Crossing the broder with Ajvar

Sunday afternoon, and Ajvar is all ready and packed in the boot of our car. In total we made approx 20kg of this delicious stuff. We pack it well, as we are actually not allowed to be carrying it over the border. We are (just to refresh) in Croatia, and are about to drive back to Banja Luka in Bosnia.
I took snapshots while we were crossing the border.First pic is of the Croatian border. We passed this checkpoint (no questions asked, smiles to Mr Officer, dobar dan, dovidjenja...)

Cross the bridge over river Sava, which is a natural border, and we reach Bosnia and Herzegovina border. Again, no questions asked, all smiles, nothing to declare, while ajvar is cooling in our boot, dobar dan, dovidjenja...I continue snapping...

As the border checkpoints are situated in a small town of Gradiska, the only major street in this place is completely taken over by long queues, mostly of the people who work abroad (Germans have the expression 'guestworker', in fact my grandparents were guests in Germany for 15 years, but that's a whole other story), visiting their homes, or tourists coming back from the Croatian sea side, or numerous trucks.

Trade of cigaretts, CDs and hand knitted tablecloths is roaring. As you stand in the queue, quite often teenagers, even 11, 12 year olds will approach and offer you various goods, etc...While women will offer their collections of table cloths.



I have small confession to make. As I write this, my ajvar pot has made it through the border, to Banja Luka, and back again, to Zagreb airport, out of Croatia, into Heathrow, London, through the green 'nothing to declare' channel, all smiles, and happiness to be be seeing my husband. After all, my mother, kept saying this Ajvar is for him. It is her offerings, her gift, for him.