Postcards from the World: My Favourite Travel Photos

Brace yourself! Tonight is a bumper photo post and as always, it comes with a bit of a story. Very often when I go on a trip, I’ll save one of my photos and add it to my photo folder at work. My PC at work is set up to rotate a selection of photos as my screen saver and it is always a matter of some pride when a colleague will say that they love the photos on my screen saver and I can reply that they are all mine. Of course, they always express surprise that I have any creativity whatsoever because accountants aren’t exactly known for being arty!

For the longest time, I’ve wanted to share these photos with you and so it was pretty fortuitous when I received notice of this month’s travel link up: your favourite travel photo(s).

And so here you go… all fifteen photos that are absolutely my favourite travel photos. I’ve left links all over the post if you’d like to visit the original posts on the blog.

Turkey – The Celsus Library at Ephesus

Turkey was the first place I visited when I began this blog in 2008 and this photo was taken of the celsus library at Ephesus.

Italy - Alone in Riomaggiore

I’d wanted to visit Italy since I was 20 and finally got to visit last year – twice! This photo was taken in Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre.

London – Chinese New Year

This was my favourite of the photos I took during this year’s Chinese New Year celebrations in London.

Italy - Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan

The ceiling of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan. This is where you can visit the Last Supper.

Serbia – The Name of Mary Church, Novi Sad

Given my love of Serbia, it should be no surprise that I would feature a photo from there. This was taken during my most recent visit to Novi Sad.

Italy – Duomo di Milano

The good news is that next week I’m finally taking you inside the Duomo in Milan. It is as opulent inside as it is on the outside. I loved this photo because of the inclusion of both the lion statue and the Duomo.

Bosnia – Jablanica

I’d heard about the beautiful turquoise lakes and rivers in Bosnia but nothing quite prepares you for a sight like this. I’m sure I’ve said this before but I would move to this country in a heartbeat. I think I left my heart somewhere here on the road between Mostar and Sarajevo.

Italy - Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan

People often say that they don’t like Milan but I don’t really understand that. I really enjoyed my time there and spent many long afternoons simply walking around or drinking coffee in sidewalk cafes. This was taken in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II which is one of the most beautiful structures I have ever seen.

London – The Eye

I can confirm that you can never take too many photos of the London Eye. It is simply not possible. This photo was part of a post I wrote about London at dusk.

Italy – Gondolas in Venice

Somehow I’ve always liked this photo of the gondolas in Venice. I like the composition and the contrast of the blue material in the gondolas against the blue sky. I still have so much to tell you about Italy!

France – The Abbey of Mont St Michel

Taken during our most recent visit to Mont St Michel in France. I just loved the detail here of the old Gothic abbey and the blue sky.

Bosnia – Stari Most, Mostar

The most beautiful bridge in the world. This photo was taken from Koski Mehmet Pasha Mosque where they promise you the best views of the bridge in all of Mostar. The view from our hotel Villa Anri was pretty special too.

Italy - Museo D'arte Antica, Milan

I love this photo because it was hard to decide which was more impressive in the Museo D'arte Antica in Milan – the exhibits or the frescoes.

London – St Paul’s Cathedral

I love this photo simply because it was taken on the first day of spring this year. London is beautiful when the sun shines!

Bosnia – Stari Most at Dusk

And finally, my favourite photo of all time. I took this on my first night in Bosnia on the eve of my 40th birthday. There was nowhere else on earth I wanted to be more than there in Mostar. I’ve printed two enlargements of this photo – one is hanging in our bedroom and the other is in my brother’s lounge.

Do you have a favourite travel photo? Feel welcome to link to it in the comments below!

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Eating Out in Bosnia: The Best Meals of My Life

I know, it’s not Tuesday but when life gave me lemons this week, I had to turn them into Lemsip to treat a change-of-season cold that suddenly appeared. Speaking of food, this week I am joining Emma, Rebecca and Kelly on their monthly travel link up. We’re talking about the best meals we had while travelling and I couldn’t think of a better reason to return to Bosnia! In a way, I’m pleased because I’m not a foodie blogger (I far prefer to eat food than write about it) but I had always wanted to share these culinary experiences.

Restaurant Šadrvan – Stari Grad, Mostar

I remember the Saturday afternoon we arrived in Mostar as if it were yesterday. I had seen so many photos of the old town but somehow remained unprepared for its beauty. The hostess of the Villa Anri encouraged us to enjoy drinks on the roof of the hotel but as we gazed down into the old town, we simply couldn’t wait to go and explore. We asked our hostess to recommend a restaurant with authentic Bosnian-Herzegovinian food and she wasted no time in recommending the Restaurant Šadrvan.

I will always remember that afternoon in Mostar. We sat under the shade of the trees in the Šadrvan restaurant, watching as people milled around the market stalls or began the steep incline towards the old bridge. It was a hot, lazy May afternoon with the temperatures already in the 30s yet there was an undercurrent of anticipation, as if we need only wait for the cool dusk to come and the evening festivities to begin.

Located where Jusovina Street meets the main path through the old town, Šadrvan (meaning ‘fountain’) surrounds an old Ottoman-style fountain.

As I opened the menu and paged through the options, I had to laugh at the name of the dish that we were to order. Part of what attracted me to the Bosnian language in the first place was that so often, words are similar enough that you can derive their meaning; it’s just that words sound so much more lyrical in Bosnian. I ordered the ‘Nacionalna Plate’ for two and thrilled at the way in which the words rolled off my tongue.

The food of the Balkan region is well known for its variety of stuffed vegetables and this meal was no different. At €18, it was incredibly well-priced and included japraka and dolme – peppers, onions and vine leaves stuffed with rice and meat. The meal came with loads of ćevapi which are minced lamb sausages, small savoury corn bread cakes known as ‘Bosnian cookies’ and đuveč, a savoury vegetable dish. The dish was completed with flat bread, boiled potatoes, rice and sour cream.

I’ve often tried to describe the effect that this dish had on us but seem to fail each time. I can say that it was so good that it puts every other dish I have had since to shame. That my mouth is watering as I write and that I’d climb on a plane right now if I could to sample that piece of Bosnian heaven again. It was simply delicious and when we were looking for somewhere to eat the following afternoon, we could not help but return to the Šadrvan again to eat the exact same dish.

It was also here that we sampled Bosnian coffee for the first time and began what would become quite an obsession over the following five days. As I tasted that first cup of sweet, rich coffee with its gravy-like consistency, I knew that I would never forget that moment. And no matter how I’d grown up with Turkish coffee, I now knew that Bosnian coffee was the best on the planet.

Restaurant Inat Kuča – Sarajevo

After such an auspicious introduction to local cuisine, Stephen and I were initially disappointed with the food in Sarajevo. We had prepared ahead, consulted Trip Advisor and gone to the most popular restaurant in town and while the food was good and the service fantastic, it simply didn’t measure up to our experience in Mostar.

Thankfully, we met up with Kenan, a local tour guide and he recommended the Restaurant Inat Kuča for an authentic Bosnian experience.

I chose the dish Sarajevski Sahan and it did not disappoint. It was a mix of Bosnian specialties and again featured stuffed peppers, onions and vine leaves, as well as ćevapi and bamija which is a Bosnian veal stew. We noticed the slight change in the food from Mostar, which is in the Herzegovinian region, with the introduction of veal and stews.

You might have noticed in the dishes above that Bosnians love their meat and so do South Africans! Stephen was in his element with the dish he ordered, a mješano meso or mixed meat for one. Yes, all of that meat was for one person and cost an incredible 20KM or €10! My dish cost 14KM or €7.

The story of the Inat Kuča or ‘house of despite’ is an incredible one. The house was once located on the other side of the river Miljacka but in 1895 city officials wanted to demolish it to make way for the new city hall. The old man who owned the house was very stubborn and insisted that they dismantle his house and rebuild it, brick for brick, on the other side of the river. And so it is now, slightly lost in translation, the house of spite or despite.

It is a little difficult to describe exactly why we loved this restaurant so much and what it meant to us. We had spent the morning touring Sarajevo with Kenan, learning about the siege, driving down Sniper Alley and visiting the Tunnel Museum. It was a lot to absorb and I can recall us being lost in our thoughts for a while as we relaxed and enjoyed the superb food. I would say that it was a moment in time, a sensory experience which is burned in my heart and my memory and I can so easily recall the quiet and calm of that afternoon, the importance to us and, of course, the tastes.

If you enjoyed this culinary tour of Bosnia, please be sure to visit the hosts Emma, Rebecca and Kelly of the monthly travel link up for more meals from around the world.

Because I was so late with this post, I will be back on Tuesday with a little bit of local London culture.

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A Walk Through Old Town Mostar

When we had taken our fill of the best view of Stari Grad Mostar, we decided to stroll through the old market in Old Town Mostar. It is no secret that I fell in love with Mostar and it is one of the few places to which I will definitely return in future, so it would be difficult to choose which was my favourite place or moment in our all too short stay. Ultimately, I think it was the market and Old Town that inspired my imagination the most.

There is evidence of Roman and Christian settlements in Mostar but it was the Ottoman rule that gave the town its distinctive character. In Ottoman tradition, Mostar was rapidly urbanised and the town was divided into a residential area and the čaršija or commercial area. Tales of Ottoman bazaars with rich fabrics, spices and exotic foods fill my mind as I walked through the market and imagined a place that resembles so closely the town it was almost 500 years ago.

I imagine the grand fashions of medieval times and the Ottoman empire, travellers passing through Mostar on their way to distant and mysterious lands, different languages and culture and the trade of trinkets, keepsakes and precious goods.

I imagine what it must have been like to see the beautiful bridge, built in 1566. Evliya Celebiya, travel writer, described the bridge as a rainbow in 1566. “It looks like an arch of a rainbow... And it stretches from one cliff to the other... As the fortresses were positioned on both sides of the bridge, consequently it is not possible to cross from one side to the other except for by means of that bridge”.

Of course, the truth is that there is not a single bridge in Mostar that is older than 1994. We are urgently reminded that we must never forget about the war that destroyed the bridge and unity in the town.

Can Mostar rise above this to once again become a symbol of unity, the centre of the world? I believe so. The Bosnian people are incredible. They are warm, inviting and friendly which in part is why I want to return.

The Old Bridge area of the Old City of Mostar has been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status and they cited especially the reconstruction of Stari Most in their decision: “The reconstructed Old Bridge and Old City of Mostar is a symbol of reconciliation, international co-operation and of the coexistence of diverse cultural, ethnic and religious communities”. Stari Most was reopened on 23 July 2004.

Can you hear the chatter, detect the scent of fragrances and spices carrying on the air, hear the different accents from travellers across the empire?

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On Bosnia, the War and My Reason for Visiting

Sometimes, as a blogger, we get it all wrong. For some reason, I thought that you, my lovely readers, wouldn't want to know about the break up of Yugoslavia and the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina in the early 90s. I thought that Emm in London was not the place to talk about war crimes and the atrocities committed during that war, of the genocide in Srebrenica. In any event, I wouldn't have known where to start. Do you start in 1992 when Bosnia-Herzegovina entered the war or with the battle at Kosovo Polje in 1389 or the atrocities at Jasenovac during WWII?

Be Careful - dangerous ruin - Mostar

For the history of the Balkans is as complex as it is troubled and this was why I wanted to visit Bosnia-Herzegovina in the first place. Before 1991, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Kosovo were all one country known as Yugoslavia and a terrible war broke out when the state began to break up and the individual member states began to claim independence. Slobodan Milosevic and other Serbian nationalists adopted an ideal of a Greater Serbia and enacted great aggression against the other countries, especially Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, in their attempt to achieve this state. For their part, Croatian nationalists adopted a similar ideal of a Greater Croatia and pushed into Bosnia-Herzegovina in their attempt to bolster their state. Bosnia-Herzegovina was devastated.

Ruined building, Mostar

Those of you who know me well might know that I have written at length about genocide and war crimes. To put it as succinctly as possible, I was beyond horrified following the Rwandan genocide in 1994, having barely noticed the events in the context of the break up of Apartheid and the voting in of our new government in South Africa. For thirteen years those impressions bounced about in my head and I finally began writing about it in 2006. It began with a determination to Never Forget, to learn from the lessons of the past. I then wrote about Rwanda, on my passion and the need to know. About five years ago, I began to study the genocide that occurred in Bosnia-Herzegovina, in Srebrenica. I wrote about my need to carry on learning and writing about this, despite the devastating effect it had on me.

And it has been devastating. In 2010, I visited Serbia for the first time. I went to visit my friend Maja who I had met online about a decade before when I was specifically looking for new friends from the former Yugoslavia. Maja is an amazing person, an open-minded individual who acknowledges the atrocities committed by Serbian forces during the war, who acknowledges the genocide. During my visit she took care to explain to me about the NATO bombing of Novi Sad, the bridges that were destroyed and the buildings damaged. She told me how Milosevic had known about the NATO plans but had not taken steps to evacuate buildings and thus minimise casualties. He wanted to polarise the people against NATO and succeeded.

Ruined house, Mostar

Maja also showed me nationalist graffiti and xenophobic slogans on people's clothing. She told me how the war is being taught to children in schools, that they are being taught that Serbia were not aggressors and were simply trying to save Catholic Serbians (known to the rest of the world as Croatians).

That trip shocked me to the core. If children weren't being taught what really happened in the 90s then my overwhelming impression was that it could happen again. I don't say this lightly - I was distraught when I returned from Serbia and it took me several weeks to put that aside and reconnect with the amazing time that I actually had there.

The shell of the Old Clock Tower, Mostar

I planned my trip to Bosnia-Herzegovina with the knowledge that this could happen to me again, that I could feel overwhelmed and that it would ruin my trip. I wanted to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina because of the war, because of its history. I felt that I couldn't share this because I, for example, know how I would feel if people told me they were visiting South Africa because of Apartheid. I'd hope they would see our amazing natural beauty, enjoy our culture and meet our people too.

I wanted to visit Mostar because of the bridge. Stari Most was destroyed by Bosnian Croat forces on 9 November 1993 - 20 years ago tomorrow. This was considered to be such a heinous act that the destruction of the bridge formed part of the war crimes charges brought by the ICTY against Bosnian Croat leaders. It formed part of a pattern of destruction against cultural, religious and historical landmarks across Bosnia; all of the mosques in Mostar were shelled too.

The following 30 second video shows the destruction of the bridge while the longer Mostar will give you much more detail about that period.

Likewise, I wanted to visit Sarajevo because of the war and because of the siege. At 1,425 days, the Siege of Sarajevo was the longest ever siege in modern warfare. It devastated Sarajevo which was once the most multicultural city in the whole of Europe and tens of thousands of Sarajevans were killed and injured during the siege. Many more lived a life filled with hardship, shortages, loss and daily terror.

It was also why I decided not to visit Srebrenica on this trip, because of the genocide. I have no doubt that I will visit Bosnia-Herzegovina again and I will go to Srebrenica to pay my respects but I did not feel ready to confront those horrors on this trip.

The Tunnel Museum, Sarajevo

This is perhaps the post that I should have started with when I began to tell you about Bosnia-Herzegovina but it's certainly not the impression that I want to leave you with. I am not lying when I say that I enjoyed every single moment that I spent in Bosnia-Herzegovina, even the ones that moved me to tears. Bosnia-Herzegovina is incredible, the people, food, language, culture and scenery all make this a country worth visiting.

All of the photos in this post were taken in Bosnia-Herzegovina in May 2013, twenty years after the war began. But for every dilapidated ruin, there was evidence of improvement, rebuilding and regeneration. This is not a country that should be defined by its war.

If you'd like to read more about my writing on war, genocide, human rights and social justice, do visit A Passion to Understand. The blog has been somewhat neglected during my studies but I hope to dedicate some time to it next year.

Have you ever been truly moved by history or events? Have you ever taken a pilgrimage to explore that history?

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Koski Mehmet Pasha Mosque, Mostar: The Best View of the Old Bridge

The sign at the entrance said that it held the best view of The Old Bridge and we certainly weren’t going to argue. We stepped hesitantly into the courtyard of the Koski Mehmet Pasha Mosque, unaccustomed to entering the grounds of mosques and concerned whether I would need to cover my hair. It did not appear that this would be required unless I wanted to enter the mosque itself.

I admired the dome and minaret of the mosque, newly rebuilt after the near destruction of the mosque in the Bosnian War. I could see the mosque across the Neretva River from my hotel room and have previously featured it in my post: Falling in Love With Mostar.

There was a market inside the grounds of the mosque and I would have been able to purchase a beautiful scarf to cover my hair if we’d decided to go into the mosque that day. But that wasn’t why we were there…

We were there to see whether the Koski Mehmet Pasha Mosque offered the best view of Stari Most, the famous Old Bridge in Mostar.

I have to admit that it does and this is one of four photos that I printed out and enlarged to remind me of my magical time in Mostar.

This was the view looking away from the bridge and across the Neretva to the other side of Mostar. The sun was shining so bright on that hot May afternoon and we decided to continue our walk through the Old Town and market.

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Falling in Love With Mostar

It is little surprise that I haven’t found much time for blogging since my return to London as I’ve been putting the final touches on my project which I will submit this Friday. Nevertheless, I can’t stop talking about Bosnia and telling people how much I loved it and how I want to return there to live and work. I don’t think I can wait any longer and so I thought I’d give you a sneak peek at my time in Mostar.

Mostar was the scene of bitter fighting in the Bosnian War twenty years ago and the bridge that you see in these photos, known as Stari Most or Old Bridge, was bombarded by shells until it finally collapsed into the Neretva River on 9 November 1993. The story of the rebuilding of the bridge is incredible, and a story for another time, but I will tell you that the bridge was reopened on 23 July 2004 and it is amazing how much of the town has been rebuilt in those 9 years (seeing as much of it was still in ruins 9 years ago).

This was the view of Stari Most and Old Town Mostar from the balcony of our hotel, Villa Anri. I gave them a gushing, 5-star review on Trip Advisor so I have no hesitation in linking to them here. This is the sight I woke up to on my 40th birthday and it was amazing.

This is Koski-Mehmed Pasha's Mosque or Karadjoz-bey in Bosnian. It was severely damaged in the second world war and almost completely destroyed in the Bosnian War. It took me a few days to go from admiring all of the newly built minarets in Mostar to realising why they all had to be rebuilt and it was truly chilling.

I took one or two photos of Stari Most during our time in Mostar. The name “Mostar” actually derives from the medieval gatekeepers who guarded the bridge. Most = bridge.

What I loved most about Mostar (apart from the food and the bridge and the people) was the Ottoman feel. It felt like walking through a medieval bazaar with traders peddling luxurious fabrics, priceless trinkets and wares from all over the world.

If you look very carefully on the left hand side, you will see the tiny “don’t forget” sign. That is to remind us that we should never forget the horrors of the war.

Despite all of the rebuilding in Mostar, there were many, many scars. Many buildings were still cordoned off and had been shelled beyond all repair.

It was another chilling moment when I realised that for all the times I adored ruined castles and championed urban exploration in abandoned buildings, there was nothing fun or exciting or good about any of these. This destruction was manmade and entirely intentional.

This is an iPhone version of the photo of Stari Most that you have already seen on the blog. I was going to not include it but couldn’t bring myself to do so.

Mostar doesn’t only have one bridge. This is the beautiful Kriva Cuprija or Crooked Bridge. It is really beautiful and the coolness of the water flowing below was such a relief in the hot temperatures.

On our last morning in Mostar, we took a very long walk on the eastern side of Mostar, the side mostly inhabited by Bosniaks. Mostar is still very much a divided town and the eastern side bears far more scars and fewer hotels and bed and breakfasts. It was disturbing and unsettling, to say the least. The 17th century Old Clock Tower still looms over this part of the city but on inspection, you can see that it is but a shell. The inside of this magnificent building has been destroyed.

I adored Mostar and am counting the days until I can return. I don’t think it will be long as we’re already planning a trip to Montenegro or Macedonia via Bosnia next year. Sometimes I need to leave a place before I realise how much I want to return but I knew I loved Mostar the minute I first saw it.

Have you been to Mostar or Bosnia? Did you fall in love too?

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