Flying through the rainy overcast into the airport, the immediate beauty of Sarajevo was very evident. The clouds hovered over the mountains and the views from all over the city was breathtaking. When we dropped our bags off at the Catholic Seminary where we were staying, my friends and I started looking for a place to eat. There was a stark contrast in the city made clear by a seal on the ground dividing the eastern and western, Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian portions of the city each were spectacular in differing ways, which reflected the dynamic culture and legacy of the city.
I found early on in my time in the city that aimlessly wandering was the best way to explore and understand the city of Sarajevo. My time spent getting lost in the city was marked by trying local foods and drinks. In the first day alone, we founded two places that I am sure I will continue to frequent during my time in Sarajevo. The first place that we stumbled upon to was located in Bascarsija. We were told by Prof. Locke that the cevap, often described as minced meat fingers, in Sarajevo were the best in the Balkans. Wow, he was definitely right as everyone at the table was amazed with how great the cevap was despite having had them fairly often in Belgrade.
After dinner, we decided to continue walking around aimlessly in Bascarsija and decided to run into a random café. One of my friends, who frequents the Balkans to visit family, suggested that we try salep, a Turkish drink. The drink was a creamy, sweet drink that was sprinkled with cinnamon. Again, I was blown away and went back the following day to get the same drink. I can tell that I am going to love Sarajevo and I’m only a few days in.