Old Bridge - Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Two hours and four border crossings later, we had just about arrived at our destination, Mostar. As we drove farther away from the Adriatic, the Southern Herzegovina scenery started looking vaguely familiar with hints of Southern California style landscape. The dusty brown hillsides were a canvas of mossy greens desert scrub and not much else. As we approached the outskirts of Mostar, the skyline was peppered with minarets to the left and a Catholic Church spire to the right.

Prior to the war in the early 1990s, Mostar was probably best known for its Turkish style architecture and its 16th century single-arch bridge, the Old Bridge, also known as Stari Most.

However, in 1992 Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence from Yugoslavia and Mostar quickly became famous for being one of the main front lines of the Bosnian War. The war divided the city in half and the bridge acted as a natural barrier between the two fighting ethnic groups, the Muslims and the Croats. Sadly, in 1993 the Old Bridge was destroyed by shells and much of the stone from this historic structure fell into the Neretva River below, where it stayed until rebuilding efforts began in 1998.

Photo courtesy of Smithsonian.com

Croatia Through My Eyes

Over the past month, many of you have asked for more details about Croatia and here is my attempt to address all your burning questions.

Croatia Love

Prior to booking my trip to Croatia, I actually knew very little about the country. A dear friend had spent a day in Dubrovnik on her honeymoon a few years ago and her photos of the walled city are images that have stuck with me and inspired me to consider Croatia as my next destination. From the moment I arrived in Croatia, I was quickly pulled under the spell of her beauty and seduced by the rich history and the gracious people I encountered. Croatia is a fabulous fusion of Central European and Mediterranean influence and boasts of having over 1200 islands.

English is widely spoken and though we attempted some of the language, all the locals we encountered were anxious to practice their English. Tourism is fast becoming a pillar of their economy and the locals want to do all they can to encourage and entice others to visit their land. Currently, most Americans tend to just make the day trip to Dubrovnik as part of their Mediterranean cruise itinerary. My advice is to dedicate more time exploring other parts of Croatia as well and try to get there before the secret of this spectacular country gets out and becomes part of everyone’s travel agenda.

Favorite Moments - Croatia

Since my return from Croatia, images and moments of this stunning country have been swirling around in my head. The calm clear-blue waters of the Adriatic, limestone cobbled streets and stairways, walled cities, palace ruins, pivo (Croatian beer), hours spent sitting in outdoor cafes, wooden walkways, waterfalls, and the odd snake in Plitvice Lakes National Park, naps and nauseous bus rides through the countryside, margarita pizza, morning white coffee and chocolate croissants, Billy Ocean on the radio, walking the roads in Korcula, dogs walking with purpose, aggressive pigeons, getting lost in Zagreb and Dubrovnik, and the unforgettable day trip to the city of Mostar. And I must not forget the kindness of all the people I encountered on this journey.

Here are the top things I have been reminiscing about since my return to reality.

Favorite moment - Zagreb

Given that Zagreb was largely chosen for logical reasons as the gateway in and out of the country, I was pleasantly surprised to find the city full of energy and with a robust café culture. The nights were warm and balmy and perfect for café hopping along Tkalciceva, a lively avenue full of cafés and patios, near Trg Bana Jelacic, the heart of Zagreb. The fantastic people watching and inexpensive drinks along this boulevard of cafes made this a great way to begin and end my time in Croatia.