First broadcast in March 2024, this candid village conversation explores cross-cultural travel, ćevapi debates, and what it really means to return to Bosnia, this time with the whole family in tow.

It’s a misty Sunday morning in the village, the firewood’s sorted for next winter, and the banana plant has, miraculously, survived.

In this special episode, first aired back in March 2024, I sit down outdoors with Hannah Thomas, a young German-American nurse who’s just wrapped up her second visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Joined this time by her father, brother, boyfriend, and younger brother, Hannah reflects on what it’s like to travel somewhere that’s not “on the list.”

We talk about ćevapi comparisons between Croatia and Bosnia (spoiler: Bosnia wins), what shocked her the first time she crossed the border, and how it feels to slow down, embrace ćejf, and soak in a country still unknown to many.

This is the first time a guest has agreed to chat right here, and it’s raw, real, and refreshingly honest.

We explore:

The contrasts between German and Bosnian culture through the eyes of a traveler in her twenties

Why slow travel in the Balkans might be the antidote to all-inclusive burnout

How Bosnia’s charm sneaks up on you, through smoky cafés, fruit markets, and unexpected kindness

So brew yourself something warm, find a quiet moment, and join us for a very human story about family, curiosity, and the power of returning.

Have you ever visited a country that completely changed your perspective, where your expectations didn’t match the reality?

If so, where was it… and would you go back?

As I sit outside this evening, the sun is just slipping behind the wooded hills of Kozara National Park. The sky turns that perfect dusky pink, the kind that makes me reach for my camera, though it never seems to capture the colours quite right. I must work on that.

But tonight isn’t about the view. It’s about the sound.

Not the familiar birdsong, the bark of a village dog, or even the faint whir of a distant tractor.

No, this evening’s soundtrack is coming from underground.

Meet the Mole Cricket

Around this time of year, late July, something remarkable happens just below the surface of the soft, river-fed soil we have all around us.A gentle, rolling trill begins to rise from the earth. At first, it sounds faint, almost electronic. Then, as the minutes pass, others join in, and the entire area begins to hum.

These mysterious little performers?

Mole crickets.

Now, I’ll be honest, I hadn’t paid much attention to them until about three years ago. They’re not flashy. You won’t catch them hopping across the path or fluttering through the trees. No, they live in the quiet, deep in the soil, digging with their strong, spade-like forearms and keeping mostly to themselves.

We accidentally dug one up during some garden work once, and I was genuinely startled. They’re not the most handsome of creatures, in fact, I’d say they’re a bit grotesque,but they’ve earned their place in my summer evenings.

Nature’s Hidden Symphony

There’s a particular kind of magic to their chorus.

It starts with just one cricket calling out from its burrow. Then another replies. And another. Before long, the valley becomes filled with this strange, pulsing music, nature’s own ambient soundtrack.

It’s not easy to miss, even if you’re busy scrolling or wrapped up in the noise of the day. But if you sit still and let yourself listen, it’s like discovering a secret concert performed just for you.

That’s one of the many things I’ve come to love about life here. The quiet things are the main event. You begin to mark the seasons not just by the dates on the calendar, but by the sounds around you.

In spring, it’s the frogs.

In June, it’s the nightingales.

And in the height of summer, like right now, it’s the shy, subterranean song of the mole crickets.

The Rhythm of My Bosnia

What I’m sharing here isn’t a tourist destination or a hidden gem to pin on Google Maps. It’s just a moment. A rhythm. A reminder that some of the most beautiful parts of life are the ones that hum gently in the background, waiting for you to notice.

So wherever you are, walking, working out, winding down,I hope you’ll pause and listen to your own dusk chorus. I’d love to know what it sounds like where you live.

Let’s Stay Connected

If you enjoyed this little postcard from my Bosnian summer, I’d love to hear from you. You can drop me a message.

🎧 And if you’d like to experience it yourself, I’ve included a short soundscape, just under half an hour , of the dusk chorus recorded right here in Čardačani.

Thank You

Thank you for listening to these little slices of my life. If you’d like to get more stories, you can subscribe to my Substack, it’s free, and if you ever want to upgrade to paid but can’t afford it, just email me. I’ll sort it out, no questions asked.

Here are 3 questions I have.

* What would make you hit “play” on an audio post instead of just reading?

* What makes a podcast episode feel personal or meaningful to you?

* Would you like me to add audio versions of my blog posts so you can choose how to enjoy them?

I’ll give a complimentary subscription to Coffee and Rakija for life for taking the time to answer.

More From Me

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  Postcards from Bosnia is an audio journey into the heart of Bosnia and Herzegovina, seen through the eyes of an Englishman who has made this place his home.

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📍 A Walk in the Garden, and a Few Thoughts from Čardačani

Hello and welcome back to Postcards from Bosnia.

If you heard a funny announcement at the start, no, that wasn’t a railway station speaker! It was actually someone calling a staff member over the loudspeaker in a local supermarket. Life’s little unexpected moments always make me smile.

I haven’t shared one of these “walking in the garden” updates for a while, so I thought today was the perfect day to do just that.

Recent Visitors from Austria

As I walk up the hill (you might hear a bit of huffing and puffing!), I think back over the last few days. We had Fritz and his wife Nicole visiting us here in Čardačani, that’s our little village between Banja Luka and the Croatian border.

They’ve been here several times before and have already promised they’ll be back next year. They left just a few hours ago on their motorbike, heading back to Niederösterreich in Lower Austria after a long, winding journey.From Austria into Italy, then a ferry to Greece, up through Albania and Montenegro, and finally here to us.

We spent the days sharing local food (Tamara always works her magic in the kitchen), enjoying some pivo and rakija, and simply relaxing. Yesterday, after nearly two weeks of travel, they were ready for a slow day, and we gave them exactly that.

A Magical Evening by the Water

In the evening, we took them to Slap, a beautiful little waterfall outside Banja Luka, right on the Vrbas river.

We sat down to dinner, chatted about life, and watched Fritz capturing videos and photos.

Afterwards, we drove past Banja Vručica, natural warm pools on the river. Even as the evening got chilly, people sat happily in the steaming water, beer cans in hand, soaking in the supposed healing properties.

I love these places. Spots you’d easily drive past without knowing they exist. Fritz and Nicole both said they would never have discovered them on their own.

Off the Tourist Trail

When you come to Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially the northern region of Krajina, you’re visiting an area still wonderfully under the radar.

If you choose to stay with us, we can show you places far away from the usual guidebook suggestions. Places you might miss unless you know a local. We move slowly, enjoy each moment, and encourage guests to embrace local food and traditions.

As Fritz and Nicole said, they felt they’d seen a different side of Bosnia, and that’s exactly what we want to share.

A Walk Through Banja Luka

After the pools, we took a slow walk through Banja Luka. They were amazed by how clean and orderly the city felt, and by its fascinating blend of architectural styles: from sleek modern buildings, to the heavy, concrete lines from the Yugoslav period, to elegant Austro-Hungarian facades, and finally the older Ottoman houses.

We passed a church where a small group of young people were singing under the guidance of a choir leader, a Syrian woman, an Orthodox Christian who now calls Bosnia home. Their voices carried beautifully through the evening air.

I managed to pull out my phone and catch a rough recording, which is at the end of this podcast episode.

Weather, Orchards, and Changing Seasons

As I walk, I notice the brown patches in the grass, we’re still in the middle of very hot days, up in the mid-to-high thirties. Rain is expected tonight, and we’re hoping for a good, heavy downpour to quench the thirsty land.

The weather patterns have shifted...

A Sad Farewell to an Important Voice

Hello from Bosnia. Today, I want to share something that’s left me truly disappointed. A rare moment where I find it hard to keep my usual optimistic outlook.

The End of Al Jazeera Balkans

This past Saturday, 12 July, Al Jazeera Balkans closed its doors after almost 14 years of broadcasting. Whether you tuned in regularly or not, the channel has been a critical voice in the Western Balkans.A region where most media is tightly controlled by governments or big business interests. Al Jazeera Balkans stood out as an alternative, independent perspective, a place where tough questions were still asked.

More Than Just Another Newsroom

Of course, they had their own editorial stance. Every newsroom does. But what set them apart was their commitment to diverse, in-depth storytelling and their courage to challenge power. Over the years, they produced documentaries, investigative reports, and live debates that gave space to stories that might otherwise have been buried. And they did so in the languages of the region, from Serbian and Croatian to Bosnian and Macedonian, making their work accessible to so many.

A Huge Loss for Media Freedom

Officially, the closure came down to economic and organisational decisions from headquarters in Doha. But whatever the reason, the result is the same.One less independent voice, one less safe space for journalists, and fewer opportunities to hear all sides of the story.

Around 200 staff are now without work, and in this fragile media environment, that is a devastating blow.

Where Do We Go From Here?

As someone who’s called this region home for over two decades, I’ve seen the struggles for media freedom up close. This feels like a big step backward. But despite this, I still believe in the region’s positive future.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. Do you think there’s still space for independent journalism in the Balkans? Or are we slipping into a single echo chamber?

Let’s keep the conversation going. Vidimo se opet.

More From Me

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Welcome to Postcards from Bosnia.

This morning, as I wandered through our small apple orchard here in Čardačani, I noticed apples scattered on the ground. Maybe it’s the heat, already 29 degrees and climbing to 32 today, but it got me thinking about change and cycles. As a sleek cyclist sped past, dressed head-to-toe in gear, it reminded me how life moves at different paces for everyone.

Why the Name Change?

After a lot of thought (and some gentle nudging from Tamara, my wife and biggest supporter), I’ve decided to rename my podcast from A Baby Boomer in Bosnia to Postcards from Bosnia. Tamara wisely pointed out that focusing on age might limit the audience. She encouraged me to share these stories more broadly, to anyone curious about life in Bosnia and Herzegovina beyond the guidebooks.

I also ran a poll among my Substack subscribers, and the feedback was clear. It’s time to shift focus. Friends like Christian Payne echoed this, reminding me that age is just a number and that I should write for anyone eager to connect, not just my own generation.

Reflections from Haarlem

This change coincided with a refreshing trip to Haarlem in the Netherlands to visit my sister and brother-in-law. We traveled by bus from Banja Luka to Zagreb, flew to Amsterdam, and then took a local bus to Haarlem. For Tamara, it was her first time in the Netherlands, and she loved it.

Haarlem felt like a perfect alternative to the bustle of Amsterdam.Full of beautiful old houses leaning gently after centuries on stilts, friendly people, and charming canals. We even took a short trip to Zandvoort to see the North Sea, a place close to my heart as a Brit. While I expected to feel waves of nostalgia, I was surprised to find no deep emotional tug. It reinforced my feeling of being an “in-betweener”. Not fully British anymore, yet not completely Bosnian either.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.coffeeandrakija.com/subscribe

A Stroll into Stillness

It’s a bright Sunday, and I’ve taken a short wander, just a kilometre and a half from my front door, down through the fields, to the river Turjanica. No fancy kit today, just my mobile phone doubling as a microphone, minus a pop shield. The Turjanica gently winds its way near our village before slipping into the Vrbas a few bends downstream. The Vrbas itself journeys from the south of Bosnia all the way to the Croatian border.

Unexpected Beauty

The Turjanica isn’t always what you’d call a beauty spot. I remember one summer when it all but dried up, and I stumbled across a wild boar carcass lying in the dust. These riverbanks have seen their share of neglect, fly-tipping, plastic, and the like. But today? After some heavy rain and, oddly, a few truckloads of gravel, the place feels reborn. A makeshift beach has emerged, shingle and pebbles sculpted by the current. It’s not a resort by any stretch, but it’s oddly charming.

Sounds and Silence

I found a flat patch among the stones, stretched out on my bag, and hit record. The river’s chatter is now part of my sound archive. In that stillness, I imagined a folding chair, a parasol, maybe even a mobile grill. The idea of simple pleasures, undisturbed and honest. It has a magic of its own.

A Nudge Back to Creativity

I’ve not updated A Baby Boomer in Bosnia in over a month. Life gets in the way. But today, the swallows dancing overhead and the river’s quiet company reminded me why I do this. And if you’re someone over 40 or 50, thinking about podcasting but unsure where to begin, I’m sketching out a simple, affordable course that might just be for you.

Looking Ahead

Before the month’s out, I’ll be running a podcasting workshop in Banja Luka. But first, a trip to Skopje for some presentations—and a kind reminder from my hosts to take an extra night to rest. Something I’m finally learning to do.

Get full access to 🎙️ A Baby Boomer in Bosnia 🎧 at babyboomerinbosnia.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.coffeeandrakija.com/subscribe

Hello there, David here, from a Baby Boomer in Bosnia. If you’ve been following along on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever our digital paths cross, thank you. I genuinely mean that. It’s a lovely thing, this little corner of the internet where we can connect, reflect, and share a slice of life.

If you don’t like listening to podcasts using Substack, then click the button below to find out all the alternatives.

Easter Reflections and Simple Pleasures

Hello again from Čardačani, where I’ve been putting my thoughts together after a short break. Today I’m sitting at the top of our garden, watching spring roll quickly into summer. The grass is up to my calves, the birds are in full voice, and I thought it was time to share what’s been going on.

🎙️ A Baby Boomer in Bosnia 🎧 is a reader-listener-viewer supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.

The last episode I recorded was just before Easter. This year, both Roman Catholic and Serbian Orthodox Christians celebrated Easter on the same day, which doesn’t happen too often. We kept things low-key. A quiet family gathering, a small (but still generous by British standards) spread, and just good conversation. Sometimes, simple really is best.

The Weather’s Turning — and So Is the Garden

With the temperatures climbing, it’s 25°C now, pushing 29 tomorrow, it feels like the season is speeding ahead. Tamara’s father has already strimmed the lower garden, and our kitchen garden is beginning to take shape. In front of our house, the grass is slowly returning to its “Wimbledon” look. Wwell, that’s the British in me talking.

Why the Two-Week Silence?

You might’ve noticed I’ve been quiet for a little while. No podcast uploads, no blog posts. There’s no dramatic story here, just life. A mix of recovery after the holidays, preparing a talk, a bit of mental fog, and honestly, not feeling 100%.

I’ve never wanted to put something out just for the sake of it. If I’m not in the right headspace, I’d rather wait. That’s something I think many of us, especially in later life, begin to better understand.

Sharing Stories in Banja Luka

One of the more exciting things I’ve been involved in recently was giving a talk at a co-working space in Banja Luka. It was all in English and focused on how to grow your voice online, be it through storytelling, podcasting, or simply finding your medium.

Thanks for Listening 🎙️ A Baby Boomer in Bosnia 🎧! This post is public so feel free to share it.

I shared tips about speaking to just one person. Whether they’re reading, watching, or listening. I truly believe that’s where connection lives. The group was made up mostly of people from the Instagram generation, and while I admire their energy, I’m still not a fan of leaving my creative reach up to the whims of an algorithm.

Orwell, Algorithms, and Audio

All this talk about algorithms got me picking up 1984 again. Orwell’s observations feel unnervingly current. It’s why I love audio so much. It’s human. It’s direct. It doesn’t demand likes or hashtags. Just presence and honesty.

And maybe that’s why I’ve been feeling a little foggy. Not unwell exactly, just a bit low. I’m aware of how easy it is to brush things off, especially health issues as we get older. “Is it serious? Should I bother the doctor?” That kind of internal monologue. But the truth is, it’s okay to pause. To reflect. To admit when we need a bit of space.

And if truth be told I think I am firmly in the “What you don’t know, wont hurt you”

Creating for the Next Generation

I’ve been thinking more and more about this plan I have for documenting my life. Not for fame or likes, but maybe for my grandchildren. I’ve said before, I can’t write for toffee, so writing a memoir? Not likely. But audio? That I can do. And maybe...

Hello there, David here, from a Baby Boomer in Bosnia. If you’ve been following along on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever our digital paths cross, thank you. I genuinely mean that. It’s a lovely thing, this little corner of the internet where we can connect, reflect, and share a slice of life.

If you don’t like listening to podcasts using Substack, then click the button below to find out all the alternatives.

Happy Easter!

Spring Vibes in Bosnia

I’m recording this from my garden on a warm Saturday afternoon, it’s Easter Sunday tomorrow. It’s 24 degrees, blue skies, and the perfect backdrop for this edition of the Podcast.

If you’re new here, I also host another, companion podcast, An Englishman in the Balkans ⬇️.

🎙️ A Baby Boomer in Bosnia 🎧 is a listener-supported publication. To receive new episodes and support my work, consider becoming a subscriber.

A Soundtrack to My Life

Lately, I’ve become a bit obsessed with field recording. I love capturing nature’s soundtrack. Birdsong at dawn, even the odd nightingale in the evenings. I recommend listening to my podcasts and soundscapes with headphones, to catch all those little details.

Easter Preparations and Family Traditions

Easter is a big deal here in the Republic of Srpska. While I’m not religious, I love the sense of togetherness it brings. Tamara’s busy in the kitchen prepping for tomorrow’s feast. And as a “nod” to my britishness, she’s making Hot Cross Buns.Better than any I’ve had in the UK. Honestly!

Tamara discusses her thoughts on Hot Cross Buns and other British “Tastes” ⬇️

Tamara’s Hot Cross Buns NEVER disappoint.

And our neighbours? Together with Tamara’s father, they’re roasting a pig on a spit powered by a car battery. Classic Bosnia.

Thanks for listening to 🎙️ A Baby Boomer in Bosnia 🎧! This post is public so feel free to share it.

A Bit of a Break

I’ve been quiet for about the last 10 days. I really needed a breather and spent quite a lot of time experimenting with soundscapes.Here I am documenting the ambient sounds of the roast at my neighbours ⬇️

You’ll be hearing more of those soon. No talking, just the world around me doing its thing.

It’s ALL about Cheese (Sir)

That’s a Wrap Then

Thank you for tuning in to A Baby Boomer in Bosnia. I hope you enjoyed this episode and that it gave you a little more insight into life and culture here in this fascinating part of the world.

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing to the podcast, so you never miss a new release.

And, if you have a moment, please leave a comment, a quick rating or review, that would mean the world. It really helps others discover the show.

Feel free to reach out with any questions, feedback, or ideas for future episodes.

Where you can find me:

My Blog: https://anenglishmaninthebalkans.com

My Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@davidbaileymbe

Contact me: questions@anenglishmaninthebalkans.com

Thank you for listening. Stay safe, and as we say here in Bosnia, Vidimo se opet, we’ll see each other again.

Get full access to 🎙️ A Baby Boomer in Bosnia 🎧 at babyboomerinbosnia.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss...