Hello Young Adventurers!

Locations Visited: Zagreb, Croatia. Korenica, Croatia. Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia.
Languages Spoken: Croatian
Words Learned: Zdravo– hello. Hvala– thank you

So much has happened since I last talked with you guys!  Italy was a dream come true, but all good things have to come to an end.  In fact- I learned about a travel restriction while in Spain that made me change the entire direction of my trip.  There’s a zone of countries within the European Union called the “Schengen Zone,” and the rule with it is that you can only spend 90 days within that zone in a 180-day period.  I was quickly running out of days, and I knew I wanted to be in Germany (which is in the zone) for Christmas, and so I needed to get out and in a new country to stop that timer that was going down- so off to Croatia I go!

Croatia is a country I have heard so much about from friends and other travelers.  It’s a country known for beautiful parks, beaches, and where some of Game of Thrones was filmed.  Compared to many countries in the world, Croatia is incredibly young- officially gaining independence in 1995 after 4 years of war following their declaration of independence in 1991.  Population is only around 4.2 million people, so it’s relatively small.  Their currency is called Kuna, and comes from the Croatian word for the animal known as a “merkat” (an animal whose pelt used in trading as their currency for a long time.)

After my 16 hour overnight bus ride from Naples, Italy, I arrived bright in early in the capital of Croatia, Zagreb.  I had no idea what to expect, it was a little overcast, and I was exhausted from minimal sleep on the bus, but I was prepared to see what this city had in store. I got to my hostel, put down my bags, and happened to meet two guys in the lobby who told me about a free walking tour the did the day before that was really great.  I took their word, planned to meet them later for lunch, and headed off to the tour!

The tour was amazing.  It gave me such a great appreciation for Zagreb, and it definitely is a big reason why I like the city so much now.  The city used to be two small villages, one focused on religion and the Catholic Church, and the other focused on tradesmen and more common people.  The two cities stood tall upon two hills, connected by a bridge over the small stream that laid between them.  The two sides fought frequently, and struggled to get along.  Over time, the villages came together and now make up the old town of Zagreb as the city expanded far beyond the original limits.

I loved walking through the old town.  It felt like stepping back in time into a story book with its older architecture and stone streets.  We got to walk past where their President works (right next to the beautiful church below with the colorful roof!).  We even got to see them shoot an old cannon off which they shoot every day at noon right on the dot.  Don’t worry- no cannonballs are actually shot, but it is a legitimate cannon that still fires and booms just like the good ole days!

The rest of the day was spent with the two guys I met earlier- Ben and Isaac.  The tour guide had given us some great food recommendations, so we headed off to a tiny little place that specialized in local Croatian foods called Heritage.  I had no idea what to expect, and it was definitely different than anything I had before, but I really loved it.

The first thing you’ll see below is a piece of bread with pickled onions and an anchovy on top.  Now… I HATE fish, so I wasn’t too excited to try this, but the waitress said it was a really great traditional dish from the coast of Croatia, so I sucked it up and tried it anyways.  It wasn’t my favorite thing I’ve ever eaten, but I liked it way more than I expected.  The other piece of bread had pumpkin pesto, cottage cheese, and prosciutto on it, and it was DELICIOUS.  Tasted like fall in a bite almost.

Following the meal, Ben and I went to an Illusion Museum which was filled with different optical illusions and puzzles.  We stared at holograms, bizarre mirrors that made everything look weird, and got to play around for a bit.  My favorite parts were the room room that was all mirrors so it looked like it never ended, and the room where it made one of us look giant while the other looked extremely small.  It was fun to get to challenge our brains for a bit.

We left the museum and met back up with Isaac to go get dinner.  We went to this special place in the old town called La Struk and they only made one dish there- Strukli.  Strukli is basically pastry dough filled with cottage cheese and other fillings and then baked.  I chose the apple cinnamon strukli because it was a cold evening and that reminded me of something warm for this fall chill in the air.  This may have been the best thing I’ve ever eaten.  It was just so good, and I can’t really explain it.  It just tasted like a warm hug.  We finished our meal and headed back to the hostel to relax and enjoy the FREE HOT CHOCOLATE MACHINE that was in the common room!

The next morning I spent it just wandering the city to see everything I learned about from the tour.  Ben and Isaac left to go to Korenica, where I would be going next after one more day in Zagreb. I focused on the newer part of the city with it’s beautiful parks and architecture.  Fall was in full force with how chilly it was.  It was a huge difference from the tropical setting of Sorrento that I had just come from, but I was happy to see the leaves changing color and feel cooler weather.  For lunch, I got some roasted chestnuts from a stand on the street and then some fritters covered in white chocolate and sprinkles!  I love the street food as I travel- it’s cheap, and always delicious!

The rest of the day was spent relaxing for a bit and then heading back to La Struk for one last strukli before I left Zagreb.  It was just as good the second time.  With a warm, full belly, I headed back to my hostel and headed to bed early so I could be ready to catch my bus in the morning.

I slept in a bit and made my way to the bus stop to catch my bus to Korenica.  This place is a tiny little village in the middle of Croatia near the Bosnian border with not much going on, but it is right next to somewhere that I’ve wanted to go to for a long time, Plitvice Lakes National Park.  When I got to the hostel, they had a special organized sunset hike up the local mountain, so I quickly changed and headed out with some other people staying there- including Isaac from Zagreb!  The hike was by far the hardest hike I’ve ever done.  It was straight up the mountain side, but it was 100% worth the view to see the sunset from the top.

The next morning we got up bright and early to catch the shuttle from the hostel to Plitvice Lakes National Park.  Y’all…this place didn’t seem real.  It felt like something that exists in a fantasy novel where humans aren’t allowed.  The water was every shade of blue you can imagine, waterfalls cascaded around every corner, and the weather was perfect.  It started out really cold (almost 38 degrees!), but ended up being a perfect fall day.  I could sit and explain this place to you, but I think pictures really are the only way I can remotely share this, and even they don’t do enough justice.  This park was the perfect freshwater ecosystem, and they manage to take perfect care of it.  What organisms and habitats do you notice in the pictures?

When we got back, we relaxed for a bit because we ended up walking over 11 miles in the park.  Once it got dark, we headed to a meadow on the nearby mountain, set up a camp fire and ate s’mores.  Y’all know how much I love me some s’mores, so I was living my best life.  We laughed, told stories, and enjoyed each other’s company before heading back to the hostel after making sure the fire was fully extinguished.  Once the fire was out, we could see the entire Milky Way up above in the sky, because there were no lights in the town.  I had never seen so many stars before in my life, and it was really incredible.

The next morning, I’m off to a coastal town that has a musical instrument that is played by the sea and the waves!  I’m so excited to go hear it’s beautiful sounds and explore a new city!  Until then, I’ll see you guys later!

Have Courage, & Be Kind,

Mr. Weavil