I love Sarajevo. It’s one of my favorite cities. I need to get back there sometime soon as it’s been too long. But I can just alternate between burek and cevapi with cremepita for dessert every day and I’ll be blissful. 
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Oh give me Krempita any day!! Love love it, and agree about Sarajevo, is one of my favourite places ever. Just found this definition online for Aussie vanilla slice, excuse the quoted slang 
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There’s the Aussie directness and charm the world knows and loves.
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Yes indeed! I now have a new life goal @CreatureCuddler - to enjoy a delectable vanilla slice in Sarajevo of all places! Wow, I’m learning so much in these chats! 
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I’ve not heard of any of those desserts @CreatureCuddler but I’m definitely looking them up now!
It is not uncommon.
I have it like that on my current sit (+ beer + wine). It is not THS, and they are paying too. (A dog sit, somewhat demanding but not too bad. I am making very long walks, but the area is beautiful and the weather is good.)
But to manage expectations: it is best not to expect anything at all. Then everything is a bonus, everything is nice.
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The first 2 aren’t desserts. They’re both savory dishes one a pastry and the other a meat. Both amazing! I hope you can enjoy them some day! 
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You’ve hit lucky, that’s not normal, the normal in our experience has been possibly a home cooked meal if we’re staying before the owners leave, possibly the odd box of chocs or a bottle of prosecco, and sometimes nothing.
If you’re staying a week, then tea, coffee, & loo rolls can be expected, and anything else is a bonus.
But also some sits naturally come with beautiful natural benefits, like if you sit hens you have the eggs, at the moment we have a lovely veg garden to help ourselves to.
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DeeMcC - Lovely sit! And yes, as others have said, hospitality runs a HUGE range but we have been spoilt and isn’t it lovely! We have been given gift cards to restaurants, excursions near the home, left wine, lovely treats, etc. And done sits were the housekeeper came 2X a week and so did the dogwalker!
That all said: in your review I would praise them highly for a lovely warm welcome, makng you feel at-home, and that they were generous in making sure you had everything you might need.
BUT I would NOT be too specific in the details.
WHY? Becuase in future they may not want to do quite as much but feel that future sitters would expect it given your Review.
We never describe the form that a Host’s generosity took - we simply say they are lovely people, thoughtful, and really did a wonderful job of making us feel at home and taken care of.
Def give the kudos but perhaps without making them feel there’s a bar to hit in future!
Congrats on a great sit!
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YOUR EXCITEMENT IS CONTAGIOUS! My first one is in a week!
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I love this quote. I heard it in 12 step meetings, “Unspoken Expectations are premeditated resentments.” And, “Acceptance is the key to all my problems”. Makes it clear and cut n’ dry for me! I want to be as serene as possible exp in a stranger’s home! haha!
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Thanks for the recommendation @DeeMcC. And to think I was in Orange early in the year on a day visit from Bathurst and didn’t know about The Sugar Mill vanilla slices!! Next time 
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We definitely agree that the hospitality of HO leaving food or not is all over the board. Really dependent on how long the sit is and how seasoned the HO is on the platform. We have found that HO who have been doing this for more than a handful of sits, usually offer more food that newbies. We have even had one sit where the HO specifically told us in the welcome guide that all food was off limits unless specified. Then upon arrival, they proceeded to package up all the perishables (in front of us) and told them they were taking them to their daughter down the road. This is the ‘worst’ case of hospitality that we have experienced. But then on the other hand, we have been left $150 gift card to grocery stores, HO ask us what we like to eat and fully stocked fridge, etc. But the most common seems to be “Eat what you would like or what needs to be eaten”.
With that said, if we are offered food, we ALWAYS make the HO food upon their arrival back home. We think it is just a nice gesture to say “Hey, we know you are tired from traveling, here is some food so you don’t have to cook”.
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Sounds like you’re being spoilt @DeeMcC on this sit. Is this normal as someone that’s completed 23 sits I’d say no. I’ve had a few spoil me including the repeat sit I did in Portugal where the HO’s made a point of telling me to help myself to their extensive food supplies, meat and fish freezers and be taken to the local supermarket by the cleaner and to stock up at their cost. However I’ve had some HO’s leave me nothing despite arriving very late in the evening. I posted about one of my first sits where the HO had put post it notes on every foodstuff including the salt and pepper saying do not touch! I’d say the majority have cooked or left me a meal for the first night or a bottle of wine.
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Thanks @ASASG, yes totally agree. As I mentioned earlier, we won’t mention specifics in our review just as you suggested 
I thought this must be some sort of unwritten law in the house sitting world which is why I was wanting to gauge people’s experiences with this part of hospitality. But as with all things, it’s a wonderful spectrum!
Hey @mollsyA - have a great time on your first sit next week! Like us, it’s the start of an unknown but wonderful adventure!
Sums it up perfectly @Silversitters 
That’s a great idea @Couple_travels_fulltime - there’s all this food here that we won’t use so i could cook them up a dinner to come home too
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Oh my gosh @richten1 ! I can’t believe your post-it note experience!!! I’m actually dumbfounded… I guess it could be some sort of OCD thing rather than plain stinginess, but what an awful, unwelcoming vibe to be in. I’m glad you’ve been spoiled on other sits
How kind of you!! What is your fave part of THS?
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