Zagreb

Zagreb is the capital of Croatia and a good six hour train ride from Budapest. 

My train ride was a bit longer as the railway between was being worked on. After a couple hours on the train we were detoured with charter buses for an hour and then brought to a new train further along the tracks. Along with this detour we were delayed about a half hour at departure. The train was filled with young, lively travelers and they helped pass the time quickly. But this put my arrival into Zagreb late into the evening. Staying at hostels, this is a concern because of the "curfews" and closure of reception desks. Lucky for me, my Hostel 63 was open til 11 pm. Racing through the dark, unfamiliar city, I procured my bed and took a shower to recover from the sweaty journey. 

Similar to Budapest, Zagreb was formed from two medieval  settlements, Kaptol and Gradec. Unlike Budapest, it is a small and unassuming town. I am here on a national holiday, Thanksgiving, and most of the city was closed. The sights I did get to enjoy were the many squares and parks that are in a horseshoe around the center, the Cathederal,  the Hungarian designed train station and the many statues, including St. George , remember him from Sweden!) giving reverence to the dragon at his feet.  

The Archeological Museum had free entry today, which I happily took advantage of to get out of the heat. I was amazed with their collection of ancient artifacts, some dating back 30,000 years. There was a mummy and several sarcophagi from Eygpt as well as Etruscan poetry, ancient Greek and Roman artifacts and an exhibit on Iberians. Lots of treasures to occupy my time. 

Wandering the little side streets, I did find a couple open tourist shops. I learned that the neck tie or cravat originated in Croatia. It has been a part of their military uniform since the 13th century. The French court, having used Croatian soldiers as mercenaries, adopted their colorful "scarves" around the neck and the fashion had spread. 

Topping off the evening with good Croatian wine (Cheers, Kelli!!) and spicy crusted pork, I've made the most of Zagreb. 

Tomorrow I depart for the National Park of Plitvice Lakes. So looking forward to getting back to nature!