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| St. Mark's church in Zagreb |
I can't believe it's been 5 years since my Balkan trip! I can't believe there's still tons of stories from my previous trips that I haven't post here. I should really find a way to cure my chronic procrastination! Any tips, guys?
My parents, sister and I were exploring Slovenia then travelled through the stunning Plitvice National Park, Split and Trogir. Spent a couple nights in Dubrovnik where we found a nudist beach in Lokrum Island during a boat tour. Moved to Montenegro and Bosnia & Herzegovina before finally arrived in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia.
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| a quiet morning |
We started the Old Town walking tour early in the morning to avoid the unbearable heat on midday. Seriously, summer in Balkan can be harsh! Also it was the peak of summer holiday so the town got really crowded as the sun reached its highest point in the sky. At 9AM most of the shops haven't started their business yet. So we wandered around Lower Town until Upper Town where we visited the beautiful St. Mark's church. It was a perfect time to observe the local people doing their daily activities. Even if you don't have a goal, a long walk through the streets of Zagreb always brings discoveries.
Fun fact: Did you know that Croatia is the homeland of the tie?
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| beautiful dog! π |
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| Dolac Market in Zagreb |
If you love traditional market like I do, you shouldn't miss Dolac Market. The farmer's market is located in Gornji Grad - not far from Zagreb's Cathedral and the main square. People from all over the city come to this market to get groceries and other fresh product, specially on weekends. The vibrant red umbrellas agains the colourful products they sell there instantly caught my attention. I enjoy being in the middle of chatters and negotiation that buzzing around me. It's gotta be one of the most colourful sights in Zagreb! Even if shopping is not your thing, there's some cafes and restaurant which is a great spot to absorb the vibe of the town and to experience local flavours. Or like I did, scouring pretty traditional handmade stuff and souvenirs. Dolac Market opens everyday from 7AM until around 1PM.
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| handmade Croatian embroidery and lace |
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| Licitar Heart |
While wandering around the city of Zagreb, I've seen this pretty intricately decorated red heart with a little mirror on the centre - almost everywhere. Being a super curious cat, I just had to stop at one of the stalls and asked the seller what's all the hype about. The name is Licitar hearts and it's an interesting part of the old Croatian cultural heritage. Though the real Licitars are actually made out of gingerbread. Traditionally, instead of roses, it was used by young men to express their love to the girl they fond of on Valentine's day. Suddenly my imagination run wild and I visualised this romantic scene...
π± : "Ahem! (nervously presenting a Licitar heart to the girl). Dear Walawuluwili (or insert any preferred names here)...errr....I...I...really like you. Would you accept this heart of mine?"
πΈ : (hesitant but eagerly accepting the Licitar. Her cheeks turn to rose colour as she smiles).
π± : "That face you see in the mirror is the most beautiful girl in this universe and my most favourite things in the world besides noodle and gelato."
πΈ : "Awwww! That's me! It's my face in the mirror!" (blushing even more)
π± : "Of course it's you! I would have died if it was the face of the Evil Queen in Snow White!
Walawuluwili, would you be my girl?"
πΈ : "Yes, I would! I like you too, Baraburubiri (or insert any preferred names here)". π π π
...and they lived happily ever after...or until they fight about what to eat for dinner.
Okay! I should never write a romantic piece ever. Horror stories definitely suit me better.
πΈ : (hesitant but eagerly accepting the Licitar. Her cheeks turn to rose colour as she smiles).
π± : "That face you see in the mirror is the most beautiful girl in this universe and my most favourite things in the world besides noodle and gelato."
πΈ : "Awwww! That's me! It's my face in the mirror!" (blushing even more)
π± : "Of course it's you! I would have died if it was the face of the Evil Queen in Snow White!
Walawuluwili, would you be my girl?"
πΈ : "Yes, I would! I like you too, Baraburubiri (or insert any preferred names here)". π π π
...and they lived happily ever after...or until they fight about what to eat for dinner.
Okay! I should never write a romantic piece ever. Horror stories definitely suit me better.
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| Croatian souvenirs |
So yeah, it's corny but sweet. It's sweet but corny yet I still smile when I look at this Licitar hearts.
The colourful decorated cakes of sweet honey dough dated back to Middle Ages when food crafts became
widely popular. It represents a special sign of devotion and attention. Nowadays they are sold as souvenirs
in various form such as plates, bells, jars, fridge magnets, and else; as well as to decorate Christmas tree
and wedding favours for guests.
Croatians are very proud of it, specially after Licitar heart was listed on the UNESCO list of Protected
Intangible Cultural Heritage. It's still given as a way of showing affection to the loved ones.
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| a bizarre collection of keepsakes from failed love affairs |
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| The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Cathedral |
Before leaving Zagreb, we managed to visit the Neo-Gothic styled Cathedral of Zagreb. The Assumption of
the Blessed Virgin Mary which dates back to 1217 was formerly known as St. Stephen's Cathedral, located
in Kaptol Square. Its twin 108 metres (354 ft) high spires soar over the city and made it the tallest building
in Croatia.
The original construction of the Cathedral was damaged during the Tartar attack and and a fire in the 13th
century. However the fatal destruction was during the Great Zagreb Earthquake on 9 November 1880. The
deadly earthquake struck Zagreb at 07:03:03 which damaged the cathedral beyond repairs and the
cathedral clock stopped working. Today the clock is mounted on the defence wall outside the cathedral
and always show the time 7:03 as a remembrance to the disaster.
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| interior of The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Cathedral |
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| Grave of Cardinal Aloysius Stepinac |
We were walking around the grave of the former archbishop of Zagreb, Cardinal Aloysius Stepinac
amongst a group of visitors when I felt that someone was watching me intensely. You know, the strange
feeling you get when you're being stared at though we can't see them? I took a glance around the church
and noticed a group of three women sitting on the front pew were whispering to each other while pointing
towards us. I shrugged off the suspicious thoughts and assumed they were just amused about how different our looks compared to other visitors.
I was walking with my sister just a few metres ahead my parents when suddenly I
heard my Mom screamed her lungs out. If you have met my Mom in person, you'll noticed that she has a overly powerful voice that will put Freddie Krueger Mercury to shame. Her 'AGGHH' sound echoed off
the quiet church and I looked back in shock. I thought she fell down or something. I ran towards her and
saw the trio women that stared at us earlier were standing too close behind my Mom. With startled face,
they tried to move away from my Mom calmly. Obviously Mom's voice drew lots of attention to our
direction. Two security guys were approaching us along with some curious visitors.
"I felt a tiny movement in my handbag as they walked very close to me!" Mom showed her handbag that already being unzipped. I could tell from her face that she was shocked too. The security rushed to the
trio who nearly reached the exit door and stopped them right there. I came closer as the women were
questioned by the security. But they kept saying "No English, no English!" then continued in French. They tried really hard to act calm but we could easily noticed a glimpse of panic on their face. Another visitor, a middle aged guy approached us and said something in Croatian to the security.
Apparently he saw them doing the deed earlier. After a while, one of the security told me that we may leave
and they escorted the pickpocket to the office to take further action.
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| Zagreb |
My family and I then sat in a bench in the church yard, trying to grasp about what happened earlier.
"Can you believe we were almost pick pocketed inside a church!" I exclaimed as my parents nodded in
disbelief. "And you know, Mom...for a second I thought the church was about to collapse because your
voice is more harmful than an earthquake!" We laughed softly as we stood up and walked towards our bus.
Such an amusing way to end our road trip around Balkan countries. That day we left the beautiful city of
Zagreb with a not so beautiful experience. Nevertheless the precious memory will stay in our heart for a
very long time and will put a smile in our face whenever we remember it. Shit happens on travelling, let's
just laugh it off and keep walking. π
