An Englishman in the Balkans

David Pejčinović-Bailey MBE
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An Englishman in the Balkans is a personal storytelling podcast from David Pejčinović-Bailey, a British broadcaster and former soldier who has made his home in Bosnia and Herzegovina. , From village walks and quiet reflections to conversations about culture, history, travel, retirement abroad, and life after 70, this podcast offers a warm, honest and often thoughtful look at Bosnia and the wider Balkans through British eyes. This is not a glossy travel brochure, and it is not a relocation manual. It is a slower, more personal journey through everyday life in a country that is still too often misunderstood. Each episode brings you stories, observations and reflections from rural Bosnia, exploring what it means to start again later in life, live between cultures, and find meaning in small places, quiet roads, shared coffee, changing seasons and unexpected conversations. If you are interested in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Balkans, retired life abroad, expat stories, slow travel, or simply thoughtful audio storytelling from a British voice in Southeast Europe, you are very welcome here. An Englishman in the Balkans, a British voice from Bosnia, telling stories from life beyond the usual headlines.

  1. 3d ago

    Bosnian Superstitions | Promaja, Rituals and the Strange Customs People Still Believe

    An Englishman in the Balkans is a personal podcast about life, travel, culture, and storytelling in Bosnia and Herzegovina, told from the perspective of a British-born creator who has made this country home. Expect gentle reflections, real places, local voices, field recordings, and stories that go beyond the usual headlines. What happens when everyday life is shaped by beliefs passed down through generations? In this episode, I sit down for a lively conversation about some of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s most enduring superstitions, rituals and curious customs. We begin with the dreaded promaja, the cross-draught many people here genuinely believe can cause a stiff neck, an ear infection or something even worse. After more than 25 years of living in Bosnia and Herzegovina, I have learned that these beliefs are far more than amusing pieces of folklore. They remain part of everyday conversations, family advice and the small rituals people follow almost without thinking. From open windows and sitting on cold concrete to the customs surrounding luck, health and protection, this is a warm and entertaining look at the beliefs that continue to shape daily life in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Before I go, I'd love to hear from you. If this episode brought back a memory, made you curious about Bosnia and Herzegovina, or simply gave you something to think about, why not send me an Email or WhatsApp voice note? You might have a question, a story of your own, or just want to say hello. With your permission, I may even feature your message in a future episode. LEAVE A VOICE NOTE ON WHATSAPP The Email address is: david@anenglishmaninthebalkans.com You'll also find ways to support the podcast, become a member, and follow the journey over at: Website: Substack: Support the Podcast: Interested in starting your own podcast later in life? My self-paced course, Start With Your Voice, is designed for late creators who want a calm and simple way to begin: FIND OUT MORE:

    Bosnian Superstitions | Promaja, Rituals and the Strange Customs People Still Believe

  2. 6d ago

    Why I Started a Podcast About Bosnia and Herzegovina | One Story at a Time

    An Englishman in the Balkans is a personal podcast about life, travel, culture, and storytelling in Bosnia and Herzegovina, told from the perspective of a British-born creator who has made this country home. Expect gentle reflections, real places, local voices, field recordings, and stories that go beyond the usual headlines. Why did I start this podcast? It's a question I've never really answered, until now. Twenty episodes into An Englishman in the Balkans, I pause to explain why this podcast exists, why I chose audio over video, and why the stories that matter most are often the quietest ones. This isn't a travel guide. It isn't a history lesson. And it certainly isn't a political programme. Instead, it's an invitation to explore Bosnia and Herzegovina through everyday conversations, ordinary people, remarkable places and the sounds that make this country feel alive. In this episode I talk about: Why I began telling stories without first introducing myselfLiving in Bosnia and Herzegovina for almost 30 yearsWhy I describe myself as an "Inbetweener"The stories that never make the headlinesWhy I deliberately avoid politicsMy return to audio after years in broadcasting and YouTubeWhy podcasts feel more like conversations than performancesWhy curiosity matters more than certainty Whether you've been listening since Episode One or you've only just discovered the podcast, thank you for being here. There are many more stories still waiting to be told. Before I go, I'd love to hear from you. If this episode brought back a memory, made you curious about Bosnia and Herzegovina, or simply gave you something to think about, why not send me an Email or WhatsApp voice note? You might have a question, a story of your own, or just want to say hello. With your permission, I may even feature your message in a future episode. LEAVE A VOICE NOTE ON WHATSAPP The Email address is: david@anenglishmaninthebalkans.com You'll also find ways to support the podcast, become a member, and follow the journey over at: Website: Substack: Support the Podcast: Interested in starting your own podcast later in life? My self-paced course, Start With Your Voice, is designed for late creators who want a calm and simple way to begin: FIND OUT MORE:

    Why I Started a Podcast About Bosnia and Herzegovina | One Story at a Time

  3. Jul 27

    Is Bosnia and Herzegovina Safe to Visit? An Honest Local Perspective

    An Englishman in the Balkans is a personal podcast about life, travel, culture, and storytelling in Bosnia and Herzegovina, told from the perspective of a British-born creator who has made this country home. Expect gentle reflections, real places, local voices, field recordings, and stories that go beyond the usual headlines. Is Bosnia and Herzegovina safe for tourists? It is one of the questions I am asked most often, and after living here since 1998, my honest answer is yes, provided you travel with ordinary awareness, curiosity and common sense. In this episode, I look beyond the outdated headlines and talk openly about what visitors should genuinely be aware of. I cover everyday crime, pickpocketing, landmines and unexploded ordnance, driving on Bosnia’s mountain roads, changing weather conditions, solo travel and personal safety. Bosnia and Herzegovina is not a country that should be approached with fear. It is a welcoming, fascinating and deeply rewarding place to explore. With a little preparation, respect for local advice and a willingness to take your time, most visitors will discover a country that feels far safer and more relaxed than they expected. This is not an official travel advisory, but the personal perspective of someone who has lived in a small village in northwest Bosnia and Herzegovina for nearly three decades. Before I go, I'd love to hear from you. If this episode brought back a memory, made you curious about Bosnia and Herzegovina, or simply gave you something to think about, why not send me an Email or WhatsApp voice note? You might have a question, a story of your own, or just want to say hello. With your permission, I may even feature your message in a future episode. LEAVE A VOICE NOTE ON WHATSAPP The Email address is: david@anenglishmaninthebalkans.com You'll also find ways to support the podcast, become a member, and follow the journey over at: Website: Substack: Support the Podcast: Interested in starting your own podcast later in life? My self-paced course, Start With Your Voice, is designed for late creators who want a calm and simple way to begin: FIND OUT MORE:

    Is Bosnia and Herzegovina Safe to Visit? An Honest Local Perspective

  4. Jul 23

    When the River Runs Dry, the Rubbish Remains

    An Englishman in the Balkans is a personal podcast about life, travel, culture, and storytelling in Bosnia and Herzegovina, told from the perspective of a British-born creator who has made this country home. Expect gentle reflections, real places, local voices, field recordings, and stories that go beyond the usual headlines. This episode begins with what should have been a glorious evening walk. I am standing beside the River Turjanica, about two and a half kilometres from our home in rural Bosnia. The sun is beginning to set, birds are moving through the trees, and the views stretch across the valley towards Laktaši and the River Vrbas. After weeks of extreme summer heat, however, the Turjanica has almost completely dried up. A tractor has even been driven across the exposed riverbed. And without the flowing water, something else has been revealed. Plastic bags, animal-feed sacks, bottles, old food tins, newspapers, part of a car and even a small beer keg have been dumped along the riverbank. Some of the rubbish has spilled from broken bags, and the smell is impossible to ignore. What makes this particularly difficult to understand is that regular rubbish collections already take place here, including organised collections for larger unwanted items. So why do people still bring their waste into the countryside and leave it beside a river? This is not one of my usual gentle celebrations of life in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is a more uncomfortable story about fly-tipping, personal responsibility and the importance of loving a place honestly rather than pretending it is perfect. In this episode: Walking to the River Turjanica through the fieldsHow the extreme heat has affected the riverWhat the dry riverbed has exposedThe problem of illegal rubbish dumpingWhy appreciating Bosnia also means acknowledging its problems Have you encountered the same problem where you live? I would be very interested to hear your thoughts. Before I go, I'd love to hear from you. If this episode brought back a memory, made you curious about Bosnia and Herzegovina, or simply gave you something to think about, why not send me an Email or WhatsApp voice note? You might have a question, a story of your own, or just want to say hello. With your permission, I may even feature your message in a future episode. LEAVE A VOICE NOTE ON WHATSAPP The Email address is: david@anenglishmaninthebalkans.com You'll also find ways to support the podcast, become a member, and follow the journey over at: Website: Substack: Support the Podcast: Interested in starting your own podcast later in life? My self-paced course, Start With Your Voice, is designed for late creators who want a calm and simple way to begin: FIND OUT MORE:

    When the River Runs Dry, the Rubbish Remains

  5. Jul 22

    The Sarajevo Haggadah | From Medieval Spain to Bosnia and Herzegovina

    An Englishman in the Balkans is a personal podcast about life, travel, culture, and storytelling in Bosnia and Herzegovina, told from the perspective of a British-born creator who has made this country home. Expect gentle reflections, real places, local voices, field recordings, and stories that go beyond the usual headlines. In this episode I’m joined by art historian and scholar Aleksandra Bunčić to explore one of the most remarkable cultural treasures housed in Bosnia and Herzegovina: the Sarajevo Haggadah. Created in medieval Catalonia, most likely around the middle of the 14th century, this beautifully illuminated Jewish manuscript has travelled across time, borders, religions, empires, wars, and human uncertainty before finding its home in Sarajevo. Aleksandra helps me understand what a Haggadah actually is, why this particular manuscript is so rare, and why its illustrations are considered so extraordinary. We talk about its journey from Spain, its possible time in Italy, its arrival in Sarajevo, and the Sephardic Jewish community whose story is woven into the wider history of Bosnia and Herzegovina. What fascinated me most is that the Sarajevo Haggadah is not just an old book behind glass. It is a storyteller. It speaks of exile, survival, faith, art, craft, coexistence, and the fragile but powerful act of preserving memory. We also touch on Ladino, the language once spoken by Sephardic Jews across the Balkans, and why Bosnia and Herzegovina still has so many layers of history that many visitors never quite get to see. For anyone visiting Sarajevo, this is a reminder that Bosnia and Herzegovina’s story is far deeper, richer, and more complex than the headlines. Sometimes, one manuscript can open the door to centuries. Before I go, I'd love to hear from you. If this episode brought back a memory, made you curious about Bosnia and Herzegovina, or simply gave you something to think about, why not send me an Email or WhatsApp voice note? You might have a question, a story of your own, or just want to say hello. With your permission, I may even feature your message in a future episode. LEAVE A VOICE NOTE ON WHATSAPP The Email address is: david@anenglishmaninthebalkans.com You'll also find ways to support the podcast, become a member, and follow the journey over at: Website: Substack: Support the Podcast: Interested in starting your own podcast later in life? My self-paced course, Start With Your Voice, is designed for late creators who want a calm and simple way to begin: FIND OUT MORE:

    The Sarajevo Haggadah | From Medieval Spain to Bosnia and Herzegovina

  6. Jul 18

    Under the Apple Trees | Heat, YouTube and a New Beginning in Bosnia

    An Englishman in the Balkans is a personal podcast about life, travel, culture, and storytelling in Bosnia and Herzegovina, told from the perspective of a British-born creator who has made this country home. Expect gentle reflections, real places, local voices, field recordings, and stories that go beyond the usual headlines. It is a fiercely hot Friday evening in rural Bosnia and Herzegovina. Standing beneath the apple trees, surrounded by fallen fruit, insects, dry grass and a garden struggling in the heat, I set off on my first proper walk-and-talk episode. As I wander around the garden, I reflect on the changing seasons, the strange pleasure of rural life for someone raised in London, and my decision to step away from the constant demands of YouTube. I also talk about relaunching this podcast, finding a quieter community of listeners, recording the stories of my life and creating members-only episodes and soundscapes from Bosnia. This is deliberately informal and lightly edited—just the sounds around me and whatever happened to be on my mind. I would genuinely love to know where you are listening and whether you would enjoy more episodes in this style. Before I go, I'd love to hear from you. If this episode brought back a memory, made you curious about Bosnia and Herzegovina, or simply gave you something to think about, why not send me an Email or WhatsApp voice note? You might have a question, a story of your own, or just want to say hello. With your permission, I may even feature your message in a future episode. LEAVE A VOICE NOTE ON WHATSAPP The Email address is: david@anenglishmaninthebalkans.com You'll also find ways to support the podcast, become a member, and follow the journey over at: Website: Substack: Support the Podcast: Interested in starting your own podcast later in life? My self-paced course, Start With Your Voice, is designed for late creators who want a calm and simple way to begin: FIND OUT MORE:

    Under the Apple Trees | Heat, YouTube and a New Beginning in Bosnia

  7. Jul 15

    Inside the Suny Shelter | Saving Nearly 200 Dogs in Bosnia and Herzegovina

    An Englishman in the Balkans is a personal podcast about life, travel, culture, and storytelling in Bosnia and Herzegovina, told from the perspective of a British-born creator who has made this country home. Expect gentle reflections, real places, local voices, field recordings, and stories that go beyond the usual headlines. Hidden at the end of a quiet track through the farmland and forests of northern Bosnia and Herzegovina is a place that has become a lifeline for nearly 200 dogs. In this episode of An Englishman in the Balkans, I visit Suny Shelter, a dog sanctuary run by Balkan Dogs, a Finnish volunteer organisation founded in 2015. The shelter provides safety, veterinary care, space and, eventually, the possibility of a permanent home for dogs rescued from the streets, abandoned by their owners or removed from difficult conditions in municipal shelters. I sit down with Mei Sawanoi, who moved permanently from Finland to Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2019. Together with her husband, Dražen, she now lives at the shelter and cares for the dogs every day. Mei shares the story of how adopting one rescue dog led her towards the Balkans, why she eventually made Bosnia her home, and what daily life is really like when almost 200 dogs depend upon you. I also speak with Elina, a Finnish volunteer whose own adopted dog first introduced her to Balkan Dogs. She describes the emotional experience of meeting animals she had previously seen arriving at the shelter injured, frightened and severely neglected—only to find them healthy, trusting and ready to begin new lives. We also hear about the extraordinary journeys Mei and Dražen make every two months, driving rescued dogs for around 30 hours from Bosnia through Europe to Finland, where carefully selected adoptive families are waiting for them. This is not simply a story about a dog shelter. It is a story about compassion, responsibility, sacrifice and the difference a small group of determined people can make. In this episode: The story behind Suny Shelter and Balkan Dogs Why Mei left Finland and moved permanently to Bosnia The reality facing abandoned and stray dogs in Bosnia and Herzegovina How the shelter cares for almost 200 dogs The importance of vaccination, quarantine and sterilisation Why Finnish volunteers travel to Bosnia to help How rescued dogs are transported and re-homed in Finland The emotional rewards, and pressures, of running a rescue shelter If this episode moves you, please consider sharing it with someone who cares about animals, rescue work or the lesser-known stories of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Before I go, I'd love to hear from you. If this episode brought back a memory, made you curious about Bosnia and Herzegovina, or simply gave you something to think about, why not send me an Email or WhatsApp voice note? You might have a question, a story of your own, or just want to say hello. With your permission, I may even feature your message in a future episode. LEAVE A VOICE NOTE ON WHATSAPP The Email address is: david@anenglishmaninthebalkans.com You'll also find ways to support the podcast, become a member, and follow the journey over at: Website: Substack: Support the Podcast: Interested in starting your own podcast later in life? My self-paced course, Start With Your Voice, is designed for late creators who want a calm and simple way to begin: FIND OUT MORE:

    Inside the Suny Shelter | Saving Nearly 200 Dogs in Bosnia and Herzegovina

  8. Jul 13

    Why I Don’t Talk Politics in Bosnia and Herzegovina 🇧🇦

    An Englishman in the Balkans is a personal podcast about life, travel, culture, and storytelling in Bosnia and Herzegovina, told from the perspective of a British-born creator who has made this country home. Expect gentle reflections, real places, local voices, field recordings, and stories that go beyond the usual headlines. Living here has taught me that sometimes the most respectful thing an outsider can do is listen rather than judge. I’ve lived in Bosnia and Herzegovina for many years, and one question comes up more often than almost any other: why don’t I talk more about politics? The truth is, I follow what happens here and I see how political decisions affect everyday life. But I also believe that, as someone not born here, my role is to listen more than I speak. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a deeply complex country, shaped by history, memory, identity and experiences that do not fit neatly into simple explanations. In this episode, I reflect on why I avoid political commentary, why outsiders can so easily misread this country, and why I would rather encourage visitors to come for the people, the culture, the landscapes and the stories. Sometimes the most respectful thing we can do is ask questions, remain curious and accept that not everything has a simple answer. Before I go, I'd love to hear from you. If this episode brought back a memory, made you curious about Bosnia and Herzegovina, or simply gave you something to think about, why not send me an Email or WhatsApp voice note? You might have a question, a story of your own, or just want to say hello. With your permission, I may even feature your message in a future episode. LEAVE A VOICE NOTE ON WHATSAPP The Email address is: david@anenglishmaninthebalkans.com You'll also find ways to support the podcast, become a member, and follow the journey over at: Website: Substack: Support the Podcast: Interested in starting your own podcast later in life? My self-paced course, Start With Your Voice, is designed for late creators who want a calm and simple way to begin: FIND OUT MORE:

    Why I Don’t Talk Politics in Bosnia and Herzegovina 🇧🇦
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About

An Englishman in the Balkans is a personal storytelling podcast from David Pejčinović-Bailey, a British broadcaster and former soldier who has made his home in Bosnia and Herzegovina. , From village walks and quiet reflections to conversations about culture, history, travel, retirement abroad, and life after 70, this podcast offers a warm, honest and often thoughtful look at Bosnia and the wider Balkans through British eyes. This is not a glossy travel brochure, and it is not a relocation manual. It is a slower, more personal journey through everyday life in a country that is still too often misunderstood. Each episode brings you stories, observations and reflections from rural Bosnia, exploring what it means to start again later in life, live between cultures, and find meaning in small places, quiet roads, shared coffee, changing seasons and unexpected conversations. If you are interested in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Balkans, retired life abroad, expat stories, slow travel, or simply thoughtful audio storytelling from a British voice in Southeast Europe, you are very welcome here. An Englishman in the Balkans, a British voice from Bosnia, telling stories from life beyond the usual headlines.

Information

  • Creator
    David Pejčinović-Bailey MBE
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © David Pejčinović-Bailey MBE 2026
  • Show Website
    An Englishman in the Balkans