We escaped winter and headed for Croatia

 Croatia - 16-24 February, Half-term Break

 A week in Croatia is far too much to upload at once, so it will be posted in installments as I get it written.

The night before we left for Croatia was Emily’s 18^th Birthday Party. With Martin Ray invited, it was bound to get a bit loose! Em donned the perfect party outfit – tiara, feather boa, shot glass necklace, party shirt with 18 tasks to complete and a new dress. It was a fun night with Sam and Emma bringing the party them. While we drank from bottles and ate the cake with spoons, we managed to keep it classy with our choice of music being Queen and Abba. Topped off with a midnight swim, I am not sure Em could have asked for anything more. 

From a night best reflected by “Help, I am wearing a table” to a morning greeted by “Where the f*** are you ladies off to with your suitcases at 5am?” (asked in a beautiful Irish accent), we were on track. With little sleep, none for the less fortunate, and an hour until the tube opened, we set off for a hangover breakfast the only way it has ever been known – McDonalds. This proved a mission as we quickly learned that, in London, 24/7 did not actually mean ‘open at all hours’. 

 However, we were soon on our way to Heathrow with hashbrown in our bellies and sleep on the mind. Jem used this opportunity wisely and found a very comfortable sleeping position, never mind the poor guy sitting next to her! At Heathrow, our over-tired, drunken/hungover minds and flipped to excitement mode, resulting in absolute silliness captured by racing on the travellators and the decision to make our week into a musical with a song for every occasion. On the confirmation of the three of us actually having seats on flight BA 246 to Zagreb, we let out a woop of glee. We were going to Croatia! With six weeks of snow and grey skies, we were so looking forward to relaxing and exploring a new country in the sun – a real chance to thaw out and refresh. 

 Now – I must point out that Jem booked this tripped upon googling ‘Croatia’ and getting millions of photos of beaches, bikinis and hot bathing bods. While little Jemmy slept on our flight, the expression on Sam’s face when he realised the ‘low cloud’ below was in fact snow was unforgettable. Out winter escape was to be fulfilled with more winter. All we could do was laugh and look on the bright side – at least our accommodation was going to be cheap.

Zagreb airport greeted us with a bus, upon which we eagerly put on every layer of clothing close to hand. My first impressions of Croatia triggered an idea that perhaps the country may have been better off as a Republic of Yugoslavia. It is dull, cold and old with a lack of modern perspective or a direction forward. While on one side of the River Sava is a state of the art, ultra modern art gallery, complete with interior slides and constructed of futuristic metal, on the other side are the grey war-abandoned buildings covered in graffiti. 

Ban Jelačić Square

Our navigation skills were quickly put to test as we set out to find our hostel. After getting off at the correct tram stop, we took to the streets, following a very vague map. A few wrong turns, retraced steps and differing opinions later and we burst through a door reading “Funk Lounge.” With huge smiles of relief, we lugged our bags inside before a quick round of high-5’s. The staff returned this glee with blank expressions, as we claimed to have reserved a room… it was the bar! With slight amusement, they directed us two doors down in the hostel and through another door reading “Funk Lounge.” To add to the awkwardness, two young guys (also staying at the hostel) were outside having a smoke and were fortunate enough to witness the confusion. They were highly amused as they reassured us we had the right door, the second time around. 

Traditional jewellery, hand made in Dubrovnik

We had a brief explore around the city and central square, gaining our bearings and a true sense of Croatia. We often found ourselves surrounded by permanent stalls selling food, souvenirs and other hand crafted goods from knitting to jewellery to wine. One man was selling hand crafted traditional Dubrovnik jewellery, some of which was made of coins used in the 1800’s. I bought a ring and a pendant, which was the Medal of St Blaise, the protector of Dubrovnik. Jem was particularly drawn to the crepe shop and the Cookie Factory, which, little be known to us, was located on “Pub St” – night life central. 

The Zagreb Cathedral on Kaptol

The Cathedral on the hill also caught our eye with its two steeples towering above the city – however one was under scaffold as the forever eroding limestone is constantly being face-lifted. Inside the Cathedral were beautiful chandeliers, sculptures and paintings, both old and new. There were even stars painted on the roof. At the front of the church was the tomb and wax statue of Cardinal Stepin, the pride of Croatian Catholicism for his hardships and martyrdom. With it getting dark, we headed back to the hostel for a quick rest before going out in search of some food and maybe even some nightlife! ‘Nek minnut’ – it is 2am and I woke up fully clothed to the streetlight shining in the open window.