A Final Morning in Croatia

I've had an amazing trip and had the chance to meet some amazing people, eat some fantastic food and see some spectacular sights. I was sad that it was over but also grateful to have a final morning in Zagreb where it all started. I had really loved this city the first time. I wasn't meeting the woman from the room until noon to give back the key, so I had tons of time. I woke up early and got all my stuff packed up. I showered, no small feat in the tiny bathroom built in the eaves!

Once I was all ready I went down to the street to find some breakfast. I should have known better. While Croatians love their coffee and cafes, they don't seem to eat any food. Everywhere I went only served lunch and dinner or drinks. I was finally recommended a place just off the main square. I'm not a huge breakfast person and nothing really appealed to me so I ordered the cheese, ham and toast. What they meant was a toasty. 

It was good enough, and I had a delicious tea! 

I explored the city again, went into the cathedral which I hadn't done before and walked through the market. I bought some small items and an ornament for my Cristmas tree. Did you know they grow lavender here? I did not. A lot of the market shops actually sold natural products and it was very enticing to buy some, though I wasn't sure how I'd get it through customs. 

The city is preparing for Easter and I have a feeling many things will be closed and people will be gone in the next week. The market had many Easter items as well. 

FREE STUFF! Haha...I couldn't even get close because of the swarm of people. 

I returned to the room to pick up my bag and had a lovely chat with the woman. I didn't get her name! :( I walked around for a bit, stopped and had a drink at a cafe and finally went to have lunch. I decided to go back to a place I had already been as I knew the food was really good and I wanted to have one last Croatian meal. It didn't disappoint. I also enjoyed another radler, I'm loving that they have them here! I figured it was going to be a long afternoon! 

I arrived at the airport with a few hours to spare, better than rushing though! The new airport is stunning! I love the outside design, but the inside it pretty cool too! When I arrived in Croatia a few weeks ago I actually flew into the old airport. The new one opened the next day!

I exchanged the last of my kunas to euros, thinking I'd use them in Amsterdam for sure. I then spent the last of my coins. You don't get many euros out of kunas! With 14 kunas, I could only buy €1.25! So a small bag of candy! I bought a drink too, using my euros and then settled in at the gate. Before long we were boarding. 

I was lucky enough to sit beside another interesting person! His name was Harris but pronounced with an "ar" instead of "ay-r". He was born in Bosnia and his family fled to Sweden during the war. He had some really interesting insight into the wars and he gave me some information about what happened. His grandfather still lives in Bosnia, in an abandoned town, with few people. We chatted the whole way to Amsterdam. Another really amazing conversation. 

I had booked a room at a hotel near the airport because the city was all booked or the rooms were, on average, $500. I didn't realize it but the hotel was right inside the terminal. It was  meant for short stays, a minimum of 3 hours. It was designed to look like a room in a train.

Very cool. I had really hoped to go into Amsterdam for a few hours, but with my flight being delayed, finding the hotel and checking in, it was nearly 9. I decided I wouldn't have enough time and I'd be going just to turn back. I sort of regret not going though. I had a pretty decent sleep as the bed was quite comfy. Checkout was at 9am and I stayed until then. Once I left, I grabbed a croissant, the hotel gave me a free tea, and I sat waiting for my parents flight to arrive, less than an hour! Small world when your layover overlaps your parents!!!

I'm on the flight home now, looking forward to a night in my own bed, though not excited at all about work tomorrow! It's been a really wonderful experience and I hope you have enjoyed coming along with me! Until next time!