An Englishman in the Balkans

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.

Hidden at the end of a quiet track through the farmland and forests of northern Bosnia and Herzegovina is a place that has become a lifeline for nearly 200 dogs.

In this episode of An Englishman in the Balkans, I visit Suny Shelter, a dog sanctuary run by Balkan Dogs, a Finnish volunteer organisation founded in 2015. The shelter provides safety, veterinary care, space and, eventually, the possibility of a permanent home for dogs rescued from the streets, abandoned by their owners or removed from difficult conditions in municipal shelters.

I sit down with Mei Sawanoi, who moved permanently from Finland to Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2019. Together with her husband, Dražen, she now lives at the shelter and cares for the dogs every day.

Mei shares the story of how adopting one rescue dog led her towards the Balkans, why she eventually made Bosnia her home, and what daily life is really like when almost 200 dogs depend upon you.

I also speak with Elina, a Finnish volunteer whose own adopted dog first introduced her to Balkan Dogs. She describes the emotional experience of meeting animals she had previously seen arriving at the shelter injured, frightened and severely neglected—only to find them healthy, trusting and ready to begin new lives.

We also hear about the extraordinary journeys Mei and Dražen make every two months, driving rescued dogs for around 30 hours from Bosnia through Europe to Finland, where carefully selected adoptive families are waiting for them.

This is not simply a story about a dog shelter. It is a story about compassion, responsibility, sacrifice and the difference a small group of determined people can make.

In this episode:

The story behind Suny Shelter and Balkan Dogs

Why Mei left Finland and moved permanently to Bosnia

The reality facing abandoned and stray dogs in Bosnia and Herzegovina

How the shelter cares for almost 200 dogs

The importance of vaccination, quarantine and sterilisation

Why Finnish volunteers travel to Bosnia to help

How rescued dogs are transported and re-homed in Finland

The emotional rewards, and pressures, of running a rescue shelter

If this episode moves you, please consider sharing it with someone who cares about animals, rescue work or the lesser-known stories of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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.

I also write a short, free weekly newsletter, The Sunday Edition, a recap of my week in Bosnia. If you're not already receiving it, you can join here:

https://anenglishmaninthebalkanspodcast.substack.com

Already a subscriber?

If you don’t want to receive everything I publish, you don’t have to unsubscribe completely.

Use the unsubscribe or preferences link at the bottom of any email and you can choose which of my newsletters and sections you’d like to receive.

That way, you can keep the Sunday Edition, for example, while switching off emails from sections you’re less interested in.

I’d much rather you received only the things you enjoy than felt I was filling up your inbox.

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.

Living here has taught me that sometimes the most respectful thing an outsider can do is listen rather than judge.

I’ve lived in Bosnia and Herzegovina for many years, and one question comes up more often than almost any other: why don’t I talk more about politics?

The truth is, I follow what happens here and I see how political decisions affect everyday life. But I also believe that, as someone not born here, my role is to listen more than I speak. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a deeply complex country, shaped by history, memory, identity and experiences that do not fit neatly into simple explanations.

In this episode, I reflect on why I avoid political commentary, why outsiders can so easily misread this country, and why I would rather encourage visitors to come for the people, the culture, the landscapes and the stories. Sometimes the most respectful thing we can do is ask questions, remain curious and accept that not everything has a simple answer.

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.

I also write a short, free weekly newsletter, The Sunday Edition, a recap of my week in Bosnia. If you're not already receiving it, you can join here:

https://anenglishmaninthebalkanspodcast.substack.com

Already a subscriber?

If you don’t want to receive everything I publish, you don’t have to unsubscribe completely.

Use the unsubscribe or preferences link at the bottom of any email and you can choose which of my newsletters and sections you’d like to receive.

That way, you can keep the Sunday Edition, for example, while switching off emails from sections you’re less interested in.

I’d much rather you received only the things you enjoy than felt I was filling up your inbox.

Welcome to another soundscape from An Englishman in the Balkans.

These recordings are exactly as they were captured, with no narration, no music, and no attempt to remove the natural sounds of everyday life.

They are simply authentic moments from Bosnia and Herzegovina, recorded as I experience them.

Whether you’re relaxing, working, reading, or simply curious about life in this beautiful corner of the Balkans,

I hope these recordings give you a genuine sense of place and a chance to slow down for a while.

Sometimes the simplest moments tell the biggest stories.

This is twenty minutes from my office window in our village in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina: a gentle breeze, the occasional passing car and tractor, birdsong, and the quiet rhythm of everyday life.

No commentary.

Just a peaceful moment to slow down and listen.

Thank you for spending a little time with me in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

If you enjoy these soundscapes, you’ll also find interviews, personal stories, and reflections on life in the Western Balkans in the main episodes of An Englishman in the Balkans.

If you’d like to help support the podcast and make more recordings like these possible, please consider following the show, leaving a review, or becoming a supporter through the links in the show notes.

Until next time, thank you for listening.

Part of the An Englishman in the Balkans Soundscape Collection, authentic recordings from everyday life in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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.

I also write a short, free weekly newsletter, The Sunday Edition, a recap of my week in Bosnia. If you're not already receiving it, you can join here:

https://anenglishmaninthebalkanspodcast.substack.com

Already a subscriber?

If you don’t want to receive everything I publish, you don’t have to unsubscribe completely.

Use the unsubscribe or preferences link at the bottom of any email and you can choose which of my newsletters and sections you’d like to receive.

That way, you can keep the Sunday Edition, for example, while switching off emails from sections you’re less interested in.

I’d much rather you received only the things you enjoy than felt I was filling up your inbox.

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 I want to take you with me to one of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s most remarkable places. Lukomir.

Perched nearly 1,500 meters up on Bjelašnica Mountain, it’s the country’s highest permanently inhabited village. Seventeen families still call it home.

The winters bury their stone houses in snow, sometimes for months, while the summers transform the fields into wide open pastures.

On paper, it sounds like a postcard.

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.

I also write a short, free weekly newsletter, The Sunday Edition, a recap of my week in Bosnia. If you're not already receiving it, you can join here:

https://anenglishmaninthebalkanspodcast.substack.com

Already a subscriber?

If you don’t want to receive everything I publish, you don’t have to unsubscribe completely.

Use the unsubscribe or preferences link at the bottom of any email and you can choose which of my newsletters and sections you’d like to receive.

That way, you can keep the Sunday Edition, for example, while switching off emails from sections you’re less interested in.

I’d much rather you received only the things you enjoy than felt I was filling up your inbox.

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.

One of the things I love most about living in Bosnia and Herzegovina is that the simplest moments often become the best stories.

This episode began over coffee and a tray of freshly made baklava. Tamara had just made her very first baklava, inspired by our friends in Zenica and especially Senad’s mother, whose version has become something of a legend among those lucky enough to have tasted it.

What followed wasn’t planned. I simply switched on the recorder as we chatted around the kitchen table.

We talk about what makes Bosnian baklava so distinctive, from choosing the right jufka and making clarified butter to the importance of agda, the sweet syrup that should always be cold when it’s poured over hot baklava.

Tamara also shares the little lessons she learned from her first attempt, the mistakes she’d happily admit to, and why her next challenge is to make a baklava good enough for Senad’s mother to judge.

It’s an easy-going conversation about food, friendship and the traditions that are quietly passed from one generation to the next. Because here in Bosnia and Herzegovina, recipes are rarely just recipes—they’re part of family history, hospitality and the stories that bring people together.

00:00 Welcome to the Podcast

01:47 Baklava Sparks a Story

02:54 Why Make Baklava

03:58 Agda Syrup Secrets

05:02 Walnut and Pastry Hacks

06:16 Layering and Butter Method

09:05 Baking and Waiting Tips

10:40 Variations and Next Attempt

12:41 Kitchen Table Culture Wrap

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.

I also write a short, free weekly newsletter, The Sunday Edition, a recap of my week in Bosnia. If you're not already receiving it, you can join here:

https://anenglishmaninthebalkanspodcast.substack.com

Already a subscriber?

If you don’t want to receive everything I publish, you don’t have to unsubscribe completely.

Use the unsubscribe or preferences link at the bottom of any email and you can choose which of my newsletters and sections you’d like to receive.

That way, you can keep the Sunday Edition, for example, while switching off emails from sections you’re less interested in.

I’d much rather you received only the things you enjoy than felt I was filling up your inbox.

Welcome to another soundscape from An Englishman in the Balkans.

These recordings are exactly as they were captured, with no narration, no music, and no attempt to remove the natural sounds of everyday life.

They are simply authentic moments from Bosnia and Herzegovina, recorded as I experience them.

Whether you’re relaxing, working, reading, or simply curious about life in this beautiful corner of the Balkans,

I hope these recordings give you a genuine sense of place and a chance to slow down for a while.

01 July 2026.

Last night across northern Bosnia, the weather finally broke.

After days of heavy heat, the kind that seems to sit on the house, the garden, the dogs and your own shoulders, the thunderstorms arrived. I had hoped to capture them as a timelapse, but like so many creative plans, it didn’t quite come out as expected.

What I did manage to record, though, was something much more intimate: This 17-minute soundscape of rain, thunder, and the atmosphere changing over our little corner of rural Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Across the country, the heat had been building.

Weather reports had warned of high temperatures, unstable air, sudden storms, heavy showers, strong gusts of wind and even hail in some places. It was that familiar summer pattern here: days of fierce heat, then the sky begins to shift, the pressure changes, the air turns restless, and suddenly the storm arrives.

At home, our three dogs reacted in their own ways. Two of them were completely unbothered, as if thunder was just another background noise of village life. But the tiniest one, Fibi, does get worried when the storms come.

So while the rain fell and the thunder rolled, I cuddled up with her and kept her close.

And she was good as gold.

This soundscape is not dramatic in the polished sense. It is simply a real moment from a real night in Bosnia: the rain on and around the house, the rumble of thunder, the feeling of the heat finally lifting, and a small frightened dog finding comfort beside me.

To be honest, we enjoyed both the rain and the rapid drop in temperature.

Sometimes a recording does not capture what you planned.

Sometimes it captures something better.

Thank you for spending a little time with me in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

If you enjoy these soundscapes, you’ll also find interviews, personal stories, and reflections on life in the Western Balkans in the main episodes of An Englishman in the Balkans.

If you’d like to help support the podcast and make more recordings like these possible, please consider following the show, leaving a review, or becoming a supporter through the links in the show notes.

Until next time, thank you for listening.

Part of the An Englishman in the Balkans Soundscape Collection, authentic recordings from everyday life in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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.

What does Yorkshire pudding have in common with the food traditions of Bosnia and the wider Balkans?

More than you might think.

In this episode, I look beyond the Sunday roast and explore the humble origins of Yorkshire pudding as a dish born from economy, practicality, and the need to make precious ingredients go further. Long before it became a symbol of English tradition, Yorkshire pudding was a clever way to fill stomachs, catch meat drippings, and stretch a meal.

Living in Bosnia and Herzegovina, that logic feels deeply familiar. From uštipci and palačinke to proja and other simple, filling dishes across the Balkans, there is a shared understanding of food that comforts, sustains, and reassures.

This is not a story about identical recipes. It is about parallel instincts: flour, fat, heat, and the quiet wisdom of ordinary kitchens.

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.

I also write a short, free weekly newsletter, The Sunday Edition, a recap of my week in Bosnia. If you're not already receiving it, you can join here:

https://anenglishmaninthebalkanspodcast.substack.com

Already a subscriber?

If you don’t want to receive everything I publish, you don’t have to unsubscribe completely.

Use the unsubscribe or preferences link at the bottom of any email and you can choose which of my newsletters and sections you’d like to receive.

That way, you can keep the Sunday Edition, for example, while switching off emails from sections you’re less interested in.

I’d much rather you received only the things you enjoy than felt I was filling up your inbox.

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.

Bosnia heatwave, extreme heat in Bosnia, rural Bosnia, Laktaši, Mostar fire, Blidinje fire, and climate change in the Balkans shape this episode of An Englishman in the Balkans.

Across Bosnia and Herzegovina, temperatures are pushing towards 40°C, orange weather warnings have been issued, and daily life is being reshaped by heat, fire risk, water worries, and pressure on local services.

In this reflective episode, I look at how the current heatwave is affecting communities across the country, from the landfill fire near Mostar and forest fires in Blidinje, to the quieter but very real pressures felt in rural areas like Laktaši.

This is not just a story about weather. It is about village life, public services, Bosnia’s complicated administrative structure, rural vulnerability, neighbourly care, and the practical realities of living through extreme heat in a country where local connection still matters.

It is also a reminder that extreme weather shows us where the cracks are, but also what still holds.

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.

I also write a short, free weekly newsletter, The Sunday Edition, a recap of my week in Bosnia. If you're not already receiving it, you can join here:

https://anenglishmaninthebalkanspodcast.substack.com

Already a subscriber?

If you don’t want to receive everything I publish, you don’t have to unsubscribe completely.

Use the unsubscribe or preferences link at the bottom of any email and you can choose which of my newsletters and sections you’d like to receive.

That way, you can keep the Sunday Edition, for example, while switching off emails from sections you’re less interested in.

I’d much rather you received only the things you enjoy than felt I was filling up your inbox.

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, I take you on an unexpected journey to Zenica, a city long overshadowed by its industrial past, where, alongside Tamara and our guests, we uncover rich stories, unforgettable flavours, and a surprising sense of beauty hidden in plain sight.

Not Just a City on the Way to Somewhere Else.

For years, Zenica was little more than a name on a road sign to me. A blur on the highway between here and there. A city with a reputation steeped in industry, smoke, and steel. But as Tamara and I recently discovered, alongside our visiting friends, Chris and Jake, Zenica is far more than its past. What started as a spontaneous day trip turned into a surprisingly rich experience that challenged my assumptions and opened my eyes.

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.

I also write a short, free weekly newsletter, The Sunday Edition, a recap of my week in Bosnia. If you're not already receiving it, you can join here:

https://anenglishmaninthebalkanspodcast.substack.com

Already a subscriber?

If you don’t want to receive everything I publish, you don’t have to unsubscribe completely.

Use the unsubscribe or preferences link at the bottom of any email and you can choose which of my newsletters and sections you’d like to receive.

That way, you can keep the Sunday Edition, for example, while switching off emails from sections you’re less interested in.

I’d much rather you received only the things you enjoy than felt I was filling up your inbox.