Brief time in Zagreb Croatia

It’s been a week since we were in Zagreb and am finally writing about our brief stay there now.

We arrived on time, got our phone card, and picked up our white Ford Fiesta from Alamo with no problems. Once again we paid a small arm and leg in order to get the maximum insurance. Total cost for 6 weeks is about $2300, more expensive than earlier years but about the same as we paid last year. Thank goodness Jim is willing to do all the driving. I don’t love driving in general but I find it especially stressful here. It’s not death I fear but I would prefer to avoid severe or lasting injuries from an accident. After being in 3 small car accidents in 4 years a while back I’m more on edge than I used to be. Luckily I was not severely injured in any of the mishaps but even now I deal with flare-ups of neck and shoulder pain. Of course I know that feeling stressed in the car will not prevent an accident from happening, but i feel stressed (regardless of what country I am in) nonetheless. But my stress does not prevent me from going places and appreciating what I see along the way!

We arrived at our spacious one bedroom apartment in less than a half hour although it took some scouting and asking people to help me find which of the 8-10 similar looking building was ours. They looked to us like Communist era buildings but our friend Morana said they were newer. In any case they were homely (mostly concrete) on the outside but our unit, on the 7th floor, was nice inside. The theme of the decor was inspiring quotes and labels. Above the bed was a sign that said, ‘bed’, for example, and ‘bath’ next to the tub, in case that wasn’t obvious to someone. 😆 We never met our host but she had sent very clear instructions for getting into the building, getting the key, and getting into the parking garage.

We were exhausted from not sleeping for 24 hours and were eager to find a place to eat and get to bed early. The restaurant we chose, Batak Grill, was about a 15 minute walk (mostly along a main street) and turned out to be an excellent choice. The new, modern place was nearly empty at 6 pm but when I asked for a table the host asked if we had a reservation. When we said no they made a show (in a friendly way) of going out of their way to find a table for us which I found odd since it was a big place and was largely empty. But we were grateful. Our server asked if we wanted rakija (the very high octane traditional drink served in the region), and at first I said no because I was tired and dehydrated and sleep deprived, but when he said theirs is especially good we relented and said ok. I got the apricot, Jim got the walnut. We toasted ‘živali’ to each other and our travels. Both were excellent. Our meal was also delicious. I ordered salad, a mixed ćevapi plate that included  chicken and cheese ćevapi which I had never seen before, and Jim ordered a big salad with chicken. We also ordered their specially made potatoes. When we were done the server asked if we would like more rakija, on the house. We couldn’t turn down the offer and ordered another apricot and a honey version that was layered with flavor. When I started to leave the waiter flagged me down to let me know I’d left my bag at the table. I was grateful he noticed before we left because it had my passport and wallet in it. This was a reminder to be extra attentive to the whereabouts of my stuff!

On our walk home we were surprised as we are on every visit by the number of young teens and children playing unsupervised in the dark with no need to fear possible harm. It reminded us of when we were young and faced few threats where we each grew up. Now, in Seattle, kids do not roam about freely after dark, and even during the day it is wise to stay alert regardless of one’s age. 

I slept 7 hours, which is good for me! Wednesday we found a place to eat breakfast ($9 for pastries, bacon and omelettes), then stopped at a grocery store to pick up a few things for our trip, then lounged at home until early afternoon when our friend, Morana, arrived with her sweet, brindled, pit bull mix, Lidija who we met last year. I first met Morana online through the Process Work community 9 years ago and we see her every time we are in Zagreb. Last year we stayed in her parent’s flat (gratis) which she is nearly done sprucing up to rent on Booking.com. Cedar stayed there this summer when he was in Zagreb and left a bag of goodies for her to give to us. This year we chose to rent a place because her place does not have separate bedrooms and I wanted a place to sleep where I could close the door against Jim’s noisy nighttime breathing.

Morana drove us to a nearby nature preserve near the river that has many grassy trails that weave through wetlands and between small lakes where we saw numerous men fishing in secluded little coves.  There is also an ‘ornithology center’ that was a small wood cabin with a few bird posters outside, and ears of corn hanging from the rafters.

We had a nice chat, Morana doing most of the talking. Last winter at age 42 she discovered she has adhd and the diagnosis has helped her understand some of her tendencies and challenges. She is using supplements to balance her brain chemistry and they seem to be helping. She recently completed a permaculture program and stopped several times on our stroll to point out, pick and eat various plants. Lidija fetched sticks from the water.

Morana is extremely smart but, like many of us, has had a difficult time finding her niche in modern urban capitalistic society. Her social and political values and perspectives are considerably far outside the mainstream. I always find her interesting to listen to. And she has a big heart and good sense of humor.

After parting at our apartment Jim took a quick nap while I dealt with logistical things regarding our phones. Then we walked 35 minutes to meet another friend, Zora, for dinner at the Budweiser Grill. We started our meal with a couple rounds of rakija because once again the host bragged that they had a great selection. We enjoyed all of them! For dinner we had salads, traditional beans, homemade bread, and a shared huge platter of grilled  meats and potatoes. 

I met Zora many years ago, online, also through Process Work, and Kendra and I stayed at her flat on our first visit in 2014. Zora is a psychotherapist and in recent years has been writing about psychology and ultimately will publish a book. She, too, is very smart, insightful and kind. She is still in a painful period of transition and loss due to her dear mom dying and an ugly breakup from a long term partner this past year. We had good conversation about the decline of society and the shared perils we face.

I like Zagreb as a city but it feels and looks more European than Balkan. It’s vibrant, green and safe and many people get about on foot, tram or scooter rather than car. The locals complain about the big rise in prices in the past couple years but compared with Seattle the prices are, for us, reasonable.

I did not sleep well that night but since Jim was to be the driver the next day it didn’t matter. We ate leftovers for breakfast, packed up and headed to Banja Koviljaca on another warm sunny day. 

(still working out how to work with images… below: our first meal, apartment in Zagreb, birding center and wetlands park, Morana and Lidija