Maddy > Recent Status Updates

Sarajevo 5

Incredible personal histories of both Franz Ferdinand and Gavrilo Princip. As Americans, I feel like we don't receive a sufficient education on WWI simply because we didn't play as big a role. I can't believe Balkan nationalism was the catalyst for "The Great War", we never learned about the politics of it all in school.

Sarajevo 4

Lots of reflection here. I'm mostly fascinated by the feminism she seems to have - at least white feminism... because sometimes she's weird about Muslim women. I suppose this is post-suffrage in the U.S., so timing makes sense, but her musings on it are interesting. I like her observations of the Bosnian highland women, she seems to admire them greatly.

Sarajevo 3

Very important government visitors from Turkey and... they seem to regard the Bosnian Muslims with disgust(?) and disappoint the crowds of people eagerly awaiting them. Very strange, I should actually read up on this visit because I'm curious about its context.

Sarajevo 2

Café chat about current Turk/Bosnian relations. Though the locals are content to live in harmony with the Muslims, they do not appreciate the Turkish government being paraded in their faces as if they did not just oppress them in the past centuries. Interesting. I had no idea Bosnia was so culturally diverse like this.

Sarajevo 1

Bosnia, baby! Learning about the history of Bosnia (and at times specifically Sarajevo) and its entanglement with the Turks. I need to learn more about Bogomilism and the Janizaries, they sounded interesting and quite important in Bosnian history (maybe).

Mostar

Made it to the city where the bridge on the book cover was (is... sort of) located. Lots more speculations about Muslims, and much less racist this time. I need to look up this clothing the narrator is talking about, because I cannot believe her currently. Anyway, next up: Bosnia!

Trebinye

First venture into Herzegovina. Narrator and husband are a bit racist towards the Muslims and Turks they meet, so I don't like that. I would like to see this city, as well as the river Ombla that she makes seem as if it goes underground for part of its journey? Interesting. As always, many musings on the peoples' past and how it shapes their current character.

Dubrovnik 2

Damn she hates this place. I need to look up the basin and the ewer and see what all that disgust was about. Now we are off to Herzegovina!

Tsavtat
Perast
Kotor
Home by Gruda

Speed run through some coastal cities. They sound lovely and scenic, nestled into the seaside. Lots of churches.

Dubrovnik (Ragusa) 1

Narrator was not a fan of this place, so we didn't get much of her musings as she wandered. Did get a history lesson that I found very interesting. I specifically liked the Republic's government and its caution for term limits to deter a cult of personality from emerging that would allow a dictator to assume power. I should read more about their government, because it seemed very progressive.

Korchula 2

Boat ride to explore the islands surrounding Korchula. Their guides showing prideful points and the general character of their people. A revelation that they were descendants of ancient (pre-Christianity) Greeks that had made their way to these islands. I'm interested in the quarry and the sea captains' village of sorts.

Korchula 1

Dalmatians that love Yugoslavia! Because they think destabilizing their position in Yugoslavia will open them up to Italians regaining power. Damn. Balkans were absolutely COOKED by history. I guess there's a reason "Slav" = "slave"...

Split 3

Narrator and her husband asking Dalmatian friends about why they don't like Yugoslavian governance. Their answer: "Belgrade". Hyper-nationalist people all crammed under one empire, refusing to trust outsiders because of all the past harm and extortion done to them (by outsiders). We have sailed away and moved along the coast, woot woot.

Trogir

Lots of talk of Manichæism, which I now must research because I am intrigued by the philosophy discussed. History of the city discussed, as well as post-WWI tales of the citizens' resistance against Italian attempts to claim Trogir. Also, mentions of Mussolini and how he weaponized the Yugoslavian government against anti-Italian protestors in Dalmatia. This sounds familiar...

Salonæ

Musings about the hypocrisy of the Church and its inherent misogyny and oppression of women. Also some brief consideration of "history is written by the oppressors" during a trail of thought about the Roman Empire. Spurred on because this was a Roman city.

Split 2

More musings on the history of the Splitchani, but this time through a religious lens. Honestly, there's a lot to keep track of here. But I think she was really trying to drive home their pride and nationalism, which includes their Christianity (as impressed upon them by the Byzantine Empire).

Split 1

Deep dive into Diocletian and his role in shaping Dalmatia - specifically this city. All of this spurred by his palace(?) that, at least in the 1930s, was inhabited by locals who had established homes inside its walls generations ago for protection. I need to look this up, it sounds fascinating. Bonus: some related history of the Roman Empire was given.

Rab

I need to look up what this island looks like because it sounds like it could be beautiful. Anyway, good exploration of how Rab was used and exploited by Venice as a proxy in its power struggle against Turkey. This left the people poor and ill-prepared for integration into other empires (and, eventually, Yugoslavia).

Senj

Balkan pirates? The Uskoks sound sick as hell. Really unfortunate circumstances they found themselves in throughout history, though - especially the exile from their lands. I will have to look up this locale that forced them to resort to piracy.

Sushak

Dalmatia!! Situated along the (now-)barren coast of the Adriatic Sea, and a hot spot for conflict. Seizure by Venice then Austria, contested with Hungary. There was also a (rare) peaceful period of time where Dalmatia was governed by the French under Napoleon. I literally did not know Dalmatia was a region until a couple weeks ago - very excited to learn more.

Zagreb 7

Last chapter in Croatia. Lots of musing on Strossmayer - I'll have to look him up. I will miss the three friends of the author we were introduced to. Their dynamic was wonderful for helping illustrate the interracial strife in Yugoslavia.

Zagreb 6

Exploring with Valetta the inner turmoil of Croatian politics. The anti-Serb sentiment for the sake of it. The refusal of internal Croat politics to allow a different political ideal (communism) take hold or to tolerate whispers of change. It's quite sad, as far as I can tell.

Zagreb 5

Constantine takes them to a cathedral and then to a dance studio for a private performance. He uses these as an opportunity to belittle Croats. The narrator realizes there has, indeed, been some (perceived) negative Western influence in Croatia. She understands that not everything was better under Austrian rule than the rulers in Belgrade.

Zagreb 4

Valetta and Constantine arguing (mostly just Constantine berating Valetta) over the unfair treatment of the Croats by the Serbs. The Croats not trusting the Serbs, leading Serbs to not allow Croats into Yugoslavian government offices, and thus perpetuating the cycle. Such in-fighting amongst the Southern Slavic peoples.

Two Castles

I love the way West narrates her journey and muses about her hosts and the countryside and its people. I liked her one observation about how, if Slavic folk want their life to be better, they add more good things. On the other hand, if English people want their life to be better, they take away the bad things. She has a keen eye and a great way of communicating her thoughts.

Shestine

Easter mass at an Orthodox Church. Musings on the patriotism and strength of identity of the Croats. Culminates in reflections of how Western thought has infiltrated Croatia and thus capitalist ideas have sown divisions between the peasant Croats and gipsies - which is apparently not so in Serbia, where, according to Constantine, gipsies are respected since they "are not bourgeois".

Zagreb 3

Intellectual conversations over meals and a visit to a cathedral the day before Easter. Two Yugoslavian soldiers standing guard before a display of Christ on a cross. Constantine says: "If we did not feel intensely about guarding the dead Christ we should not put our soldiers to do it, and indeed they would not do it if we put them there, they would go away and do something else."

Zagreb 2

Learning about Croatian history from Roman times to 1937. I had no idea they had such deep, longstanding tension (understatement) with Hungary. I wonder if this remains today? I will also be looking up this Yellatchitch statue that remains in Zagreb. I also did not know Dalmatia had been sold to Venice, nor did I know Croats back then (largely) loved the Habsburgs though they did them dirty many times.

Zagreb 1

Croat = Slav member of Roman Catholic Church
Serb = Slav member of Orthodox Church

Valetta, 26 y/o, Croat, anti-Yugoslavia, math lecturer
Constantine, 46 y/o, Serb (Jewish), Yugoslavia believer, poet
Gregorievitch (Pluto), 56 y/o, Croat, Yugoslavia worshipper, critic and journalist

Interesting to hear them squabble and West's musings. Interesting group with some big opposing ideas.

Have just touched down in Zagreb. Very interesting observations about the German tourists onboard the train - those people sound dreadful. Some observations felt quite applicable to my current spot in the world and its reality...