We had such high hopes for exploring Croatia. Like everyone else in the world, it seems, the coastal country was high on our list of destinations.
Its beautiful scenery has been featured on Game of Thrones, Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi, and a host of other movies and television shows. And Dubrovnik and Split were on our road trip itinerary before we had to change our plans in Greece.
But travel often throws you a curveball, and we instead wound up on a bus tour of the Balkans that only left us time for one day in central Croatia.
We arrived late at night and starving, so we set out for the nearest Chinese restaurant, as we often do. Passing through a lovely park, we came across a pop up club with the young and the beautiful posing and flirting, as they often do.
After a satisfying meal and a good night’s sleep, we awoke to a beautiful sunny day and decided to wander around in search of brunch. We found it at Dolac, the weekly Sunday market in Zagreb’s central city square.
Locals selling homegrown fruit and vegetables, homemade cheese and cream, and handmade art and crafts displayed their wares beneath rows of tents surrounded by modern skyscrapers and historic cathedrals.
As we enjoyed our tea and espresso at a sidewalk cafe, we watched the passersby, and I noticed person after person carrying gorgeous bouquets of flowers. We paid our bill and rounded the corner, where we found an explosion of stunning colors and unusual textures. It was heaven!
We couldn’t take any of the beautiful blooms with us since we were headed out of town, but we were treated to some fun street sculptures as we made our way to the station.
Next Up: A 10-miles-a-day walking tour of Rome, Italy