Day 88: Zenica to Travnik

May 14, 2023

Lasva River Valley

"It rained all night, pretty hard too," Patrick says as we are waking. By morning the rain has stopped, but as we get ready to get our stuff downstairs it starts again. So, we walk out in our full rain gear: jacket, rain pants and waterproof socks. By the time we set off the rain has stopped. All day the skies threatened more rain, but we get a dry ride to Travnik. No complaints about that.

Zenica smells like people are burning brown coal this morning. Patrick remembers the smell from when he was stationed a winter near the East German border in the late eighties. When the wind would blow from the east the smell of brown coal smoke would get very strong.

Right out of Zenica the road starts climbing. There are two routes to Travnik, we pick the longer, hillier but quieter one. After a first summit at about 15km we descent into a valley where there are several cafes at the intersection. Rachel notices she is the only woman in there. The place is packed with older guys enjoying a cuppa and talking to their buddies. Patrick thinks the women just must be too busy to attend. Rachel knows that this happens everywhere, men enjoying coffee in a cafe.

The main road goes left, we take R413a to the right, a smaller country road.

Stećak or Stećci in plural form is the name for monumental medieval tombstones, that lie scattered across the Balkans.

"All these unfinished houses," Patrick says and continues, "people probably invested their life savings to start a project that gets abandoned." We wonder the story behind the unfinished houses and how recent? Some seem it might be related to COVID but many look like longer perhaps since the war.

Another climb takes us to another ridge. The road has a newer
surface and the switchbacks take us gradually. Near Guca Gora on a
hilltop overlooking a valley there is a Franciscan monastery. The
Catholic monastery was established in 1859, less than a decade after the
Travnik lost its title as capital. It still functions today.

The road went around the monastery, view looking back.

The downhill eventually merges with the main road and takes us into Travnik and to Motel Aba, right at the entrance of the Ottoman Old town. Maybe it was a good thing the other host cancelled on us yesterday, that place was way up the hill closer to the castle.

We settle in at about noon. A quick shower and we walk downtown for lunch, then up the hill to visit the castle.

There are many mosques all looking different.

The 16th century Sulejmanija Mosque, or Coloured Mosque, has a painted façade with a small market beneath the main prayer hall.

Views from the Travnik Castle: Dating back to pre-Ottoman Bosnia when the former Christian Kingdom ruled the region, there is no historical data as to the construction date of the Medieval fortress. However, the construction type and other characteristics indicate that it was built sometime in the second half of the 14th century or in the first half of the 15th century.

Motel Aba is located just center right, there is a roof with lumber the Motel is just behind.

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Lori LewisYes Rachel that does happen everywhere and often the men don't notice.. " gosh the women must be busy". 🙄 Although Patrick... We know you are ALWAYS busy doing something fantastic
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11 months ago

Rachel and Patrick HugensTo Lori LewisToo funny, we read this message 22km from Banja Luka, first break in a cafe, full of men! The owner "bought" us the coffee.
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11 months ago

Today's ride: 31 km (19 miles)
Total: 3,173 km (1,970 miles)

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