S is for Sarajevo. Although I was in initially going to choose San Fran cause I’ve got lots of nice photos from there, Sarajevo is a better choice for someone like me who has stories to tell. I’ve stayed twice. I get irritated when people describe someone who has travelled widely as “lucky”. Fortunate maybe, but it’s rarely lucky. It’s working hard and choosing to spend your money on travel, often as a trade off for fancy cars, houses and “things” in preference for experiences. I was deeply moved during my first visit to Sarajevo, so it was an easy decision to return. I did a walking tour each visit. The first was lead by a guy in his 30s who was a child during the war. He told so many stories that I wouldn’t have believed had I not been there to see his face and witness the emotion. He showed his physical scars from taking a bullet. As we walked down sniper alley, he told of his mother working as a nurse insanely long hours of each day and night. Of his dad who, like almost all men his age, can no longer stand upright, after being hunched over in 1m high tunnels for years. This man, as a young boy, got bored one night and slipped a sleeping tablet into his grandmother’s tea. Once she was asleep, he snuck out and got hit in the leg by a sniper. We stopped to see remaining roses in the concrete. When a fatality had occurred, people would risk further loss of life by melting red wax into the puck in the concrete when they collected the body. As you walk around Sarajevo today, many faded red roses remain as a reminder of the horrendous time in history of these two beautiful countries. Like many other countries who have endured war during my lifetime, the economic costs remain visible too. There’s no money to repair buildings so many remain littered with divots from being frequently hit by bullets. May we all learn lessons from these times and may the children of a Melbourne make the most of their two hours of exercise outdoors. Particularly for those living in apartment style accommodation, this must be an incredibly challenging time. There’s no fancy “Welcome to Sarajevo” sign, at least not one that I saw, so I’ve attached a sign of the times.