Soak, scrub, repeat - spa day in Sarajevo.

After breakfast, I joined a free city tour. Of course it included a rather lengthy history lesson and a warning that the government here is still very broken due to all the administrative districts. And a UN backed 'grand master' who until he was recently replaced, had a lot of power but didn't use it.

But perhaps the most striking part of the tour was the absolute division of the Ottoman old town and the European old town. There is even a marker -Sarajevo East meets West. It's striking. The architecture, the stores even the width of the street.

It is interesting that most of the Ottoman area is owned by a collective trust that is required to return services to the citizenship. From what I can tell, the European section is pure capitalism. Except for cafes that serve alcohol. I honestly don't understand the coffee culture. It sounds nice - but how much coffee can you drink?

It was also interesting to hear about Sarajevo firsts - like running water and public fountains (for water and washing), a public toilet. A 'Han' which was the precursor to an inn. Stable on the first floor, rooms on the second. It was free but was surrounded by shops which were not. All of this hundreds of years before Western European counterparts. Mostly due to the location at the western end of the 'Silk Road' and influences it brought.

After my hamam soak, scrub and massage - I find myself looking for dinner in the European section. Something that is maybe a little less middle eastern.

[I just had the best beefsteak I've had in a very long time. My waiter confirms the first paragraph.]