Bosnia and Herzegovina - Early October 2023
Bosnia and Herzegovina - Early October 2023
An Update from Čardačani
Welcome to the this edition of This Week in the Balkans
Thanks for reading my posts. It means a lot and I really appreciate your support and being part of the community here.
If You Just Like Audio ⬆️
First things first, the weather here has been an absolute delight.
We're still basking in sunny mornings, and I can't help but wonder how much longer this lovely weather will last. I'm still hanging out outside in a t-shirt, all thanks to Mirjana Dojčinovic, a fantastic follower who sponsored a couple of t-shirts for me.
Mirjana even gave us some mugs to enjoy our drinks while we work on bringing you more Balkan adventures, and she also brought along some cool patches, and let me tell you, these are no ordinary patches. They've got a Velcro backing, which means I'll be sewing them onto my hat soon.
I'm thinking about making two these patches available for you. audience. So, drop a comment and let me know why you would like one!
For the next six days, we're in for a sunny treat, with temperatures climbing up to a high of 27°C. But, as they say, all good things must come to an end, and we're looking at four days of rain on the horizon. Farewell, Indian summer, it was great while it lasted.
This past week, we headed over to Slatina, a village about eight kilometers away. It's home to a unique Serbian Orthodox wooden church, which I might just feature in an upcoming video. The gathering was held in what they call a "Vikendica" which is basically a weekend house. Back in the '80s, people here had a trend of buying land in villages like ours and building these little getaways for barbecues, family celebrations, and more.
Tamara has this thing about not wanting her laundry hanging outside when there are fires burning. It's funny how the smell of burning fields brings back memories of home in the UK, back in the day. But lately, there's been a lot of field burning going on.
Rural people here still use wood as their primary source of fuel, and we're no different. Our central heating system runs on a wood-burning boiler, keeping us cozy during the colder months.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is over 48% forest, so there's plenty of wood for fuel. Some folks spend their days chopping logs manually, which must be a workout. But others have these nifty machines that crack the logs with a petrol engine.country is over 48% forest, so there's plenty of wood for fuel. Some folks spend their days chopping logs manually, which must be a workout. But others have these nifty machines that crack the logs with a petrol engine.
We're also eagerly awaiting our winter fuel delivery – briquettes made from compressed sawdust. We have some leftover from last year, but you know how plans can change around here.
The highlight of the week was Tam's father starting his build of a new tool shed for his outdoor equipment. We've been busy laying the foundation, and I even got my hands dirty helping with moving freshly mixed concrete. Trust me, it's been a great workout!
Also it’s time to store the recently harvested maize (corn) or kukuruz. The fields were harvested before the burning, and were left with piles of maize. Predrag has been busy helping our neighbour with the maize prep, peeling off leaves and storing them in those wooden structures you often see around here. It's a crucial winter food source for livestock.
A big thank you to all of you for subscribing and supporting me. Some content remains free, but your support helps us keep going.
In Case you Missed One of Our Previous Podcasts 🎧 ⬇️
Don’t forget that you can read back editions of the newsletter, listen to previous podcasts (we have quite an archive now), or catch other content, all this is available on the web interface, just like a regular blog.
Oh, and please share the newsletter with friends, relatives and colleagues using the button below.
Once again, Tamara and I appreciate your faithful readership, your comments, and your generosity!
Until our next post.
THANKS SO MUCH ❤️