Sister in Sarajevo

Elizabeth, the long lost sister from Berlin, visited me in Sarajevo on 10/31. It was a great break from the norm and of course great to see my older sister who I hadn't seen in over a year.

Our Halloween began with a walk through the city. What else? Bosnia is a walking city and it's very hard to get lost. The city is built along a river. See here:



After soaking in the city from the streets and a view of the city at sundown from a lookout, we soaked in hooka or "shisha" smoke in a Turkish style cafe where we sipped Bosnian Kahva. This is coffee that is made in a small pot with very finely ground coffee. It is served on a bronze tray with sugar cubes and is drunk from small ceramic cups with bronze bases.


Our dinner nook at Inat Kuca

We dined (yes, dined) at Inat Kuca, or "House of Spite" where we were the only customers in an authentic, old Bosnian-style home that served great lamb, stuffed grape leaved, Bosnian gulash, bread, and salad. "Inat" is a Turkish word that means stubbornness or spite. The original owner of the home bargained with city officials way back when to have his home rebuilt, brick for brick on the other side of the river so that the city could build its City Hall on his home's land.


The Spread

Our evening came to a close with cheesecake and a beverage amidst costumed Sarajevans.

During the three full days that Elizabeth was here, we explored the National Museum, hunted down the Sarajevo avant-garde art scene, and walked the beautiful countryside outside Sarajevo at Vrelo Bosna.


Slightly awkward pic of Elizabeth and me in a horse-drawn carriage at Vrelo Bosna.