Croatia, Part I

As trains, buses and patience would have it, I wound up visiting Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, first, then heading to Slovenia between Zagreb and my next Croatian destination, Pula. It wasn't exactly how I had hoped to do it, but it turned out to be highly difficult to get straight to Ljubljana from Budapest - and then there was all the trouble with bookings! Plus, the train I would up taking from Budapest ran so late (like, three hours late) I would never have made the connection even if I had risked it. All in all, though it made for an odd itinerary and a bit of backtracking, it was the right call. 

I got into Zagreb very late on a Sunday night, and was incredibly relieved to find the tram I needed was still running. I got to my hostel at nearly 11, and was immediately welcomed with a honey liquor drink and many suggestions for what I should do there. When I asked if there was anywhere to eat nearby, the girl said no, but then gave me a filo pastry made with cheese and pumpkin that her mother had made. It was delicious, and a great way to get to a new city - all the more so because I hadn't eaten anything that day!

In the morning, I got up to wander around Zagreb. It's something of a quiet place, and the winding streets all look the same. I was never lost, but I did have a good deal of trouble trying to find the things I was looking for. There was a lot of staring at the map, convinced the building I was looking for should be right there... I did eventually manage to figure things out, though!

Statue and the main park, right across from the train station. 

I think this was the Science Museum? I didn't go in - I'm so sick of museum exhibits by now! 

The other side of the museum. Statues abound!

More of the park, with fountains and shady spots to sit. I hung out there for a bit, and was approached by a staggering number of people - canvassers, tourists looking for directions, and even some girls doing interviews for a local radio station! I wonder if I have now been on Croatian radio?

I thought this was neat - it looks like the white tree was growing around an older tree, which has since died and rotted away. The white tree is still thriving though!

This is a tiny chapel inside one of the old city gates. An actual road runs through it, though it's closed to most traffic. The story goes that the city burned in the 17th century, and this gate - with its minuscule chapel - was the only structure to survive, so it's something of a sacred place now. 

I like this statue. Not entirely sure why, but I do. 

I climbed a cannon tower to get a view of the city. Pretty, isn't it?

Tiled roof of one of the bigger churches. Also, though the building is completely unremarkable in this photo, the corner building on the right is the Museum of Broken Relationships. Yeah. Apparently people would bring in a object representative of their broken relationships and write up a little story about it. I didn't go in - too weirdly depressing, even for me. One of my roommates did, though, and he said it was uncomfortable and strange. Which sounds about right. 

Zagreb also had a lot of neat little streets with cafes down both sides, and cute shops selling all kinds of awesome stuff. I even found a bag of the smoked paprika crisps I'd enjoyed so much in London! It was a fun little place, but I did feel as though I had run out of things to do quite early, so I was happy enough to leave it for Bled after a few days. 

On my way from Bled to Pula, I had about four hours to kill in Ljubljana. I went wandering all through the city, and managed to find a food fair, which was awesome. Though I didn't see much of it, Ljubljana seems like a nice little place, with a lazy river and loads of sidewalk cafes. There were also dragons everywhere - on buildings, bridges, and what seemed to be the city seal. It was kind of cool!

Pula was a horse of a different colour. I don't know what it was about it, but I was completely incapable of navigating the streets. For some reason, I decided long before I got there that I was going to take a taxi to the hostel, and I'm so glad I did. I would have wound up wandering the streets, bag in hand, lost beyond hope had I tried to figure it out. 

Pula's claim to fame is a Roman amphitheatre, well preserved and in the centre of the city. It was the main reason I came to Pula, so once I got up and at it on the first morning, I set out to find it... And somehow walked a great big circle right back to the hostel. No matter, I told myself. I had a cold drink, put my laundry on, and tried again... And managed to end up at the beach in the complete opposite direction. Really. 

But what a beach. 

Though I hadn't planned to swim, didn't have my towel, and had my bag full of electronics and valuables with me, I couldn't resist the crystal clear water and gentle waves. It probably helped that it was well over 30 degrees, too. I hopped in and went for a swim, and it was amazing. Very happy with that decision! 

Afterwards, I set off for the arena - again - but once again got lost and wound up at the hostel. Fed up, I accepted defeat, and decided to hang out for the afternoon. I proceeded to do just that, sitting in the room to hide from the sun and heat, and had been there for a little less than an hour when one of the other people from my room popped in to say that they were hanging out on the roof terrace, and that I was welcome to join them if I wanted. I finished off what I was working on and headed out to join them a few minutes later. 

They turned out to be a couple of lovely Danish students, among the friendliest people I've met yet! They had noticed that there was a barbecue available on the terrace, so in short order we were planning to buy some charcoal and grill up some grub. They wound up inviting nearly everyone staying at the hostel to join us, and soon we were hosting a rooftop barbecue with twenty people from all over the world drinking and sharing the grill. It was a great night, lots of fun, and while it wasn't how I was expecting my night to go, I had a wonderful time! So Pula wasn't really what I was planning at all, but man was it awesome!