patandsandy: Zagreb, Croatia

Today we are in Croatia! What a trip. It's amazing. We were a bit worried. The first few days are always difficult due to lack of sleep and time change. Even with that considered..... it is amazing!
On our way to Croatia we flew into Amsterdam. Amsterdam airport is the best. It is beautiful and easy to navigate.

After about a 4 hour layover we caught a flight in Amsterdam to Croatia on Croatian airlines. We were a bit curious about "Croatian airlines"......it turns out the plane was BRAND new and smelled like a new car. Everything was shiny and perfect. The crew was all fresh faced and about 25 years old. It was so endearing and nice. The flight path took us over the Alps. WOW...WOW...... WOW. I cannot convey how breathtaking the Alps are. We took some pictures, however, nothing comes close to the reality. The pictures we took were a bit too early or late. The prime part was not captured. (sorry).

After arriving at our hotel we explored a bit. We'd been without sleep for many hours.... (40 ?) we didn't want to turn in too early or we knew we'd be up in the middle of the night. We are on the 7th floor of our hotel, the window just opens up, wide, no screen or protection. Kinda cool. We hated to leave it open because we were worried something might fly in... and get trapped in Pats bed. (a bat? a bird? bugs?).

We went for a walk outside our hotel. We stumbled on an outdoor market, it was comprised of locals selling their goods, kind of like a farmers market. (... few people speak English). It was fun trying to communicate, everybody was happy to try and to help us.) All of it was inside a large tent on the plaza. The aroma inside was enticing. Fresh fruits, flowers, cheeses and meats. The meat was unprotected and just laying on tables. WEIRD we were horrified, but it smelled so good! The meat seemed to be smoked or preserved in such a way that it was okay...?

We bought something flavored with pears..... Vilijamovka...??? Pat thinks it's brandy. It was $10 for a liter. It mixes well with soda. :) Everybody was happy to sample and educate. It was like being at the fair.... only much better. Walking through the streets at night is also exciting. You can jump on a train/ trolley for free.