Introduction to Zagreb

Michael was right; I did love Zagreb. Croatia’s capital city was a literal breath of fresh air. Set along a mountain range, the city is much smaller and less crowded than Budapest. It still has the terraced houses and much of the same architecture as Hungary, but it was cleaner, and every city square wasn’t a human traffic jam.

Since the end of the war there in 1995, there has been a lot of redevelopment and construction. Michael and my Croatian flat is only one year old, which for Europe, seems absolutely remarkable. It’s a studio, but feels more spacious than I thought it would be. Having all new appliances, an actual stand-up shower and a heated towel rack makes me feel downright spoiled! The apartment is just about a five-minute walk to a tram line, which takes us right into the city center.

Last weekend was a holiday weekend, marking the anniversary of Hungary’s 1956 revolution against communist rule. Rather than a day of reverence, over the past few years, the holiday has become a day of rioting against the current Hungarian government (not a particularly unjustified move from what I gather). In contrast, this year was quite calm. The police blocked off streets and were vigilant all over the city, but not too much happened. There was a nationalist/neo-Nazi rally in one of they city’s main squares, but fortunately, they weren’t violent. They marched down our street, so Vincent and I went and watched them disgustedly and exercised self-control by not throwing things at their bald heads.

Mike and I left to Zagreb on Friday and spent the weekend walking around the city, relaxing and working. The November issue of Business Hungary goes out next week, so I had plenty of writing and editing to do. A very kind co-worker of Mike’s, a Croatian/Australian named Dan, took us out for a beer on Sunday and brought us to a fish restaurant on Monday night. Fish is amazing when you’re not in a land-locked state. We selected our own fish from a pile of that morning’s catch. I had no idea how to spot a tasty fish, but Dan told me it’s all in the eyes: the more vibrant and glossy they look, the fresher the fish. Good thing he took special care selecting the eyes, because the cooked fish came back to us whole, and its eyes stared at Dan for the entire meal.

I came back to Budapest on Tuesday morning, because I had to be in the office on Wednesday and cover a debate about the US election. Sadly, I had to leave Michael, who has to stay in Croatia for at least a week or longer. The long train trip wasn’t too bad though, because I sat by a nice Australian backpacker. It was nice to have someone to talk to and after the trip, I helped him navigate to his hostel.

Helping a newcomer into the city made me realize just how tragic it is that for most travelers, the first taste they have of a new city is the train station. Most of these stations, especially in Budapest, are quite seedy and full of people trying to scam newcomers the second they get off the train. For instance, in Budapest, cab drivers and alleged hostel owners, stand right outside the trains, trying to snatch up the unsuspecting backpackers and charge them exorbitant rates on rides and accommodations. I wish there was a way to step off the train and suddenly be inside a gorgeous cathedral or next to a 1,000-year-old monument.

Luckily, the scenery outside the Zagreb station is much nicer than the Budapest one, because I am going back there tomorrow. It’s a lot of train trips within 10 days, about 30 hours to be exact, but I want to spend the weekend with Mike. I don't think the Croatians celebrate Halloween, so I think that party will be out of the picture. Nov. 1 is all soul's day though, and I hope I can make it to a cemetery and see it brimming with light from candles people left in honor of their relatives.