Leaving Vienna, the train took me through the sort of landscape that you imagine for Austria – green valleys with flower meadows and picture book houses. All the roads and houses are ordered, tidy, well-maintained and beautiful with the backdrop of high mountains.
The train was clean and efficient making a big change from the German railway system which was currently in post-COVID chaos. Leaving Austria the hills dropped behind us and then the train made slower progress through Slovenia.
I didn’t mind the reduced speed because it gave me the opportunity to see the delights of the Slovenian countryside.
The tracks followed a small river with the occasional house and farm nestled in the woods. To the right a lively youthful river and to both sides really steep valley sides, heavily wooded and topped with blue skies.
I was a little sorry I was only passing through Slovenia – I am sure it has a lot to offer the traveller.
But I was on my way to Zagreb, a place where I lived and worked for a brief unhappy time in the 1990s. At that time the place was still in shock after the Balkan internal strife but no such feeling this time. Zagreb is full of impressive monuments, buildings and large squares.
Like many European cities, much of the centre is pedestrianised and there is a good network of trams, all of which pass through the central square.
Wide streets have covered outdoor seating in the centre served by cafes and restaurants from various parts of the world. I was puzzled by the amount of Korean language I saw in Zagreb – what the story with the Koreans?
The hostel I had chosen was the worst and most expensive I had ever stayed in on closed the door behind me and turned to the city for entertainment I was pleasantly surprised by the number of tourists and museums and other cultural offerings. I chose the Museum of Illusions which was passable.
It had been 28 years since I was last in Zagreb and yet all I could remember was the word for hello. Luckily everyone I met spoke English and was very welcoming (except the woman at the ticket widow of the bus station who was openly hostile).
Everywhere in Europe there seems to be a lot of graffiti – it’s a blight on the cityscape and the trains. What is responsible for these acts of destruction? Even of historic buildings you can see tags and messages spray-painted. It is like a spreading disease.
It was a joy to be back in Croatia and apart from the nasty hostel, it will occupy a special place in my European itinerary.