[Around the world #11], Dubrovnik, Croatia. 2013.

Aloha everyone!

After two weeks of not doing anything "productive" and two weeks of "work" in Banja Luka (yes I've arrived here almost two weeks ago but also spent a lot of time back in Zenica, 6 days in total) I finally sit down and write again: The post about Dubrovnik which is more than loooong overdue. 

Actually it is not true... I did something productive: Holidays. For two weeks I've stayed with my bf and friends in Zenica/Nemila, enjoying my break before I went back to work. Most importantly we celebrated the 1st of May which is quite big here. 

About my new "work" (it's just three days and pure fun which is why I wouldn't necessarily call it work) in BL. I tutor German philology students from the 2nd year and help them with their speaking/writing skills.

Back to the topic of this post: My trip to Dubrovnik with the phenomenal Brittany Patridge, the woman who is probably in Washington right now, planning to take over the world. - I know you young lady. ;) 

Even though we just went for a weekend it was great fun and a great way to escape the city for some time and see the ocean. For me the fresh air was extremely good since I caught a bad cold the week before. The sea helped me to recover from all that. 

We arrived on Friday, actually Saturday morning at around 1 am, and were lucky to still get into the hostel since we were supposed to be there before 11pm. Guys? I would have not slept outside. Y'all don't even know.

The next morning we stood up early, had breakfast and then decided to head for the harbour. There we went to the aquarium (kind of frustrating because it literally consisted out of two rooms) and after that caught a boat which took us to the island 'Lokrum'. It was beyond lovely as you'll see in the pictures. THAT WATER. It was a little piece of paradise even though there is this one legend about the island: If you take something away with you, you are going to die. Charming. Well - we didn't take anything. We just fed the peacocks (YES!), took pictures and had coffee/ice cream/a snack and went back.

On the mainland we got a ticket which allowed us to visit all of the museums the city has to offer. We visited two or three of them since they are - like the aquarium - not that big. Of course I also hit up a jewelry store to buy a gorgeous Virgin Mary necklace as well as an evil eye bracelet. Later we went for another coffee + ice cream and I went to a church to do some "V.M.-hunting". ;) 

In the hostel we met another American: a guy from Texas - Tony - who was making a trip around the Balkans and stayed in Sarajevo before, like us. Together we went for pizza, went to the seaside and had drinks later (after Brittany's HUGE shopping trip at Nike).

The next morning Britt & I took a walk around the city - literally - on the walls since the entire city is surrounded by a big wall you can walk on. Luckily we're students which made the entire thing quite inexpensive for us - what a surprise since Dubrovnik is ridiculous when it comes to prices. We took even more pictures and had a fun experience:

The guy who checked our tickets in the beginning, an elderly man, ran up to us after we finished our tour and asked:

"I am sorry but I was wondering whether or not I spoke to you in the right language (English). Where are you coming from?"

Britt: "Uhm yes... I am from the States and she is from Germany."

"Oh good. I was scared. I thought I should have talked to you in French... You have a sophisticated style in fashion. You look quite French, too."

We weren't sure whether that was supposed to be a compliment or not but we were charmed. ;)

Finally we went back to the seaside, bathed in the sun and had something to eat before we got picked up by Brittany's co-worker (Amina) and her bf who took us to Dubrovnik and back to Sarajevo. 

All in all it was a lovely experience. Me and Britt definitely want to go back. Most of all: we came to the conclusion that we have to do more traveling together (Belgium!!!). Also, I said that I want to go to Dubrovnik for my honeymoon - even though I've heard that there are even more beautiful places at Croatia's coast. I have to see all of them - ako Bog da. ;)

I promise to update more frequently. Me and my roommates in BL agreed on taking of pictures of each other - meaning: FASHION. Also I have some pictures Brittany took during our stay in BiH and Croatia. 

A billion hugs and kisses.

Yours, 

Lea.

******

A Bosnian Summer. - or: Dobro došli!!!

Zdravo dolls!

Yes - I am back from my trip to Bosnia. And yes - I didn't upload any posts during my stay. Like Marilyn said: "I've tried to change my ways but the things that make me late (in this case: the things that wouldn't allow me to spend time on blogspot) are too strong, and too pleasing."

Anyways. I had an AWESOME time and wish I could go back or at least could have stayed a bit longer. Unfortunately I had to go back since I am moving on Friday and university starts in less than a month. 

Just like the last two times I went to Bosnia I arrived with a lot & returned with more. With more  information, stronger feelings, more soul & more will to come back again (also: more stuff... don't judge me ;-)). I feel like I got to know myself a little bit better, once again. Besides my 'personal growth' it is amazing to see how much changed in only 3 years. Houses which were still destroyed by the war are now back to their old beauty. People look different. More at peace, even though there is still some tension and obviously pain in most of their faces. I can't even put my finger on it but something has changed. It is like the country grew, grew stronger. Not to what it was before the war, I guess, but into something else. Something new. I believe once BiH finishes growing it will turn into a totally new form of beauty (if there can ever be an end to growth like this). Bosnia is a country which evolves, quickly - even though I am not too sure whether this quickness is good (I can't imagine people suddenly having enough money to rebuild their houses in 3 years if they didn't have the money to do so for nearly 14 years. But that's another story.) In my opinion the fact that there is a development is most important & the fact that this development goes way deeper than building new houses or driving new cars. It is about the people I've met, the people I know. 

My mom and I spent 4 days in Sarajevo and 6 in Zenica where we were visiting good friends of mine (I'd actually call them family...). Despite the fact that our hotels were located in these cities we also  made a lot of road trips to the cities of Travnik, Mostar, Međugorje and Visoko, just to name a few.

I will definitely upload pictures of all of the places we visited. As a matter of fact here's the deal: The next days (maybe weeks) I will upload and include them in my 'Around The World series'. I've also got a haul coming up, containing the stuff I bought while I was out there.

On that note: Laku noć!!!

Yours, 

Lea.

Taking a break in Austria.

Nice boy selling 'lubenica' near the Bosnian/Croatian border.

Near Doboj.

Hotel #1. Hotel Grand in Sarajevo.

View on the Avaz Twist Tower from our hotel room. The first night in Sarajevo.

Hotel #2. Motel Almy in Zenica.

Mommy. :-)

Zenica.

>>Bosnia is under my skin. It's the place you cannot leave behind. I was obsessed by the nightmare of it all; there was this sense of guilt, and an anger that has become something much deeper over these last years.<<
  - Paddy Ashdown.