Bridges, markets and monuments

People tell us they envy our "adventures," but just to make it clear, life abroad is not always adventurous. For example, Saturday morning found us sitting in bed with our computer reading the washing machine instruction booklet using Google Translate. (We did find, after some time, that the machine actually is supposed to run for over two hours. We thought it was broken, but apparently the Sarajevans want really, really clean clothes.)

The modern bridge

At some point, we did rouse ourselves from that piece of adventure to explore on the gorgeous sunny day. We walked along the river, where there is a beautifully wide walkway, while novice roller bladers dodged us, and others walked their dogs (no doggy bags here!) or just plain strolled. There are a billion little coffee shops along the way, and they were also filled with people lolling about in the still very cool sun. Bill said, "They are like in Seattle; the first taste of spring and everyone is out, even if they still have to wear their down jackets."

Art institute with the bridge in the foreground

 The river has many bridges crossing it, we haven't succeeded in counting exactly how many. Some are old, most seem rebuilt since the war - one a very cool sort of mobius strip. That one leads to the art institute.We wandered to the old town, by mosques and churches and shops selling odd spices

Spices, herbs? Who knows ...

and other things (we have no idea, actually!), then into the Turkish old town, where everyone is sitting outside drinking Turkish coffee or smoking water pipes. We went to the cheese and meat market in an old warehouse-style building, bought some "young cheese," which turned out to be packaged inside yellow peppers, yum. It tastes a little yeasty, but we put some ajvar sauce (eggplant and pepper relish) on it and it was good. We also got some smoked beef that is super strong, like bacon on steroids, and also good. We have begun to realize that we will have to be careful here - the food is good and hearty!

One of the many wartime cemeteries

After a lunch of kebabs on other tasty little things, we walked waaay up a hill above town. At one point we realized there were five cemeteries in sight, and the tombstones closest to us were all dated from 1992-95, the dates of the siege. It's sobering - one minute you are in a European city like anywhere else, and the next you are hit with the war, once again. Bill asked a new friend if they just think about the war all the time. And he said, "Your brain protects you. It wants to move forward."

A family walking toward the center of town. Sarajevo is very hilly!