To the South for a change a.k.a. Are you hungry?

At the beginning of my summer holidays I spread my wings once again and flew into the world! Ok, not really...I got on a bus with a nervous driver and after a five-hour journey found myself in Zagreb! At the bus station my dear friend Nina (from my stay in Regensburg last summer) was waiting for me. It was so lovely to see her again after almost a year. I hope that next time I can be her host in Bratislava :) 

The historic blue funicular

We had a lot of catching up to do, so we didn't lose any time! After some rest at Nina's place we went to town. I have to say that Zagreb is really groovy. I liked that it was so lively and noisy, some streets were overcrowded with people trying to find a place to sit down and enjoy a drink. Warning: Be careful in the streets when Croatians watch football! And try to avoid crowds cheering when they score (or somebody else scores for them, right? :)).

Having a personal guide is surely a pleasant luxury. I got the chance to see places not mentioned in guidebooks and learnt about the rich history and culture of the city quite a few things. I noticed that Zagreb is very neatly kept and well organized. We have to learn a lot here in Bratislava, I thought. 

Cathedral

Another thing worth mentioning is Slovak and Croatian: languages very similar thanks to their Slavic origin. I was always very proud of myself when I could decipher what Nina and her family were talking about in their native tongue. Although with some words you need to be really careful (an innocent expression in Croatian for "drink" sounds dangerously similar to a really bad swear word in Slovak...).

 

Some of my friends were surprised I'm travelling to Croatia without actually going to the sea. As a matter of fact, Slovaks kinda consider the Adriatic Sea as their own for it's a favourite holiday destination. But I dismissed their "what-for-expressions" and enjoyed my stay thoroughly. Zagreb is definitely a must-see European capital city because it has loads of historic buildings, charming views, colourful parks, friendly people and bars open until late at night! ;-)  

At the fountains welcoming you in Zagreb

2nd Warning: Based on first-hand experience. Beware of little boys with water guns. They won't listen to your order not to splash you with water...And seeing the dad laughing in the background explains a lot.

The National Theatre

 

I was staying in Nina's family the whole trip and I couldn't feel more at home. It was just wonderful and leaving wasn't easy. However, I feel we haven't seen each other for the last time.

Once again a huge THANK YOU to you, Nina and your lovely family. For accepting me among you so cordially and honestly. For being such a perfect host family. And making sure I was never hungry :-D. "Are you hungry?" was the most frequent question I was asked at Nina's place. Until next time! :-*