Hello from Čardačani,
I’m back home again after a week away teaching near Sarajevo, in a place called Tarćin.
It’s always slightly strange, that feeling of being away and then returning to the rhythm of home. One moment you’re in a hotel, talking about communications, content, digital media, and the way we tell stories. Then, a few hours later, you’re back among the trees, the garden, the animals, the familiar sounds of the village, and that very particular feeling of northern Bosnia settling around you again.
Tarćin was beautiful in its own way.
I was there for work, but as always in Bosnia, place has a way of getting into the story. Early mornings, mountain air, changing weather, and that quiet sense of being somewhere just outside the rush of everything. I even managed to record some atmosphere while I was there, because, well, I can’t seem to go anywhere these days without listening as much as looking.
Tarćin at Dusk ⬆️
Tarćin at Dawn ⬆️
Latest on YouTube
There’s also a new YouTube video ready for you to watch. A bit of walking, a bit of talking, a bit of weather, a bit of village life, and a few further thoughts from me after being away for the week.
New Podcast Episode
In my latest episode of An Englishman in the Balkans, I introduce you to something I find quietly fascinating: the wooden minarets of Bosnia.
They’re easy to miss if you’re passing quickly. These are not the tall stone minarets that many people might imagine when they think of Islamic architecture. They are smaller, humbler, and often found in villages or more rural places. But for me, that is exactly what makes them so interesting.
They speak of forests, local craftsmanship, faith, village life, and memory.
They are a reminder that Bosnia’s history is not only found in the big places, the famous bridges, the old towns, or the grand monuments. Sometimes it’s there in the smaller details. A wooden minaret above a village mosque. A shape against the sky. Something modest, practical, beautiful, and deeply rooted in place.
That’s what I wanted to explore in this episode.
So, if you’d like to listen, just click the button below:
I suppose that’s what this week has been about, really.
Being away, coming home, and noticing again how much story there is in the ordinary things around us.
A hotel balcony in Tarćin before dawn and at dusk.
A walk through the garden after a week away.
A wooden minaret in a Bosnian village.
Small details, perhaps.
But here in Bosnia, small details often open the door to much bigger stories.
Thanks, as always, for being here.
Wherever you are, I hope your Sunday is peaceful.
David