Bosnia

Waiting in my hotel in Sarajevo for my car to take me to the airport gives me a few minutes to mention my trip to this special place. The high point - although high is the wrong word - was a trip to the famed Mostar. Those who followed the war in the early 90's will remember the name. Almost every building still pockmarked with bullet holes from the street fighting but a quite beautiful 'old town' - little shops, cafes and churches and what they call the new old bridge. The Serbs blew the first one up.

I stopped in a place called Jablanica for a coffee and a chance to look at the stunning snowy mountainous view. From there I could see the famous bridge that Tito blew up in 1943. My driver told me the story of how the Germans stood on one side of the river, Tito's partizans on the other. Tito blew the bridge up and the germans figuring that Tito could now not cross the river went back into the hinterland, safe they thought from Tito's band of brothers. Instead overnight Tito built a new temporary bridge, came round behind the germans and defeated them. It was turned into a film starring Richard Burton the name of which escapes me. The bombed bridge is still there rusting up the side of the river bank.

My hotel where I was staying in Capljina near the Dalmation coast was fabulous. Expecting the usual slightly run down affair I was amazed to be shown the best hotel room I have ever stayed in, anywhere. Being the guest speaker wins one certain advantages!

Today it is airport hopping day. Sarajevo to Montpellier via Vienna and Paris in half a day.