after the heat and chaos of india i admit it was a bit of a shock to return to a gray, rainy europe. everything in the brussels airport seemed so sterile and commercial in comparison. a cold drizzly budapest didn't seem like a particularly attractive option. still, we made the most of our day in the city (more on that later) and by the time we moved on to croatia, we were feeling pretty good.
we arrived in zagreb without difficulty. finding the hotel was another story... whose moral is, 'always spring for the gps'. at any rate we eventually found our place, a guest house run by a colorful looking woman, whose crazy highlighted curls were offset by her bright white plastic glasses and fuchsia tights. she seemed like fun.
we found we could explore most of zagreb on foot and in the better part of a day. the old city is pleasant enough, with its cobblestone streets and abundant churches (most locked up, we discovered). the few churches were busy with pious, praying devotees, but what the city seems to really love is cafes. we had read about the 'cafe culture' and national fascination with people-watching, but nowhere is it more apparent than on tkalciceva street (i know, this language is ridiculous). people apparently stop in the middle of the day but unlike the spanish siesta, the croatians take a break to have a drink and watch other people. a little weird maybe but fun too.
the downside to this cafe culture, we discovered later, was the inverse relationship of cafes to restaurants. in most croatian cities, while there was always an abundance of caffe/bars, there was often a dearth (or total absence!) of restaurants. one day we were forced to resort to fast food (though we never had to stoop to 'american donut', a stand that, evidently, serves kebabs. go figure.)
but i'm getting off topic. apart from an odd attachment to cafes, the croatians - like all sensible europeans - have wonderful outdoor markets. the one in zagreb was one of the best. it's characterized by its typical red striped umbrellas that literally cover the square in front of the cathedral. under these you can find most any kind of produce, along with eggs, cheese, and baskets (we just had to get one).
but my favorite part of the market was the flowers! just down the stairs from the main square the row of flowers. and it is delightful.
the bundles of bouquets are quite diverse, some small, some elaborate, all colorful and lovely. and the prices were quite reasonable. we found a nice little bouquet we just had to get for courtney for a nice little present. those flowers ended up making it to picnics and hotels throughout croatia and abroad (well, across the border). certainly a wise investment.
on the whole we were pleasantly surprised by zagreb. a little city with some charm.
we arrived in zagreb without difficulty. finding the hotel was another story... whose moral is, 'always spring for the gps'. at any rate we eventually found our place, a guest house run by a colorful looking woman, whose crazy highlighted curls were offset by her bright white plastic glasses and fuchsia tights. she seemed like fun.
we found we could explore most of zagreb on foot and in the better part of a day. the old city is pleasant enough, with its cobblestone streets and abundant churches (most locked up, we discovered). the few churches were busy with pious, praying devotees, but what the city seems to really love is cafes. we had read about the 'cafe culture' and national fascination with people-watching, but nowhere is it more apparent than on tkalciceva street (i know, this language is ridiculous). people apparently stop in the middle of the day but unlike the spanish siesta, the croatians take a break to have a drink and watch other people. a little weird maybe but fun too.the downside to this cafe culture, we discovered later, was the inverse relationship of cafes to restaurants. in most croatian cities, while there was always an abundance of caffe/bars, there was often a dearth (or total absence!) of restaurants. one day we were forced to resort to fast food (though we never had to stoop to 'american donut', a stand that, evidently, serves kebabs. go figure.)
but i'm getting off topic. apart from an odd attachment to cafes, the croatians - like all sensible europeans - have wonderful outdoor markets. the one in zagreb was one of the best. it's characterized by its typical red striped umbrellas that literally cover the square in front of the cathedral. under these you can find most any kind of produce, along with eggs, cheese, and baskets (we just had to get one).but my favorite part of the market was the flowers! just down the stairs from the main square the row of flowers. and it is delightful.
the bundles of bouquets are quite diverse, some small, some elaborate, all colorful and lovely. and the prices were quite reasonable. we found a nice little bouquet we just had to get for courtney for a nice little present. those flowers ended up making it to picnics and hotels throughout croatia and abroad (well, across the border). certainly a wise investment.on the whole we were pleasantly surprised by zagreb. a little city with some charm.
1 comment:
Superbes photos à chacun de tes post!
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