Seeing Bosnia Through Fresh Eyes with Jennie Blythe

An Englishman in the Balkans is a weekly podcast about the people, places and everyday life of Bosnia and Herzegovina, told by David Bailey, who has lived here for more than 25 years. New episodes arrive every Tuesday.

In this episode of An Englishman in the Balkans, I sit down in Banja Luka with photographer, writer, and fellow Substacker Jennie Blythe.

Jennie has travelled widely across the former Yugoslavia, but this was her first visit to Banja Luka.

Over pita cooked under the sač, with heavy rain falling outside, we talked about first impressions, Bosnian hospitality, photography, history, memory, and the way this country quietly draws people in.

Our conversation takes us from the Partisan monument on Banj Brdo to the everyday rituals of local food, from street photography and respect to the slow, thoughtful world of Substack.

What I loved most about this conversation was seeing a place I know well through someone else’s eyes. Jennie notices the details many of us walk past: a monument, a posture, a street corner, a quiet expression, or the feeling of a city after rain.

This is an episode about Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also about looking more carefully, travelling more slowly, and understanding that every place carries stories if we take the time to listen.

Thanks for listening. If this episode was worth your time, the best thing you can do is pass it on to someone who'd enjoy it.

Every episode, and more about my life here, is at anenglishmaninthebalkans.com.

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