Friday, December 26, 2014

The Forgotten Valley [Part 3/3]: Remains of Years Past

As we departed from the village we had visited in the previous part, it seemed that we saw and captured everything that was there. But as the sun was slowly starting to set over the mountains, not only did we start to see the whole place in a different light, but we also began discovering sights spread out through the valley that we hadn't seen on our journey there.

So sit back, and enjoy the final part in this series, where we take one final look at a valley, that I now hope won't stay forgotten.

This is a multi-part travel series. Other parts include:
Part One: Drive into the Unknown
Part Two: The Village Zijemlje
Part Three: Remains of Years Past

click on the images for a bigger view



The Old Graveyard

We took a different road out of the village, then the one we drove in, and on our way back we saw this really old graveyard, probably dating back to when the Ottoman Empire was ruling these regions. The various headstones were spread out in a fenced in field, peacefully overlooking the surrounding mountains. Not a bad place to spend eternity. 




The sun had already began to set, and I was surprised how quickly the light started to fade in the valley. It didn't stop us from further exploring what was there, but I couldn't wait to drive up the mountains again to see some of that lovely golden light from the sunset.


Leaving the Village

As we were leaving behind the frontiers of the village, we saw another (more modern) graveyard, as well as the administrative center of this municipality. At first I wondered if there were any objects of government here, but I did see a house (second image down), that I later found out was a, albeit modest and small, town hall.



The road was starting to take us up into the mountains and out of the shadows that were increasingly starting to surround the valley. The peaks of mountain Rujiste could be seen in the far distance, as we were heading toward them. Some dark clouds started rolling in from the north, but luckily never reached us.


The golden valley was behind as the sun was setting and we were back on the mountain road, we came in at first.



Mountain Views

We were driving up the mountains, slowly but surely driving back to the main road that would take us home. I stopped the car frequently so that we could take some images of the surrounding landscapes. From forests to mountains, everything was preparing for the day to come to an end.





We had a great time here, and I was glad that the we took the side road into the unknown, and saw this valley and the village. As a thank you, the valley sent us off with some great light from the sunset, and we made our way to a mountain lodge and restaurant, just 3 miles down the road to get something to eat. A great day in the mountains came to an end.


The End

28 comments:

  1. I am fascinated by this place. It is somewhere I would return to regularly.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope to come back during spring, when everything is in full bloom. Must be a great sight then too.

      Delete
    2. That would be good to see and compare.

      Delete
  2. Hi Mersad. The lighting in these shits is fantastic. I love the dry stone walls, the vastness of the mountains , the solitude of the place and the total surround of the beauty. It is a pity you. Don't have 4 wheel drive to see it in the snow however I see you will go back in the spring and we should then see a wealth go spring flowers. Hope you had a great Christmas

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We have been commenting on that as well. Having a big jeep would do good on those roads, and actually allow us to explore the fields further.

      Delete
  3. I love the views of the mountain, skies and the landscapes.. Neat cemetery.. Wonderful photos! .I wish you all the best in 2015, Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
  4. That old graveyard is absolutely beautiful, all of it and the hills behind it.. i would really like to see this valley in person. i like the way the hills are so large they make the houses look like match boxes... and i like the rounded tower on the town hall.. all the cemetery photos are AMAZING

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much Sandra. The surrounding hills are very huge. Especially the mountain tops. On the other hand, the houses are small and far in between, so it really does create that effect you mention.

      Delete
  5. love the stone walls around the cemetery! beautiful area.

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a scenic spot. Glad you stumbled upon it.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I wanted to walk through the cemeteries and look at the stones and markers. What a pretty little valley. :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. That's a serious modern fence augmenting the old stone one. Very fine pictures, Mersad. Hope the new year brings more great travel and continued peace to your lovely country.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much Bill for your well wishes.

      Delete
  9. These pictures have been a thrill to scroll through.Such amazing beauty!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Always enjoy your visits Ruth. Glad you enjoyed the final part.

      Delete
  10. The tapophile in me was quite attracted to the graveyards. Great landscape. I enjoyed the virtual tour.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Mersad, this series was, once again, lovely. You do take wonderful trips. The photos of the cemetery were most interesting to me, because the style of the grave markers is quite different from those I have seen in other countries.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Real nice series Mersad.

    The history in this valley must date back many years... Be interesting to hear some of the stories that the locals could tell about!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There is indeed a lot of history here, dating back not only to the war 20 years ago, but also centuries ago.

      Delete
  13. Hi Mersad,
    Great photos of the lovely mountains.
    The skies are so blue and beautiful!

    Thanks for sharing with all of us.

    Have a Beautiful Day!
    Peace :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. You have a beautiful country ; i'm glad you share so much of its beauty with us... The landscape you make us discover this week is stunning, thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  15. What spectacular beauty! Your images are just gorgeous.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Beautiful images. I love the village.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Those mountains are gorgeous misty colours and the wonderful skies splash the scenes with extra beauty. Stunning, mesmerising countryside.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Amazing to see the photos and the explanations of what was going on and around and about. Thank you so much!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Yes, it's a truly wonderful valley! And I love the old cemetery! It is indeed the perfect spot for a final rest. Wonderful views of the valley, mountains and trees, and the few buildings. So peaceful and beautiful there!

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe

Image Credits

All Rights are Reserved. The images may not be reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without the written permission of the author.