Not Quite The Christmas Update

December 25, 2013

"So what can one do in Sarajevo on Christmas day", I ask hostel owner Ida. "Anything you like", she replies and adds, "today is just like any other day. Everything is open". She asks what I usually do on Christmas day. I say, not a lot. Everything's shuts, but it's just another day as far as I'm concerned. Last year I went for a long walk in the hills on Christmas morning. And most other Christmases for as long as I can remember I've been away, working or cycle-touring.

Yesterday morning, I looked out the window and saw fresh snow had fallen in the night. Oh no, I thought. I'll want a mild spell of weather after Christmas; temperatures around seven-eight degrees to get out of Sarajevo and cycle towards the coast, where Winter-daytime temperature are regulary in double figures; just fine for cycling.

It was cold out until I'd been walking awhile. I wanted to see the Olympic park, a couple of kilometres from the centre, but took the wrong turning and when I returned to the centre, it was noon and time for lunch.

The memorial to children killed in the siege of Sarajevo 1992-95.

A little dusting of snow on Christmas Eve morning. This year has been milder than usual.The headstone in the foreground I think, is a memorial to muslems killed in the Balkan revolt in the nineteenth century.

So Christmas has past without fuss. The weather has been mild. The weekend Spring-like making me want to get back on the road. In the meanwhile I've a major calamity with internet communication. I couldn't open my email account and so, had to open a new account. The new account kept returning mail undelivered before it eventually worked. And right now I've got the problem with the internet connection with my netbook being intermittent. It especially goes down when I go to save text.

Two Romany boys keep warm by the eternal Olympic flame.

Business as usual at the Central Market on Christmas Day.

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