence but doesn't support a separate Republika Srpska.
Nov 20th, 2010, 05:01 AM
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Day 3 -- Sarajevo to Croatia
Our friend had arranged to take Monday and Tuesday off, so we set out for our long weekend road trip to the Dalmatian coast on our Day 3, Saturday. The car rental company delivered the car to the apartment at 9 and we packed up. We were much better stocked for the road trip than we would usually be on a vacation abroad, thanks to the contents of our friend's cupboards, including wine.
There are several possible routes from Sarajevo to the coast, depending on how quickly you want to get there and what you want to see on the way. We decided to take one that would allow us stop in Mostar in the morning, then Blagaj to see the basic sights and have trout for lunch, then Stolac to see the large
necropolis of stećcci (medieval tombstones) then on toward the coast via Ljubinje and Trebinje. Our friend explained that the section Stolac- Ljubinje -Trebinje was more scenic and had much less traffic than the usual route south but that the road was still heavily mined so we would not be able to pull off at all for a long stretch. This made me nervous but we decided to try that route.
As we started off on the main road west out of Sarajevo at about 9:30, our friend remarked happily that her husband would never believe we had left so early. (He has stayed in the states during her time in Sarajevo, and they visit back and forth regularly. They often go to the coast when he is visiting her in BiH.) A few minutes later, the early start was completely erased by a minor traffic accident. The car in front of us slowed unexpectedly at a green light. My husband could not go around it because of traffic in the other lane. He slowed down and the car behind him also slowed down, but the car behind that one was going too fast. It hit the middle car which in turn hit the rear of our rental car. The slow driver in front drove off, apparently oblivious, and the rest of us were left to deal with the accident.
We drove forward and pulled off to the side but the other two cars stopped right where they were in the middle of this major route. We learned that this was what we should have done, but fortunately were able to plead that we were tourists who didn't understand the local rules. The driver in the middle came up and our friend and my husband went back with him to the scene of the impact.
I stayed with the car with a very pleasant older Bosnian man who spoke a little German and even less English. I thought he was telling me that he was waiting for a bus, but apparently he was just passing by on foot, because he eventually left after making sure that we didn't need anything and assuring me that he was my "Bosnian friend." The police and a worker from the rental agency came and finally we were cleared to leave the accident scene. The rental car was drivable and didn't have much damage, but the rear left light panel was loose and the brake light wasn't working, so we changed cars at the rental agency before setting off.
At this point it was about 12:30, and our schedule needed revision. We decided to drive as far as Jablanica, about an hour away, for lunch and to regroup over food. The trip to Jablanica goes into progressively higher mountains. The road is winding and has quite a few tunnels, some without lights. The drivers are rather aggressive with a disturbing habit of passing on blind curves.
The mountain scenery is very beautiful, As we came to Jablanica we drove along the Nervetva River which is an unusual turquoise color. The town is known for a series of restaurants specializing in jagnjetinja, delicious lamb grilled on spits over large open fires. The biggest of these restaurants is Restaurant “Zdrava voda” (Healthy water). It has a car park large enough for tourist buses and a menu featuring items like trout as well as the lamb. We stopped at another smaller place a little farther down the road where we feasted on lamb, potatoes and cabbage salad.
Over our substantial lunch, we revised our touring schedule. We decided it made sense to skip Mostar and Blagaj on our way to the coast since we could see them later on a day trip from Sarajevo and we wanted to reach the Adriadic by sunset. We decided to stick to part of the original pre-accident schedule and stop at Stolac because Radimlja, the necropolis site, is right off the highway and easy to see and we would be returning from Croatia by a different route.
The route through Herzegovina was also very scenic with a different, much warmer, more Mediterranean climate than Bosnia. There are vineyards and roadside fruit stands. We bought some fresh figs to supplement our generous road food supplies.
Our friend had warned us that the Radimlja necropolis site, despite its major historic importance, was not at all well developed and maintained, but I was still surprised at how neglected it was. No one else was there. There were indications that a visitor center is being developed but the only information was a board at the entrance. The Stećcci(singular: Stećcak), are impressive. This is the one of the largest concentrations of stećcci in BiH. with 122 tombs. The stones
date from the 15th and 16th centuries (or possibly earlier according to some sources). Others were destroyed when the Čapljina-Stolac road was built straight through the necropolis during the Austro-Hungarian period. Unfortunately due to the limited information, we had to develop our own hypotheses as to why certain motifs appeared on numerous stones.
From Stolac we basically kept going until we reached Croatia. There were many possible stops along the way (as long as you stick to areas without mines). Both Stolac and Trebinje sound like charming cities but we did not stop to explore them. Beyond Trebinje the road turns south toward the coast. The first glimpse of the Adriatic is very impressive as you approach it suddenly from the hills above and the road gradually winds down to meet the coastal highway.
We had reservations at a small hotel in Plat, a town south of Dubrovnik along an area of the coast known as the Dubrovnik Riviera. Our friend has stayed at this hotel, the Apartmanti Ana, many times with family and friends. She discovered it by accident as she was trying to find another hotel also with the name Ana on a reservation web site. The rooms are simple and the main attraction are the balconies with a stunning view of the Adriatic. The owners greeted our friend warmly and had left us a huge plate of fruits from their garden. The weather was very warm, and we quickly moved out to the balcony area with wine and snacks to enjoy the beautiful sunset.
We planned to take the bus (on the coastal road right behind the hotel) south to the next major town, Cavtat (not wanting to drive after drinking, and planning to drink more at dinner), but when we got to the stop we had just missed the bus. After a few minutes we agreed to try the Restaurant King in Plat which the hotel owner (Ana) had recommended. This turned out to be a great choice. We had excellent mixed seafood and sea bass, potatoes and zucchini, all grilled over a fire at the end of the restaurant. There were not too many people in the restaurant (this was October 2nd, past the main tourist season) and the owner, who spoke good English, was very friendly.
We walked back to the hotel, full and relaxed and looking forward to a day of sightseeing in Dubrovnik.
Our friend had arranged to take Monday and Tuesday off, so we set out for our long weekend road trip to the Dalmatian coast on our Day 3, Saturday. The car rental company delivered the car to the apartment at 9 and we packed up. We were much better stocked for the road trip than we would usually be on a vacation abroad, thanks to the contents of our friend's cupboards, including wine.
There are several possible routes from Sarajevo to the coast, depending on how quickly you want to get there and what you want to see on the way. We decided to take one that would allow us stop in Mostar in the morning, then Blagaj to see the basic sights and have trout for lunch, then Stolac to see the large
necropolis of stećcci (medieval tombstones) then on toward the coast via Ljubinje and Trebinje. Our friend explained that the section Stolac- Ljubinje -Trebinje was more scenic and had much less traffic than the usual route south but that the road was still heavily mined so we would not be able to pull off at all for a long stretch. This made me nervous but we decided to try that route.
As we started off on the main road west out of Sarajevo at about 9:30, our friend remarked happily that her husband would never believe we had left so early. (He has stayed in the states during her time in Sarajevo, and they visit back and forth regularly. They often go to the coast when he is visiting her in BiH.) A few minutes later, the early start was completely erased by a minor traffic accident. The car in front of us slowed unexpectedly at a green light. My husband could not go around it because of traffic in the other lane. He slowed down and the car behind him also slowed down, but the car behind that one was going too fast. It hit the middle car which in turn hit the rear of our rental car. The slow driver in front drove off, apparently oblivious, and the rest of us were left to deal with the accident.
We drove forward and pulled off to the side but the other two cars stopped right where they were in the middle of this major route. We learned that this was what we should have done, but fortunately were able to plead that we were tourists who didn't understand the local rules. The driver in the middle came up and our friend and my husband went back with him to the scene of the impact.
I stayed with the car with a very pleasant older Bosnian man who spoke a little German and even less English. I thought he was telling me that he was waiting for a bus, but apparently he was just passing by on foot, because he eventually left after making sure that we didn't need anything and assuring me that he was my "Bosnian friend." The police and a worker from the rental agency came and finally we were cleared to leave the accident scene. The rental car was drivable and didn't have much damage, but the rear left light panel was loose and the brake light wasn't working, so we changed cars at the rental agency before setting off.
At this point it was about 12:30, and our schedule needed revision. We decided to drive as far as Jablanica, about an hour away, for lunch and to regroup over food. The trip to Jablanica goes into progressively higher mountains. The road is winding and has quite a few tunnels, some without lights. The drivers are rather aggressive with a disturbing habit of passing on blind curves.
The mountain scenery is very beautiful, As we came to Jablanica we drove along the Nervetva River which is an unusual turquoise color. The town is known for a series of restaurants specializing in jagnjetinja, delicious lamb grilled on spits over large open fires. The biggest of these restaurants is Restaurant “Zdrava voda” (Healthy water). It has a car park large enough for tourist buses and a menu featuring items like trout as well as the lamb. We stopped at another smaller place a little farther down the road where we feasted on lamb, potatoes and cabbage salad.
Over our substantial lunch, we revised our touring schedule. We decided it made sense to skip Mostar and Blagaj on our way to the coast since we could see them later on a day trip from Sarajevo and we wanted to reach the Adriadic by sunset. We decided to stick to part of the original pre-accident schedule and stop at Stolac because Radimlja, the necropolis site, is right off the highway and easy to see and we would be returning from Croatia by a different route.
The route through Herzegovina was also very scenic with a different, much warmer, more Mediterranean climate than Bosnia. There are vineyards and roadside fruit stands. We bought some fresh figs to supplement our generous road food supplies.
Our friend had warned us that the Radimlja necropolis site, despite its major historic importance, was not at all well developed and maintained, but I was still surprised at how neglected it was. No one else was there. There were indications that a visitor center is being developed but the only information was a board at the entrance. The Stećcci(singular: Stećcak), are impressive. This is the one of the largest concentrations of stećcci in BiH. with 122 tombs. The stones
date from the 15th and 16th centuries (or possibly earlier according to some sources). Others were destroyed when the Čapljina-Stolac road was built straight through the necropolis during the Austro-Hungarian period. Unfortunately due to the limited information, we had to develop our own hypotheses as to why certain motifs appeared on numerous stones.
From Stolac we basically kept going until we reached Croatia. There were many possible stops along the way (as long as you stick to areas without mines). Both Stolac and Trebinje sound like charming cities but we did not stop to explore them. Beyond Trebinje the road turns south toward the coast. The first glimpse of the Adriatic is very impressive as you approach it suddenly from the hills above and the road gradually winds down to meet the coastal highway.
We had reservations at a small hotel in Plat, a town south of Dubrovnik along an area of the coast known as the Dubrovnik Riviera. Our friend has stayed at this hotel, the Apartmanti Ana, many times with family and friends. She discovered it by accident as she was trying to find another hotel also with the name Ana on a reservation web site. The rooms are simple and the main attraction are the balconies with a stunning view of the Adriatic. The owners greeted our friend warmly and had left us a huge plate of fruits from their garden. The weather was very warm, and we quickly moved out to the balcony area with wine and snacks to enjoy the beautiful sunset.
We planned to take the bus (on the coastal road right behind the hotel) south to the next major town, Cavtat (not wanting to drive after drinking, and planning to drink more at dinner), but when we got to the stop we had just missed the bus. After a few minutes we agreed to try the Restaurant King in Plat which the hotel owner (Ana) had recommended. This turned out to be a great choice. We had excellent mixed seafood and sea bass, potatoes and zucchini, all grilled over a fire at the end of the restaurant. There were not too many people in the restaurant (this was October 2nd, past the main tourist season) and the owner, who spoke good English, was very friendly.
We walked back to the hotel, full and relaxed and looking forward to a day of sightseeing in Dubrovnik.
Nov 22nd, 2010, 04:12 AM
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Not part of the trip reported but possibly of interest to those interested in BiH: this weekend my husband and I watched Shot Through the Heart, a 1998 BBC TV film. It is based on a true story about the Sarajevo siege originally told in an article called Anti-Sniper by John Falk. It is an intense and depressing movie about the war and the way it divided people of different religious/ethnic backgrounds.
I was intrigued enough to put an autobiography by Falk in my amazon book cart.
I was intrigued enough to put an autobiography by Falk in my amazon book cart.
