If anyone asks, Sarajevo sure is swell

Bosnia is my número uno must-come-back-to spot from my Balkan tour. I closed with 2ish days in Sarajevo (not nearly long enough, as tends to be the case for last stops) and had such a friggin' blast! My CS host, Zoe, had the most amazing view of an amazing, mountain-ringed city from her 17th story flat, and she could literally just point out the tram transport systems for me. (Sarajevo's tram system is the oldest in Europe, fun fact.) I enjoyed an amazing, sweltering couple of days catching a star procession and a (stupendous!) film at the closing night of the Sarajevo Film Festival, checking out historic spots like the Franz Ferdinand assassination bridge and tons of other good stuff on a great (free!) walking tour, and taking many beer breaks from the July afternoons (and late mornings...). I lucked into the last spot on a really interesting war tour led by a guide who escaped the siege of Sarajevo as a 9-year-old. Our gal showed us through a portion of the tunnel to safety under the airport (that I flew out of the next morning). I learned that from 1993-1997 enough shells fell on Sarajevo to add up to 1 every 4 minutes for 4 YEARS. Absolutely chilling. The city is remarkably reconstructed though the country still suffers terribly from a stagnant economy. Bosnia and Hercegovina has a fascinating, heartbreaking history and a super cool modern society vibe--I'm excited to have even scratched the surface of a place that so dominated the 'bad news' profiles throughout my childhood. As far as I can tell, it's awesome. And I'll be back.