Croatia & Serbia

I’m headed to the Balkans in a few weeks and to prepare, I am reading Rebecca West’s classic travelogue, Black Lamb and Grey Falcon.

Many people are aware that the “first shot” of World War I was fired in Sarajevo which led to Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia.

That, and the more recent conflict of the 1990s, is pretty much the extent of knowledge.

Or at least, was.

As travel will do for you, I’ve started to gain a much richer appreciation of the region as I prepare for the trip, understanding how the Balkans were pawns in the games between the Russians, the Turks, and the Austro-Hungarian empire (among others).

And I’ve started to appreciate their perspective on things.

I’m far from an expert, but travel (and preparing for travel) is a good reminder that there are people everywhere about whom we don’t necessarily understand much and, if we are willing to invest the time, we can listen and learn.

Then, we can apply those lessons to those closest to us.

Originally published at:

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