What a time to be alive!

Ahhh, the beautiful city of Zagreb. Here is where Walker and I will stay for the next few days until we hitch a ride to Crni Lug, on the Adriatic Coast. It’s been a wonderful time so far, and despite a long and strenuous plane ride, we have arrived in one piece. We’re staying with Walker’s cousin, Filip, in his Dubrava apartment, which is quite a nice place. Through some miscommunication, Filip didn’t know we were actually staying with him until we met up with him at the airport, but he has been a wonderful host nonetheless. We stayed in for the first evening after arriving, talking and enjoying each others company late into the night.

On the second day, Walker and I woke up very early (7AM!) to meet his friend in the Ban Jelačić Square for some kava. Though we were a little confused as to how the tram system worked, we boarded the 11 tram as per Filips direction, and hoped to find the right spot to exit. While riding, a nice lady asked us if we knew where we were going, giving testament to our tourist nature. She gave us helpful information as to where to get off, what food is good, interesting sights to see, and other useful information. Before we knew it, the Jelačić statue stood before us, and we bid the kind woman a farewell.

After coffee with Walker’s friend, we began venturing around the city, looking at what it has to offer. We saw the amazing Cathedral of Zagreb, and even had a chance to sit in on a portion of a sermon. We walked all around the Square, looking at Walker’s old school, random places he would hang out, and an interesting art section for local people to have a place to paint the walls. We ventured to Upper Town, where we found ourselves with an amazing view of the city. We saw St. Mark’s Church (from back when Croatia was under communist control), some old painting of Mary, and incredible architecture throughout the city.

It’s interesting not knowing any of the language, and while I can get by with English, I would also feel like a full-on tourist doing so. I can say a few things, like ‘good day’ (dobar dan), ‘thank you’ (hvala), and ‘beer’ (pivo), but no where near the extent I would need to actually get by. Good thing I have Walker here, and even though his Croatian isn’t perfect, he is very much able to listen, understand, and respond with what we need. Looking forward, we’re planning on visiting some museums in the next couple of days, and having our first night out on the town! Stay tuned my friends.