Hiking toward brandy

Last Sunday was a comparatively sunny day in what has been basically an extension of winter. Someone at the office told us they call this last blast of cold "grandmother's breath," which, as a grandmother, I resent.

Mountain guide extraordinaire, Fikret

At any rate, we headed off to meet a guide, Fikret, that a friend told us about. (It turns out everyone knows Fikret, and he knows everyone - even our friend Carol Pucci from the Seattle Times!). Fikret is a mountain guide, so he knows all the hikes here in Bosnia, and every week he sends out suggested hikes to an email group. This Sunday it was Mt. Crepolisko,  near Sarajevo, with views down into the city. You need guides here because there are still land mines hidden in the hills and they know how to avoid them. And, besides, you learn so much!

There were four of us, plus Fikret on the hike. We took a bus to the end of the line, then walked uphill through budding cherry orchards (we need to go back in a few weeks!) and along the dry stone walls surrounding sheep farms, then we hit the snow.

Gotta love dry stone walls

We kept going, but decided not to go for the peak of the mountain because the snow was getting pretty deep and some of our party wasn't too "keen," as they say. We were keen, but I must admit to having frozen feet. Plus it was hazy so we couldn't actually see much of a view, though we did see the peaks of the mountains where the Olympics were held here. 

We wandered up to a ridge, and on the way there were birch forests that were truly lovely. I admit to obsessing over wild crocuses and hellebores, some peaking out of the snow. Then we headed down to a hut where they served coffee and brandy. (Why don't we have these huts in the US mountains???)

Hut with cherry and pear brandy - oh, and of course, coffee. It's Bosnia, must be coffee.

The hut was about 20 minutes away from the road, so there were a lot of pseudo-hikers there (I think Fikret disapproved of them greatly). After we hit the road, two of our party peeled off in a taxi, and we hiked down toward Sarajevo with Fikret. He took us through the black pine forest where the Serb army had gun emplacements. You could see how the city was like a sitting duck from up there. Fikret is full of political opinions, and stories about the days of the war. He and Bill bonded over history and are now fast friends.

Cold, cold, cold we arrived home to devour the meager ingredients in our refrigerator and cupboard. We've been skirting the edges of starvation at home, but every time we eat out we don't feel like eating again for a week.They do like their hearty food. A nice Sunday ...