We Do Adventure

Yesterday we enjoyed exploring a “new” playground - Ski centar "Raduša" . We'd been intrigued by the pictures on Facebook and the reality didn't disappoint. I had been looking for one sunny day of snowboarding this season and we finally got it! As ski centres in Bosnia and Herzegovina go this must be one of the newest; according to an article on a Croatian ski website it's only in its third year of operating. From our perspective it makes an appealing alternative to some of the more established resorts. I know people look for different things in their winter sports experiences. For some the a près-ski activities are more important than the slopes. At Raduša the a près-ski activity is driving home! It's not a resort in that sense, but what it offers is access to unspoilt countryside. There's no loud music, no corporate sponsorship banners, just a mountain top covered with snow, a few well placed lifts and some nicely groomed runs. All that and a decent...

It is the preserve of travel writers to tell tales of the unspoilt natural beauty they have witnessed. I wish this post were one of those. Alas it is not. Last week we drove a section of the main road between Banja Luka and Sarajevo. Alongside the road runs the River Vrbas. It's not a huge mass of rushing water, although neither is it a trickle; about the width of the narrow two lane road next to it you might successfully navigate it in a canoe or small raft. Trees line both banks. Come spring it could be a beautiful sight, but it won't be. Instead mile upon mile of spoilt natural beauty with bear the scars of human wastefulness. In our experience the retailers of Bosnian and Herzegovina have a strange obsession with the dispensing of plastic bags. If the trend in the UK is for a sales assistant to make you feel guilty for using a bag – or make you pay for the privilege – here you are more likely to cause offence, at very least bewilderment, if you try to exit a shop without on...

On Monday afternoon we took a walk up to the fort in Jajce. It was great weather for a spot of tourism –sunny and bright but not too hot. I shot some video that will eventually find its way online. After handing over 1KM each the steel gate was unlocked and we were unleashed on this ancient monument while the gate keeper sat outside. There were no signs, no audio guide and no handrails! Perhaps the Bosnians understand what it is to treat people like adults. I can think of too many similar sites in the UK that have been spoilt by attempts to protect the paying public, or the site itself. Yes, I was scared as I walked a narrow section of the wall with a sheer drop on one side, but I survived to tell the tale. And I enjoyed the experience more for the sense of adventure included in the admission fee! However, statistics may be on the side of the Bosnians. The fort didn’t give the impression of ever being overrun by tourists. Given this the chance of an accident seems pretty small. Towns l...