Sarajevo

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For some reason my last blog didnt post. I was in mostar, then Sarajevo for 3 nights. What an interesting city. They hosted the winter Olympics in 1984, then 7 years later, they were under siege by the Serbians. They were caught un aware by this attack, did not have time to organize a proper army. The Serbs thought they would take the Bosnians in 2 weeks, but the ragtag army held them off for 4 years! We spoke to numerous people who were living in Sarajevo at the time to hear their personal stories, we visited the tunnel they dug in 4 short months, we visited a museum about the era, we drove around and noted the holes in the buildings caused by the shelling, we saw what is called the roses of Sarajevo which are spots on the ground where at least 3 people were killed at one time and painted red. The people are so resilient. Everyone seems to get along-- the Muslims, Catholics, orthodox and Jews. It's the politicians who try to divide the people and cause strife.

I talked to a Jewish woman in a shop selling judaica for an hour and a half about life in Bosnia. She said no one cares about what religion you are, they all get along. It's very rare. unfortunately there are only about 600-800 jews left in Sarajevo, so they all intermarry. She said everyone helps each other and celebrates all the holidays, regardless what faith they are. It was all very interesting.

Last night we stayed at a farm in karanacs. It was so different and wonderful. A real highlight of the trip so far. We helped make fresh cheese last night and we made a pottery piece this morning. The woman makes everything fresh -- donuts, jam, bread, etc. We went to a neighbor's house for a family dinner. Awesome food. They make their own brandy and sausages.

We just arrived in Zagreb, the capital. It's raining , but mild.

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Comments

[sandra]

Happy to keep hearing from you as you travel.
Your trip sounds wonderful. Sorry we didn't get together before you left. My days were so busy with Ed. Ed is home from re-hab and all is going well. Looking forward to seeing you when you return. Keep enjoying. hugs, Sandra