I had a fulfilling nights sleep
last night, and woke up when my body needed to and not my alarm clock. I slowly
got out of bed, then made my way downstairs to breakfast. I collected cereal
and made my way outside to the terrace to get a seat. The sun was out but it
was not hot yet. I went back in to get a roll and Nutella, along with my
coffee. I sat out, eating away, admiring the view of the mosques, terracotta
topped houses, and the green hills crowding over the city.
I went back to my room and washed
and changed. I then ventured out into the old town. With it being Saturday, it
was as busy as last night. From the hotel, you walk down a hill to where the
spring is. Then the market area is on a lower incline. Its floor is made of
flat orangy/brown rocks interlaced with cement. The shop fronts are showing off
their wares and are constructs of wood and stone.
I walked around the maze of
shops to find an ATM – for I need to pay the hotel. Then located a small museum,
which I find out is the Museum of Sarajevo – right in the heart of the
Bascarsija. It is a rectangular building (surrounded by the market) and is
domed. Inside, I paid 2km and spent about 40 minutes in there. Not much in
terms of artifacts, but a lot on the story of prehistoric Sarajevo, through
Medieval, Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian and up to present times. In the centre of
the room was a model reconstruction of the old town of the 1800s.
I exited, the walked through the
Bezistan. Similar materials to that of the museum (Grey stone with a tinge of
yellow, layered between cement) had a front and back entrance, and an alleyway
you walked through that had small stalls either side. A pleasant building but
the wares were not to match.
I then made my way to the hotel briefly to pay my
bill and have my passport returned. I then walked down the road I came up
yesterday. I walked past the old mortared
market again, now bustling with life, onward to the new shopping mall.
I had a
wonder around to pass time. I then continued, where opposite the road I saw
red marks on the floor. I read last night that these splashes of red plastic
actually fill in the holes where mortars struck. I took a photo for the record,
but an eerie spot it was. I then walked past an alley where the wall of the
building was sprayed with bullet holes. Again, no effort to cover up the
suffering that was endured.
I then spotted a café, so took
the opportunity to rest from the powerful gaze of the sun. I read and took in
the chatter of the locals around me. I then walked onward to another shopping
mall and ate there. I had a glass of Bosnian red too, which went down a treat.
Smoking is tolerated indoors – reminded me of a few years back, out in the UK.
I then walked past the Holiday
Inn again to the train station. It was as quiet as it was yesterday. I asked a
guy there is I needed to book the train to Zagreb – no, he replied. Excellent.
I then turned back. I now located where museums were for Monday (as tomorrow I
plan to walk and shop), so now started the second half of a figure of 8 by
taking an adjacent road back to the old town. A bit quieter, but still feeling
safe, I made my way back to Ali Pasha’s Mosque – where prayer sounds were
emanating from. I then took the right fork on Marsala Tita Street into the old
town. I stopped at a café for an espresso and a slice of Tiramisu. Lovely. And
only 3km! I then meandered around the old town again and back to the hotel to
rest as the afternoon call to prayer began.
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