" Sweet Figs! Like Someone Else's Wife" - "Slatke smokve, kao tuđe žene"
In case you’re wondering about the somewhat crazy title for this weeks newsletter, then a quick explanation is below. Read on.
Hello and welcome to another multi-media newsletter, this week we’re back in the village after a rather wonderful break away on the second shortest coastline in the world!
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Our Weather.
This Week’s Vlog.
Life is returning to normal for the two of us.
In last weeks newsletter, we tried to give you a flavour for what its like on the stretch of Adriatic coast that belongs to Bosnia and Herzegovina, at Neum.
The second part of our Neum Vlog is just above. We hope you enjoy it!
If you’re interested in the details and maybe want to consider visiting yourself then do check out our blogpost.
" Sweet Figs! Like Someone Else's Wife" - "Slatke smokve, kao tuđe žene"
In case you’re wondering about the somewhat crazy title for this weeks newsletter, then a quick explanation is in order.
While Tamara and I were chilling in Neum, an older chap was continuously walking up and down the beaches (this was every day by the way), with a small crate of figs (smokve) in his arms.
We call this type of sales technique, “hawking” in the UK.
Anyway this Hawkers Call to Action, in other words stimulus for us to purchase, was “Slatke smokve, kao tuđe žene”.
So there you are 😀.
50 Top Locations in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Also, if you missed our recent podcast with Zoran Matić, about places to visit in Bosnia and Herzegovina generally, you can listen via our newsletter site or Spotify.
Home Sweet Home.
The Famously Tasting Lamb from Jablanica.
Ever since I arrived in the country, the route we take to Mostar and beyond passes the ought the small town of Jablanica.
Jablanica has a place in World War 2 history and folklore, as the place where Tito fooled the advancing (and surrounding) Axis powers, as he and his Partisans escaped over the river Neretva despite blowing the obvious bridge.
There’s a museum there that dipicts in detail that battle.
However, Jablanica is also famous for the line of restaurants that are spit roasting lamb almost everyday of the year. I am not sure how many there are but its quite a few!
The meat is exceptionally tasty, and is sold by weight (includes the bones).
A must experience . So plan a 40 minute stop off at Jablanica so you can not only rest, but order and devour, some of the tastiest lamb in the world. I say this with confidence as I spent 7 months in the Falkland Islands, which does have the best lamb!
On the return journey from our recent break in Neum, we stopped for a break,. It was rather late and we had to crack on to get back to Banja Luka, but I did manage to capture a little footage to “whet your appetite”.
The footage is a little wobbly 🥺.
Interesting Bosnia and Herzegovina Link This Week.
Starting To Feel Old.
The Boy George Event in Banja Luka in April 2001.
It seems like a half a lifetime away that I organised the visit of Boy George (DJ at that time) to Banja Luka to play a Gig.
It was a sort of first in the city and the venue was packed absolutely rammed.
Many more parties were organised over the successive 5 years.
Middle aged people in Banja Luka and surounding region still talk about them. They were late teens or early twenty somethings back then.
Anyway I found some images from that particular gig with “George” and posted them on the blog.
A “Throw Back” post if you will.
Local Products From The Krajina Region of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Krajiska Kuća is a small store in the centre of Banja Luka, specialising in local products.
These often handmade items are traditional to the part of Bosnia and Herzegovina that is refered to as Krajina.
Krajina means frontier or edge.
The Bosanska Krajina, is a triangle roughly between Banja Luka, Prijedor and Bihać.
If you visit Banja Luka, you should visit the store to see the variety of products on offer and maybe get something for a souvenir.
A Book You Might Like?
We have a friend that likes to cook.
He is coming to visit soon, and by total chance Tamara found this in a Banja Luka bookstore. In English. We are wondering what his reaction will be.
Here is the Amazon link should you wish to get your own copy.
WE ARE NOT Amazon Affiliates. This is just a personal recommendation.
And Finally.
That's our update from our village here in the north of Bosnia and Herzegovina for this week.
We hope you like our new way of creating our weekly newsletter.
We hope you'll continue to follow our adventures, and to engage with questions and comments.
We are always so excited when we receive them.
PLEASE, do stay safe wherever you are.
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