Zagreb

18 October
Still spoilt by the cycle paths in Hungary, I particularly notice in Zagreb that cyclists and, to a certain extent, pedestrians have to subordinate themselves to car traffic. ☝️👮‍♂️
As I cycle through the industrial areas and fight my way into the city, I switch from the pavement to the road and back again every few hundred metres. Nothing is signposted here. You have to find your own way.
The roads are wide and many drivers make no secret of the fact that they couldn't care less about a collision with a cyclist. I have to slow down on the pavement on almost every street because the kerbs are too high to simply ride over them.

To summarise, I would describe it like this: the city gives me the finger and the tongue. Then she jumps in my face with her bare arse.
Thanks for that!

The first day in the city confirms the suspicion that nothing here is made primarily for pedestrians, as some really big streets are so remarkably woven into the cityscape that you simply can't get away from them when walking.
Feelings of Stuttgart come flooding back, but even Stuttgart had the decency to put small side streets here and there to escape to.

I spot the nearby railway station on the city map and my first thought is: When does the next train leave here? Where do I go from here?

Well, maybe I'll warm to the city. 🤷‍♂️

21 October

Many buildings appear to be built in the square-practical-good(?) style - very functional. In the old town you can still see the effects of the severe earthquake of 2020, in which buildings in the old town in particular were badly damaged.
It is said that Zagreb is a city of artists, but I have yet to find any evidence of this. Instead, a large number of museums.

22 October - better an end with horror than horror without end

Met Tim 31 hours ago. Good Man and fun to hang around with. Last night and all day today we discussed all the important topics from asylum policy to cypress cultivation and at night we made a 'shabby' club and its guests unsafe.
Conclusion: very good discussion partner, which hopefully encourages me to speak to more people myself.

23 October

The art of getting the right coffee

I've been going to the same café to work for several days now. I always order a Café Americano, hoping to get a large cup of coffee - but there is always something else. Usually more of an extended espresso, today a latte....
Of the three waiters here, only one has understood me properly so far, but she's not working today so I have to take what I can get ☺️.Read more