I left Slovenia satisfied that much of my work was finished for the time being. I have numerous contacts now both in and out of the rooms, a plan for next summer that involves academics and not just wafting about, and a sense that it is time to go back to where I started this journey and close the circle once more on this experience.
It has been a long trip, but not so strange. There have been moments of quiet and peace as well as frustrating moments when I was dealing with the co-dependent aspects of friendship. I have fallen in and out of love, experienced theft, slept in the worst and best of beds, and have managed to take almost 6 gigs worth of pictures. Yes, that is six gigabytes.
Out of the 2000 or so shots I have accrued I need to pick about 25 to use in my presentation this fall. I have looked at some of the shots and there are some real dogs, but even those have value from a technical point of view.
My train ride from Ljubljana to Zagreb yesterday was interesting. Pretty, uneventful, and until we reached the border, relaxed. As we approached the Croatian border it was obvious that we were leaving the EU and entering into foreign lands. The police were very efficient and I had nothing to worry about, of course, but still the mood was very serious. I arrived in Zagreb around 5PM and went straight to my hotel, which is the posh Hotel Dubrovnik. At the end of a trip spent sleeping in 2-Star hotels or less, I like to treat myself to something nice, with AC, CNN, BBC, laundry, and fitted sheets. Plus the bathroom is a real bathroom, with a real shower, etc…not a ‘water closet’.
The weather this morning was rainy, but nice and I walked around a little with my umbrella. After lunch the skies cleared and the place has been transformed into a sunny, cafe-laden, European city. After all the small towns, remote forests, and mountains Zagreb is a big place, and carries itself much the way it always has—a bridge between east and west, old and new. Traditional music blends with Croatian and Bosnian rap on the street and the food is distinctly central European which is a change. I have been eating more traditional Balkan food so far which can only be described as rustic. Very tasty, but not the finer stuff of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire.
I went to English speaking AA meeting last night and will attend the Croatian language meeting tonight to see friends and so forth. They will probably translate for me, which is very kind. Someday they will not need to do so. That’s the plan anyway.
The next update will come from Somewheresville, where my American friends, English car, crazy cat, and loving family await. I’ll be home in time for dinner on Thursday.
Johnnyboy