Hello and welcome to this edition of our newsletter / Blog Post, from Čardačani, in the north of Bosnia and Herzegovina, written by an immigrant (me), as I am neither a tourist or a citizen here.

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We have Done it!

A year ago I thought it might be a cool idea to start a weekly newsletter focussing on life here in Bosnia and Herzegovina from my perspective as an immigrant. An email delivered blog post if you will.

Although I had some sort of a “back of a fag packet” plan, I really didn’t see things progressing much beyond the three month point, BUT, here we are at the first anniversary.

I actually feel quite “chuffed” to say the least.

I have learned a lot about using something like this, as a form of accountability, of improving my writing (a massive way still to go there), getting better at general storytelling and finding “my style”.

It’s still a work in progress.

Building a readership has also been a lesson. Not as easy as a plethora of YouTube videos etc say it is.

So thank you so much for being on the email list and I hope you’ll enjoy our journey into year two.

The Plan for Year 2

Paid Subscribers.
For those subscribers that pay $5/month the weekly mails will continue, as will the “Living in Bosnia and Herzegovina podcasts” and the occasional “Behind the Scenes” content.

Normal Subscribers.
Two free emails a month.

The Subscriptions go towards replacing equipment that’s now nearing the end of it’s useful life as well as helping to create even better content.

If you are able, please upgrade to become a paid supporter or perhaps buy me a coffee and get a free month’s access to everything.

Where Bosnia meets Herzegovina

The old stone bridge in Konjic is one of the four most important in Bosnia and Herzegovina, next to the Old Bridge in Mostar, the Višegrad Bridge on the Drina and Trebinje’s Arslanagić Bridge. 

A Beautiful BiH monument, built in 1682, is on the list of protected cultural and historical heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and many consider it a point where Herzegovina joins Bosnia. 

The bridge is a masterpiece of architecture of the 17th century. As a builder, the legend mentions Aliaga Hasečić, a senior officer in Istanbul, while some authors, without quoting sources for their claim, attribute this to Ahmet-paša Sokolović.

Giacomo Luccari made the first record of Konjic Bridge in 1790. The English architect and travel writer, Sir Arthur John Evans made the second record of the stone bridge in Konjic in 1875, when he traveled through Konjic.

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Spring Has Arrived

Time To Move On

Over the years I have been presented with military “Coins” from a number of commanders and units that I served with, be it in Kosovo, Afghanistan or elsewhere. They have been gathering dust to be honest and during a morning of scrolling through e-bay, I found that people actually collect these.

The plan is, as soon as I can find the time, to post these on e-bay myself, as a ‘job lot”.

It won’t make a mint but might help put a dent in the micro drone I need for content creation.

What We Have Been Watching

If a Muslim passes away, he burdens his relatives with a delicate dilemma. “Do we bury him here or in his native country?” Ismael has found a solution: “What if we were to import soil from Morocco to Belgium to bury our deceased here. Let’s start a soil business!” Without realizing it, he opens Pandora’s ‘coffin’.

This series from Belgium comes HIGHLY recommended!

And Finally

Thanks for reading this post. We hope it provides some value to you 😀👍

If you want to 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.

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Tamara and I appreciate your faithful readership, your comments, and your generosity! 

THANKS SO MUCH ❤️