Easter Break & ushering in my last month...

I returned from the Southeast a while ago and for those of you who don't know, it was a week spent roaming the coast of Croatia.  Like every major holiday, I was given 12 days off, so I felt that one last big trip was necessary.  Particularly because I am returning to the U.S. of A. in just 4.5 weeks!!!! Yeehaw!

I teamed up with a fellow teaching assistant, Liz, and together (mind you, having planned VERY little for this trip)I think we did a pretty dern good job.  Here's the run down.

Day One: Train from Salzburg > Zagreb (the capital of Croatia).  
We found dirt-cheap, first class tickets to Zagreb and after 6 short hours, we found ourselves in Zagreb at a hostel with a black lab, naturally named Nastia :)  Also, even though Croatia entered into the EU last summer, it is not yet part of the Schengen Agreement (for those of you not familiar with European travel, movement and law, it just means you have to show your passport at the border) so we got checked on the train, a first for me!

Day Two:  Zagreb > Plitvice National Park > Zadar.  
We caught an early bus to the Plitvice National Park, which is filled with beautiful lakes and waterfalls.  On the nearly three hour bus ride we caught up with other post-grad Americans working in Brussels.  They were also on the move with a fellow Austrian TA, but she seemed rather disinterested in our affairs.  Once we arrived in the park, we (and our backpacks) hiked all around.  Here are some visual aides, for your enjoyment.  It felt like water was just seeping out of the ground and pouring over every surface. 

a collage of the pathways, lakes, and waterfalls 

After hiking around the lakes, running into a Tacoman, and SOMEHOW catching our bus, we headed off to Zadar.  Just so you are all pronouncing it correctly, the Croatians say ZA-daar, not za-dAR, and certainly not Zaider (you silly, silly girl from Philadelphia), emphasis on the first syllable.  Once in Zadar, we checked into our extremely-centrally located hostel and went to go catch a disappointing sunset.  According to Alfred Hitchcock, the sunset in Zadar is the world's finest: ""Zadar has the most beautiful sunset in the world, more beautiful than the one in Key West, Florida, applauded at every evening." (1964). Well, our first night was gray and a little drizzly but the second night did NOT disappoint.  After sunset, we had a pizza feast in great company.  We met up with Liz's good friend Ali (a Kentucky girl currently living and working in Brussels) and her comrades from her hostel.  At dinner we were three Americans, two Frenchmen, one Mexican and a Taiwanese-Canadian.  Sound like a song you may know, right?  :) 

Day Three: Zadar! 

We spent all day roaming around Zadar, which was not hard.  Smalllll town but very historical!  It was ruled by the Illyrians, Romans, attacked by the Venetians, Austrian, French, and then again Austrians again.  During WWII, the city was occupied by the Germans and then bombed by the Allies, leaving about 60% of the Old Town totally destroyed.  THEN in 1991 Yugoslavia launched an attack and Zadar was essentially under siege for three months.  But, now it is all pretty, and in tact and belongs to Croatia, whew!  

sunsets, old architecture, and BOATS. 

I also got to go on a long run, which is easy in coastal European countries because the coast (or river, or lake) practically always has a pedestrian pathway alongside.  I did a sunny 75 minutes down the coast and through a beautiful park.  In the middle of town we saw the old forum, and seriously there are just piles of old artifacts lying around.  Children play upon them, adults drink coffee on them, it was the beginning of a trend: Croatians really incorporate their history into their daily lives. 

We also met a hilarious Belgian named Manu.  He was more than a character.  At one point, after showing me how to deconstruct my shrimp, he sucked the head out and dropped the legs on the floor only to then break into a fit of choking on pepper.  He then introduced us all to Rakija, essentially Grappa. 

Day Four: Zadar > Biograd > Krka > Sibinek > Split     

As I mentioned before, we met and dined with some friendly Frenchmen (one an author, the other a software engineer) and since we were all headed in the same, general direction: south, we thought it be wise to all go in on a rental car.  Not only did we all save money, but we got to take the coastal road down (at some points just feet away from the water!) and make stops along the way.  The best stop was a second, water-fall centric national park: Krka.  So many consonants, so few vowels!   Here, more visual aides: 

Day Five: Split > Mostar, BiH > Split

We talked our French friend Sylvain into driving us into Bosnia, or as he likes to call it: "smuggling".  We left pretty early and by 12:30 we had arrived in Mostar.  Mostar is a fascinating city and I really felt like we had just dipped into the east somewhere, where remnants of a modern war were still very visible.  Mostar is named after the bridge keepers who used to guard the Stari Most, the old main bridge in town.  According to Wikiepedia, the Star Most, "built by the Ottomans in the 16th century, is one of Bosnia and Herzegovina's most recognizable landmarks, and is considered one of the most exemplary pieces of Islamic architecture in the Balkans."  Sadly, it was destroyed during the Bosnian war.  We visited a local museum that displayed photographs of the town during the war, which was really fascinating.  It's crazy to believe that during my lifetime such a destructive war took place. 

After walking around town, eating massive amounts of Bosnian food, trying the local beer, and exploring a new country, we headed back to Croatia with, most importantly: new stamps in our passports!

a mixture of bosnia and croatia. 

 Day Six: Split

This was by far our most relaxed day. We took a city tour of Split and learned all about Diocletian's Palace.  Our tour guide was a fabulously passionate Zadarian (?) who really made the ruins come alive.  Fun fact: scenes of Game of Thrones were filmed there (not as extensively as in Dubrovnik, but good enough!).  Be jealous you nerds!

We had a delicious lunch at an olive oil bar and then hiked up the top of Marjan Park (where I ran earlier that morning).  Sadly the Burra (cold, northern wind, personified as most European winds are, see: Föhn) was blowing that day and it was rather chilly.  For dinner we made reservations at a lovely restaurant with the kitchen right in sight, an old Croatian women hard at work.  Simply charming. 

Day Seven: Split > Zagreb

We flew midday to Zagreb and then had all afternoon to explore the city.  I must say, of all the major eastern European cities, Zagreb is by far the most charming.  It really had mixtures of Vienna, Berlin, Prague, Sofia, and even a titch of Amsterdam, but never felt over-touristy.  It was a place I could picture myself living in, never feeling too on the outside.  I just had a really good feeling the whole time.  I just cannot explain it.  

Day Eight: Zagreb > Salzburg.  We got up super, early, spent our last Kuna, and lounged in our own 1st class compartment for 6 hours.  Once I arrived home, I had a job interview with the New York City Coalition Against Hunger, who might have opportunities for me in Portland (FINGERS CROSSED) and Denver.  Then, I lounged around in sweat pants, recuperating.  

My Easter celebration was alright, I've been relaxing all week and I think it is rather subconscious, more like a calm-before-the-storm thing.  Meaning: my last month might be rather busy.  

Next weekend I will head to Bozen, Italy in the region of the South Tyrol, which used to be part of Austria and they actually still speak German there.  My main goal is to see the DOLOMITES. mmmmmm mountains.  I also have a 5k in Salzburg!  Then, I head to Frühlingsfest (think Oktoberfest in the Springtime!) with some girlfriends from Western Austria and THEN the next weekend I might head to Bayern to visit friends and Augsburg (meine Heimat!) and THEN for my last weekend I will be in Vienna for the Austrian Women's run! yahoo! 

So there it is. 

Hmmm.