We Do Adventure

When it comes to remembering golden ages we tend to forget that even then the grass probably looked greener somewhere else. Nevertheless there’s nothing like a good bit of nostalgia to take the edge off today’s hardships and disappointment. Perhaps it should come as no surprise to you to learn that on more than one occasion we’ve heard people make comments to the effect that life was better under Tito. Sure, he still has his critics but in our experience they are few and far between. A great many people, regardless of their background, have very fond memories of Yugoslavia. And so when we had the opportunity to visit Jajce, where the decision to create a Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was agreed, on the anniversary of the big event we couldn’t pass it up. The video gives a glimpse inside the Anti-Fascist Council for the National Liberation of Yugoslavia Museum, the picture shows that there are still Partisans out there.

The eagle-eyed will have noticed that this picture is shot in almost exactly the same location as my post of a week ago today. It appears because yet again it is the location of a surprising sight. I draw your attention to the festive lights strung across the street. These are, in themselves, not much of a marvel. There are plenty of reasons – well at least two! – why there should be lights up at this time of year. It’s just that I heard Mostar was going to pass on having a New Year celebration in Spanish Square this year as a city without a budget finds it hard to finance such things. I had wondered if non-essential illuminations would find themselves plunged into darkness. It’s nice to see things are a little brighter than I imagined.

Tuesday afternoon and I climb into the kombi. Our gear is loaded: guitars, amps, effects and Rowan’s bass. We need to get Budo and his drums and head for the old town. I turn the key and as the kombi coughs to life the radio begins cranking out a classic. The Final Countdown! I smile. It’s my view that everyone should be able to appreciate the excesses of the eighties. They don’t have to live off a diet of big hair and tight leather but they should at least be able to see the funny side of it. And the keyboards; let’s hear it for ‘hard rock’ band serving up cheesy-synth-solos. The funny side, see! We park the kombi where we probably shouldn’t – a helpful local warns us we’ll likely have our tyres slashed! – but it’s as close to the venue as we can get. Valve amps get heavy when they’re carried over cobbles for any great distance. We grab a couple of armfuls of gear each and head for the bar. Through the heavy wooden door we are greeted by two things: the denim and leather clad owner sp...

I should probably be writing more here but getting and at 4am and still getting up at the normal time this morning have got the better of me. We were there last night. It was a good game, obviously the wrong result from our point of view, but as English people we've hasd some experience of losing to Portugal after having a player sent off! I'll leave the video to show the ups and downs of the day. WARNING: The fans behind us swore throughout the match. I won't claim to have understood the half of what they said. To those of you who will understand, I apologise that some of their comments will undoubtedly have ended up being audible in this video.

My next post was to be about the football but I saw this today I had a feeling this was important news not to be overlooked. Sure enough I got home and Rowan was reading about the civil servant strike in Mostar. The reason for this action is “the city council failed for the seventeenth time to elect a city mayor or to adopt a budget.” It’d be nice to say this was unbelievable but even St Thomas – patron saint of doubters – would have to concede that when you’ve been there, seen it and snapped the photo you know they’re not making this stuff up. The ‘they’ in this instance is Balkan Insight, and if you’re interested in the political challenges facing this part of the world their article is well worth a read.

We just back in from our final gilgal rehearsal for tomorrow night's gig. We have seventeen songs on the set list, half-a-dozen of which will be getting their first public performance. While I don't often do excitement, much to my wife's annoyance at birthdays and Christmas, I have a feeling that the band is starting to hit its stride musically and I think tomorrow could be a lot of fun. It will also be cramped, smokey and very loud. If that doesn't put you off - and why should it?! - then this video will explain how to find the bar we're playing. Pictures and video of the evening will doubtless follow, although the not-insignificant second leg of Bosnia and Herzegovina's World Cup playoff will undoubtedly be the next thing mentioned here!

Britain has high-rises. We used to see some of south London's when we took the train into Victoria;, but our town had nothing above about six floors. Mostar has plenty of big buildings; we have a friend who lives at the top of one of them, on the tenth floor. We live much closer to the ground. Sarajevo has bigger buildings, or apartment blocks. Last week we stayed a few days in one of them; at the top, almost. Nineteen floors ups. The apartment itself was great. It had heating, a very welcome change from Mostar's buildings. Inside you'd never really realise how high up you are until you walk onto the balcony, or need to go out somewhere. This video gives you glimpse into both of those scenarios.