Mostar – Bosnia and Herzegovina



Map courtesy of The Organization for World Peace modified for JBRish readers.

Mostar is located in the southern portion of Bosnia and Herzegovina and is divided by the Neretva River.

Walking near Mostar’s old town, tourists may sense that the architecture has Turkish influences with minarets piercing the air.



Of particular note is the Koski Mehmed-Pasha Mosque (below) which stands as an outstanding example of Ottoman architecture. The tall and thin minaret can be climbed with paid admission.



Another aspect of Mostar that is reminiscent of Ottoman and Middle Eastern culture is the Bazaar-like section of old town.



Picture courtesy of mynoadiclifestyle

Flowers carefully planted outside the vintage windows help take the edge off the overabundance of souvenir shops.



The intricate patterned cobbled streets are sometimes tricky to negotiate.



It is the Neretva River, however, which necessitated the creation the area’s most famous landmark – – the “extremely arched” Stari Most (Old Bridge). The bridge has a storied history which you can read HERE.



While crossing the Stari Most, visitors will soon realize that there are raised horizontal strips which may make walking somewhat awkward, but without them the bridge can be very slippery. Tourists are advised to walk on the raised sections if possible.



To entertain visitors, young men stand atop the railings of the bridge and when enough people have provided monetary encouragement, they dive 70 feet from the bridge into the Neretva. The river also serves as a venue for rafting and kayaking.



The panoramic views from the top of the bridge are scenic and picture-worthy.



Mostar came under attack during the Bosnian war and the Croatian army destroyed the famed landmark.

 

While UNESCO and other countries assisted in rebuilding the bridge between 2001 and 2004, the painful experience the destruction represented has been seared deeply into the psyche of the local population.



Orašac Village – Earlier in the Day

On the way to Mostar, we stopped in a very quaint, quiet and picturesque town of Orašac, Croatia founded in 1040.



We were there to visit a small private garden and olive mill that has retained some of the traditional methods of producing olive oil.



The old olive press was quite a machine to see, but what was even more interesting was how the press was operated. One horse power was all that was needed.



Beautiful garden features lined the paths.



After a sampling of the offerings, we were on our way!

 

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See Previous Posts in this series:


Dubrovnik, Croatia – Pearl of the Adriatic

Old Town Dubrovnik – Above it all

Old Town Dubrovnik – The Low Down

Dubrovnik from the Adriatic and Mt. Srd

Montenegro & The Walled City of Kotor

 

 

Photography: My Shot at Puente Nuevo – Ronda, Spain


Puento Nuevo - Ronda Spain

It was an unusual decision for us, but we decided to take a trip to Portugal and Spain this spring. Usually we enjoy hiking the national parks and beautiful areas of the United States while our knees and joints can still take to the hills and dales America the beautiful has to offer.

One of our favorite stops on the tour was Puento Nuevo in the town of Ronda Spain. My wife and I often remark at the historic nature of towns in Europe which are very old compared to those in the United States. We tend to think of something as being old if it was founded two hundred years ago, but in Europe we are often talking about multiples of that or even thousands of years.

Ronda was first settled in the sixth century B.C. That is old! The photograph above is one of my favorite shots from our trip. It was taken from the Puente Nuevo bridge which is the largest of a number of bridges spanning the gorge of the Guadalevín River that meanders through Ronda. I was hoping to capture the beauty and uniqueness of this spot and I think I managed to do so fairly well.

 

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Metadata

File Name: ronda_spain_PuentoNuevo_DSC_3082.jpg
Capture time: 9:36 AM
Capture date: May 16, 2018
Exposure: 1/320 sec @ f/9.0
Focal Length: 22mm
ISO: 100
Camera: Nikon D3300
Lens: 18.0 – 55.12mm f/3.5-5.6
Edited in Lightroom

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See more photography posts HERE and visit Jeff’s Instagram site HERE


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All original content on this blog is copyrighted by Jeffrey B. Ross with ALL Rights Reserved. While reference links back to JBRish.com are appreciated and encouraged, please acquire approval for any reproduction of original content from this website.

©Jeffrey B. Ross – 2018 – JBRish.com



Hetch Hetchy Reservoir Bridge – Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 303

Hetch Hetchy Reservoir Bridge

Hetch Hetchy Reservoir Bridge

Getting to Hetch Hetchy is a bit of a trip if you are staying in Yosemite Valley, but I do highly recommend it. The area is unlike the other places we hiked and visited in and around the national park. Even before getting on to the main trail, we knew it was different because we had to walk through the mountain tunnel to come out on the other side where the major trails start.

The photograph above shows the tunnel at the end. It can be dark and we were glad to have our head lamps so we could avoid the puddles and potential wet feet. It was also fascinating to view the water release from the bridge and to see all the spillways funneling the water in various directions.

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

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Vernal Fall View from the Bridge – Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 271

ernal Fall water spill

The view from the Vernal Fall Tail Bridge

Yesterday’s post showed a crowd gathered above the torrent of water safely poised on the bridge over the Merced River. The scene above is what some of the bystanders were viewing.

This apparently is a popular hike and if you don’t want to hike up the the waterfall itself, this is a picturesque stop and photo opportunity. The day was gray and threatening so we turned around at this point to do hiking closer to refuge should it be needed.

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

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Bridge over the Merced – Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 270

Bridge over the Merced

Bridge over the Merced

As we hiked along the trail leading to Vernal Fall, we came across a bridge which spans the Merced River. As you can see, quite a crowd gathered there to look at the flowing river and waterfall spill. The next post will give you a view of what some of the bystanders were viewing.

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

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Highway Stonework – Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 190

Stonework along the highway at Yosemite

Stonework along the highway at Yosemite

When one considers the ages of some of our national parks, it is astounding that the details created so very long ago still remain intact and in good repair. On the return trip to Yosemite Valley from Hetch Hetchy, we passed this stonework on a bridge that was part of the major thoroughfare.

What struck me are the details used in the building of this safety barrier. The wooden beams could have been set straight across, but instead they are placed on the diagonal to add an artistic flare. Most of the tops of the columns are pyramidal in shape and each vertical column stands as a “pop out.”

The contrast of the gray and brown against the green foliage made for a striking scene. We should be very proud of and pleased with our national parks!

BTW – The National Park Service has put out a list of their Fee Free Days for 2017 and a couple of them cover weekends. You can check out the list of fee free days here:

National Park Service Announces Fee Free Days for 2017

Just keep in mind that the parks are likely to be crowded on these days so make arrangements early!

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

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Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 29 (Hetch Hetchy Wooden Bridge)

A Wooden Bridge Along the Wapama Falls TrailThis small, wooden bridge along the Wapama Falls Trail in Hetch Hetchy conjured images of the era of John Muir

Most hikers enjoy a path or trail that has a canopy which offers some relief from the sun on hot days. On an overcast day it can also provide dramatic lighting and atmosphere. As you can see, this path was along the waterline of the reservoir and combined the best of the woodsy ambience along with a view of the lake. It was the perfect complement to the beautiful surroundings.

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

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Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 29 (Hetch Hetchy Wooden Bridge)

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