Olympic Mountains

We have finally finished our first cycle of rehearsals and performances for Eugene Onegin, and now my schedule is a little bit lighter, just in time for a series of warm, sunny days.  Sarajevo is looking more beautiful than ever, as all of the flowers and trees are in full bloom.  The city streets are much more crowded, with everyone eating and drinking outside the restaurants, bars and cafes.

Outside the National Theater last week

I spent a day off this Friday with Sara and Adi, visiting Bjelasnica and Igman mountains for the first time.  We went to Bjelasnica first, where we took a short walk up part of a trail before eating some lunch near the ski resort.  It was quite odd, because the weather was very hot (about 25 C, or 80 F) but there was still snow covering the ground.  The only other time I’ve comfortably walked around in the snow in shorts and a t-shirt was stopping by the continental divide in Colorado, on the way to Aspen.

Crocuses blooming on the still snowy mountainside

Adi and Sara on Bjelasnica

After eating some “pura” (polenta) with yogurt and cheese, which has become my go-to comfort food in Bosnia, I rode with Adi and Sara to Igman mountain, just to see the ski area, made famous by the 1984 Winter Olympics.  There were two ski jumps, which look much bigger and steeper than when watching the sport on TV.  I can’t imagine having the guts for it!  We also noticed the remaining Olympic podiums, which made for an excellent photo op. J

Ski jumps on Igman

I couldn't resist...

I felt so happy in the warm sunshine, wishing the day would never end.  So when Adi suggested we get some dessert before calling it a day, Sara and I happily agreed.  We drove back from the mountains, and went to sit on the patio of a “slasticarna” in Sarajevo.  I am trying to think of a good way to translate “slasticarna” into English, and I guess the closest I can get is the old-fashioned term, “dessert parlor”.  Google translate says, “patisserie”, which is funny because that’s not really an English word.  Basically, a slasticarna is a restaurant/café that only serves desserts, coffee, and sometimes alcohol.  I’m not really sure why we don’t have more of these types of places in the US!