What an amazing place! It’s absolutely gorgeous! We’re so grateful for the opportunity to be here and enjoy this beautiful place with new friends! But first, road snacks 😃​

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​​Our view!
​Too beautiful!Cute cabana boy 😍Olives, crustini, marinated mozzarella, tomatoes and basil, and peppers. Our villa for the next few nights 😃it’s a good life 😎I made an antipasto platter, salad, and zucchini pasta carbonara. Not bad😜Dawn and Adam celebrating Independence Day with temporary tattoos 😂Almost forgot a picture- pasta carbonara. Adam made dessert- watermelon with lemon zest, white wine, and salt. It was really delicious! The perfect light finish to our rich meal. Sunset over the Adriatic 😍

We left Sarajevo early this morning to head to Primosten, Croatia 🇭🇷We will be back in Bosnia later this month, but for now, we’re headed to the Adriatic Coast! The drive has been slow but beautiful! I’m sorry I forgot to take a picture of breakfast. We had coffee, pears, and apricots- tasty and light. The trip is about 200 miles- it’s supposed to take about 4 1/2 hours, but it has been pretty slow goin’ for a while. We’re ready for lunch! ​

​Ham, cheese, and chicken roll-ups with fries. It was good. Heavy, but good. More Cevapi and fries. Excellent Bosnian water. So refreshing! I thought I ordered what looked like a Greek salad in the picture…. not exactly. It was really good though. It tasted kind of like egg salad with bell peppers, tomatoes, and a feta-like cheese. Really good! Excellent bread kind of like an herbed focaccia. Espresso 😊Adam’s cappuccino. The bill- equivalent to about $18. A deal! 

We met some fun travelers from Boston and LA at a bar yesterday. We exchanged information and ended up having dinner together tonight😊 Why didn’t I take a picture of all of us? Maybe we will end up together again and then I’ll think to take a picture 😞 Anyway… we had a wonderful time talking and eating. They chose a great restaurant with a spectacular view! We had a fun evening and shared lots of delicious Bosnian food and wine! Stewed okra with veal- nourishing and pleasantly homey. Fresh Bosnian pasta, Klepe, similar to ravioli but with uniquely Bosnian flavors. The filling was light and flavorful lamb or maybe beef wrapped in succulent fresh pasta and topped with a tangy sour cream sauce. Yum! Stuffed cabbage leaves in a light tomato, paprika sauce and topped with sour cream. We really loved this. The cabbage was very light, none of the common sulfuric odor, and the meat, like the Klepe, was juicy and  tender. Crispy hash brown like potato pancakes, spit roasted lamb (the house specialty) and grilled vegetables. All we’re delicious. I especially loved the lamb. It was minimally seasoned, which accentuated the flavorful lamb. It was really good with the cucumber and sour cream salad. To finish our meal, we tried the restaurant’s full selection of Bosnian brandies and liquors. What a treat!!! From left to right- quince brandy, plum brandy, pear brandy, herb brandy, walnut liquor, and finally apricot brandy (my favorite). They were all unique, but not all delicious. The quince and plum were tough to swallow, basically fire water, but the rest were interesting and totally worth the low cost. Finally, a little dessert (just one for the five of us). We had the Kadaif, a walnut and honey pastry. I had only one bite… I was so full! 😊After ALL that our bill came out to about $35 per person, including tip! Truly outstanding! 

Some fun entertainment during dinner😃​

Great Bosnian coffe and extra special homemade plum brandy – Jovo’s sister said it was over 20 years old! What a treat! It was super smooth and delicious!Sweet Baba, Jovo’s mom 😃​Jovo’s cousin. 

​Amazing views from Greg and Jovana’s mountain home!
Cheers! Veal stew in a breadbowl. Homey and delicious!Grilled squid with veggies. The flavors were good, but the company and views were better😊

Jovo told us his mom (who we get to meet later today) used to make Pita every Saturday when he was a kid. He loved it and told us we had to try it while we’re here. He took us to a shop that he really likes and we can see why! The Pita – thin layers of pastry rolled around fillings( pumpkin, beef, cheese, or spinach and cheese) then coiled and baked​ until crispy- was amazing! We especially loved the Burek or meat filled variety paired with the tart yogurt drink. 

​ Jovo is a wonderful host! 

Excellent Bosnian white wine. Porcini mushroom soup- creamy and served super hot! Perfect for this cold night 😊Herbed squid with potatoes and Swiss chard. It was very good, but a little fussy. I preferred the amazing Cevapi from the street cafe 😜Adammhad the T-bone steak with grilled vegetables and porcini mushroom sauce. Pretty good. Not the best steak ever, but not bad either. 

After lunch we wandered around Old Town until it started raining. We were looking in a shop window, when the owner came out and said, “come in and see what I make”, so we did! What a treat! He was so warm and friendly. He shared stories about the war, showed us pictures of his family, even showed us his bullet wound from when he was hit by a sniper 😳 All while diligently working on his beautiful hand carved Bosnian Coffee sets. After a while, he offered us coffee and a cigarette, we said yes to the former. We stayed for at least 30 minutes. We bought a beautiful set and he personalized it for us 😍​

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​when it started raining, we decided to tuck into a bar for some drinks. We met some people from Boston, sat, and talked for a few hours. It was wonderful! Mint tea for me. It was cold! 

We didn’t know what to expect… but Sarajevo has exceeded our expectations. The people here are so warm and friendly. Our hosts, Jovo and Baba are lovely and unbelievably generous. The architecture is stunning and the food is OFF the Chain (yes I still use and love that phrase)! Why isn’t this a huge tourist destination? I’m not sure, but I am sure that I’m glad it’s not super touristy. ​Wow!!! Absolutely delicious Cevapi- spiced beef and lamb grilled sausages (kinda) served in outrageously smoky and tasty bread with more Kajmak and diced onion. Wowza!!! It was so good!!!! Sparkling mineral water and a cold, tart yogurt drink- traditional with the Cevapi. It was very good and along with the Cevapi, kind of reminded us of tsatziki. 

​True talent. 

We had an easy flight from Vienna to Sarajevo. We were greeted by our gracious host Jovo! He is an amazing host and such a sweetheart ❤️ We need to send out a special thank you to Greg and Jovana for sharing their home and their family with us while we’re here- thank you! We can’t wait to discover this beautiful country 😊

Adam and Jovo😃Coffe and plum brandy… I think I like this place 😊I love grandmas and this Baba is especially sweet. She’s full of smiles, hugs, and kisses 😘 

​Amazing city views from the terrace! ​more spectacular apricots and smoked strong cheese from Slovakia, along with whole wheat bread spread with Kajmak (an amazing cream-cheese-meets-butter-with-whipped-cream-and-yogurt-delight), and smoked pork. An excellent way to start the day! Mmmmm!!!!! 

Our last lunch in Vienna was a little disappointing. We walked pretty far to a restaurant we had researched and decided would be the perfect way to end our time in Vienna… it was closed 😔 Instead, we stopped at a street cafe. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t our best meal in Vienna. Wiener schnitzle- crunchy and tasty. A weird pickled vegetable salad that actually complimented the schnitzel nicely. Lol!! Adam thought he ordered sausages. He got hotdogs wrapped in bacon and French fries 😃 It wasn’t bad, just a little boring.