Mostar

We gathered at the Sarajevo bus station this morning for our trip to Mostar.

Loved the messages under the buses, especially:

The journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.

It was a short bus ride today to Mostar, just 2 1/2 hours through stunning country. I had flashbacks from the 1970's when we drove south through Jugoslavia gazing at glacial fed rivers and passing through many tunnels...beautiful country. It is so difficult to imagine the horrors of war in this region.

Fuat and Seat (our host and his brother) picked us up at the bus station and took us to an apartment on the top floor of their house ...three bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom, living room, large balcony that overlooks the town. A large bowl of mandarin oranges from their garden was waiting on the dining room table.  

The Stari Most bridge in Mostar was destroyed in 1993 by Croatian forces

and rebuilt later using the original techniques and the same materials.

Many buildings that were bombed in the 1990's have not been rebuilt.

After sharing a late afternoon meal we walked over the Stari Most bridge and strolled along before crossing back to the side of the Neretva River where our apartment is located. It is a quiet night with three of us ready for an early bedtime and the other three out to see a movie.