Hello my old friend Europe

There is always an interesting feeling I get in those first seconds of leaving an airport. When the doors open and you feel for the first time, the natural air and you truly know you’ve arrived. Sometimes it’s a blanket of tropical warmth, others just a fresh breeze on your face, or a reminder you are home but arriving in Zagreb was exhilarating. Mainly because I was wearing nothing more than a t shirt and vest but also because it was zero degrees and covered in fog. I stepped out of the airport and into a deep freezer, Zagreb did not reveal itself immediately. It was not obvious what lay ahead but it wasn’t long before I was able take my first step into cobblestone streets and the years stolen by a virus were returned. The world was again my oyster or for the non oyster lovers, my lobster.

Zagreb is not always the first place that comes to mind when you think of a European holiday, or even when planning to visit Croatia, but if the last 24 hours is anything to go by, I would say it’s a well kept secret and surely can’t stay that way for long.

When I was growing up in the 80’s we used to watch the 6 o’clock news. From our lounge rooms in safe and laid back Redcliffe we would see images of war in a far away place called Yugoslavia. It looked cold, dark, and the people were sad. It was not a place you would want to go and definitely not a place I could have ever imagined spending Christmas 2022. The war ended in 1992 and Yugoslavia disintegrated into many new countries.

Croatia was free to be whoever she wanted. So Zagreb chose to be friendly (humanly and environmentally), respectful of tradition while cutting the edge with modern touches, obsessed by coffee and just generous. If a city can be gendered in any way, it feels feminine. But she is comfortable in her own skin and doesn’t see the need for excessive glitz and glamour. Instead, she makes you feel like you have sat down in the lounge at an old friends house and she has the kettle on.

Thanks Zagreb for inviting me in, today I am going out there to enjoy the cuppa.Read more