The sun came out in Sarajevo. Finally seeing this beautiful city in bright, dazzling rays of light truly set the mood off right for the day.
We planned to head to the museums and enjoy some history of Bosnia and learn even more about where we were. The first stop was a museum in a building that was partially destroyed during the siege and intentionally not fully renovated. It was a very interesting building to even approach, somewhat decrepit and actually looking a bit abandoned from the outside. We also got a history of the country in general at first, just a brush strokes analysis of the formation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Then came the "Surrounded Sarajevo" exhibit. No punches were pulled. We wandered through a room full of photographs and other tributes to an embattled time. Every last one of us took immense pause at reading the letters from children pleading for help from the international committee. There were also some very inspiring portions. The people of Sarajevo did a phenomenal job of maintaining cultural integrity, including people such as Milos Forman and Susan Sontag coming to Sarajevo to direct plays and present films to the people. There was also this breathtaking photograph of an orchestra performing Mozart's "Requiem" in a bombed-out symphony hall. The whole grip of that picture was beyond allegorical.
Overall, the history of this city, especially that from the past 20 years, has engendered immense amounts of respect for these gritty people. To walk around and saunter past anybody above the age of 15 and consider what they went through just seems unbelievable.
A quick turn from the museum brought us to the Tito Cafe, named after Josip Tito, the Yugoslav leader involved in Nazi resistance and formation of Yugoslavia after World War II. It was a nice break from paying 4 KM for the depression of the war, as we walked into Wild Cherry's jam, Play That Funky Music, followed by serious funk for the rest of our cappuccinos.
We decided to head back to the hostel and take some relaxation time before heading out for the evening, but along the way, we had to grab some of the local fare, delicious burek:
Sausage with garlic at a local brewery restaurant, along with the lightest-tasting dark beer we've ever had, followed by good conversation and whiskey at City Pub down the street topped off a great, albeit emotional day.
But because we found a van ride to Belgrade for the afternoon tomorrow instead of taking the overnight bus, we have one more day in a city that we have all truly fallen in love with.
We planned to head to the museums and enjoy some history of Bosnia and learn even more about where we were. The first stop was a museum in a building that was partially destroyed during the siege and intentionally not fully renovated. It was a very interesting building to even approach, somewhat decrepit and actually looking a bit abandoned from the outside. We also got a history of the country in general at first, just a brush strokes analysis of the formation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Then came the "Surrounded Sarajevo" exhibit. No punches were pulled. We wandered through a room full of photographs and other tributes to an embattled time. Every last one of us took immense pause at reading the letters from children pleading for help from the international committee. There were also some very inspiring portions. The people of Sarajevo did a phenomenal job of maintaining cultural integrity, including people such as Milos Forman and Susan Sontag coming to Sarajevo to direct plays and present films to the people. There was also this breathtaking photograph of an orchestra performing Mozart's "Requiem" in a bombed-out symphony hall. The whole grip of that picture was beyond allegorical.
Overall, the history of this city, especially that from the past 20 years, has engendered immense amounts of respect for these gritty people. To walk around and saunter past anybody above the age of 15 and consider what they went through just seems unbelievable.
A quick turn from the museum brought us to the Tito Cafe, named after Josip Tito, the Yugoslav leader involved in Nazi resistance and formation of Yugoslavia after World War II. It was a nice break from paying 4 KM for the depression of the war, as we walked into Wild Cherry's jam, Play That Funky Music, followed by serious funk for the rest of our cappuccinos.
We decided to head back to the hostel and take some relaxation time before heading out for the evening, but along the way, we had to grab some of the local fare, delicious burek:
This tasty dish is filled with sausage, onions, and a wonderful mix of spices.
Sausage with garlic at a local brewery restaurant, along with the lightest-tasting dark beer we've ever had, followed by good conversation and whiskey at City Pub down the street topped off a great, albeit emotional day.
But because we found a van ride to Belgrade for the afternoon tomorrow instead of taking the overnight bus, we have one more day in a city that we have all truly fallen in love with.
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