3. Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, to Zaton, Croatia

Monday, June 19, 2023

What a day it was! Off to a bit of a slow start, we headed down the freeway (yes, an actual freeway) to our next destination, Zaton, Croatia. We have had a great time in Sarajevo, visiting modern architectural site, historic Olympic sites and remnants of the war that tore Serbia apart.

Now it is time to move on and enjoy a drive through more mountainous countryside. So, the freeway was our first step … about 100 kilometres of beautiful new road, speed limit was 130 KPH. Wow!! It was hard to enjoy the landscape at that speed and, of course, there were wizards flying past us. Truthfully, I was happy when our exit came.

 

We plunged into another range of steep tall mountains. The road wove through deep passes, climbed high to cross a range and, of course, hairpin turns were on the menu throughout the day. I take those turns much more slowly than the local drivers which occasionally caused a bit of tension. But, in the end, we held our ground and drove as safely as we could. Jim said I was driving much more confidently than I was a few days ago. That made everyone happier.

 

Along the way, we passed through several small European villages with roadside restaurants beckoning our attention. Although the land was too rugged for much productive agriculture, we did see sheep in small groups and every household had a beautiful vegetable garden, long straight rows of various crops reaching up to the sun and flourishing from the recent rain. We encountered two men, a father and son, who were harvesting potatoes. In June?? The son spoke English so we were able to converse. We asked them when they plant the potatoes. February … as soon as the weather warms in spring. Wow!! In contrast, as we rounded one turn, we were surprised to see  some exceptionally high mountains which were adorned with bits of snow here and there at the top. That was a surprise in what is generally a warm-hot climate.

 

Due to the rain, we saw many active streams and creeks bubbling down the mountain sides. They were all flowing into a magnificent river which we followed for many, many kilometres. It is hard to describe the colour and beauty of this river – broad, peaceful, inviting. The colour was a deep and calming bluegreen, under the bright sunshine and clear sky. Villages dotted the shore along with properties that had the appearance of cottages or cabins. Even though it was a perfect Sunday, we only saw a few pleasure boats on the water.

 

We followed this river for a very long time, beginning with a wide lazy river, until it narrowed into some of the mountain passes where, as expected, it became a river of rapids, bubbling and dancing and racing down the mountains. We enjoyed this river for many, many kilometres before we rounded a mountain and the river flowed in a different direction and we said farewell.

Along the mountain highways, we saw many, many roadside stands. Some were marketing jars of honey and other sweet preserves. Tucked under umbrellas in the shade, the vendor was sitting in a lawn chair, clearly set up for the day. Jars of honey were piled neatly on a table top, often the sun was making them glisten, beckoning travellers like ourselves to stop and make a purchase. We wondered how much honey would be sold each day. It seemed incomprehensible to us that many people would buy that much product from that many vendors. But it must be worthwhile to sit on the roadside all day long.

The fruit/vegetable stands were intriguing as well. Glistening tomatoes, new peaches, apples, an abundance of leafy greens, green onions and loads of potatoes. And many, many vendors … We knew from the gardens we had seen that some produce was in season now, specifically leafy greens. But we wondered about the rest.  Almost around the next bend, we discovered  the answer – greenhouses!! Hundreds of greenhouses!! When looking down from a, it looked as if all the valley land was being used. These greenhouses were not filled with pots. The crops were actually growing directly from the land. Quite amazing to see!!

While we travelled we moved away from fertile valleys to slightly higher altitudes where we found plantations of olive trees and vineyards. Mostar is a wine producing region and growers have clearly bought into the product. I wonder if any is available in Canada.

 

The final step of our journey in Bosnia and Herzegovina was a long slow drive up a mountain. We had been directed onto a secondary road for this part of the journey, and though the road was not in great shape and the guardrails were dodgy, the drive was well worth the effort. We had panorama after panorama as we made our way along the road – deep valleys, agricultural  fields, rich woodlands, barren rock, and a gently flowing river. Yes, it was the river we had followed earlier. Together, we will meet the sea.

 

At the top of the mountain we were greeted by a brand-new roadway that smoothly cascaded to sea level. There was certainly not much traffic and it was a gentle road to drive.

 

We passed through the border from Bosnia and Herzegovina into Croatia once more. And turned onto the road that would take us to our accommodation in Zaton. And then, we took a beautiful blue bridge and crossed the river that had been our friend all day long at the very point where it emptied into the Adriatic Sea. What a beautiful setting to say farewell to our friend.

 

And so we were there. Another great day behind us in a beautiful setting to call home (for one night).