More Zagreb

Did I say what a beautiful city Zagreb was? Had a lovely walk around today again in the warm sunshine. Took in Ban Jelačić Square - the main meeting point; the twin towered Cathedral of the Assumption of our Blessed Virgin Mary - the emblem of the city; the Dolac fruit and vegetable market; the Botanic Gardens; and some of the lovely Art Nouveau buildings that dot the city. Took the world’s shortest passenger cable railway up to the Upper Town and it was even prettier, with its cobbled streets, St Mark’s Church and the Stone Gate.

Not one for museums when the sun is shining, I couldn’t resist the Museum of Broken Relationships. This very unusual museum was recommended to me by my friend Lorraine Wilson, in her book Facing Forwards, about her 3 month solo train trip round Europe which has been an inspiration for my trip. Well worth a read. The exhibits have been donated by members of the public and each have a short explanation of how it related to the end of a relationship. It was powerful and I was in floods more than once. To console visitors, the attached café offered ‘beers as cold as your ex’s heart.’

To recover from all that emotion, I treated myself to afternoon tea at the fabulous Esplanade Hotel, built in 1925 to provide top-notch accommodation for passengers on the Orient Express, which made one of its stops at Zagreb. Apparently the locals were shocked at a performance by provocative dancer Josephine Baker in 1929.

All too soon it was back in the rails and off to the Croatian coastal resort of Split, with beautiful lush scenery all the way. But I loved Zagreb and will be back.Read more