Zagreb in full swing

Today kicked off with a free walking tour of Zagreb, and honestly, what a great introduction to the city - our guide, Robert, was equal parts knowledgeable and funny.

We started in Zrinjevac Square, gathered around the old meteorological post while Robert explained its history and quirks. From there, the tour made its way through some of Zagreb’s major landmarks: the Main Square, the Zagreb Cathedral, the Dolac Open Market, the Bloody Bridge, the Lotrscak Tower, St. Mark’s Church (with its colourful tiled roof), and finally the Stone Gates.

By some perfect bit of timing - or excellent planning on Robert’s part - we reached the Lotrscak Tower right at noon, just in time for the daily cannon blast. I even had my phone out to film it. Even though I knew the big boom was coming, it still jolted me so much that I smacked the stop button and ended the video early. 🤣🤣🤣 Classic.

After the tour wrapped up, I headed back to the hotel for a much-needed hour of rest and recovery. Then it was back out again, this time to a couple of local pubs to catch the afternoon Premier League matches. ⚽️

Dinner was a lovely wood-fired Margherita pizza before I made my way back to Zrinjevac Square for the ceremonial lighting of the square as part of Zagreb’s Advent opening. 🎄 The whole place glowed with lights strung through the trees.

Still feeling festive, I wandered over to another part of the Christmas markets. And then, out of absolutely nowhere, the band onstage started playing Down Under by Men At Work. In Zagreb. In Croatia. Truly not on my bingo card. 😂😝 I went to film it, but my phone died literally the moment I pulled it out. So I suppose I’ll just have to hold onto the mental memory instead of a digital one. 😅😅😅

Oh - and somewhere along the way today, I also hit a new milestone: 1,500 photos taken on this trip. Clearly I’m making the most of it. 😳

Aaannnddd that’s another day done. I love holidays. 🤩Read more