Sarajevo

I have to admit that I was rather excited about the prospect of being able to spend a week working on getting the website done to my satisfaction and working on other projects that always seem to be swept aside by daily life. Unfortunately for me the internet connection for the hostel that I was staying at was not working. I took the hint (you need a break) and headed off into the city of Sarajevo.

I had two basic objectives that first day. One find the old market and get an idea of prices for gifts for friends in Albania, and two locate and scout as many supermarkets as possible. I found my way into the city center, a leisurely one and a half hour walk from the hostel. I saw five supermarkets on the way into the city and decided on one to explore that first day. The old market was easy enough to find, and was a pleasure to walk through. I looked at many shops and talked to some vendors who knew a bit of English. However, I was at a loss as to what would make good gifts for our friends. Everywhere I looked, I found the same kind of crafts that are readily available in Albania, rugs, copper coffee sets, and copper and silver serving trays.

The only things that were not easily found in Albania were the spent military rounds that were etched, painted, or turned into pens. I didn’t buy any of these as I was unable to find any that I liked for prices that I was willing to pay. I did find a man who made platters and coffee sets; he sold them right out of his workshop, and was very nice. I bought most of the gifts I needed from him.

The remainder of my time in Sarajevo was spent wandering the city; searching for "western" grocery stores, looking at the architecture, seeing sights from the Olympics, and generally enjoying an opportunity to walk and think without any responsibility other than getting back to the hostel before I was unable to walk any further.