I'm Ba-ack!

I have forasken you, my blog-reading public, for cozy slippers and lazy winter walks! Oh, and German MTV. I love my German MTV. I won't attempt to play total catch-up, but I'll post some pics. so ya'll can get a sense of our Sarajevo winter:)

20 minutes later...

Okay, screw this. Clearly, our dial-up connection is too pathetic to handle even ONE image upload. So sad. The next posting you'll see will be all the images I couldn't add here, so an overview....

1. Grace and Stu on the main walking street in Sarajevo. Sarajevo embraces the New Year like the States embrace Christmas. (Think less commercialization). A few weeks before New Year's Eve, the main walkway in Sarajevo sets out funky (and not in the hip sense) New Year's stalls, complete with body glitter, cheap noise makers, and wigs. As you can see (or will soon see), Stu and and Grace are sporting some very stylish (read, hideous) head-wear. This did not attract the least attention.

2. Budapest. Stu and I took the night train from Sarajevo to Budapest in February. Pretty, sprawling city. We loved our brush with the West--meaning, the variety of restaurants and department stores. We ate Hungarian goulash (sp?), sushi, yummy Belgian dishes and flirted with the possibility of Russian cuisine (other side of city. Too lazy to find it). I do love my Bosnian carbs, but I do miss the endless variety that I healthy tourist economy provides. Budapest delivers. And, even though we didn't go clothes shopping, it was nice to find department stores. In Sarajevo, it is difficult to find "regular" clothes. You either have boutiques (too expensive) or knock-offs. I want to be proved wrong! I've looked in the open market and the underground shopping mall (Skenderija) and the most I've found are stores that sell H&M odds and ends. Sometimes, I find stalls or small stores selling Levi's, but they have such a limited stock. Not their fault, though. It shows you how the Bosnian economy still struggles. Anyway, back to Budapest. It was a whirlwind trip, just a weekend, but we managed to fit in two trips to the baths. Much recommended! Especially the baths in the park. Can't remember which park or how to give directions, but any tour guide will mention it. So soothing. I wish I could talk more about the cultural life, but we really saw so little. It's worth another trip back, but our next destination is Istanbul, when we can put the money together, that is. P.S. Who said to me, "Oh my God, Budapest is more beautiful than Prague?" Hmm, hmmm? As lovely as the city was, I have to take issue. Prague is still tops in my book.