Zagreb, Croatia

I’ve only been here a few hours but I am liking Zagreb. I like its vibe and I like its grit. Zagreb is in the northern part of Croatia and is much different than the Adriatic style Croatia that most people are familiar with.

I check in to my B&B and look for a restaurant since I didn’t really eat lunch today and it is already mid afternoon.

I try a local specialty called strukli. There are a couple different ways strukli is cooked but it’s a salty cheese dish. It can be sweet but I never try a sweet one. I order the gratinated version which is like a pasta dish served very hot. I have to wait until it cools to not burn my mouth. I am very surprised I like it so much. I have had many cheesy things lately so hard to impress but this dish is good.

I decide to walk up the stairs to upper town where I get a look at the city and the funicular that I will take tomorrow. It is overcast and a little chilly but I don’t mind. At least it’s not raining (today) like other parts of Croatia have been.

Most museums are closed but one that is open later is the museum of broken relationships. The theme is relics that are acquired during a relationship, romantic or otherwise. Exhibits are accompanied by short stories or explanations of its meaning.

I leave the museum and walk around upper town, the old part of Zagreb that’s located up on the higher part of town. One can walk up stairs to get here like I did, walk uphill or take a funicular (which I will do later).

One common thing I notice is that most of the major sites are almost completely covered and under maintenance. I already know I am going to have to return to see the city when the work is completed.

I walk some more and find a hidden church in a walkway as I walk back down toward lower town. I find out later the significance of it. Porta di Pietra, or Stone Gate, is a Christian shrine to Mary that miraculous survived a fire.

It’s probably obvious by now but if there is a “hidden” tunnel or cave or whatnot I am interested in seeing it. I head to the not so hidden WWII bomb shelter tunnels in Zagreb. There are multiple entrances but there isn’t much to it besides it being pretty large. I guess it has good acoustics because i hear singing from one part of the tunnel.

I pass through the passage way called the Oktogon. It has a beautiful octagon atrium.

The weather is nice so I walk the streets some more.

Nikola Tesla actually born in the region in a town nearby to Zagreb. They have a statue for him in the city.

I have a drink at a cafe and then a snack and then I head back to my B&B, staying up later than I anticipated. My reprieve from the regional rain ends since it starts up when I get back to my B&B. One problem with shoulder season travel is the threat of rain. The rain goes all night but hopefully it doesn’t ruin the two tours I have planned for tomorrow.

Split, alone

It’s only 2 minutes walk

In Split it’s only 2 minutes away. I am in old town Split. It’s not that big and every time I google directions to a particular sight or business here it is only 2 minutes away according to google maps. It is inaccurate of course but it gets comical as the visit here goes on.

My friend leaves this morning so I am alone in my travels again, at least for a couple weeks. It’s been fun having a companion so I am sad to see M go home.

It’s raining again today. Luckily I don’t have far to walk.

My friend leaves while I sleep so I get up and make it to a late breakfast. Fortunately I get a surprise early check in at my fancy hotel I’ve paid with credit card points. It’s helpful because it’s raining and I’m not sure how much walking around I’m going to do right now.

Breakfast is a dessert for breakfast french toast. Because the rain I’m eating inside.

All the partying the last few days has my energy spent. The only thing I dare put on the agenda today is the very ridiculous Froggyland and maybe one more attempt at some decent seafood for dinner.

Froggyland is just as ridiculous as I imagined. In the early 1900’s a Hungarian taxidermist created all these scenes with frogs doing everyday human things. Yes it is just as it sounds. They have a strict no photo policy there so here are some photos off the flyer.

I go to the Luxor restaurant for dinner. I can’t decide what I want so I order the Croatian style cevapi and some seafood arancini balls.

I finally visit the bakery I’ve been wanting to visit Bäckerei Kruscic since it was closed the day before. I had wanted to order something savory but all the labels are in Croatian. Embarrassed to ask what things are I point to one that looks good. It ends up being sweet and somewhat like a Kolach. It has apples and some other things I am not so sure about.

My flight is the early afternoon. I take a cab because I don’t trust any other form of transport to get me there in time. The airport is pretty small. I love how effortless it is to check in for these domestic flights.

My next stop is Zagreb.

Hvar and the cave tour

Our ferry takes us 3 hours to get to the charming Mediterranean town of Hvar. It is the beginning of season and we are the only guests except one other small group at our B&B. This town is pricey so we close this B&B with great reviews because there is a family member that will frequently be able to take you to and from town. Otherwise it is a 2 km walk uphill, which we have yet to attempt. It is still a little chilly in town and they have just refilled the pool for season; not sure if we will have enough time to swim since our time here is short but the pool and the view is nice. They also have a pretty nice breakfast spread but it is 15 Euros, expensive but seems to be on par with this island. This is not a discount vacation location. We are sad that we are too early to enjoy the lavender fields but we do have an all day cave boat tour scheduled tomorrow.

Our ferry arrives in the afternoon so we stop to eat before we have our driver pick us up. We both enjoy a very rich truffle cheese gnocchi. It is so rich that even I, the human equivalent of a cheese-like Cookie Monster, have to scrape a layer of cheeese off. It is rich and very good. Before we try to settle the bill the waiter offers us glasses of free local wine that we enjoy. We glance around town a bit but can’t do much on account of our bags and call our driver. We note that this is a party town and some late night places don’t even open until 2 am. I am not sure I would have even been able to handle that during my “club” days. When I was younger I could extend the fun to the early morning but only if the early evening had started the activities.

In the morning we eat breakfast and we head down to town early before our boat ride.

We meet with the coordinator of the tour and they give us the disappointing news that the blue cave part of the tour is canceled for the day. It is disappointing but not at all surprising. The conditions have to be right to visit the blue cave and this past month alone it had only been reached 50% of the time. Us and many of the passengers decide to carry on with the boat tour anyway due to there being enough other stops to make it worthwhile (besides I already had an amazing blue cave experience many years ago in Capri in Italy).

They split the passengers into two boats and while I am initially sad we are to go in the small red boat, but I quickly realize I am with the fun group and it makes the tour much more enjoyable. First its about a thirty minute ride out and then we ride along and admire the coast of another island. Due to it being a choppy day, no one is manning and collecting money for the green cave so our adept captain takes our entire boat inside to enjoy. Due to the seas being rough we are unable to swim inside today though.

Our next stop is a small secluded beach only accessed by boat or by a steep trail. It was used in the second Mamma Mia movie. Our guide tells us we can swim out to the beach but only one is brave enough for a swim since the water is cold and it is early. We all resolve to watch the beach from the distance until the solo bartender on the beach waves us down and comes out with a small boat to taxi us over. Luckily we all get a better view from inside the beach. We are sure to purchase some beers from him for his kindness.

Supporting the local private beach business man

We are off to our next stop which are some arches in a cave that look pretty cool. Again if the sea wasn’t rough we could have been swimming in there but it is too dangerous today. We do stop in another little enclave that some of us do brave the cold water and jump in.

We next stop for lunch at another island. Mine is not memorable.

Finally we stop at a Cold War submarine cave at Vis. We get off the boat and walk through a tunnel.

We meet up with some of the groups of girls on the boat ride afterwards at an outdoor cafe. About 5 of us are from the US and the rest are from the UK. We talk about various things. It is nice getting to know people while I am traveling and seeing the world through other’s perspective.

I have a not so exiting dinner and then we have the driver from our hotel come pick us up. We have an afternoon ferry tomorrow so we mull over things to do in the morning. Our driver insists we should visit the castle on the hill and he will drop us off in the morning.

The next morning we pack up our bags and the driver says he will bring them to us down by the bus station later so we’ll have them for our ferry. This eliminates the stress of wondering what to do with our heavy bags while we sightsee.

There is a nice view of town from the fortress. We take the walk down to down afterwards watching people walk uphill from town. We definitely have the easier way of doing things by having our driver drop us at the top. There are some lovely gardens of the way down. We learn that it is designed this way by one influential person.

We get to the bottom, pick up our bags and catch our short ferry to split where we will pick up our rental car and drive to Zadar for a couple days in that region.

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Today I am taking a bus from Kotor (Montenegro) over the border to Dubrovnik Croatia. I crossed borders by vehicle a couple days ago, Bosnia and Herzegovina to Montenegro, and it was pretty easy . But now we are actually crossing into the EURO zone and I guess it gets more complicated. Our bus is 30 minutes late already. No big deal because its supposed to be only a two hour ride; but that was before I found out what crossing the borders actually meant.

Pretty rough street cat at the bus station. My heart hurts watching him.

Seems like an uneventful bus ride, at the beginning

Things seem simple enough leaving Montenegro. They don’t even stamp us on the way out. I have to go to the bathroom but afraid the bus will leave without me i decide to wait. We get to the Croatian border and the line is pretty long. We wait at least 45 minutes until they have us exit the bus to go through passport control. Everything seems fine as persons cross the border line one by one. Then they have us get back of the bus to claim our things and get in another line to get searched. Everyone is thoroughly searched. I am towards the end of the line so I don’t really know what is going on until the end. I just assumed they would X-ray our suitcases like they do at the airports. Instead they search each bag and it becomes obvious they are looking for drugs; not only illegal substance but also prescription drugs that are not accompanied by a prescription. I am even asked if I have marijuana multiple times. I have never been searched like this before, especially at the border of the EU. Two ladies from our bus are taken aside and have to paid fines for their antidepressants they can’t provide prescriptions for. One guy is taken in a private room and made to strip down. Another guy never returns to the bus. One can only assumed he is being detained at the border. After a very long wait we finally resume our journey.

The bus station in Dubrovnik is about 20 minutes from the old town by public bus which costs two euros. It looks like the bus station and ferry port are either the same or very close. The bus drops me at the main gate in town and I waddle myself in between the tour groups entering the city at the same time. This is supposed to be the shoulder season of traveling here but the crowds are so thick during the day I can’t see how it can be worse. It would be downright unbearable during season combined with the heat of the summer. The temperatures are just about right for me right now. Very warm during the day in the sun, chilly at night. Not great swimming weather but great for wandering around town.

Luckily my apartment is available for early check in because there are no guests before and after our reservation. I haven’t had a chance to eat lunch because of out extended bus ride. There are a plate of taffy like candies that I end up devouring. I don’t even really tend to crave sweets and I cannot stop eating these things. I must go out and get some food.

My big plans were to get laundry done but the only nearby laundry closes in 30 minutes and is not self-service. Luckily they have a quick turn around so I plan to drop off first thing tomorrow.

Wandering the back alleys you get a feel for how it was in the past walking the stone streets, especially the streets not packed with tour groups.

As expected I reward my long stressful bus ride with a wine and a cheese plate.

I meet up with some new friends I had met in Mostar a couple days ago and they introduce me to Bar Dodo. We enjoy a drink, good conversation and a good view.

My new friends need to leave early because they are flying home tomorrow so I head to dinner. I din’t plan well and pick a pricey restaurant for my first meal. I try the local black risotto and fresh oysters. The risotto is good but I am disappointed with the oysters. Ive had much better oysters outside of Croatia. For being on the water I’ve had disappointing seafood during my travels thus far.

The next morning is laundry and breakfast. I wander around town while I wait for my friend to arrive. I also light a candle for my mom at a local church as a gesture to remembering her during my travels. I am not a christian but it gives me a moment of peace to do this for her.

I notice a statue of a local Marin Drzic’. There are only a few statues erected in town and this is one of them. People rub the nose for luck or such but there is no official lore related to that. We learn more about him later during a walking tour.

Our apartment overlooks the famous stairs featured in game of thrones – a show I have not watched. The one scene in question has a character walking down the stairs while people chant “shame shame shame”.

I will periodically hear people chanting “shame, shame, shame” outside.

My friend arrives and we decide to eat. She’s had a long flight and she is hungry. I drag her to a restaurant that I see on a travel program Barba. I want to try their octopus burger. The bread isn’t exciting but the burger itself is good. My friend’s shrimp burger not good. It looks like the octopus burger is the best choice there.

We check out some stores and an outdoor market. There are some fun dresses I am tempted to buy. There seems to be a specific style of Dubrovnik tourist fashion.

We try to visit the “must-see” bar buzz bar but it is not open for service yet. I decide to take my friend down to the bar I had visited the night before.

We sign up for a free walking tour to get a feel for the city. We learn a little more about the history and get some advice on places to eat and visit. We learn about the orphanages in town and a story the sounds almost like the original “kids to get off my lawn” from a priest yelling at boys playing football.

We go to one of the restaurants suggested by the guide and it turns out disappointing. I guess we are a month too early for mussel season. They are small, gritty and not very tasty. Bad luck agin.

We take our wine bottle back to our room (yeah fridge) and finally notice the bottle of unmarked brandy in the room. The host left some local treats and this bottle that we can only assume to sample. I taste the wormwood right away. It’s a bit rough to get it down but when in Rome (or Croatia). Hopefully it helps me get to sleep quicker!

We think it’s Pelinkovac, a bitter liqueur

Tomorrow we plan to kayak and walk the walls. Nite nite.

Kotor, Montenegro

My driver drops me off outside the old city gates. We have driven through beautiful fjord looking mountains surrounding a bay. As we get closer to Kotor the traffic gets worse and I see a large cruise ship ahead.

I grab my bags and go in the old city to meet the owner of the apartment I am renting. I am starting to second guess my visit to this town. Crowds are thick with groups doing day tours of the town. I’ve been communicating with the apartment owner by WhatsApp who tells me to wait in front of a church. A boy appears with an older photo of me on his phone “Is this you?” Yes and so I follow him. I am following a little boy to my apartment apparently. I meet his mom. She says he is 7 and she is teaching him English and often sends him on task; a point that is reinforced when he comes to collect my payment later.

I settle in and decide to eat and walk the city walls. The lady at the apartment tells me I am visiting on a holiday time. Many businesses will be closed the next two days, including grocery stores. She tells me that most of the restaurants in the old city are rip offs and not really good but then tells me most things outside the old city will be closed so I really have no choice, do I?

I eat at a lackluster place and then wander around. I start to notice all the cats. I think I read about the cats in my research but perhaps I forgot? Anyway this town is a holiday getaway for many including cruisers, people from nearby Balkan countries and until lately Russians. Despite the slow down it is still pretty busy here, luckily it does ease up a bit during the week.

This town is almost at the coast, actually a bay. The country once was part of Yugoslavia. It held onto the membership more than some but is now independent like all the other former Yugoslavia nations. It is facing some of the same problems politics wise as its neighbor, Bosnia and Herzgovina.

I end up going a wine tasting at a little bar. I had wanted to buy a bottle to take back to my apartment but all the wine shops are closed for the next couple days. Luckily I get a discount on a local bottle of wine. I sip this bottle for the next couple days. I also try a chardonnay that I can handle since it usually is not my favorite. I am also introduced to grapes I know nothing about.

The next morning I let myself sleep in so its too late to start and ascent up to the fort up the mountain. The heat gets unbearable to do the climb if you attempt it too late. I decide to take the day off today because tomorrow I have a very long day tour scheduled. I do go out to eat meals and walk along the city walls late in the morning but I am not doing any planned sightseeing today. In fact I use this time to pay bills and follow up on future travel arrangements. I forgot to schedule days off to do these things so days off have to be forced.