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In the mid 1980's I was involved in a seminar in Belgrade dealing with the interdiction of illegal drugsthrough the Balkans. At the end I rented a car and drove over the Dinaric Alps from Belgrade to the Adriatic sea where I made a right hand turn and ended up in the Emperor Diocletian's palace at thepresent city of Split. Unhappily the cabbage garden is gone. It is in a remarkable state of preservation and if you google it you can see it as it was and as it is. Of all the places I have visited where ruins exist, this was the most exotic. It has notgenerally been on American travel itineraries since 1939, but I understand that more and more people have discovered it. One can do a reverse and drive up the mountains to Sarajevo where the bridge has been rebuilt and the place where the Archduke was shot is open to all–free!
That is one place where I would like to visit some day. It is one of the most famous imperial structures.
It is a cheap trip–fly to Rome–boat across the sea–the city sits on it!Sell the dog, pawn the silver and go!
I would not mind visiting Croatia, but have been to Sarajevo and don't need to go back. Those folks in the Balkans are still a powder keg and the wrong words will set them off. I am not diplomatic enough to avoid offending Muslims and Orthodox Christians. I do OK around Croats because we are coreligionists. One of the first things somebody in the Balkans asks you is your confessional affiliation, they are even more fixated on it than the Arabs in the Middle East.
I agree that passions run high about almost everything in the Balkans and when I was teaching in BelgradeI told anyone who asked–and you are correct-most did–that I was a questing agnostic. That seemed to calm them. Rebecca West's book-“-Black Lamb, Gray Falcon” is a treasure trove of insights to these unusual people so battered by their mutual and separate histories.I did enjoy Sarajevo though, but that was before the troubles and before the tobacco police were giveuniversal powers of annoyance. Was the plaque and footprints still there near the quay when you were there?
I was only in Sarajevo for about a day and did not have a chance to sight-see because I was part of the escort or personal security detachment for a NATO dignitary. Most of my contacts with people from the Balkans as in settling disputes between families or villages. I did get to know a few people in my unit's sector personally and they were universally friendly once you get to know them, The trouble is getting them to take the time to know you. Luckily superior firepower is a great convincer, in our case, simply the possession of said firepower was often enough. They were very nice people once they accepted that we wanted to help and not occupy and that we did not care for their religion, only their common humanity.I have seen enough mass graves to convince me that people are better talking. However, it takes two sides to talk and I have no problems helping fill graves with people that are unwilling to talk. I can also be unreasonable when I think the situation requires it.
WoW!You echo the warrior ethos. Having no problem filling graves when talking does not resolve problemsis exactly what is expected of soldiers. Happily, for the most part civilian authorities have their hands on the levers of control. Did you admire the Athenians dealing with the Melians?
Happily, for the most part civilian authorities have their hands on the levers of control.
Don't forget, it's those same civilians who send them to war too.
