Sarajevo. bosnian roadtrip #4

I am afraid this is gonna be a long post. Sarajevo is not an easy place to describe, so I'd better rely on some pictures to help me share the feelings inspired by the city.

Sarajevo skyline | nikon em + ilford 125 

I primarily intended to talk about our experience in Sarajevo without mentioning the war, or bringing it up as little as I could, to not let this dark shadow overcast the charm and the rising of a city that is still struggling with the past, still finding a new tune to dance.

Mostar. bosnian roadtrip #3

the Stari Most, built in the 16th century and destroyed on 1993 during the war, was rebuilt and completed in 2004. now it's the most famous landmark in Mostar again. | nikon f-801 + fujicolor 200

at the 485th km on our odometer, we were in Mostar.

mouthwatering smell of barbecue, stone houses, green hills and minarets surrounded us, while the old bridge, undisputed symbol of the town, was the center of gravity of this small and multicultural urban galaxy.
the heart of Mostar beats on the tangle of streets around the bridge, and all the tourist crowd seems to concentrate there, between restaurants and small shops.

bosnian roadtrip #2

dirt road to Jajce |  iPhone 4s + VSCOcam

bosnian roadtrip #1

before leaving | iPhone 4s + VSCOcam

where are you going again?

“Bosnia”. seeing the facial expressions that our answer evoked almost made me rethink our destination. yes, Sarajevo is not a typical summer destination for Italians, but, considering the number of “why?” that followed my answer, you’d think that Bosnia and Herzegovina is not a touristic destination at all, which is absolutely not true: many foreigner license plates move around Bosnian roads during summer, Mostar and Sarajevo’s tiny streets are crowded with tourists, and we met many young travellers from all around the world in all the hostels and guest houses where we stayed.

so, the surprise was not about the touristic value of the destination, but about the shadow of the war that continues to follow the name of this complicated country. i was a kid in the nineties, and the Bosnian war was one of the many wars seen on the tv news, but nearer, and therefore more real. it’s not guilt, the feeling that arouse when we think about the Bosnian war in 1992-1996, but it looks a lot like it. we were dreaming the European Union dream, and genocides were taking place a few kilometers outside our disappearing borders.

anyway, this is not the place, nor i am an adequately qualified person to talk about this. i’d try to mention the war as little as possible during this trip’s reportage, because that was exactly my goal: to build another Bosnia in my consciousness. a big mosaic made of landscapes, faces, songs, stories, animals, past, future, architecture, myths, books, religions, recipes. a place that was touched by a bloody war but that’s not its only feature.

this, to know Bosnia better, to be able to think about it regardless of the war, was one of the reasons why we chose Bosnia as our destination, but not the only one. other reasons had been more practical: near, with a good ferry boat connection, doable by lambretta, cheap; others more intangible: we’ve heard a lot about Bosnia and Sarajevo during the past months. as the 100^th anniversary of the beginning of the 1^st world war (yeah, another war.), Sarajevo was on the news for a while, being the casus belli scene (archiduke Franz Ferdinand was killed on Sarajevo’s latin bridge, triggering the diplomatic crisis between Austro Hungarian empire and Serbia). moreover, my sister just graduated with a thesis on a project developed in Bosnia, where she took two field trips.

let's go: Bosnia roadtrip. July, Friday 25th

we're leaving! summer holidays are here.

we're about to spend a few days on a roadtrip by lambretta in Bosnia we've been planning for weeks: this afternoon we're going to sail from Rjeka to Split, and then we'll make a big balkans loop through Split, Neum, Blagaj, Mostar, Sarajevo, Travink, Jajce and back to Split and the ferry boat to Rjeka.

i'm excited but departures make me nervous.
wish me luck and good weather ♥

{p.s. for on the road updates follow marco's instagram or i diari della lambretta facebook page}

slovenian roadtrip. August, 16th-18th

after our osmize tour, marco and i spent the night in Trieste, to be back on the road the next morning, headed to Ljubljana. it was our very first time abroad by lambretta, and seeing the state line sign was thrilling!

practical info  

if your are coming from italy like us, and willing to do a roadtrip abroad by lambretta/vespa/scooter 125 hp or less, you can not use the regular driving license (patente B) like in italy. you need a motorcycle license (patente A). 

i must admit that i didn't know much about Slovenia before this trip. the few things that used to come into my mind were pointed steeples, a language written with so many "J", and caves. as soon as we crossed the border i realized that i was oblivious to the most obvious feature of Slovenia: over half of the territory is covered by forest, it's the heaven of the outdoorsy life. i could feel the chill on my arms and the mossy smell in the air, crossing woods, large cultivated fields and rural villages all the way until the capital city.

practical info 

Slovenia is famous for its efficient highway network {one of the few things i knew}. in order to have access to the motorway you have to buy the vinjeta, a toll-sticker that represents a subscription, which can be annual (95 euros for cars, 47,50 for motorcycles), montlhy (30 euros for cars, 25 for motorcycles) or weekly (15 euros for cars, 7,50 for motorcycles). so, motorcycles, cars, and most of the campers (less of 3,5 t) do not need to stop at the road toll every time they enter the motorway. the vinjeta can be purchased at gas stations. 

one of the outcomes of the vinjeta system is that motorways are usually busier than normal roads. as far as i've seen, i'm glad we have taken the normal road: it's not just cheaper. it was quiet, no traffic at all, and very scenic: ideal for a roadtrip, i highly recommend it.

coming from Trieste, shortly after the slovenian state line, the village of Lipica is worth a stop.  it's known for the Lipica stud farm, where lipizzan horses are bred. the road passes by large lawns, bordered by white fences, that match the light color of the horses. they appear like a fairytale vision.

the outstanding Postojnska jama {Postojna cave} could be a perfect second stop, and for the most romantic there is the Predjamski grad {Predjama castle} just 9 km away.

once in Ljubljana, we settled at Ljubljana Resort camping, a nice and cheap accomodation. the city center is close, but not in a walking distance, so it can be reached by bus or by bike. the camping has a convenient bike rental service. 
the city is not like i imagined it at all. Ljubljana is very european. the bridges on the water and the bicycles make it look like Amsterdam, the stylish cafès remind me of Vienna. people hang out along the river banks, chat loudly on the tables outside the restaurants. Ljubljana made me instantly feel relaxed, at ease. it felt like summer. my sundresses and sandals met its dragons and art nouveau buildings, and they get along. 

some highlights from our days:

• shopping in Stari trg and Gallusovo nabrežje {check Sisi shop for home decor and accessories, and Spin vinyl for secondhand records}
• a walk (and a nap) in park Tivoli
• buying local products at the farmer's market in Vodnikov trg
• listening to some jazz at Gajo Jazz Club
• a lunch with the university crowd at Skriti kot
• a couple of margaritas at Joe Pena's 
• sweet treats: macarons at Lolita and cakes at Zvezda

as you know, i have a soft spot for street food. the local delicacy is called burek, a pastry made of phyllo dough, filled with meat or cheese {i saw a pizza burek, too, but i did not try it}, good for a tasty snack or a super quick lunch. 

Ljubljana is a little city, and it's something that i really like. moving only a few km from the center, you are already in the open countryside, or in the middle of a forest.

the last stop of our roadtrip was lake Bled, a place surrounded by mountains, with a small island right in the middle of the water. the lake shores were crowded, but all the loudness could be left behind, by jumping on a pletna {traditional row boat}.

i bet this place look even more magical during the cold season, early morning, with the island all wrapped up in mist. it's a good excuse to come back again, don't you think?

{nikon f-801 + fuji superia 200}