Home again

We were “welcomed” home by a squatter who’s taken up residence in our atrium’s tree.  Built a nest just above Betty’s favorite chair and poops on her spot at the table.  We’ve seen the parents switch several times and the hungry babies fed. May they fledge soon!
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The view from Magical 7th Century Dubrovnik’s Old Town Walls
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Dubrovnik was the destination for our homage to our dear friend, Loren.  We met as next door neighbors and sang and danced to Liza Minelli’s “Ring Them Bells” telling the story of the girl from NYC who met the guy next door on the beach in Dubrovnik.  Here Jerry and I are walking the walls of the old city and playing the song on his phone while we sing along and tear up a bit.
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Dubrovnik (at 90+ degrees) has an aerial tram to the fort on the hill above the city.  It stopped functioning while we stood in line and an entrepreneurial cab driver offered to take us to the top in his air conditioned cab for the same price as a tram ride – no extra charge for wild driving on roads that were essentially one lane – breathtaking in every sense.
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Though we spent only two days in Bosnia, it deeply effected us.

The Bosnian Flag with ½ stars that no one seems to claim reflects the chaos of a country w/ 3 presidents – a Bosniak (Muslim) Croat (Christian) and Serb (Orthodox).  Cities also have triple leadership since the Dayton Agreement of 1998 that officially ended the fighting – but their civil war continues (as does ours).
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As one tours Bosnia…much that was destroyed has been rebuilt, but many buildings still display damage, even if the shell has been reclaimed and re-roofed.
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The beautiful 16th Century Ottoman Bridge that was the symbol of Mostar, Bosnia, connecting the Christian side of the city w/ the Muslim side was destroyed in the war,  but rebuilt in 2001.  One of our gifts was being guided by Sanel, who sees hope and renewal in this city where he attended school. Seeing through his lens kept us from seeing only the destruction.
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During the war, as the Moslems were driven from their homes and many, many killed, city parks became cemeteries since it was impossible to move the bodies any distance.  We noted all the death dates were 1993.
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Today obituaries are posted on bulletin boards and light poles, the color of the mounting background page indicates the religion, Moslem, Christian or Other.
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Visiting Bosnia with our wonderful guide, Sanel, was both horrifying and hopeful.  He was 15 during the 1993 conflict, seriously injured, not expected to live.  Though the war taught hate, he’s learned hate doesn’t work.  Now he spends most of his time working at an NGO in his hometown of Stolac.  Here he’s with the president of Orhideja Women’s Association which provides legal and administrative assistance to returnees and refugees, education and community support.  Sanel finds ways to bring kids of different ethnicities together for fun, play, art and therapy, lessening distrust of “other”.  In Stolac kids are sent to separate schools according to their tradition/faith which keeps the ethnic Christian, Serbian and Moslem history of hate alive.
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Nearly 25 years after the conflict, life goes on – especially for young people with no memory of the conflict, but in many families, the adults have taught religious hatred.
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Covering miles and sites required many early mornings on the bus…so Sanel taught us how to prepare and drink Bosnian Coffee  –  (reminiscent of Turkish – the Ottoman empire once controlled much of the Balkans).
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In order to cover the many miles, we spent a lot of time in transit – on buses, boats, trains and planes.  But oh the destinations, especially the Adriatic Islands….
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On the island, Korkula, we watched the full “Strawberry Moon” rise as we shared dinner w/ fascinating new friends at an outdoor café at water’s edge.
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It was a great trip. Thanks for traveling with us and for your responses…we loved hearing from home, friends and family.  You did comment, didn’t you????

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Love from Jerry and Betty