random thoughts on Zagreb

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I have some catching up to do. After leaving Ljubljana, I took the train to Zagreb, Croatia. My first comment is that the young women in Zagreb are very fashionable and pretty. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for the men. Not as many lookers, but I haven’t given up hope.



My hotel in Zagreb was terrific. I couldn’t have picked a better location. It was right in the center by the main square and only twenty million steps up to the Old Town. Not really, but it seemed like it. It was just at the bottom of the steps to the best part of the city. It was also right next to the Dolac Market, with tons of fresh fruits and vegetables. It was really beautiful and I saw things that I had never seen before. After making my way up to Old Town, I visited St Marks Church and 2 great museums. One was the museum of Broken Relationships and the other was the museum of Naïve Art. Both were great. The first one was a little quirky, with funny things and others were kinda sad. The contributors were from all over the world. I guess we Americans don’t hold the monopoly on dysfunctional relationships. The art museum was really pretty and it showed only peasant art, not any trained artists.



After my museum visits, I went for dinner at a restaurant in Old Town. It was built on the side of the hill and only had 6 tables inside and a winter garden outside for more seating. It was very cute and cozy. Turns out that Hilary Clinton ate there last year. Her picture and letter were posted on the wall.



The next day, it was on to Budapest, but the journey was endless. 6 ½ hours on a slow train. Thank goodness for my new friend Jessica. She is a 22 yr old German student studying in Ljubljana. We kept each other entertained for the long journey. For all my single guy friends from work, she is a double for Cameron Diaz. We had a great time talking about the different cultures, etc. If not for her, it would have been a miserable day. My arrival in Budapest was around dinner time, so after cleaning up a bit, I asked the front desk for a restaurant recommendation. Luckily, the entire street is full of upscale pubs, cafes and restaurants. I chose a traditional Hungarian place. I sat down and right away I was invited to join a couple from Australia, Jen and Jim. They are in Europe travelling for several months. The vacation policy down under is fabulous. None of the 2 or 3 week stuff like in the US. I won’t tell you what they get, or it will make you all jealous. We had a great time. The first thing they asked was whether our government shutdown was going to last long. Interestingly, that is the first question everyone has asked me on this trip when they find out I’m American. I think other countries are more interested in our politics than we are. Maybe because we are all disenchanted with Washington.



A couple random thoughts: why is ice so hard to get overseas? It is hardly ever served with cold drinks. My other thought or question, really. Why do we as Americans tear down perfectly good buildings to build newer, bigger ones? If something is a little dated, we tear it down. In Europe they preserve their buildings and just renovate. And last…do border guards have different facial muscles that do not allow them to crack a smile?

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