5.08.2007 – 07.08.2007

After saying goodbye to Kreso and Lili, we managed to leave Zadar at about 7am for Neda’s home town of Bosanski Brod in Bosnia. The drive was about 500km and we were very tired when we finally saw the familiar sight of Slavonski Brod (the city of the Croatian side of the river Sava) and the Chimney Stack of the Bosanski Brod Oil Refinery. We first took a pitstop in the Croatian village of Staro Topolje, just outside of Slavonski Brod, to visit Neda’s grandparents (mum’s side). They were as usual happy to see us and annoyed that we had to leave only half an hour later.

After the border crossings, which were not too bad at only half an hour to cross one river, we made it to Bosanski Brod. On the way to Neda’s Aunt and Uncles house on the outer reaches of town, we drove past Neda’s old house. The house was burned in the war by a grenade, but the new owners have done little more than put a new roof on the structure. It is always a sad sight.

At Tetka (Aunty) Nada and Tetak (uncle) Lazo’s House, which also includes the home of their son Slobodan and his family, we were also greeted by Neda’s Teta Maruska and cousins Mima and Goga and Goga’s 3 year old son Lovro who had made the trip from Zagreb and Teta Tina and Cika (uncle) Marko who made the trip from Darda in east Croatia to meet us for lunch.

We spent the next 3 days walking around town, visiting family, childhood friends and neighbours. We visited Neda’s sisters grave. We also went to a stunning forest in the hills (where Neda’s dad’s family still own a large area of forest) where there was a celebration of St Petka’s Day. There was a blessing of a new Orthodox Chapel, lots of food, beer and rides for the kids.

Slobodan and Vesna have two sons, Zoran (10) and Ognjen (5) who spent a lot of time with me, playing and showing off whatever English they knew and even giving me some tips on my Croatian.

Overall, we ate a lot, visited a lot and had a good time.