The history of Sarajevo, Bosnia of course is long but as many of you may remember the war back in the 1990s was very much a persecution of many of the people living here but even going farther back we remember the spark that set off World War I, the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria. One interesting thing I learned recently was even thought this area was under the Austro-Hungarian Empire before World War I the peopledecided they wanted to take some land closer to the north and reduce the subjugation to the empire. Since Russia, allied with the Serbs, activated troops and stationed them on their western border, all hell broke loose. Walk through the old town of Sarajevo with Bill Smale Adventures.
Eating kebab at a restaurant frequented by locals. Ćevabdžinica ŽeljoAssassination memorialPhotos of the procession Kids having a snowball fight in a graveyard A Coca-Cola sponsored Christmas event Taking a car, illegally parked, to a impound lotI don’t smoke cigarettes but just lit it and felt the smoke in my mouth. It was a Bosnian cigarette offered by the owner of the coffee shop The owner of this coffee shop grinds the beans to make sure it’s fresh The main mosque The sign is very clear on the contents of the shop Bosnian deli cuisineOld town shops The large inside bazaarAncient Roman ruinsYou could see the damage on this building Tourist shopping area A beautiful old building partly damagedSome anti-UN slogansA lot of snow Big advertising for Jameson whiskeyThese guys were doing a two man juggling act every time the traffic stopped for the light The central river A €13 fine because they ticket machines on the trams don’t work. Make sure you pay the driver in cash directly.On the way from Mostar to Sarajevo Ancient practical house constructionA very detailed ancient artifactThe lower right has scissors constructed almost exactly the same as the sheepshearers I used to trim the lawn around the edges. The swastika was used in ancient times indicating good fortune. I thought it was something originating from northern India but an archive told me it originated farther north. Relating to the tombstone above The artifact on the upper right shows the three drops circling just like the old Celtic symbol and the one in Japan from thousands of years ago. Not only Neptune but real people used the tridentHere we see on an ancient structural piece the swastika used againA snowy day, view from the museum
one of the beautiful drives I’ve ever had is this area in mid October with a beautiful fall colors, the cool climate and the warm friendship of the people of Scotland. I highly recommend coming to this place in the fall and enjoying Loch Ness with Bill Smale Adventures.
people come here from all over the world hoping to see the “monster”. But the last credible “sighting” was the early part of the 20th century and that one is dubious. On looking at the loch from the outlet to the ocean to the interior it is easy to see how a large fish or other ocean going animal could get into the loch, grow and become large enough to be very visible at different times of the day. But it’s quite a tourist attraction and it’s a beautiful area so if you stay away from the crowds and enjoy the beautiful scenery you will have a good time.
along the way you see the signs in Gaelic as well as EnglishTaking a walk in the morning The loch in the backgroundThe beautiful fall colors A house which is probably partly rented out to help pay the taxes
When in Montenegro I saw the town of Mostar in Bosnia on Google maps and history came to mind. I remembered the conflict after the breakup of Yugoslavia and the horrible things that happened in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Mostar was prominent in my memories due to the press attention concerning the destruction of the 400 year-old bridge.
It was a very good thing I visited this town since it has a very old town which is very attractive and a good short walk through mostly tourist related venues but I found the restaurants to be not so expensive compared to many EU countries and very high-quality and tasty food. If you visit Bosnia then this is the one town you should put as the place to visit. It is easily accessible by car and bus so make sure to put it on your itinerary and enjoy walking through Mostar with Bill Smale Adventures.
A view of the old bridge rebuilt The targeted destruction of the old bridge.
I did not delve into the reason the old bridge was targeted for destruction but I suspect it was too totally demoralize the people in this area. That not only did not work but the people have great pride in what they have rebuilt and it’s a very beautiful place to visit.
A photo of the video which runs in the genocide museum in townThe Bridget Knight The old bridge walkway Only a few touristS since it is not high seasonWalking in the ancient town Many tour shops along the way with restaurants, cafés and opportunities to buy local foods such as baklava and other sweetsA view from the bridge A restaurant with a good view and a mosque in the background People go down to the edge of the river Another mosque with the smaller bridge
one thing you have to note is that the old town and the bridge are paved with stones which have been polished over the years by millions of tourists walking on them so especially when it is wet there are places that tend to be slippery.
One of the old mosquesThe small bridge A view from my hotel Many things to buy My hotel restaurant outside seating When it’s not cold in the winter it’s a very nice place to sit outside and enjoy food or coffee
this town is right on the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina. There isn’t really much interesting in this town except for maybe a few older buildings including the train station which doesn’t seem to be managing trains since the trains don’t seem to be running. I wouldn’t recommend spending more than a few hours here but there is a cave which was closed when I tried to visit and is probably the most interesting tourist attraction in the city. Anyway, I did manage to find a few interesting things and so it took a few photos. It’s probably better to skip this city. Metkovic with Bill Smale Adventures.
People getting ready for a Christmas celebrationBeautiful farming fields my favorite drink as a kid is very popular in this part of the world. a neighborhood farm The entrance to the cave which was closed probably since there are no tourists except for meEvery city needs a junkyard and repair shop The way these cars are sitting there you can be sure there will be a lot of rust underneathThe winter morning foga valley on the way to the city People choose what they think is decorativeHere you see the old buildings, the new buildings and a lot of new construction and refurbishment All over the world this Japanese drink is becoming popular as a health concoctionThis bus obviously travels along the Dalmatian coastBeautiful farming area
while in Montenegro this stop may be for just a few days but it is a very small and relaxing place to just be at the Oceanside at this Cute Petrovac beachside with Bill Smale Adventures. If you don’t have that much time, say only about one week, I think you could skip this village and still have a very enjoyable trip in Montenegro. The bus transportation is pretty good so it’s easy to get to.
Not just what but who is on the menu at this large corner coffee shop!The beach is not that long but it’s a very cute place There are quite a few places to stay right on the Oceanside
I wonder what’s on the island The water is very clear and you can see the fish swimming around The beach has very coarse sand but the water seems very nice The stray cats are everywhere patiently waiting for a hand A view of the old fort at the end of the beach Boats are stored right on the walkway Crkva svetog Vida there seems to be a prevalent fish in the area, the Adriatic SeaWaiting for the next bus on the main road
Bill Smale Adventures – Kotor ambiance Kotor is the one city in Montenegro every travel site recommends visiting. This ancient, medieval town is so much fun to walk around and enjoy the ambience of this strategic and well guarded port. Even before the Romans came to build strong defenses against potential invaders and pirates, people from hundreds of years previous used to this majestic area for trade and general prosperity. Bill Smale Adventures – Kotor ambiance captures this rich history perfectly.
One of these buildings is where I stayed.
if you were planning to stay in the old town understand in the winter it can be fairly cold since the insulation in these old stone structures is not very good. Check the heating situation before you do a winter booking.
The whole ancient city from a viewpointThe mouth of the inlet in the distanceMain entrance to the city Southern gate Buildings next to my apartmentThe Ancientcity at a glanceDelicious pork ribs with aromatic potatoes at Marenda’s
Ancient Roman settlement near the main gateBeautiful storm clouds coming in The fort walls go all the way up to the top of the hill A narrow street Stray cats are admired, well protected and fed very well by residents This is the way to make deliveries on these narrow streets The northern wall and gate where a natural river moatSt. Juraj church Well prepared for the holidays Decorations on my apartment tableNot many tourists at this time of year More decorationsThe southern gate from the other sideBoxing up the cityDelicious aged steak and grilled veggies at Tanjga bbq.
This port has one more inlet on the opposite side of this hill so it is not a direct opening to the seaThe yachts in the port Obviously a fishing village The Fort walls are visible all the way up the hill
Inverness in the fall is so beautiful you won’t want to go back into a city. The country people are welcoming, the beer is delicious and even though it’s cold the warmth of the people keep you in comfort as you travel through the countryside searching for the next beautiful view. You will especially enjoy a morning hike in Scotland’s Golspie Burn waterfall and gorge.
Golspie Burn waterfall and gorge is a wonderful, peaceful place to walk and relx
As I do my edinburgh scotland walking tour i find Edinburgh is now becoming a very crowded city even during the off-season but I can understand that because it is such a beautiful place and the people in Scotland are really wonderful and friendly. Something strange though, once I got off the train and looked at the Sir Walter Scott memorial and the castle on the hill all of the memories from my 1971 visit after I graduated from high school came back again and the memories were so fresh I felt like it was only a month ago that I walked around the city and saw the famous sites so I felt I didn’t need to do it again. I’ve never had that feeling any other place I’ve been. It just felt so familiar. Edinburgh is definitely the first city you want to visit before going to the Highlands.
The Sir Walter Scott memorial OK you man, you can pretend to be from Scotland Modern artYou might think that the fellow behind this art exhibit is part of the art piece but when I saw him move away I realized he was just another visitor I love this architecture I don’t know why I included this photo Right near my bread and breakfast, on a very cold day, people were out enjoying the fresh airThe museum of national art exhibits my Japanese friends will love to see this but they will not buy here. The prices are double what they are in Japan The castle a Celtic cross I walked through this cemetery They used to include some history of the person if they were “notable” and probably wealthyThis crypt was obviously destroyed. There were a few young fellows inside another shell of a crypt doing something I was not interested in investigating This “Japanese” restaurant had very tasty food. The mother’s out strolling in the parkGin seems to be in fashion now. Pink gin, for some reason, is popular. I didn’t try it. we presented our tickets to board the plane and then proceeded to the tarmac to lineup and wait for the plane to let us on board, standing in the cold for about 10 minutes
I wanted to go to the seaside city of bar but then I read some reviews of apartments for rent on a booking site and one comment was that the village on the hill, Stari Bar, was much more interesting so I decided to go there. What I found was an ancient city built on a more ancient series of structures.
This is the ancient city from a distance. The Bell tower is relatively newHere is the more modern mosque The view of more modern buildings from the ancient city You can see here the aqueduct built by the Romans I was fascinated by the geological formations The chapel inside is actually in current useThe flag of MontenegroHere is one of the doors that was blocked off after some dead person was carried throughThe view from my apartmentThis is the cute little town with many bars and restaurantsI was tempted but I did not pick any Olive trees along the way. Evidently many of these trees are very old and have produced a great economy for the area for hundreds of yearsYou can guess what this truck is used for, indicating the profession a small watering hole in the mountains Remnant of a Lookout post You can see how pressure over tens of thousands of years have pushed these sediments sideways a cave I was not really interested in hiking up to and going inside The local post office The bell tower at night
Historical Information
Archaeological findings confirm that there was life around the Old Town of Bar during prehistoric times such as the Illyrian era, as evidenced by the large amount of prehistoric pottery from the 8th-5th century BCE. We see strong evidence of Hellenic and Roman culture in the wider area of the city of Bar, evidenced by the remains of Greek painted vases (4th-3rd century BCE), the Italo-Greek amphorae and various other vessels and pieces of pottery. Further material testimonies from the era of the Roman Empire were discovered in large quantities from the 1st century BCE to the 4th CE with the most significant traces of Roman civilization represented through discovered pieces of a Roman sarcophagus from the 3rd century CE, on the relief of which is a depiction of Greek mythology.In Latin the transcription of the city refers to Bar under various names through the course of history, such as Antibarum, Antibaris or Antivari, which remains its medieval name on charters and other important doc-uments. There is an assumption that the city was first mentioned by the Byzantine chronicler Procopius of Caesarea in the 6th century CE. In fact, in historical sources, it is first mentioned during the time of the Byzantine Emperor, Leo the Isaurian, in the 8th century CE as Antibareos. While this may have been the first, the most significant piece of historical documentation of Bar originates from Porphyrogenitus “Writ-ings on nations”, in the 10th century CE, which highlights its vital/critical importance within the Byzantine theme (region) of Durres, and as a piece of the Roman Empire in general. It is also of significant importance for the early history and development of the Kingdom of Dukija.The oldest architectural edifices of Bar are of remains related to the church of St. Theodore from the 6th century CE, leading us to conclude that the beginning of urbanization begins from this period onwards. In the following 7th century, Bar was inhabited by Romani refugees who fled the destroyed Kingdom of Duklja, before it too tell into the hands of Zetan rulers, heralding the Slavicization of the populace. Byzantium would regain control of Bar during the reign of Basil Il in 1018, but it soon returned to the Principality of Zeta when Basi’s son-in-law. Prince Stefan Vojislav, defeated the Byzantine army in 1042 at the famous Battle of Bar.In 1077 Mihailo would be coronated the first king of Zeta in Bar, the territory of which would also be elevated to the rank of archbishopric in 1089. Consequently, as a church seat, Bar would hold jurisdiction over several episcopal cities and territories such as Ulcinj, Svad, Drivast, Skadar, Kotor, Serbia, Bosnia and Travunia. In the 12th century CE, we have the oldest historical writing of the South Slavs, “The Chronicle of Pope Dukljanin” or “The Kingdom of the Slavs (Regnum Sclavorum)”, while tragically the text was not preserved in its original Slovenian version, fortunately the Latin version has stood the test of time. The most significant part of the chronicle refers to the life of King, Martyr, and Saint, John Vladimir, King of Duklja at the height of its power.The first Slavic mention of the city name we know today, “Bar”, and attributing the adjective “famous” was of the work of Stefan Nemanja the First in 1216 during his father’s lifetime. The city was under the rule of the Nemanjic family from 1183 to 1360 when the Principality of Zeta began to succumb to the feudal rule of the Balsic family. This period would mark the economic empowerment of the settlement as we as cultural and spiritual renewal thanks to the involvement of Queen Helen of Anjoy, wife of the King of Serbia, Uros 1 (1243-1276). Her influence would usher in the Franciscan monks to Bar, with the Benedictine monastery of Ratac becoming one of the most important monasteries along the eastern Adriatic coast. Following the collapse of the Serbian Kingdom during the 1360’s, Bar would fall completely into the hands of the BalSic family who would rule Bar unchallenged until 1405, and again following an interregnum until 1412 to. The first half of the 15th century would prove to be a tumultuous period, marked by frequent changes in government. In 1405 the Venetians held control over Bar, which then reverted to the Balsic family when Balsa Ill held his court in 1412. Following his death in 1421, the city would then be ruled by the despot Stefan Lazarevic and then from 1427 under despot Durad Brankovic. It was in 1443 when the Venetians finally assumed full control of Bar having taken it from Stefan Vukcic Kosaca, who had ruled from 1442-1443.Venetian rule of Bar would last from 1443 to 1571, characterized by numerous improvements to the arrangement of city administration. Examples of which are an increase in the number of noble families (from 1512 in Bar the patriciate numbered as many as 74 families), accepting the archbishops inheritance, developing a domestic currency, an independent judiciary, as well as an obligation for Venice to come to the defense of the city. However, from the beginning of the 16th century divisions and disputes would begin to form between the nobles and commoners all the while the greatest threat of the era to the Venetians, the Ottoman empire, would repeatedly besiege the city until 1571 when it finally fell into Ottoman control. The renowned Ottoman traveler and writer, Evlija Celebija, made a valuable note about the cultural physiognomy of the city during Ottoman reign:”… there is a mosque of Sultan Ahmet, a mekteb (high school), a ma-crasa (over school), masjid (a mosque without minarets), granary, ammunition storage, cisten, imposing cannons, a gate, music and a moat”.After 307 years of Ottoman rule, 1877-78 would mark the struggle for Montenegrin liberation. Under the leadership of Prince Nikola, the Montenegrin army would liberate Bar and force the Ottoman commander to surrender on the 10th of January 1878. In Bar now stands one of Montenegro’s most unique monuments forever immortalizing this historical event. Shortly following an ammunition detonation which destroyed the church of St. George in 1881, the “Liberator’s” monument would be created utilizing the fragments of various pieces of mosaics, stone plastic, and inscriptions which were discovered after the explo sion. The unique mosaic presents the development of Bar and the region throughout the ages for all to see.Possessing a heritage of numerous prehistoric cultures and caught in the flashpoint between Eastern and Western civilization. Old Town Bar’s turbulent past remains a legacy of inestimable value to historical, spir-tual and archeological endeavors and remains an exemplary symbol of multiculturalism and mutual permeation of numerous cultures throughout the centuries.
take a walk around the non-tourist areas in the city to find some interesting places to eat and just stroll in the afternoon.
Grilled pork and a Greek salad. Very delicious A group of friends entertaining for a little cash
Entrance to the Newmarket which is on the old castle grounds A place to commune, eat and drink and look for some little things to buy Some patriotic Albanian souvenir Saint Paul’s CathedralA lot of activities outside the Opera House This was a convention of booksellers The father of The Albanian state
