I hope this Sunday finds you well, with something warm in your cup and a little bit of quiet in your day.

This week’s video comes from the hills above Zenica, where Tamara and I joined PSD Pošta Zenica for a hike from Kakanj railway station across the countryside towards Dom Jedinci, the club’s mountain house.

On paper, it sounded simple enough.

Thirteen and a half kilometres. Fresh air. Beautiful views. A chance to record the sights, sounds, and little moments along the way.

But Bosnia had other ideas.

Within the first climb, I realised I had made a few mistakes. The wrong trousers. Too much in the rucksack. And perhaps a little too much confidence from a younger version of myself who forgot to remind me that I am now 73.

Walking every day is one thing.

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Hiking in Bosnia is quite another.

There were children running ahead with endless energy, views towards Vlašić still touched with snow, green hills, open fields, cattle grazing, and that wonderful Bosnian hiking club atmosphere waiting for us at the end.

But for me, this became less of a scenic hiking video and more of a small lesson in humility.

A reminder that getting older does not mean stopping.

But it does mean listening.

To your body.
To the terrain.
And sometimes, to the hills.

So this week’s video is not the elegant walking postcard I planned to make.

It is something more honest.

A story about ageing, pride, preparation, sore knees, Bosnian hills, and eventually reaching the end.

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I had planned to make a simple hiking story from the hills above Kakanj in central Bosnia. A scenic walk with our hiking club, a few thoughtful voice notes, some views towards Vlašić, and the sounds of boots, birdsong, and conversation along the way.

Bosnia had other ideas.

This episode is about a 13.5 kilometre hike that quickly became something much more personal: a lesson in preparation, aging, stubbornness, and humility. From a too-heavy rucksack and the wrong trousers to unforgiving hills, aching knees, and schoolchildren who seemed to float up the climbs, it reminded me that walking every day is not quite the same as hiking in Bosnia.

It is also a story about community, kindness, and the strange satisfaction of reaching the end when, somewhere along the route, you quietly wondered whether you would.

Thank You

Thank you for listening to these little slices of my life. If you’d like to get more stories, you can subscribe to my Substack, it’s free, and if you ever want to upgrade to paid but can’t afford it, just email me. I’ll sort it out, no questions asked.

Here are 3 questions I have.

• What would make you hit “play” on an audio post instead of just reading?

• What makes a podcast episode feel personal or meaningful to you?

• Would you like me to add audio versions of my blog posts so you can choose how to enjoy them?

LEAVE YOUR ANSWERS HERE PLEASE

I’ll give a complimentary subscription to Coffee and Rakija for life for taking the time to answer.

I hope this Sunday finds you well. The weather here in the village is starting to give me blue skies and increasingly (albeit warmer) temperatures.

This week’s Sunday Sip is a slightly different one, because I wanted to share a small (well not really small) change in how things will work from now on.

Don’t worry, it really isn’t anything dramatic. Just a gentle reshuffle.

For some time now, Substack has been the main home for my writing, podcast episodes, videos, and occasional thoughts from life here in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

I’ve mentioned quite a bit in the past about where my work actually lives and what I could do to provide a better base for that, as well as maybe an archive too for my grandchildren

So, from now on, I’ll be using Substack mainly as a way of keeping in touch with you through this newsletter, a note if you will, in your inbox, and letting you know what I’ve recently published.

The main home for my stories, videos, podcasts, photographs etc, and of course those reflections I keep having, will now be my own website.

The Latest Post on the Blog

It’s still very much a work in progress, and it will probably remain that way for a while. I have quite a lot of older material to move across manually from Substack, and that won’t happen overnight. Some posts may appear gradually, some may be refreshed, and some may be given a slightly better home than they had before.

It also gives me a place on the web that feels a little safer.

Nothing online ever is. But a personal website feels more “me” and I wont have to worry about platform changes, or developments I may not be entirely comfortable with.

You’ll still receive the Sunday Sip. I’ll still send updates. I’ll still use it to stay connected with you directly. But rather than trying to make Substack be everything for me, I’m simplifying things.

So, over the coming weeks and months, the Sunday Sip will see me gently pointing more towards the website.

For now, I’d simply be grateful if you had a look around:

My Retired Life in Bosnia

Whether you first found me through typing “Bosnia” into a search bar, through podcasting, through YouTube, through here on Substack, or simply through one of those strange online paths that none of us can quite explain, I appreciate it enormously.

So, thats the update. “Vidimo se opet” (I’ll see you again soon).

Warmest wishes from Bosnia,

David

There’s something quietly unsettling about time when you stop and really look at it.

In a few weeks’ time, my granddaughter Alice is coming to stay with us here in northern Bosnia. She’s 19 now. The last time she was here, she was four.

Thats fifteen years.

That’s not a gap you bridge with a cup of coffee and a quick chat. That’s a lifetime, really, hers just beginning, mine already well into its later chapters.

And I’ve found myself wondering… how do you start again?

I was sitting in my little studio this morning, looking out at grey skies that haven’t quite decided whether they belong to winter or spring. The kind of weather that slows everything down. And it was in that stillness that the thought landed.

Am I going to be able to pull this off?

It sounds like a simple visit. Granddaughter comes to see her grandfather. Two weeks together. Some travel, a lot of food, some photos?

But it doesn’t feel like that. It feels like something more delicate.

Life here in Bosnia and Herzegovina has its own rhythm. It’s not something you can explain easily to be honest. You have to feel it. The slower pace. The small routines. The way a day unfolds without much urgency.

It’s taken me years to settle into that rhythm. Years to understand it, and more importantly, to stop resisting it.

But how do you show that to someone who’s 19?

Someone whose life has been shaped somewhere else. In a different country, a different culture, a different speed entirely.

What I do know is this:

• I don’t want to overwhelm her.

• I don’t want to underwhelm her either.

• I just want her to leave with a feeling.

That this quiet, often misunderstood corner of the world, has something real about it.

If you were in my position… what would you do?

Would you plan everything?

Or would you let it unfold, slowly, the way life tends to do here?

I’d be genuinely interested in your thoughts on this.

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In this episode, I sit down in the studio for a more reflective, radio-style conversation about life here in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina.

It’s Orthodox Easter weekend here, and as always, it brings with it food, family, tradition… and a reminder of how different life can be when you choose to live in a country far from where you were born.

I talk about:

• The difference between Easter in the UK and Bosnia

• Village life and traditions (including roast pig and “death by food”)

• The recent flooding here in northern Bosnia

• Getting back into walking at 73, and feeling it!

• A chance encounter with a badger on a quiet country road

• Why I’ve removed browsers from my phone

• Slowing down, meditation, and the pressure we put on ourselves in later life

• Plans for hiking in Zenica next week

• And why I’m beginning to think more seriously about legacy, storytelling, and building my own website

This is a slower, more personal episode, less about information, more about reflection.

If you’ve ever thought about living abroad, slowing down, or simply making sense of life as you get older, you might find something here.

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Thank You

Thank you for listening to these little slices of my life. If you’d like to get more stories, you can subscribe to my Substack, it’s free, and if you ever want to upgrade to paid but can’t afford it, just email me. I’ll sort it out, no questions asked.

Here are 3 questions I have.

• What would make you hit “play” on an audio post instead of just reading?

• What makes a podcast episode feel personal or meaningful to you?

• Would you like me to add audio versions of my blog posts so you can choose how to enjoy them?

LEAVE YOUR ANSWERS HERE PLEASE

I’ll give a complimentary subscription to Coffee and Rakija for life for taking the time to answer.

Paid members get access to everything I create, including exclusive podcasts, behind-the-scenes reflections, photo essays, and more that I only share with my inner circle ☕✨

Thanks so much in advance.

Subscribe now

In this episode, I talk about something I’ve been asked many times over the years, what healthcare is actually like here in Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially as you get older and healthcare becomes a more important part of everyday life.

This is not an official guide and I’m certainly not an expert on the healthcare system or immigration law, but I wanted to share my own personal experiences of using the healthcare system here as a resident in Republika Srpska, what I pay into the system each month, and what I receive in return.

I talk about how I went from temporary residence to permanent residence, how the healthcare insurance system works, and what happens if you are working, self-employed, retired, or just staying in the country for part of the year. I also explain the difference between public healthcare and private clinics here, because Bosnia really operates on what I would call a hybrid system.

I also share a very personal story about breaking my ankle here in the village, the ambulance arriving, being taken through the system, surgery, rehabilitation, and what that whole experience was actually like. Along the way, I compare some of this with experiences in the UK, because many people listening are from Britain and often ask how the two systems compare.

Healthcare here is not completely free, it is an insurance-based system, but if you are a resident and you contribute to the health fund, you can access doctors, specialists, hospitals, emergency care and subsidised medication. Many people also use private clinics for speed and specialist consultations because private healthcare here is still very affordable compared to the UK and many other countries.

This episode is really just an honest conversation about healthcare, retirement, living abroad, and the practical realities of life in Bosnia and Herzegovina as an older person.

If you have questions about living here, residency, daily life, or healthcare, feel free to leave a comment or get in touch, and I’ll try to cover those topics in future episodes.

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Thank You

Thank you for listening to these little slices of my life. If you’d like to get more stories, you can subscribe to my Substack, it’s free, and if you ever want to upgrade to paid but can’t afford it, just email me. I’ll sort it out, no questions asked.

Here are 3 questions I have.

• What would make you hit “play” on an audio post instead of just reading?

• What makes a podcast episode feel personal or meaningful to you?

• Would you like me to add audio versions of my blog posts so you can choose how to enjoy them?

LEAVE YOUR ANSWERS HERE PLEASE

I’ll give a complimentary subscription to Coffee and Rakija for life for taking the time to answer.

Paid members get access to everything I create, including exclusive podcasts, behind-the-scenes reflections, photo essays, and more that I only share with my inner circle ☕✨

Thanks so much in advance.

Subscribe now

In this episode, I talk openly and honestly about something that has been on my mind recently, what it means to live between two countries, between two identities, and sometimes between other people’s opinions.

After a recent visit back to the United Kingdom, I found myself thinking about where I really belong. Am I British? Am I Bosnian? Or am I something in between?

I also talk about the reaction to one of my recent videos, the criticism of living abroad while receiving a UK pension, and why retirement, wherever you choose to live, should be about building the best final chapter of your life that you can.

This episode is very much a stream of consciousness, thoughts about retirement, immigration, identity, healthcare, lifestyle, and why I believe people should live where they feel happiest, not where others think they should live.

If you’ve ever lived abroad, thought about retiring abroad, or wondered what life is really like living in Bosnia and Herzegovina, this episode is for you.

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Thank You

Thank you for listening to these little slices of my life. If you’d like to get more stories, you can subscribe to my Substack, it’s free, and if you ever want to upgrade to paid but can’t afford it, just email me. I’ll sort it out, no questions asked.

Here are 3 questions I have.

• What would make you hit “play” on an audio post instead of just reading?

• What makes a podcast episode feel personal or meaningful to you?

• Would you like me to add audio versions of my blog posts so you can choose how to enjoy them?

LEAVE YOUR ANSWERS HERE PLEASE

I’ll give a complimentary subscription to Coffee and Rakija for life for taking the time to answer.

Paid members get access to everything I create, including exclusive podcasts, behind-the-scenes reflections, photo essays, and more that I only share with my inner circle ☕✨

Thanks so much in advance.

Subscribe now

In this relaunch episode of the Life in Bosnia podcast, I reflect on turning 73, restarting my creative projects, and what it really means to live between two countries.

After a recent trip back to the UK, I talk about feeling like an “in-betweener” — not fully belonging in Britain anymore, but also not originally from Bosnia, the country I have called home for more than 20 years.

This episode also explains the future of the Life in Bosnia podcast, the YouTube channel, and the return of the "An Englishman in the Balkans" interviews.

Expect stories from daily life, travel around Bosnia and Herzegovina, retirement reflections, hiking adventures, culture, food, and honest observations about life in Southeast Europe.

If you have ever wondered what it’s really like to retire abroad, live in Bosnia, or start again later in life, this podcast is for you.

🙋‍♂️ Let’s Stay Connected

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Thank You

Thank you for listening to these little slices of my life. If you’d like to get more stories, you can subscribe to my Substack, it’s free, and if you ever want to upgrade to paid but can’t afford it, just email me. I’ll sort it out, no questions asked.

Here are 3 questions I have.

• What would make you hit “play” on an audio post instead of just reading?

• What makes a podcast episode feel personal or meaningful to you?

• Would you like me to add audio versions of my blog posts so you can choose how to enjoy them?

LEAVE YOUR ANSWERS HERE PLEASE

I’ll give a complimentary subscription to Coffee and Rakija for life for taking the time to answer.

Every spring something simple, and that I find quite wonderful happens.

A neighbour arrives with a tractor.

In about thirty minutes the vegetable garden is turned over, ready for another growing season. It’s one of those small rural rituals that reminds me how different life is here compared to the city life I grew up with in London.

In this video you’ll see how the garden is prepared for planting and hear a little about the way villages still work here, where skills, tools and time are shared between neighbours.

Over the coming months this patch of soil will produce potatoes, peppers, cabbages, aubergines and more. Much of it feeds us through the summer, and whatever is left becomes “zimnica”, the jars of preserved food that keep Bosnian kitchens stocked through the winter.

I still know very little about gardening. I’m learning as I go, but I love watching the process.

If you enjoy seeing real everyday life in Bosnia, let me know in the comments and I’ll show you more of these little village moments.

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People often ask me what the village where I live in Bosnia and Herzegovina actually looks like.

Most of the time you see me walking the lanes, talking about retirement, daily life, and the small things that make living here special.

But in this post, I thought I’d show you something a little different.

This is Čardačani, the village where Tamara and I have been living for more than two decades.

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If you are a regular reader, you’ll know that over 10 days ago I was completely knocked flat by a pretty unpleasant bout of flu. At seventy-three you quickly discover that recovery takes a little longer than it used to. Thankfully I’m finally starting to feel human again.

In this video I share another snapshot of my everyday life here in the village.

Earlier today we attended the funeral of a neighbour, something that really shows how strong community traditions still are across the whole of Bosnia. When someone dies, the news travels fast, by word of mouth but more often than not, phone.

The whole village pauses. That is so true and people come together in a very respectful and solemn way. It’s quite different from what many of us may be used to in places like the UK.

I live in a Serbian Orthodox village, by the way, and the Serbs bury within 24 hours (of course there are exceptions). That alone fascinates me. How they get a burial, service, wake etc all sorted in such a short time. It’s amazing to be honest.

That sad new aside, spring is quietly waking up around us. Tamara’s parents and family have been pruning the fruit trees and bushes in the garden. Apples, plums, grapes and blackberries, all getting ready for the new growing season (and eventually a little rakija as well).

And in the middle of all this I’m also planning a short trip back to the United Kingdom to visit my daughter and my ninety-seven-year-old mum. It will be my first time flying with Ryanair and the journey itself will be a bit of an adventure.

I’m nervous.

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If you’re new here, I’m David. I moved to Bosnia over twenty-six years ago and never really left. This Substack is about my retirement, daily life, culture and what it’s actually like living in this often misunderstood country.

Thanks for being here and for following the journey.

I’ve got flu 🤧

Normally by this time in the morning I’d be out walking four kilometres through the village lanes here in northern Bosnia. But today that simply isn’t happening.

My temperature is up, everything aches, and I’m feeling more out of breath than usual. At 73, that’s something I can’t just brush aside.

It’s not pleasant thats for sure.

Long ago I probably would have pushed through this, after all, I spent nearly thirty years in the army, and back then the mindset was simple: keep going, going, going.

Also thinking back, when I was in my twenties I’d have ignored something like this completely. Even into my forties or fifties I might have tried to power through and keep working.

But getting older forces me to rethink that approach.

Recovery takes longer. The body doesn’t bounce back the way it once did. And somewhere along the line I’m finally realising that listening to my body isn’t weakness, it’s common sense.

So today the walk is cancelled.

Instead, I’m sitting at home drinking English tea (milk with two sugars, and which we used to call “NATO Standard”), and trying to ride this thing out.

To be fair, I’m not the only one. This flu has been sweeping through this part of northern Bosnia and Herzegovina. Much of the extended family has had it as well.

As people say here:

Šta je tu je.

It is what it is.

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Today we’re just a few kilometres from Banja Luka, near the spa village of Slatina, exploring something a little unusual, the so-called “stone balls” hidden just a few hundred metres off the main road.

The route is clearly marked with hiking signs, the walk is gentle, and yes… I’m still getting over the flu.

There may be some perspiring. In this video:
• A short countryside walk near Slatina
• Drone footage of the location
• Why this is an easy outing for retirees
• How accessible it really is from Banja Luka.

One of the things I enjoy most about retirement in Bosnia and Herzegovina is that you don’t have to travel far to find something interesting.

Sometimes it’s just down the road. Simple. Local. Real.

If you’re curious about slower living, gentle exploration, and what life after 70 looks like in rural Bosnia, you’re in the right place.

Let me know in the comments, would you visit somewhere like this?

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I have had one of those slightly uncomfortable realisations.

I’m getting out of breath. A lot. Huffing and puffing more than I used to. And at 73, that’s not something I’m prepared to ignore.

Winter didn’t help to be honest. Snow. Ice. Too many days indoors. Too many hours sitting at this desk editing videos, researching, thinking, planning.

Then someone commented on a YouTube recently that I looked obese. The Horror!

I don’t believe I’m obese. But I did look at myself a little more honestly after that. And Tamara, in her direct way, simply said: “You are overweight. You need to do something about it.”

So here’s the decision.

From tomorrow: 4 to 4.5 kilometres every morning. To the kiosk in the next village and back.

About 6,000 steps (maybe).

I certainly don’t want to waste the years I have left sitting down.

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Footnote:

I have just developed ‘flu like symptoms, so the breathing isn’t going to get better in the coming days, thats for sure. So I will postpone the”off” for a few day.

Check back for Updates?

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This episode was recorded on a late winter afternoon, walking down to the river and back.

No studio polish. No music. No clever transitions. Just a smartphone, a small DJI microphone with its little wind muff attached (or “spoffle,” as I nearly called it), and a pair of slightly muddy boots that definitely needed cleaning before I stepped back into my tidy studio.

I talk about the tractors I call “village taxis,” cleared storm drains after snow, the River Vrbas, and the fields lying bare before spring planting. I reflect on being 73, on starting (and restarting) creative projects, on YouTube ambitions that might only aim for £100 a month — but mean something very real here in Bosnia when converted into local currency.

There’s also the familiar thread of village life: plum trees that haven’t fruited properly in years, the hope of distilling domaća šljivovica again, and the quiet privilege of being able to walk two kilometres on a Sunday afternoon and simply talk.

This is what I’d sound like if you were staying upstairs in our apartment and we’d just had coffee together before heading down to the river.

If you’re listening in London, Toronto, Sydney, or somewhere entirely different, I’d genuinely love to know. Send me a note and tell me where you are.

From Bosnia and Herzegovina to your headphones, speaker, or kitchen radio — thank you for giving me your time.

Stay safe.

Thank You

Thank you for listening to these little slices of my life. If you’d like to get more stories, you can subscribe to my Substack, it’s free, and if you ever want to upgrade to paid but can’t afford it, just email me. I’ll sort it out, no questions asked.

Here are 3 questions I have.

• What would make you hit “play” on an audio post instead of just reading?

• What makes a podcast episode feel personal or meaningful to you?

• Would you like me to add audio versions of my blog posts so you can choose how to enjoy them?

LEAVE YOUR ANSWERS HERE PLEASE

I’ll give a complimentary subscription to Coffee and Rakija for life for taking the time to answer.

No studio polish. No music. No clever transitions. Just a smartphone, a small DJI microphone with its little wind muff attached (or “spoffle,” as I nearly called it), and a pair of slightly muddy boots that definitely needed cleaning before I stepped back into my tidy studio.

I talk about the tractors I call “village taxis,” cleared storm drains after snow, the River Vrbas, and the fields lying bare before spring planting. I reflect on being 73, on starting (and restarting) creative projects, on YouTube ambitions that might only aim for £100 a month — but mean something very real here in Bosnia when converted into local currency.

There’s also the familiar thread of village life: plum trees that haven’t fruited properly in years, the hope of distilling domaća šljivovica again, and the quiet privilege of being able to walk two kilometres on a Sunday afternoon and simply talk.

This is what I’d sound like if you were staying upstairs in our apartment and we’d just had coffee together before heading down to the river.

If you’re listening in London, Toronto, Sydney, or somewhere entirely different, I’d genuinely love to know. Send me a note and tell me where you are.

From Bosnia and Herzegovina to your headphones, speaker, or kitchen radio — thank you for giving me your time.

Stay safe.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.coffeeandrakija.com/subscribe

Subscribe now

The Update.

Hello,

The “Sip”, is where I give you a brief update from my world from the past few weeks, (in this case a month) and link to some of the things I have documented away from Substack.

This past month has been COLD, and at least for me, I mean COLD.

So heres a “gentle” round-up from the past 30 days days.

🎥 My Latest on YouTube:

Today I’m doing something slightly uncomfortable. I’m asking myself whether I’ve been romanticising life in Bosnia and Herzegovina on YouTube.

🎥 Previously on YouTube:

A short break in Zenica, time with friends, mountain hospitality that still blows me away, and a bit of experimenting with a new drone that I think will add something special to the stories I tell here.

Get more from David Pejčinović-Bailey MBE in the Substack app

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After decades in media and years of documenting life online, I realised the very tools that once excited me were quietly stealing my mornings, my attention, and sometimes even my peace of mind. So I’ve started a personal digital detox. No Instagram. No TikTok. No endless scrolling.

Refer a friend

I take a simple 3-kilometre walk through our village here in northern Bosnia to pick up 15 fresh free-range eggs from the local kiosk. Nothing dramatic, nothing planned — just everyday life as it unfolds. Along the way you’ll see the small river that separates our village from the next, the local coffee bar that sits quietly by the roadside, and a glimpse of what rural living really looks like after the age of 70.

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Thank You for Being Here

If you’ve read this far, thank you. Your support means the world to me, whether it’s a comment, a subscription, or just taking the time to read what I share.

It’s not about chasing numbers anymore; it’s about connecting with people who get it, who understand the joys and challenges of this phase of life, that I find myself in (over 70).

Until next time.

Videmo se opet (I’ll see you again soon).

David.

Out of eggs… so on with the boots and off down to our local “corner shop”.

In this video I take a 3-kilometre round trip walk to pick up 15 fresh free-range eggs from our local shop.

Our everyday life. Along the way you’ll see the small river that separates our village from the next and the local coffee bar.

I’m also experimenting with a small digital detox (I think I have already mentioned it?) So far its been four days without browsing news on my phone.

Refreshing it has to be said. Highly Recommended!

So, maybe put the kettle on, walk with me for a few minutes, and enjoy a slice of my very ordinary life in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Comments and questions are always appreciated — especially from fellow over-50s and retirees, wherever you are in the world.

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Today was one of those days that started quietly and ender with muddy shoes, wet socks, and a small story worth sharing.

The snow returned here in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina after days of relentless rain, and the ground around the village is completely waterlogged.

Yesterday I had to walk the property boundary to retrieve two snow shovels I’d used to block gaps in the fence, which was an emergency solution thanks to wandering packs of dogs chasing bitches “on heat”, village life realities for us.

I probably shouldn’t have been wearing Birkenstocks.

I definitely shouldn’t have slipped over.

But I did and luckily didn’t break anything.

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