The Zagreb Rerun

July 23, 2023: We had time for a quick Zagreb Rerun this year.  Though short, it was a nostalgic stop, like visiting an old friend.

Our Croatia Trip in 2021 was our first outside of “western culture”.  It seemed sketchy. Our limited awareness of the capital, Zagreb, was from a 1963 James Bond flick.  The Slavic tongue was difficult (where are the vowels?).  The body language and customs seemed unfriendly.  UN Peacekeepers had been in the Balkan region just 30 years prior trying to avert the worst genocide since World War II.  As we taxied into Zagreb from the airport, we were shocked by the tagging that marred nearly every building.

Yeah, we were nervous.

But trepidation slowly warmed into delight (see Zagreb Impressions from 2021).  The people are friendly and happy to have us.  The city was clean. The food was good. Croatia has become one of our favorite places.  And a Zagreb rerun fit perfectly into our 2023 Central Europe trip.

Long Train Runnin’

Our train from Budapest arrived in Zagreb about 10:30pm.  A hot (windows, no a/c) seven-hour journey behind us, we were exhausted and chose to sleep rather than enjoy another Zagreb Saturday Night.  From the station we stumbled across the street to Hotel Central.  Our reunion with the city would wait for morning.

The Dolac

Jean was up early to revisit the Dolac, Zagreb’s city-center produce market.  She keenly observed the grandmothers with hand-trolleys.  This is the easiest way to identify the best vendors, and best produce.  Just as the grandmothers did, Jean counted out exact change for the bell peppers, onion, cucumber, and peaches that were to be our lunch.

The Rerun

While Jean shopped, I started a “rerun” of Bundek Park, nostalgically repeating a long route from 2021.  A careless step changed the plan before I reached ½ mile; a loose cobblestone sent me to the ground with a badly sprained right ankle. 

After muttering and massaging the ankle for 15 minutes, I stubbornly decided to continue, with a much shorter route through Lenuci Park in Donji Grad (downtown).  The alternate route was a gift; locals celebrated a folk festival in the park, complete with costumes and excellent vocal music.  Pausing to listen helped my ankle and my mood considerably.

Onward

Jean and I soon reconnected, pleased and a bit nostalgic about our brief reconnection with Zagreb, where our MnJTravel2 international travels had begun.  We collected our Renault Clio from CarWhiz, and were off to Slovenia and new adventures.