So you ask, “What is it that intrigues you so much about travel?” When at home and into my routine I do ponder this question and pose very intellectual responses. Then when I arrived in Zagreb after a day of boarding three planes to travel from Corfu I did wonder myself the wisdom of my wanderlust. But just a short time after walking the streets in the rain the following morning, I was reminded again of the excitement I feel when stimulated by unfamiliar sites and sounds.
Zagreb is energetic and very much how I pictured an Eastern European city. Somehow the dreary rainy day added to the scene rather than detracting. The maze of umbrellas moved as one covering for those in the streets. Women in stylish boots mixed with those in more traditional practical shoes were visible everywhere. I looked for words to capture my take on this city and found a few in the Lonely Planet guidebook. Lines that spoke my sentiments included, “a good deal of old-world graciousness and sober Austro-Hungarian buildings mark Zagreb.”
Though I wanted to stop and sip an espresso while digesting my surroundings I knew my time was short in Croatia and I had few plans in place for the week to come. Part of arriving without a plan is the process of checking my mood and what suits at the moment. Heading to the Dalmatian coast was a must but how and when was yet unanswered. My luck with trains when traveling is not the best so there was little surprise when I learned that the train tracks just happened to be under repair for the week of my intended travels. Long hours on the bus after long hours in planes did not suit. The decision to fly to Split was an easy one.
Standing at the counter of the travel agency I would have thought I had stepped back in time if it had not been for internet connections and questions about my mobile number. In less than an hour the itinerary was set. Fly to Split, overnight there with time to wander through Diocletian’s Palace, imposing Roman ruins that have been named a UNESCO site, then bus to Dubrovnik along the Dalmatian coast and through Bosnia. As I contemplated these plans I recalled seeing “Out of Sarajevo” and thought of the turmoil in this part of the world just 15 years ago. But the day was young and I had 24hours to discover the highpoints of Zagreb.
