Nelson Barbosa: A Portuguese in Sarajevo

Zamolili smo kolegu iz Portugala tokom njegovog boravka u BiH prošle sedmice, da napiše svoje impresije iz glavnog grada. Očito da mu je Sarajevo dalo inspiraciju

Piše: Neslon Barbosa, Portugal

What on earth is a Portuguese doing in Sarajevo ? This is certainly the question you're asking yourself … actually, it is rather obvious: I came to see the football match between Bosnia & Herzegovina and Portugal !

But I do not write this text to speak about football ! In fact, during my short visit to Sarajevo I met several very pleasant and interesting people, who have asked me what I thought about Sarajevo. My real feeling of the place … Sarajevo seen by an external and critical eye.

I believe the narrative that best explains my coming to Sarajevo is simply the story I tell the people who knew I was coming to your city! These people who ask me with concern in their eyes, quite seriously: "So, how was Sarajevo? You have not been in any trouble? ".

I know, stereotypes die hard …

When I talk about my journey, the first thing which comes to my mind is the word "Iarani » (sorry for the spelling); this word I have heard hundreds of times. A friend has told me this word means "my best friend". For Sarajevo citizens, this word has become without doubt a little trivial, nevertheless its meaning is still the same and for me this gives already a first idea of the Sarajevo citizens mentality.

Let’s come to more basic things. I must confess that I had not imagined Sarajevo the way it is. Because of what I had heard about this city, both through historical facts and more recent news, I was expecting a more dreary, sad architecture. I was astounded to see the architecture of the old city, composed of beautiful mosques and other cultural monuments, the small charming alleys, alive with an incredible amount of little shops giving heat and beat to this part of the city. I never imagined to see buildings with purified modern design.

To be honest I had as a point of reference an image of my old books of history re enacting the killing of Franz Ferdinand. Yes, I know, you must think that I arrived in your land with a lot of wrong ideas. And though it is probably true that I did not really know your culture or your history, I did not come here with a closed mind,and quita a few things have surprised me in a very positive way and all this has helped me to better understand Sarajevo.

I do not want to be a demagogue and even less resemble a tourist guide making too many compliments, but for me Sarajevo is clearly a city with a great potential for development, with extremely educated and pleasant people.

Nevertheless, I must confess that all was not perfect. Having been able to attend the football match I have been forced to note that the sports infrastructures were not in the best of repairs.. though this did not seem to bother the public … the most enthusiastic I have ever seen. Certain traces of the war brought me continuously to the harsh reality of the history of the country, accompanied by all the terrible feelings that everyone experiences when confronted to such things.

The lack of trees gives sometimes an austere aspect to parts of the city, mainly when the nightfall.
Fortunately, it is very easy to find a good restaurant or a trendy bar with ultra modern design, where it is possible to soak in the friendliness of the locals.

In conclusion, I would say that Sarajevo is a city that I appreciate a lot. First,thanks to the people I met, and then because of its multicultural vibes. I am convinced that Sarajevo could become in the next years one of the most interesting poles of attraction on the east side of the Adriatic; this could easily be achieved by continuing on this same path but accelerating the movement of modernization and by creating a real attractiveness tourist center. Sarajevo is only waiting for skilled political and economical actors to transform it the way a skilled artisan would transform a rough diamond into a beautiful jewel.

With my best regards to all the people who so welcomed me to Sarajevo.

Nelson