Giro di Sarajevo

This weekend, Sarajevo's equivalent of Sky Ride took place with a mass participation bike ride throughout the city. Giro di Sarajevo's objective is to raise awareness of cycling in the city, with the ultimate aim of trying to make it more bike friendly (although this is a long way off at the moment) and encourage more people to use their bikes.

At 5pm on Sunday, over 1,000 cyclists gathered in Dobrinja. There was a wide mix of participants, from the elderly, to very keen cyclists (evident by outfits consisting of excessive amounts of Lycra), families with young kids and young groups of friends.

The 12km route took us through Dobrinje, out onto Bulevar Mesa Selimovoca (the main road from Ilizda to the city centre); onto Zmaja od Bosne, past Skenderija, round the one-way system (up to the old Library and around the top through Bascaraija) onto Marsala Tita, then back to the river onto Vilsonovo Setaliste to Cafe Tito.

The added bonus of this organised event is that the roads were closed to cars which made it a wonderful experience. It only took an hour and a half (there were several bottle neck spots) and it was great fun and a thoroughly great way to end a weekend.  

London 2012... Sarajevo Style

So, at last the London 2012 Olympic Games are upon us... after a lot of talking and huge amounts of planning, the biggest show on earth has arrived in London and everyone seems to be going crazy for it!

Even though we are not in London or even in the UK, we have been caught up in Olympic fever which seems to be sweeping across the world. On Friday we attended an event at the British Ambassador’s Residence and watched Opening Ceremony on a huge screen in the garden. The drink flowed, Wenlock and Mandeville (the Olympic Mascots) made an appearance and I shed a tear or two whilst watching the amazing show (and amongst all the fun we even didn’t notice an earthquake which took place half way through). And what a show it was. Danny Boyle and his team did Britain proud. From the green and pleasant lands, through to the rising chimneys of the industrial revolution, the Queen and Bond, Mr Bean, Macca, the Artic Monkeys, Kenneth Brannagh as Brunel, JK Rowling and Harry Potter, dancing NHS nurses, the social media era, floating Olympic rings, 10,000 volunteers, David Beckham and the wondrous way in which the cauldron was lit, I felt so very proud to be British.

I wouldn't class myself as hugely patriotic, but my love for all things British seems to be growing now I am living overseas. I have found myself glued to the radio, TV and internet, watching, reading and listening to all I can about the Games, the buildup, the faux pas, security issues, the sport and everything in-between. I even found tears of joy rolling down my cheeks on Friday morning as ‘all the bells’ rang out across the UK and Big Ben chimed out of sequence for the first time in 60 years.

I have been wondering if I would be this interested in it all if I was still in London? Firstly, I hope so as I worked for a Sports Marketing agency who is heavily involved with the Games therefore there would be no getting away from it! But I wonder if the day to day disruption and inconveniences caused from living in a city hosting something so huge would detract from the overall enjoyment of such a fantastic event? There is no doubt that it would be taking me longer to get to work in the morning, there are certainly more tourists around, to stop in the middle of the pavement or dawdle on the way to the tube not knowing where they are going. I would be continuing with my normal work, therefore probably not even being able to make it to Olympic events, all in all, life would be continuing as normal… if a little different.

I have been delighted to see so many of my Facebook ‘friends’ getting out and supporting Team GB, be it actually making it up to the Olympic Park, or lining the roads in Surrey to watch the Cycling road race and I have been able to enjoy the Games Time buzz through their experiences. There is no doubt that in this well connected world in which we now live, it is easier now more than ever to keep in touch and up to date with events from around the globe and I know that if we had lived here 10 years earlier, I would not be having quite the same experience as I am today.

So for the next two weeks, I will be continuing to read, watch and listen to all I can and will be supporting Team GB all the way… #ourgreatestteam

A weekend in Sarajevo

We have just come to the end of a lovely Sarajevo based weekend which has been lovely. A relaxing mix of exercise, good food, delicious wine, sunshine, friends and cheese! And to top it off, a huge range in temperature and weather.

On Saturday we had a glorious day... 28 degrees, hot, sunny, blue skies and summer well and truly on the cards. Sunday (as forecast) was cooler and raining, but then to our surprise, we awoke this morning to a 3cms of snow... and more falling... crazy Bosnian weather! So, the flip flops have been put away and I have dug out the Ugg Boots.

 

Dust off the BBQ... summer is here!

Although we had our May Day Bank Holiday last weekend, we kept true to British tradition and on Saturday we dusted off the BBQ for the first time this year. Luckily our weather was a lot better than back in Blighty, a beautiful early summer afternoon, meant that the chilled Rose tasted even better.

A friend of ours kindly hosted the inaugural event, with everyone taking along a dish. And what a spread was produced! We had a whole range of delicious salads from roasted sweet potatoes chips, to roasted Mediterranean vegetables, a scrummy potato salad and the classic tomato and mozzarella salad. These flavours were accompanied by lashing of rose for us girls, cold beers for the boys and of course a selection of meat. Homemade burgers were put together, along with garlic and lemon marinated chicken drum sticks and any Bosnian BBQ would not be complete without some cevapi (a Bosnian speciality, little beef and lamb mince sausages usually served with flat bread and raw onion and are well worth a try)! To top it off, fresh chocolate brownies were made for pudding which were amazing. I have been given the recipe and plan on trying it for myself – what this space!

Whilst devouring this feast, we kept coming back to the same conversations... which part of the BBQ meal is the best and it seems as though people fall into two camps... There are the traditionalists (of which my boyfriend certainly is) who believe that a BBQ should consist of meat, meat and more meat. Salads (no matter how flavoursome) are unnecessary... give him several sausages, burgers and if possible a steak or two, a bit of bread and he is happy! However, I fall into the other camp, where the salads are as important as the meat, if not more so. The more exotic and tasty the better and if it can be put into the burger bun, along with the burger, then even better!!

How time flies!

I cannot really believe how busy the last few of weeks have been. So much so, that I have not even found time to post any updates. Lots of fun has been had, topped by the fact the weather here in Sarajevo has gone from Spring to Summer over night and we are currently enjoying temperatures of around 28 degrees!

Additionally, the busyness has been for social enjoyment, with small bursts of work which have had to be fitted in between. At Easter we enjoyed the long weekend in Dubrovnik. This was our first trip to the coast and it was very enjoyable. The weather was a little disappointing, but that is somewhat expected in mid-April. We stayed in a lovely guest house, located above the old town, so the views were fantastic.  We spent our days strolling through the old town, which is lovely, took the walk around the walls which is definitely not to be missed and ate plenty of fresh fish. We also explored some of the surrounding area – Ston and Mali Ston should be on any list, beautiful little towns located north of Dubrovnik where the Peljesac Peninsula meets the main land. Mali Ston is tipped to have the best oysters in the world, as the water is the cleanest. We also spent a day in Cavtat which is just south of Dubrovnik, another beautiful coastal town which is much sleepier than Dubrovnik itself and therefore slightly more enjoyable as you are not fighting with hordes of cruise liner tourists. There is a lovely walk all the way around the headland and plenty of lovely looking restaurants and bars overlooking the bay. This trip has definitely given us a flavour for the coast and I am looking forward to plenty of long weekends spent exploring the Croatian Islands over the summer.









We then took a fleeting trip back to the UK as we had hen/stag party commitments. Not only did we catch up with friends and family, we also had the opportunity to stock up on a few much needed items such as, cupcake cases, bacon, sausages, cheese, various herbs and fresh coffee! We also went out for a curry, which was fantastic! A curry is probably my favourite meal-out, so a quick trip into the Birmingham Balti Belt put my cravings to rest! (There is a curry house here and we have yet to try it... I will let you know when we do)!

Most recently we have spent the weekend in Ljubljana. We had a cracking weekend! Six of us embarked on the eight hour drive and it was well worth it. It is an absolutely beautiful city, quite small, but centred on a beautiful river which is lined with bars and restaurants. We also spent the day out a Lake Bled (about 65km north of the city), it totally lived up to expectations, it is beautiful. A glacial lake with a gorgeous little island in the middle, set with snow capped mountains as a back drop. We hired bikes to cycle around, stopped for a picnic half and took a rowing boat out to the island. All in all a fantastic day out and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

So, we are now back in Sarajevo for a bit of a break, but as the summer approaches, I think it is going to be anything but quiet!

Spring is at last springing

For about a month, since the snow has well and truly gone and we have stopped skiing, I have been looking forward to Spring. It all looked very promising in March and we had a beautiful three weeks. When the sun was shining it was glorious, I planted up the pots on our balcony, although we were reminded summer was not quite with us as the evenings got quite chilly.

At the same time, the UK had an unusually warm March, photos of rose wine and Pimms being drunk outside London pubs started to appear on Facebook. I was also being told by friends and family that the blossom had started to come out, and the daffodils were sprouting. It was a very different story here. Although daytime temperatures were warm, the grass was still brown from all the snow, trees were still bare and there were no signs of any imminent daffodils. Hopefully, I thought we would only be a week or so behind the UK and the daffs would pop through in time for Easter... but sadly my hopes were shattered and the weather took a turn for the worse as the bank holiday weekend approached.

For Easter we took our first road trip to Dubrovnik, which is about 5 hours from Sarajevo (only 280km but the roads are slow). The moment we got out of the Sarajevo area and approached Mostar it was like we had entered a different country. The grass was green, the blossom was blossoming and the spring flowers had sprung and this was the case all the way to Dubrovnik. I hadn’t realised how much I had missed it and was totally taken back by lush green fields full of lambs.

Following a wet (and quite cold, yet very enjoyable) weekend in Dubrovnik we found ourselves back on the road to Sarajevo. About 20km outside the city we stumbled across an inch of snow which took us somewhat by surprise, under normal circumstances I am delighted to see the snow, but having had nearly 2m on the ground for most of January, February and March I was somewhat ‘over-it’. Luckily, this was very localised as by the time we had reached the city, it had all gone, however the temperature had dropped quite considerably.

Sarajevo remained the city which spring forgot. The grass was still brown, no blossom had appeared and there were still absolutely no signs of any daffodils, the winter clothes came back out again and it started to rain.

Last weekend we returned to the UK and as with Dubrovnik, I was delighted to be greeted by spring (and of course more rain). The trees were starting to get leaves and were in the bright green stage, the daffodils were almost over and the blossom was in full bloom.

It was a fleeting visit and we returned to Sarajevo yesterday. Much to my delight we have been greeted with Spring. It is considerably warmer, the grass is now green, trees are sprouting leaves, the blossom is in bloom and I have even seen a couple of daffodils. I am almost tempted to re-pack the winter clothes, although this could be tempting fate as I have heard that it is not that unusual to have snow here in May...

From baking to painting

The Viennese biscuits were well received today as a small group from Helping Hearts and Hands got together to finish painting a couple of rooms at the Bjelave Orphanage – one of the causes the foundation supports.

Myself and five others have spent the morning painting brightening up a couple of the rooms with a number of well know cartoon characters. Although my artistic skills are limited (to say the least), it was made easy for me as the characters were drawn and all I had to do was paint them with lots of lovely colours!

It only took a few hours of our time and the result was fantastic to see, our work really brightening up the rooms for the babies and toddlers.

Baking, whisking and simmering

It has been a productive morning in the kitchen here at Bespoke British Baking. Having not baked for a couple of weeks, I had withdrawal symptoms, so made up for it by knocking up a selection of goodies this morning!

I have started with making some chicken stock, this is something I always plan to make after cooking a roast, but never actually get around to it. It couldn’t be easier, simply throw the chicken carcass, bones etc... all into a big pan, add an onion, carrot leek (and any other old looking veg lurking at the bottom of the fridge). Add cold water and bring to the boil. Then simmer for several hours. I am planning on a chicken risotto for supper this evening, so the stock will really add depth and flavor.

I then got the mixer out to make some Viennese Finger biscuits. I am off out to lunch today, so thought I would take a small batch with me, additionally I am spending tomorrow decorating an orphanage for the charity I work with, so I thought some biscuits will be much needed for tea breaks! These are super easy to make and take no time at all and are a perfect accompaniment to a cup of coffee.

I was then left with four egg whites from the biscuit recipe, so thought I would try out my new Kenwood mixer on making some meringues – it does boast that it can mix up to 16 egg whites at once! As anticipated, the mixer worked a treat and saved a lot of arm muscle through beating by hand! These are now in the oven, I have set the timer so they can finish cooking whilst I am out... so fingers crossed I have followed the instructions correctly!

All in all as successful and busy start to the week, my commute to the kitchen is much improved on what I was used to in London.

Viennese Fingers (makes approx. 20)

100g softened, unsalted butter

40g icing sugar

2 egg yolks

1.5tsp vanilla essence

125g all purpose flour

100g cooking chocolate, chopped

30g butter (for icing)

Preheat oven to 180degs and line two baking trays with baking paper.

Cream the butter and icing sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually add the egg yolks and the vanilla and mix thoroughly. Sift in the flour and using a flat bladed knife, mix until combined and the mixture is smooth.

Place the mixture into a piping (icing) bag fitted with a fluted 1cm nozzle and pipe the mixture into wavy 6cm lengths on the baking sheets.

Bake biscuits for 12 minutes or until golden brown and then place on a wire rack to cool.

For the icing, place the chocolate and butter in a bowl and place in a microwave for 30 second intervals until melted, keep an eye on the chocolate so it doesn’t burn, mixing it regularly. Dip half the biscuits into the chocolate and set back on the baking sheets to set and cool.

Store in an airtight container for up to two/three days.

Gifts from the West (England)

We recently looked after a friend’s dog as they took a trip back to the UK. Billie the black Labrador staffy mix was a pleasure to look after, we had been contemplating getting a dog of our own and this was the perfect trial run! All the walking and picking up poo helped us realise that we don’t really want to have a dog whilst living in a flat without a garden. She was also a great way to meet other people (who have dogs).This might sound little strange, but moving to a new country makes ‘friends’ a little on the rare side. We do socialise with colleagues (some of whom have become friends), but other than this social circles can be a little on the small side. I have been advised that having kids are a good way to meet people, but in the absence of children, Billie did a great job!

Billie has since gone back home and by means of a thank you, her owners kindly bought us back some goodies from the UK. It doesn’t get much better than gifts from the UK... they are normally food based and receiving them makes me very excited! We were very kindly given some delicious red wine, but more importantly, we (I) was given some baking powder and some cake sprinkles! I am now eager to bake my next batch of cupcakes... and Billie is very welcome to stay again!

We have received other food parcels from UK from visiting relatives, contents of which included; tea bags, Branston Pickle and Baked Beans (all standard requirements). Tabasco and a bizarre selection of dried herbs, a selection of seeds so I can grown fresh herbs (more to follow on this), cupcake cases, fajitas mix and of course bacon, sausages and cheddar cheese!! I am sure the requests will grow more bizarre the longer we out here and it is requested that all guests keep 10kg of luggage space free as I will be providing a shopping list ;-)

Ladies who lunch... and do a little more!

Arriving in Sarajevo, I knew no one so had to work very hard at meeting new people, so I

was not sat in on my own all day.

I was told about a group of international ladies who had got together and formed a charity, raising money for local causes related to children and women - Helping Hands and Hearts Foundation. I managed to get invited to one of their meetings, which doubled as a session to put together 'care packages' for children at the local hospital. I walked into a group of lovely lovely women who all welcome me with open arms and made me feel immediately at home.

Primarily the Foundation fundraises money which then goes towards a number of local

causes including, a local orphanage, children's ward and children's cancer ward at the hospital. The money raised really makes a difference to those who are touched by it, be it by redecorating rooms at the orphanage or distributing monthly packages and gifts to children in hospital.

Within the group, nationalities are represented from across the world from the Netherlands and Turkey to the Philippines and South Africa. Like me, many of them are in Sarajevo as their husbands and partners had secured jobs over here. We meet once a week for lunch, which I really enjoy. It is of course a great excuse for a good old chat, but equally, we have the opportunity to make plans for the foundation and exchange information on events taking place around the city.

I am looking forward to becoming more involved with the Foundation and being able to

do my bit to make a difference to a few lives in Sarajevo.

Pause for thought

Last Friday, 6th April, saw the 20th Anniversary since the start of the Siege of Sarajevo. The Siege ran for a staggering 4 years, where Sarajevans were held hostage in their own city, whilst under almost constant fire from enemy forces that surrounded the city.

The anniversary was marked in a very poignant fashion, 11,541 red seats were laid out along the main road. Each red seat symbolising someone who died in the conflict. The seats stretched for over 800m and throughout the day, friends, family and relatives paid tribute by placing flowers, soft toys and sweets on seats remembering those who are no longer with us.

20 years on, the scars are still evident across Sarajevo, not only by bullet marks on buildings but by the huge percentage of the population who still suffer loss every day and will continue to do so for the next 20 years.