One F in Foley: Something small, something Croatian

The wee phrase you read in the title above had a Zagreb-based souvenir shopkeeper in fits of laughter after I said this to her when she enquired what kind of item I might be looking to buy.

She joked back: “I am now considering changing the name of my shop to this!” 

I’m a bit late to the game in getting around to writing this article, but last summer, I made my first appearance in Croatia in what was also my debut  visiting any former Yugoslavian territory of any kind. The Croatian capital may be rather mild, by other capital city standards, but it’s worth visiting. 

Back in the Day 

The first couple of things you’ll notice about Croatia is, firstly, how devout Catholicism it is and, secondly, they just love parading their red-and-white checkered colours everywhere. It’s safe to say that they’re a very patriotic country, and going by their history, you can see why. 

When I was a kid, this country didn’t come into social existence until I was about nine years old. In a way, it’s one of those European nations that I’m (technically) older than. 

Arrival and Getting Around 

The first thing that I noticed upon arrival at the Franjo Tudman (Zagreb airport) was the heat. Not that it was scorching, but carrying a filled rucksack and wearing a hoody only added to the trickles of sweat running down my neck and back as I headed for the bus into town. 

It was a gentle but firm reminder that although Croatia’s landscape mostly runs along the coast of the Adriatic Sea, the city of Zagreb is much more inland and away from the gentle sea breezes that one might find in places like Split  Dubrovnik; common tourist destinations amongst the Croats themselves.

To its great credit, the transport around Zagreb is pretty solid. Buses and taxis are relatively cheap from the airport and two major tramlines glide through the city centre and this makes the hop-on, hop-o feel of your city wandering all the more easy to do. 

Tickets for the trams have to be bought at the kiosk stands which are dotted throughout the city. Us Donegal folk aren’t all that used to buying anything tram or train-like, so if you’re not sure what these stands look like, they’re those mini-newsagents places you’ll find on a lot of street corners.

Be aware though that both the kiosks and trams themselves tend to take Sundays off. This fact ties in with Croatia’s (predominantly Catholic) religious belief in keeping this day as sacred as possible. It drew me to learn that Croats defied their once-Communist oppressors by staying true to their faith 

What to See and Do 

Certain landmarks will stick out and the best part is that, with the city being so walkable, they’re all quite straightforward to get to. While Zagreb is full of historic theatres and parliament buildings, there are some really fun and quirky things to do. I hit two museums, but not your usual kind. 

The Museum of Hangovers was a good laugh. They’ll give you a free shot and a couple of beers once you pay your admission. You can then take a stroll - or a wobble depending on your intake -on what feels like the narrative of a night out: the kitchen, the club, the house party, etc. 

Believe it or not, though, it’s quite educational. Once you’ve had your fun trying to walk with actual beer goggles on, you can learn some tidbits about the history of alcohol. How some kings refused to change religion for fear of it being to one that banned booze right up the Prohibition era of 1920s America. 

A short walk away and you’ll also find the Museum of Broken Relationships Again, it’s a place to have fun looking at the objects and reading up on the stories about how “my ex bought me this, so I dumped him on the spot”, kind of thing.

One that stood out for me was a pizza box with a letter of goodbye from a lady who had learned she’d become lactose intolerant. She emotionally wrote about how she would miss her favourite snack and how everywhere she looks now, she is reminded of pizza … mainly because she now lives in New York City. 

Next Up 

We know that Croatia, generally speaking, is a very young country and yet it's still rich in tradition and history. Its famous funicular train, the one which links the Lower Town to the Upper Town, is a fun thing to see and visit. Actually, it's the shortest public train journey you can do in the world. 

Just up the road from where it stops, you’ll see St Mark’s Cathedral. A small, quaint, and somewhat cute church setting with its eye-catching red-and-white chequered mosaic on the roof. The Gric tunnels - used as bomb shelters during World War II - are also definitely worth a (free) walk-through 

And for any sports fans, we all know Croatia is passionate about its football and the Maksimir Stadium is right there when you hop on at the correct tram stop. Don’t hold your breath if you want a stadium tour though, as they don’t do them. Overall, a grand wee spot for a few days' getaway.