Kirk surprised me with a long weekend at the Westin in Zagreb, Croatia! We flew in from London, about a 2 hour flight. We landed and went out to find the bus to the center of town. On the drive in to the main bus terminal, we saw on the outskirts of town the definite influences of communism in the gray block apartment tenements. It was gray and rather depressing. We found our way from the main bus station to the closest tram stop and figured out how to buy a ticket at a small news kiosk while trying to figure out the local currency (kuna). We took the tram to the Westin and stopped for a sandwich before checking in.
The hotel is nice and we settled in for the weekend. There was a small gift shop in the lobby selling all things Croation. We went in and were able to sample flavored olive oils and different types of grappa, some of which was 43% alcohol! Wow! We then went out to start exploring. I found a great hair salon and got some great highlights and a cut, much cheaper than I would have paid in London! The salon owner suggested a great restaurant for dinner (she was even kind enough to call and make a reservation for us). Carpaccio was an Italian restaurant where we had a nice bottle of prosecco and some great italian cuisine.
Day two saw us exploring the old part of the city, which was much more European and charming. We trekked up to see Parliament, old churches, cobblestone streets and charming shops. They will be inaugurating their new president on Sunday and they were setting up the stage and risers near Parliament. We will see if we can get close to see the events. They told us when we checked in that security at the hotel would be increased over the weekend which tells us that there will be some high level guests here. More to come later!
At noon everyday, they shoot a cannon to announce the mid-day. There is a legend behind this dating
back to their war with the Turks.
It is cold but sunny and there are small piles of snow around.
The one thing I don't like is that they smoke, a lot...everywhere! They aren't supposed to smoke inside public buildings but some of them do anyway. Most of the outdoor spaces at the restaurants are full with the smokers. It is almost overwhelming.
The prices are good here compared to London so we did a little shopping. The second night we ate at a place called American Steak and Grill. It was ok but definitely not as good as Carpaccio's.
There is graffiti everywhere, and I mean everywhere. One of the top tourist things here is a "graffiti" wall. It is really kind of a shame that they graffiti the older historical buildings.
