Zagreb is the capital of Croatia. It is a two hour direct flight from London. The flight was quick and I slept most of it. It was really easy to get from the airport to the city centre by bus and tram. I haven't there before, but getting around was clear. I chose to stay in a hostel right in the city centre because I was only staying there one night and leaving at 5 in the morning. It is called Main Square Hostel.
My research of the city was basically the chapter in the lonely planet book. I was already going regardless what the book said, so they needn't to even try hard with me.
The city has such a nice trendy and hip vibe. I stayed just 2mins off the main square and I thought it was perfect. I got to walk everywhere from that point.
I only had the day I arrived in to explore the city & I am happy with what I got to see!
Healthy Organic Vegan dinner at Zrno.
Mimar Museum - wasn't too impressed. I could have lived without seeing it.
Botanical Gardens - loved it, pretty & relaxing.
Zrinjevac Park. It has three fountains - family oriented - nice community vibe.
Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I went there around 8:00pm on a Thursday. They had a sermon of some sort, but I couldn't understand it. The singing from the choir was really beautiful. It was grand on the inside.
Brokenships museum was the best - some things were sad and others were humorous. I bought the book instantly! The great thing it stays open till 10pm.
The highlight of my intense day was the ending. Who would have thought that in one seemingly regular Thursday I would be in one of the coolest spots in Zagreb watching a soulful jazz performance? I certainly didn't and I was thankful for the perfect alignment of stars.
I was standing in the corner of the cafe trying to spot a hidden seat or in any of the tables until a lady waved for me to come sit with her. It was the same lady from the tram. She told me it was her duty to show me warmth and give me the best representation of Croatians. She was very kind. As I was chatting with her another lady from the next table reached and asked: إنتي منين the Arabic threw me off, but again it was a welcome surprise. She is an Egyptian who have settled in Croatia in 2002. They both made me promise to come back next summer for the gorgeous clear beaches. I honestly can't wait! Who knows what will happen next year but I am already considering it.
The Jazz was so good - the ban is called Man Groove. The performance was so enjoyable. If I didn't have a 5am start I would have stayed till the end (midnight). Watch them on youtube.
