April in Travnik

I arrived in Travnik on Friday night at the motel "ABA": a combo “hotel + pekara (bakery),” which guaranties that breakfast at the hotel will be good! The bus ride from Tuzla was fairly long, so I make it an early night. On Saturday morning, with camera in my pocket, I go explore the town. I first go to Plava Voda, right next to the hotel; one of the tourist spots in Travnik mentioned in all the guides. It is indeed beautiful. There is the impressive mountain creek making a ruckus with man-made pools that have been created to keep trout. I then move on to the old town and make it straight to the “Rodna Kuca Ive Andrica” (Ivo Andric House), the house where the writer Ivo Andric was born and which I have read has a small museum and a restaurant on the ground floor. After all, Ivo Andric’s novel “Bosnian Chronicle,” which I have read (in French) twice and is one of my all-time favorite books, is the main reason why I have come to Travnik for the weekend, so it is only natural I should quickly pay a visit to the house where the master was born. The restaurant is only supposed to open at 11 and there is no sign of activity upstairs so I decide to come back later. When I come back at noon, the museum has been invaded by a boisterous group of teenagers from Slovenia. I hang out by the entrance where I strike a conversation with Adi who is hosting their visit. Adi is an interesting guy: he is the president of an NGO which promotes the development of new political parties in Bosnia. He also works as a volunteer for an organization whose goal is to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS cases in Bosnia (Bosnia currently has relatively few cases of HIV/AIDS but Adi believes that with more young people travelling abroad these days, this could change for the worse if nothing is done). Adi is from Travnik. He recommends that I do not forget to visit the Kastel (Stari Grad) during my stay. We exchange email addresses and promise to stay in touch. After the Slovenian kids leave, I spend an hour in the museum looking at the various copies of the Bosnian Chronicle translated into many different languages. In another room, there is a display showing Andric receiving his Nobel prize for literature (the only writer from the former Yougoslavia to receive this honor). In a glass case, there are reproductions of letters written in French by the French consul in Travnik in the early years of the 19^th century, whom the book is based on. I am like a kid in the proverbial candy store. When I am finally ready to leave, realizing that I am “vrlo gladan” (very hungry) I go downstairs for lunch (one of the best meals I’ve had in Travnik).

Tuzla work week April 21-25, 2008

Day trip (April 20th) continued in Gradacac

Same friends as the day before, now in Gradacac.

Beautiful stone archway with Islamic carvings.

Detail from another archway.

The fortress of Husein Bey Gradascevic (nicknamed “the dragon”) in the town of Gradacac, Tuzla Canton, was likely built in the 14^th century.

Paved alley to the Gradacac fortress in same ottoman style as the “stari most” (“old bridge” ) in Mostar.

Arnaud in front of the house of the Dragon. The restaurant where we are having lunch is at the top, with an extraordinary view of the surrounding countryside.

Making plans. So many amazing places to visit in the countries of the former yougoslavia, so little time…

Rucak! (“lunch is here!”).

Tuzla and Srebrenik, April 29-30, 2008

Belinda, thanks for lending me this great guide for Bosnia and Herzegovina! Also, thanks again to you and Elvir for the warm welcome and wonderful stay at your house in Sarajevo.

Amra and Emina picked me up at the Tuzla Autobusna Stanica on Saturday at 1:45pm, where I arrived after a pleasant and uneventfult 3-hour-long bus ride from Sarajevo.

One of the views from the Inspire d.o.o apartment where I am staying for the week that I will spend in Tuzla.

Lake Tuzla, the artificial salt-water lake that was created after the closing of the adjacent salt mine. Salt gave Tuzla its name. A bit too early in the season to swim laps there

The new cemetery near lake Tuzla where seventy one young Bosnians are buried, who were killed by a shell thrown by the Army of Republica Srpska on a gathering of young people on May 25, 1995 (“youth day” in Bosnia), during the Bosnian war. All of the victims were civilians. This horrifying and incredibly saddening event is referred to as the Tuzla massacre. The funeral for these young men and women was held with torch lights, in secret at 1am.

Monument to heroes of WW II. Emina is walking on a mosaic representing a pattern for a bosnian “kilim.”

A bust of a famous WWII hero, Josip Broz Tito (1892-1980).

Day trip to Srebrenik on Sunday April 20^th with friends and colleagues Amra, Senad and Ado from the Inspire Tuzla office. The town of Srebrenik is about 35 km from Tuzla. This old tourist map of the former Yougoslavia fails to mention Srebrenik as a point-of-interest.

The spectacular Srebrenik fortress (“kastel”), built early in the fourteenth century.

Yet another truly magical Bosnian moment. Down the hill below, a Bosnian farmer is tilling his field with an old-fashioned hearse pulled by a white horse. As I was getting ready to take the picture, Senad said: "Arnaud, that guy down there is probably doing that just for you..."

A small break before moving-on to Gradacac (to be continued...)

One of the typical haystacks found all over the Bosnian countryside.

Promenade à Central Park, en hiver – A walk in Central Park in winter

Ce matin, nous avons pris le métro jusque dans Harlem (125^th street), puis nous nous sommes promenés dans Central Park qui était toujours sous la neige qui est tombée vendredi. Nous avons traversé la parc dans presque toute sa longueur, n’en sortant que vers la 76ième rue (où se trouvent les services culturels de l’Ambassade de France). Après une pause-brunch au “Petit Café,” nous sommes descendus, toujours à pieds, jusqu’à la maison, soit près de 100 blocks en tout. Voici quelques photos prises au cours de cette longue marche.

This morning, we took the subway to Harlem (125^th street), then walked in Central Park still covered with the snow that fell on Friday. We crossed the Park in almost its entire length, only leaving it around 76 street (where the Cultural Services of the French Ambassy are located). After a lunch break at “Mon Petit Café,” we walked the rest of the way home, which totaled about 100 blocks. Here are a few pictures taken during this long walk.