In this episode, (minus the tea), I dive into the journey you might take if you are considering retiring here. This episode was spurred on by a question from our previous video from a follower who lives in Houston, Texas. I look at the various ways you might be able to retire here whether it's through setting up a business, buying property, or getting married.I also explain the 90 in 180 days visa rule, and give some of my personal encounters and tips. Finally I’ll talk about the health care system, local culture, benefits of living here, and the welcoming nature of Bosnia Herzegovina thats made my retirement enjoyable.

In this episode, I touch on a myriad of topics, from the warm reception of my previous video to more personal reflections as I enter the 'third act' of my life. I delve into a pressing issue close to my heart: the plight of stray dogs in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Discover the journey of rescuing four abandoned puppies, the challenges in finding shelters, and the broader societal attitudes towards animals here. Don’t forget to check out the blog for more details.

If you didn't already know, I am David, a 71-year-old British expat living in Bosnia and Herzegovina. I returned to YouTube after a three-month hiatus, to relaunch my channel, sharing my thoughts on aging, my life adventures, and focusing on candid storytelling rather than polished, edited videos.I’m posting these episodes here, 4 days earlier than on YouTube, for Paid Members of “Coffee and Rakija”.I'm inviting you to follow my journey, offering insights into my life as an "older expat" living in a foreign culture.

Tamara and I catch up after a few weeks, discussing life in Čardačani, coping with the recent heatwaves and storms, and looking at our new air conditioning setup. We look back at our trip to Belgrade and about friends visiting from Germany and guests from Slovenia. Theres an update from the garden and our future travel plans to the island of Rab on the Croatian coast. We also talk about the uptake of foreigners buying property in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

⏳ The Week ⌛️

We have spent the past 6 days hosting returning guests from the Franconia region of northern Bavaria in Germany.Chris, together with his son Jake, daughter Hannah and her boyfriend Lukas based themselves with us here in the village and took to opportunity to explore Banja Luka, Travnik, the Kozara National park and Jajce.I managed to persuade Hannah to chat with me for a Coffee Talk Podcast episode where she shares her experiences exploring this unique country with her family. From the stunning landscapes to the warm hospitality of the people, Hannah recounts the cultural differences she encountered, discovering Banja Luka, historic sites, and the delicious cevapi she couldn't resist. Listen to her insightful reflections on history, culture, and travel.

Before I forget, Coffee and Rakija is free to subscribe to. There is no paywall.

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🥘 The Taste 👩‍🍳

⛫ Experiencing Banja Luka ⛫

Danilo Bosnić, one of GoodHost Banja Luka guides you around the “Kastel”. ⬇️

✍️ From The Blog ✍️

🎙️ From The Podcast 🎧

📽️ From The Vlog 📹

📈 The Survey 📊

I have a short survey designed to improve my Substack. It would be super helpful if you could find under 5 minutes to complete it. Thanks so much in advance.

And Finally

Please also do share this post it really helps me to grow awareness for Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Thank you for being a part of my community.

Tamara and I have just launched a companion podcast to "An Englishman in the Balkans".The style is very much relaxed and informal. Chatty really.

We'd love it if you could find the time to give it a listen and your feedback would be hugely appreciated.Hello, it's episode 7 of Coffee Talk. Today, we're taking you on a delightful journey through our podcast's journey, discussing some compelling survey results, and sharing our latest escapades.

To better shape our content, we recently ran a survey, which saw some impressive participation.

Interesting to note, the leading podcast theme that our audience enjoy revolves around our daily life, followed by interviews and tales of intriguing travel locations. Notably, the majority of our listeners are non-native English speakers, which is fantastic, it's a nod to our diverse listener base. Furthermore, an astounding number of our audience have been with us for at least six months, with some even stretching to two years or more!

We also found a trend favouring shorter podcasts of 15 to 30 minutes. This aligns with our current goal; however, depending on the content, extending the duration could be beneficial. For example, our long-form interviews have produced some key insights that our listeners seem to enjoy. As for the podcast format, both audio and video formats have their fans, but video format takes the lead by a narrow margin.

In terms of content, Bosnian history and intriguing travel sites topped the list alongside the desire for more recipes and cultural insights. Cultural differences, detailed descriptions of day-to-day life and maybe even some language lessons were also mentioned.

These insights are invaluable to us, and we'll certainly incorporate the feedback into our upcoming podcasts. We'll be keeping the survey open, so if you've missed it, take a few moments to fill it in and share your thoughts. Your input helps us create content that you genuinely enjoy!

Thanks for reading Coffee and Rakija! Subscribe for free to receive new posts, podcasts and vlogs and support my work.

Breaking away from podcast matters, we've just binged the US series, Yellowstone. We had an epiphany during this viewing -- turns out, we have a soft spot for country music.

The soundtrack left us nostalgic for the sweeping landscapes, the triumphs and the heartbreaks that come with country life.

Now, every good conversation circles back to food at some point. We've recently prepared an authentic Bosnian recipe known as 'Tepsi Kofta', or tray meatballs. Simple and lip-smacking, this comfort meal is essentially spiced meatballs layered in a tray with local veggies.

Well, that's a wrap for this episode of Coffee Talk. We appreciate you tuning in. Until next time, stay safe, and don't forget; your feedback helps us create content that’s a perfect accompaniment for your cup of coffee. See you in the next episode!

Please also do share this episode and maybe leave a 5 start review on the podcast platform you listened to this on.

Stay tuned for more exciting stories and adventures from us!

Thank you for being a part of our podcasting community, and we look forward to bringing you more exciting content in the future.

In this episode Tamara and I talk about Sourdough baking, the different types of yeast used, and our attempts at making sourdough bread and English muffins.

We are both really excited about the process and the rewards of making homemade sourdough bread.

Here's our sourdough journey!

We mentioned Aleksandar Trifunoviċ's Sourdough Instagram account:https://instagram.com/dasampekar

Please also do share this episode and maybe leave a 5 start review on the podcast platform you listened to this on.

Stay tuned for more exciting stories and adventures from us!

Thank you for being a part of our podcasting community, and we look forward to bringing you more exciting content in the future.