We arrived in Zagreb from Kolarić late Sunday afternoon. Google Maps directed us right through the center of the city where many roads were closed due to a marathon. Wouldn’t have been a big deal but I really needed to pee. Luckily we finally got out of the jam and made it to the same apartment we stayed in when we started the trip.
That evening we walked down the street and around the corner to have a home cooked meal with Zora. We were hesitant about meeting because Jim was coughing some, but she said to come on over anyway. We are hoping she stays healthy (she did). She treated me to rakija (Jim abstained because of his congestion even though over here people drink it as a remedy when the are sick). She prepared chicken noodle soup with delicious carrots and homemade noodles. She also served a traditional Sunday dinner of roasted veal and chicken along with salad and yummy potatoes. She loves to cook but doesn’t make desserts but when her good friend and neighbor heard we were coming she made a traditional dessert with a creamy vanilla layer and a creamy chocolate layer and flaky thin sheets of pastry. Tasty, and not too sweet.
We had a nice visit with Zora, although I had a head and neck ache and Jim was struggling with his cough. I don’t recall much of what we talked about but we share openly and easily with each other.
That night Jim felt even worse, and Monday he was in no shape to go out. I went to the market around the corner and got some eggs and a couple other things. The rest of the day we gradually transferred rakija into smaller bottles and divvied things up so none of our suitcases would be too heavy. Hopefully we wrapped and sealed them well enough that they don’t leak or break, or get confiscated when we enter the U.S. (all were fine).
Even though Jim felt lousy we set off to Zora’s to give her a big bag of assorted things we couldn’t take with us- a frying pan and spatula that her friend will donate to charity, some rakija from Lazo that we couldn’t fit into our bottles (he gave us a lot!), some food, etc. Because Jim was feeling so bad we had decided not to hang out as planned, but when Zora saw Jim she was concerned about him and offered to go with us to a pharmacy nearby to see if they might suggest something for his cough for the flight. The pharmacist suggested a mainstream combo of Sudafed and cough suppressant, and a natural lozenge made of Icelandic sea moss which is supposedly good for coughs. Jim didn’t take the drug because side effects can include dizziness and racing heartbeat, both of which he sometimes gets. But he did try the sea moss. Who knows if it helped?
He and I walked to Biggy’s for one last dinner but he felt so bad we decided to order for take out. Jim went on home and I waited for the food. It was yummy.
We continued fine tuning our packing and tried to go to bed early. No,luck for me. So here we are at the Zagreb airport, 2 hours away from take off. Maybe I will sleep a little on the plane…(I had a few 10 minute naps).
I’m so grateful for our time away. And grateful to have a little orange house to go home to.
….
Oj. I am tired. I did not sleep even a wink last night. I often sleep poorly before a flight, especially if I have to get up early. We had to leave the apartment at 3:30 am. It was foggy the whole way but there wasn’t much traffic.
But making matters worse, Jim has been sick for 6 days and, our flight from Amsterdam to Seattle is delayed 5 and a half hours, making a long day/night even longer. Even when healthy these long flights and long waits can be challenging, but it’s especially hard when sick. I had my turn in 2023. I don’t know what virus I had but I was miserable- feverish, achey, hot, flushed, literally blowing my torrentially dripping nose every five minutes, and in a daze. I knew the trip would end but the moments ticked by so slowly. In any case, Jim isn’t quite that bad, but nearly so- he had feverish dreams, has been hot/cold, very tired and achey, painful cough and spacy. For the first few days we thought he just had a mild cold, but then he got worse. His cough is looser today so maybe he is improving. But this travel day is tough on both of us.
In addition, last night Delta told us our aircraft had changed and we were booted out of our Comfort Plus seats and put in middle section aisle seats one behind the other. Luckily when we got to Amsterdam we went to customer service and were able to get side seats together.
…
When we arrived in Amsterdam, since there was no rush to go through Border Control, and the guy monitoring the line confirmed that the lines are usually shorter later in the morning, we found a restaurant with comfortable seats and ordered breakfast. I thought the (overpriced) food (eggs and toast) was fine but Jim had little apetite and nothing looked good to him, nor could he taste. We then made our way to the passport control line and indeed it was much shorter than it had been 2 hours earlier. We waited maybe 10 minutes to get our faces and passports scanned, no stamps anymore. Once in our concourse I stood in line at Delta’s Customer Service desk and was able to change seats. At first i stood in the zone 5-8 line that was moving slowly but then realized we were zone 3 so i was able to move to a line with only 1 person ahead of me. At that time there were not 2 Comfort Plus seats available together but we were able to switch to 2 seats by a window which was better because that way Jim wouldn’t be coughing right next to a stranger sitting next to him. And we could be together. (and we have since been refunded the extra amount we paid for the Comfort Plus seats).
The next few hours at the airport Jim continued to sleep as much as he could. Every time he sat down he literally fell asleep within about a minute. I stood watch and wrote a bit. I learned that our 5+ hour delay was due to a mechanical problem with the plane scheduled to fly from Seattle to Amsterdam. The Seattle passengers had to wait for a different plane to arrive and they departed 5 hours late. The replacement plane was a different model than the original and had fewer Comfort Plus seats which is why we were booted out of our seats into the Main cabin.
While waiting at the gate to board a representative from a private business wandered around passing his card out and telling us that the EU has a regulation that entitles passengers to compensation when their flight is delayed more than 3 hours. (I researched it once we got home, and we have applied directly with the airline for compensation but have not heard back yet).
Finally, we boarded. Our plane took off at 4, well over 5 hours late. Jim managed to sleep a good bit on the plane and had a period of feeling passable enough to watch a couple movies. He alternated between being hot and cold. At one point he had a bout of extreme shivering so intense his whole body shook. I grabbed an extra blanket and put mine and his on him as well and he conked out. I dozed a few times for about 10 minutes each time. The plane was not close to being full which made us feel less claustrophobic than when packed together with every seat taken. The bathrooms stayed cleaner, which also was nice. Jim still had no appetite and the mediocre airplane food repulsed him. I didn’t mind it.
We landed, almost 10 hours after take-off, and 22 hours after leaving our apartment in Zagreb. I was happy to see the dark green hills of Seattle, and all the grey-blue water. I still love this landscape so much even if not what the city and culture here have devolved into.
Our luggage came quickly, and there were only a few people in the line for US citizens at passport control. Nobody asked us any questions about where we had been or what we were bringing home. They just pointed to where to stand and we were scanned in about 3 seconds. That was it.
Our kind friend Mark had been waiting at the cell lot for us and drove us home through rush hour traffic. At my request he brought with him eggs, bread and butter. Being 3 am Zagreb time when we arrived home I knew neither of us would be fit to go to the store for food.
Upon arrival I greeted our little orange house with thanks and appreciation. Our neighbors who had been house sitting had cleaned it up nicely and left fresh cut flowers for us on the table. I did some unpacking. We showered. I made eggs and toast for myself and we were in bed before 8:30. When I woke at midnight I was disoriented and didn’t know where I was. This happens after every international trip.
I’ve yet to reflect on our trip. Yesterday I was too tired and not feeling good. I’m still unsure if my symptoms are due to jet lag or if I’m fighting off whatever Jim has. I did go to the store as well as file online for compensation for the delayed flight as well as for being downgraded to the smaller seats. We’ll see what comes of that.
I am grateful we were able to make this trip, and grateful to now be home. I have no idea if we will return to the Balkans, but in any case the people, places and culture we’ve come to know and love live inside us and will continue to inspire and nourish me for years to come.
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