One of Bosnia and Herzgovina's most picturesque mosques sits quietly perched on a bank of the Neretva river. It is not extraordinary, but just looks perfect next to the flowing green river. Open since 1617, the mosque has been around since Ottoman times and flanks one of the oldest markets in Mostar, where travelers can buy local fruits, pomegranates, and honey.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Stari Most - the old bridge of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Stari Most is considered to be one of the most gorgeous bridges in the world. First built in the 16th century in the Ottoman style, the bridge stood for over 400 years until being needlessly destroyed in the Croat-Bosniak War in 1993. The bridge was rebuilt using the old methods eleven years later in 2003.
The bridge connects both banks of Mostar and is flanked by two towers known as Mostari. Also, young men hurl themselves off of the river for thrills and have since as early as 1616. It is an over 75 foot drop.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Mostar's incredible divers
Diving off of Mostar's famous bridge is not for the faint at heart. At almost 80 feet tall, it is about as extreme as pouring red bulls in your eyes while riding shotgun in Sebastien Loeb's WRC Citroen. It is a long fall into the rushing emerald river below, and yet Mostar's divers make the jump daily.
One of the best things about traveling is when you run into amazing people doing amazing things. Theses divers fulfill that daringly romantic side of travel. When they jump, the people of Mostar watch, and have been watching for hundreds of years.
The divers make a huge drama prior to jumping. They will come out, take donations, act as though they are about to make the plunge, and then disappear into their strange dive castle. They will return in different gear, tip toe the edges of the bridge over 75 feet up, stretch out over the bridge, cock their head from side to side while ignoring the masses huddled waiting for a plunge, and maybe head back again, to check email or eat gelato.
I saw one guy make the trip back and forth numerous times before finally emerging in a wet suit and hurling himself over the edge (above).
One of the best things about traveling is when you run into amazing people doing amazing things. Theses divers fulfill that daringly romantic side of travel. When they jump, the people of Mostar watch, and have been watching for hundreds of years.
The divers make a huge drama prior to jumping. They will come out, take donations, act as though they are about to make the plunge, and then disappear into their strange dive castle. They will return in different gear, tip toe the edges of the bridge over 75 feet up, stretch out over the bridge, cock their head from side to side while ignoring the masses huddled waiting for a plunge, and maybe head back again, to check email or eat gelato.
I saw one guy make the trip back and forth numerous times before finally emerging in a wet suit and hurling himself over the edge (above).
The food of Bosnia & Hercegovina
We did not know what to expect from Bosnian food. To properly acquaint ourselves, we ordered a massive platter of local specialties (pictured above) at an outdoor cafe just steps from the famous Stari Most bridge. From right, we had local onions, some kind of red sauce, sausages of lamb and veal which were incredible, Bosnian bread which tasted like the best parts of a grill, locally sourced sour cream and potatoes, some kind of extremely delicate beef brisket, spinach leaves stuffed with beef and rice, and cabbages stuffed with red pepper, meat, and other vegetables. Lastly, some incredible little patties of goodness which we have no idea as to the origination.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Road Trip: Dubrovnik to Mostar
We landed in Dubrovnik after missing our initial approach to the airport and being told that we could not land because of technical issues. Not the words you want to hear above the Adriatic heading for the coast of Italy from Croatia. It was very quiet and tense on Norwegian Air flight crappants. We landed safely, and here is our trip from Dubrovnik to Mostar by car, which was very beautiful and simple, except for the part where the GPS took us up into the mountains to some "locals only" border crossing. the guard held us for a little while and told us in broken English to go back to the shore.
The road trip was in my top 10 for sure, right up there with Toulouse to Andorra and Pokhara to Chitwan. If you are considering renting a car and doing this journey -- Just do it. It is an easy drive and dangerously breathtaking at points.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Friday, May 17, 2013
Medieval Dining in Tallinn
I know I will regret not ordering the bear. I already do. How often is bear on the menu? Especially with the explanation, "Marinated in rare spices and cooked over a fire, in honour of Waldemar II, the brave King of Denmark."
Kristin and I stumbled upon this weird Medieval restaurant in Tallinn. The Chefs are historians and have created a menu consistent with Medieval cuisine. It was a strange menu, some of my favorite quotes were "A generous share of the finest Elk filet, in honour and glory of the noble Master of the Order" and "Himalayan Lamb dish with warming spices - Mountain people style."
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Finding peace in Finland - More from the country that birthed Teemu Selanne
We saw odd Scandinavian games, some resembling Stinky Grundlefingers, others looked like psychic red rover with teachers carrying around pool toys filled with beads and shouting strange words. It was odd, and loud, but also wildly entertaining. We were also able to sneak in to the park for free, using the kids as a diversion. This was a huge boon for us as we are on day two of our first ever trip with budgeting, and it has become a sort of game for us. A great and annoying game.
A Helsinki fashion show
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
The Helsinki battle of jet lag, 2013
I have a system where I do not sleep until it gets dark. This works great in Asia because arrivals are generally late afternoon to late evening. Europe is tougher with AM arrivals. I try to walk around a lot and stay outside. It tricks my body into complying. But about waiting for sunset...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)