Errol.ca

Well, what can I say about Sarajevo.  There is something remarkable about this place.  There is a stark contrast between the destruction inflicted upon the city by the members of the Serbian Army and the beauty of a cosmopolitan European city.  The contrast is vivid, and makes the surroundings that I have enjoyed a little more real. The history is a little more alive, and while you can see the scars inflicted in the city when you look closely, when you admire the city from the top of one of the hills that surround this city.  You can only see the uniform perfection of red roofs with the pastels of house paint directly below them – the only reminders of the war are the white & green grave yards which stand in stark contrast to the red roofs. So, I’ve walked down sniper alley, seen the “Sarajevo roses”, admired the bullet holes that riddle the city, enjoyed the beer, lugged a pack through the tunnels that were the life line to the city during the seige and now and soon I shall be off. 

For some reason, I am gravely sad to leave this place. The people are kind (so kind, somehow it makes the damage done to the people and city more terrible as the people are *so* kind), the city has a romance to it, however, there isn’t enough industry to make a place like this livable I don’t sense an Errol shaped hole in this city. However, I would like there to be one. Again, there is something about decay that gives a city character, with the bombed out buildings, jagged glass that hangs on some of the windows, borded windows in others, and some of the landmarks, homes and businesses rebuilt to their former glory and others still in shambles, gives the impression of a world rebuilding. This city is climbing out of it’s own ashes.,.  and it’s moving on. 

Now, I’m off to Serbia to see if I can understand their side of the story.  I’ll understand there was massive propaganda on all sides of this war, and I’m curious to see what happened there. I don’t think people suddenly become evil….

Missed Blogs:

- 600 years of Islam

- The rememberance fountain

- The Tunnels

- The Olympic city of 1994

- The Bosnian Pyramids

- Bosnian coffee

- house stays