After almost a week in Sarajevo, my next stop was Skopje and (f.Y.R.) Macedonia. It was nice to be back in Macedonia. I have noticed that going to a country that I already know is much easier than when I come to a country for the first time, because I don’t have to focus so much on the logistics and just finding my way around, the new currency, new ways of doing things, etc. We often meet more or less the same people in the government institutions also, so coming back means that I do not meet everyone for the first time. It is really nice!

In addition to my project team, the Macedonian football team was staying at our hotel. (They were impossible to miss since they for some mysterious reason constantly wore their team sweatshirts.) They played a World Cup qualification match against Norway in the beginning of our stay, and later that week, they had a match against Iceland, which we went and to see.

Skopje’s Stadium was still partially still under construction

Me with a dedicated fan

Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to go out of Skopje this time. The Project that I work with focuses on institution building, so my meetings were only with public authorities in the capital.

I really must have the best job in the world. Or one of the best anyway. Not that the travelling is fun all the time. Days filled with meetings in ministries and other institutions followed by late evenings in the office to catch up on work in other projects, and then going back to business hotels that look the same wherever I go, is as glamorous as it sounds. But then, there are these small breaks between meetings, when I end up at an outdoor café, preparing for the next meeting and at the same time looking at everyday life in the new country that I am in. And then there are the field trips, when I go out in the country side to meet with farmers and processors. Meetings that take place in the middle of a field or in a barn, or during a tour of a processing plant. It often ends with something to eat, and if not, there is a lunch stop at some local food serving where the food is simple but of excellent taste due to freshly provided ingredients from local producers.

The trip to Bosnia-Herzegovina was no exception. After dedicating the beginning of the week to in-town meetings, I had the opportunity to see more of the country on Wednesday that week when we drove down to Mostar and Ljubuski. The main purpose was to meet with a couple of farmers’ associations and rural entrepreneurs to hear their views on obstacles and possibilities in the agricultural sector. Even though we did not meet at a farm, they still wanted to show me fields, so I got a bit of a tour around the region. It was beautiful, and I was very impressed with the initiatives. You can check them out here on their websites: ECO Line and STAP.

The famous bridge in Mostar

Mostar

The rest of the week, I had more interesting meetings in Sarajevo with work lunches in between at nice out-door café, and a meeting with a consultant who worked with us here over a light dinner. Though the days are long, it sometimes strike me as surprising that I actually get paid for this. Especially since the report writing that comes with these trips is easy and stimulating after all the impressions that I have gathered.

I left DC yesterday evening and am now back in Europe for five weeks. It feels good! I am very European and Europe is still home. Am dead tired though after the flights. Am blogging from my hotel room in Sarajevo, while I really should get some work done… It is my first time in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and I am really looking forward to getting to know the country. I am here to finalize some analytical work that we are doing on the impact on various domestic sectors from a potential future EU membership. (I am focusing on the agricultural sector of course.) Tomorrow, I am going on a trip to Trebinje to meet with farmers to hear their views on some of our findings so far. I am here for one week before going to (f.Y.R.) Macedonia and then Montenegro. And yes, I realize that going around the Western Balkan in June hardly seems like work.

After Montenegro, I am going to Stockholm and Rome for two weeks, visiting family and friends. So though I am celebrating midsummer in Podgorica this year, June will be a great month!

As everyone knows, I love my job. Almost every aspect of it is interesting, developing and rewarding. But I can’t deny that working with rural development in a wine producing country really adds to it. Last weekend, we did a day-trip to the south of Moldova, to the famous wine-growing region of Stefan Voda and Purcari, to visit a small grape producer. Over the past years, Moldova’s wine sector has faced a number of problems, especially related to various export bans, and we wanted to listen to this producer to better understand how the sector is doing at the moment. As always, I was very impressed by this farmers and his hard work to, despite many obstacles, pursue his business and even expand it. His main business was grape–growing (both wine and table grapes) but he was now setting up a small processing facility for wine production. Grape and wine production is relatively labour intensive compared with many other agricultural activities, so investments in the sector generate employment opportunities in rural areas.

It was a cold, winter day, and the snowy landscape was beautiful. It was wonderful to get out of the city and be out in the countryside for a while, even if it was off farm-season. And as most vineyard visit, this one ended with a glass of home-made wine and fresh-baked placinta (local pie). I am glad it was a Saturday, because while informative, these trips don’t really feel like work. But come to think of it, not much of it does.