Summer Travels - Sarajevo

So it's that time of year again when the bfs parents hop on a plane and head to the wonderful world of Croatia ... sigh. I am soooo jealous and wish I was able to go this year! There is so much of Europe to explore and I only just got started ... I had dreams of going to Italy then taking the ferry to Split this summer but just started my job and it's a little early to be taking my three weeks vaca. So ... I'll just have to reminisce about the time I spent at the beach house last summer. I guess I already did that didn't I? If you missed that post click here.

A view of the city from one of the surrounding mountains.  

The Famous Latin Bridge  

Another wonderful place close to Croatia is Sarajevo which I also visited last summer. I had the privilege of staying at the bf's parent's condo in the heart of the city. I love this city which is nestled in the valley of the surrounding mountains.  It has so much history which is unfortunately tainted by the Bosnian War. I thoroughly enjoyed my trip which encompassed trying out local foods, visiting some mosques, churches and museums and spending time with the bf's family.

One of my favourite things about the city is the Turkish influence. You can get hookah (shisha) on every corner and sit down and drink turkish coffee.

I also love that people in Sarajevo spend time outside, walking around, gathering around the numerous courtyards and fountains and enjoying drinks on the wide patios that take up whole streets. I guess these are characteristics of most European cities (the bf has been telling me this for years). I didn't know because I had never been to Europe but definitely wish we had more of an "outdoor culture" here in Canada.

lots of patios in this city. 

The food here is also amazing ... 

Super delicious cevapi 

I also drank boza

and ate a lot of hazelnut spreads 

Word on the street is that this little window in an alley is the best bakery in town. We got some donuts and pretzels and it was delicious!

Happy Tuesday!!

Summer Travels: Dubrovnik, Croatia

I hope everyone is having a great week. I have been keeping busy enjoying the warm Toronto weather, trying to get back to a regular exercise routine (looks like I found a running buddy) and spending my evenings reading and relaxing. Another thing that has been occupying my mind is vacation time: when to take it, where to go, with who etc. It looks like I will be heading to Vancouver for about 6 days in a couple of weeks. Vancouver holds a special place in my heart because the bf lived there for about 1.5 years and we spent a lot of time exploring it together. It is such a laid back and beautiful city and I'm super excited to go back. I haven't been there in about three years and plan to check out all my fave places and discover a few more. 

Anyways ...  back to my 2011 summer travels. In my previous post I left you all at the beach house which you all seemed to enjoy and even want to visit lol! I will see if I can arrange for that! I mentioned previously that Gradac is located between Split and Dubrovnik, so of course we were not going to travel to Croatia and not visit both of these places. It rained the first few days were were in Gradac so we used the opportunity to travel to Dubrovnik where it was kinda sunny. The bus ride was really windy and I felt sick for most of it (scenes from the bus coming next week). 

Here I am waiting for the bus, all excited to go to Dubrovnik ... 

We spent a full day in Dubrovnik to soak it all in and explore as much as possible. We ate pastries, browsed all kinds of shops (I bought a great pair wedges), took tons of pictures and met other tourists. The bf had been there numerous times before so it wasn't a huge a deal to him but as he always says it's always waaaay better and a completely different experience exploring with moi!  

I was completely wowed by the beauty of this medieval city. I love Dubrovnik for it's history, lovely shopping and beautiful scenery. My suggestion (in case you ever visit) is to walk the wall. The bf and I got some amazing views from the wall and were so happy we took the time to do it. I admit I'm pretty afraid of heights and even I could do it! 

 Below are some pics of the breathtaking views. I hope you enjoy them :) 

I'm not sure what's in store for me this weekend aside from a Sunday night dinner with the bf's boss and colleagues. As usual, I would like to get out on my bike, sit under a tree reading and maybe even fit in a run. Let's hope the weather cooperates. 

Hope you all have a lovely weekend! 

Summer Travels: Gradac, Croatia

Like most people I know, I love to travel. If I had the money and time I would travel the world, twice. Recently, the bf and I have been discussing our summer plans which has got me reminiscing about our 2011 summer travels. I hate the idea of travelling, taking lots of pictures and then coming home and basically forgetting about all the fun I've had. This often happens to me because like most of us I return home and jump right back into work mode. So for these reasons I have decided to dedicate a few posts to my 2011 summer travels ... 

The bf's parents own a beach house on the Croatian coast and go there every summer. I had never been and was super excited to finally go to Europe and spend time at the beach house, which I had heard so much about. We landed in Split and took a bus to Gradac ... 

Gradac is a small town on the Croatian Coast. If you squint at the picture below you will see that it is located about half-way between Split and Dubrovnik which have become popular tourist destinations, especially amongst young people. 

Here's the view from the house which is located near the top of a hill ... 

Gradac is a family vacation destination so there are lots of children running around and playing in the water. The scenery is beautiful and I especially love the mountains. 

Life at the beach house is awesome! It basically involves going to the beach, sitting under the fig tree reading, eating yummy food and sharing some drinks on the patio in the evenings.

The daily walk through the town to the beach ...

A typical lunch ... 

Although the beach is rocky and crowded, there's no complaining about the warm, crystal clear waters of the Adriatic. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the time I spent at the beach house. It was super relaxing and fun. If I could, I would return this year and spend some time in Italy before heading to Croatia. Oh ... I will just keep dreaming :)

Another plus is Gradac's central location to Split and Dubrovnik which are just a bus ride away ...