| You know that the mainstream tourist industry | | | | is relatively cheap - and good, if what we |
| isn't pushing a particular country when you can't | | | | experienced is indicative of all eating |
| find the language in the multi-lingual European | | | | establishments. Ironically, one of the meals was |
| phrase book. "And what language do you speak in | | | | Indian, of the sun continent variety. One of the |
| Croatia?", I ask the friendly information helper in | | | | best Indian meals I have ever had, with a few |
| Zagreb. "Croatian" she replies.That simple eh?You | | | | drinks thrown in, all for under 200 kone or under |
| can also tell, when all the trains in Italy going to | | | | $AU50 for my wife, Brenda and I. Our lunch |
| Italian destinations are full, yet getting a ride on | | | | today was more Croatian food - grilled veal with |
| the Budapest Special is as easy as falling off a log, | | | | Croatian salad, bread, chips (not Croatian, I know) |
| or in this case, a web log.For a large part of my | | | | and mineral water - all for 99 kone. We couldn't |
| life, I has this impression that people in the old | | | | eat another thing, well, not for another half hour |
| Eastern Bloc countries of which Croatia as part, | | | | at least.Admittedly, this was after Brenda insisted |
| were dour people who dressed in grey and went | | | | on buying half a kilo of strawberries, when I |
| round with sour looking faces. I suppose that | | | | thought half of that would suffice. She then |
| came with working 15 hours a day in a salt mine | | | | forced me to eat the bloody things. And this was |
| or building nuclear weapons guarded by secret | | | | not to mention the apple that each of us had |
| service agents packing kaleshnakovs or the | | | | purchased from the very same produce market |
| 1970's equivalent whilst taking notes on the | | | | that the aforementioned strawberries were |
| performance of each of the workers.While that | | | | purchased and duly eaten.Good food aside, the |
| might well have been the case then, (it must | | | | other things that struck me about Croatia was |
| have been, our government told us so), it is | | | | the friendliness of the people (even the |
| certainly not the case now. Fashion retailing seems | | | | immigration officials !!) and the fact that most of |
| to be the main industry, and by what is to be | | | | them spoke English.And I thought I was going to |
| seen on the Zagreb city streets, it is a great | | | | have to make myself understood by people who |
| success story. Fashion and shoe shops line the | | | | had just been working 15 hours in a salt mine. I |
| streets with neither nuclear contaminated overalls | | | | am very glad that was not the case. Our only |
| nor salt encrusted work boots in sight.The young | | | | regret was that our schedule only allowed for a |
| people are right into fashion with many dressed | | | | single day visit. I'm sure I could have found a salt |
| to the nines whilst sipping a drink in the many | | | | mine, given the time.Raymond Strachan loves life |
| cafes and pubs that line the city streets. This is | | | | and tries to give it 110% at least 91% of the |
| especially true in "Upper Town" where there are | | | | time. A quick look at the calculator will comfirm a |
| dozens of such establishments with patrons | | | | 100% total. He has an off centre view on just |
| enjoying the alfresco atmosphere adjacent to | | | | about anything as can be seen in his travel blog, |
| historic buildings.Whilst the accommodation was | | | | You can create your own travel blog there as |
| extremely expensive for what you get, the food | | | | well.View the Original Blog and the photos here... |