We arrived at Hong Kong airport to find that our flight to Frankfurt had been delayed….by 10 hours! After a couple of hours waiting around to see what our fate was to be we managed to befriend a group of people in the same situation. At least we were able to laugh together in frustration. We finally were told that we would be put up in a hotel room and shuttled back for our flight the next morning. After waiting around for another 40 mins we were finally given our hotel vouchers and told that the last shuttle would leave at 12:50am. This was told to us at just on midnight Hong Kong time…the race was on! After a quick shuttle to immigration we filled out our cards and joined the looooong queue. Time was ticking but we finally made through and got to the shuttle with minutes to spare. A short drive to the Marriott and we checked into our 12th floor room…not too shabby! After 13 hours of traveling it will be nice to be horizontal in a bed for a few hours at least. Adventure continues tomorrow, Wǎn’ān!

At the airport having burgers and beers and waiting for our flight. It’s finally happening! Bon voyage bitches!

Our taxi picked us up at 7am for the trip to the airport. The way people drive through Rome is quite an experience and it is best not to watch! It is the best way to get to the airport with bulky luggage and we were glad not to drag our heavy laden bags up and down stairs and down cobbled streets. 

We have had a wonderful holiday visiting some amazing countries and cities. Looking forward to coming home!

Luckily we set the phone alarm as a knock on the door was not sufficient to wake us. Breakfast was a buffet of cold meats, boiled or scrambled eggs and breads plus tea or coffee.
  
We disembarked and then tried to work out how to get to Ancona central station. There were a few other individuals who were trying to navigate their way to a bus so we formed a little bond. There was a Croatian woman who did not speak English. There was a Italian guy who had very limited English and there was Richard who spoke English. We all followed the lady who seemed confident about where to wait for the 1/4 bus but after 2 passed us by we decided that we had to find another bus stop. Then we were not sure about which direction we should go in so the Italian guy flagged over a police car and asked. We were assured at the right stop. You would never think to flag a Police car to ask directions but we got the answer we needed. The Italian guy then asked Teresa where she was from because she looks like a Spanish film star…..(hopefully not porn!) Once at the train station we had assistance from a Trenitalia assistant to purchase tickets to Rome. We had an hour until the train so we found a cafe at the station and were joined by Richard and chatted easily. It was nice to have added company and listen to someone else’s stories. It was also a bit of an adventure that our group of 5 bonded over the short time to solve the problem of how to get to the station. People are generally always willing to help each other wherever you are.

The Trenitalia train was comfortable without being crowded.

  
  
  
As the train wound through the mountains we were treated to more dusting of snow on trees and houses plus really high snow capped mountains.

 
 
   
    
Trevi was an amazing town built on a hill. There were many of these sort of towns built on hills in the Italian countryside.

  
  
  
We arrived at Roma Termini at around 12.45 and found a happy taxi driver to take us to Spagna again. Mauro was as welcoming as when we were there last and we were given our old room and arranged an airport transfer for the morning. With explicit directions from Mauro, we walked to the Vatican and were amazed at the opulence and enormity of the buildings. 

  
We continued on to St Peter’s Basillica and entered through the Holy Door which was not a popular choice by other visitors. 

  
 
It was for those who ‘trusted’ but turned out to be the line with the shortest security queue. The paintings and sculptures are awe inspiring. 

 
   
In contrast to the wealth and affluence of the area there were many beggars and homeless individuals.

It was a lovely stroll along the Tiber river in both directions. The day finished with a desire for takeaway pizza and a night in because we needed an early start in the morning for the long way home. 

Today we planned a trip to Trogir, another part of Split with some ancient fortresses and churches.The bus trip to Trogir takes about 40 minutes and there were regular buses travelling the route all day.

We stopped at a restaurant for a beer and tea but it was booked up inside so we had to sit on the terrace outside which was quite windy and cold.

The scenery is amazing again with the mountains and the sea as backdrops.

You can see the Italian influence in this area of Croatia in the architecture and also the culture. Clothing is hung outside on balconies and strung across lanes as they do in Rome.

Michele was feeling quite unwell so we spent the afternoon at the apartment before heading down to the ferry port. It is definitely the coldest day since we’ve been here but it also promises to be a clear night so hopefully we will see stars during the journey.

The ferry is called the Marko Polo which is run by the Jadrolinija company. We have booked a cabin with an ensuite since it is an 11 hour trip. Apparently even Pope John Paul has travelled on this ferry.

Breakfast is included in the price and passengers are woken early before the final dock.

We were sad to say goodbye to our little apartment in the palace since it means our holiday is drawing to a close. It was definitely a good choice of area to stay in as we felt safe at all times. The beds were very comfortable, great doonas and pillows. There was also a plentiful supply of toothpicks which put B&Ds selection to shame!

The people here are very welcoming and willing to help when you ask questions, even the bus drivers! They do not expect you to know their language and most speak some English.

Once settled in our cabin we went for a tour and were nearly blown off the outside deck by a very icy wind. So we found the restaurant where all the waiters were waiting for us.

The food is pretty basic but adequate. We asked before we boarded if a Visa card would be accepted or if we needed currency and which currency was accepted. We were assured that the card could be used but it turned out that there were ‘complications’ with using cards so luckily we had enough Kunas and extra Euros to pay for dinner. So cash is the best way to go on the boat.

The ride was quite comfortable and sleep came easily. Dobra Noć

A pretty quiet day today. One last blow dry meant that we were salon-ready for the final leg of our trip  
……. Waaaaaaa!

Walking along the north-west wing of Split we found that the esplanade looked quite clean and modern, and again would be filled with holiday makers in Summer. 

  
  
  
  
There were many people milling about because it was a nice Saturday and obviously people flock to the coast on weekends. The cafes along the shoreline were also open for the first time since we arrived…probably for this very reason.  

  
  
We did some souvenir shopping before returning to the pizza restaurant for some lunch. Teresa finally had an authentic pizza covered with anchovies! Yum!

  
Michele had pasta with truffle sauce, and dark beer was the bevvy…of course. We did some research about the trip on the ferry to Ancona and then walked down to Cantun Paulina for some local takeaway ćevapi (a type of kebab made with Turkish bread, sausage-like rissoles, onions and peppers). A biting wind had made the 8 degree temperature feel like 3 degrees and so dinner was very much enjoyed at home as we put our feet up at about 5pm for a quiet night, realising that this may be the first time in a month that we’ve actually had a whole afternoon of down time.Tomorrow we will spend our last day in Croatia….for now…. dobra noč!

It continued to rain heavily throughout the night but thankfully it had stopped by morning. Teresa cooked herself brekki and we each braved the tiny shower before heading out for the day. The cafe that Irene told us would be open at 9am for our included “breakfast” of coffee and a croissant was closed still at 9:30 so we skipped that part and went wandering around some more of the palace grounds. The contrast of old ruins among newer buildings makes for interesting scenery, although there are obviously constant restorations underway.  

  
Irene had organised for us to have a free “Split Card” (for anyone if they spend 3 or more nights in Split) which gave us either free or discounted access into a variety of museums and historical buildings. 

  
  
  
We used this to access the palace Mausoleum and then the “basement” which is the underground part of the palace, full of different rooms and hallways made of stone, quite complex and amazing. 

   
 There are markets in the middle of the basement, the part that is free for all people to access. These are selling various trinkets, plants and pottery. We have also noticed that there are several cats that just wander the paths of the palace who don’t seem to belong to anyone but appear healthy, well-fed and are relaxed and friendly. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Irene had recommended that we take a day trip out to one of the islands so we went and enquired at the ferry terminal and found that the only island we could access today was Brač. We bought two tickets for 56HRK and boarded the enormous ferry…probably the largest boat either of us has ever been on. As the ferry made its way across to the island the scenery of the mountains was quite spectacular.

  
  
  
  
 There are many villages dotted along the coastline. The ride across took about an hour and was smooth and comfortable, made even more so by the fact that we could purchase coffee and beer on the boat. The town that we berthed at was called Supetar which is a lovely little seaside village that is obviously a very popular tourist spot in Summer, judging by the amount of bars, restaurants and beachside activities ….all now closed for the winter.

There were quite a few cats just hanging around this island too. A handful of places were open and we found a cute little restaurant for lunch. We were one of two tables in the entire place which gave off an authentic family restaurant atmosphere. Teresa ordered a risotto with prawns and Michele had spaghetti bolognaise. 

  
  
  
  
Both meals were hot, fresh and delicious! Even the extra Parmesan cheese was served as a wedge with a grater. 

  
The service by a friendly male waiter was fantastic, needless to say we really enjoyed our lunch here! We just forgot to take a picture of the name of the restaurant 😦

  
  
We had been told when purchasing our ferry tickets that the boats back to the mainland would leave at 3, 6 and 8pm so we had another walk around and then went to board the awaiting ferry at about 2:20pm… early just to be on the safe side! When we gave the man our tickets he informed us that they were just the receipt part of our one-way tickets and we would have to purchase another ticket to go back to the mainland. Lucky we had tried to board early! We walked the 250metres back to the ticket office and bought our tickets, having a little laugh with the lady about our mistake, and then started walking back to the ferry only to see the boat pulling away from the wharf! Aghhh! There really wasn’t enough to do on the island to laud away another 3 hours (except of course, drink)! 

We walked back to the ticket office and thankfully the lady assured us that we had been misinformed and the next boat would be in an hour, at 3:30pm …phew! So we found a cafe with wifi…Cafe Barbara took our fancy for some reason… and had a coffee and a beer while waiting for the next ferry, which we made in time! We chose the opposite side to what we came over on and were treated to even more beautiful scenery of the mountains.   

We regrouped back at our apartment to add a blog post and have a small break before dinner. Finding a suitable place to eat proved a little challenging, there were lots of caffe/bars available but very few restaurants open.   

There are a lot of pizza and fast food places to cater for the afternoon shoppers (shops seem to stay open later here) but we wanted something a little more cosy, with table service. We ended up back at Mazzgoon…. not reluctantly though. We were greeted with recognition and waves from the chefs in the open kitchen and Teresa was happy that she could order the mussels that she envied so much last night. Michele ordered beef cheeks and wild mushrooms in puff pastry….this once again did not disappoint! 

 
 
    
Very artistically presented and delicious! 

A FaceTime with Scott completed our day and then it was time for bed. Tomorrow we have our final hair appointments for the holiday, followed by some souvenir shopping at the markets. Until then, dobra noč!  

Check out from the Jagerhorn was simple and painless. They organised a transfer by Ekotaxi to the airport which cost 130HRK ($26) for a 30 minute trip. The hotel handles the payment so we did not have to negotiate with the taxi driver.

  
We were very reluctant to leave our centrally located and cosy hotel and fully recommend this place if anyone travels to Zagreb. Zagreb airport is currently the domestic and international terminal but this will change soon. 

  
It was very quiet and moving through security was quick despite having to almost remove everything. After we redressed we found the Sky bar and had a beer overlooking the Tarmac. 

  
We looked at the departures board with wanderlust as we realised that most of the destinations were only an hour away. 

  
Flying out of Zagreb we could still see snow in the countryside although it hasn’t snowed for about a week.

  
  
Our host, Irene, met us at the airport and drove us to our apartment. 

  
It took about 30 minutes and during the drive Irene gave us very detailed commentary about the city, its history and particular attractions. Since this is a summer resort many places are shut for the winter. We don’t mind, the reduced crowds and ease of getting around appeals to us more.

Our apartment is situated inside an ancient Roman structure, the Dioclesian Palace. 

  
  
  
 This has now been turned into a little village of shops and residences accessed by a myriad of cobblestoned alleyways, much like in Venice. 

  
  
In contrast to Zagreb, this Croatian city has a Mediterranean atmosphere. Irene informed us that Split has a large Italian influence in their culture so their traditional foods include pasta and pizza, and they use Italian words in their dialect. 

Our little 16th century apartment has original stone walls but is decorated in a beautifully modern way. The highlight is definitely the little bathroom that miraculously turns into a shower with a simple drawing of a shower curtain! 

  
Because so many restaurants are closed in Split at this time of year, Irene walked us through the palace grounds to a typical Split restaurant where we parted ways with her and finally sat down to eat! We shared as bruschetta followed by a pizza and, of course, beer! 

   
 Energy levels revitalised, we were now ready to explore! There is temptation everywhere because of the numerous winter sales and Teresa finally succumbed and bought a pair of shoes. 

  
A quick trip back to the apartment to add another layer and drop off the shoes and then we headed down towards the main harbour. 

   
 
  
You can really picture how busy and full of life this place would be in the warmer months. There are restaurants, cafes and bars in every nook and cranny, and the harbour is crammed with outdoor seating and undercover social areas. 

Unfortunately most of these places are also closed, as they call this time of year the “sleeping” time. We did manage to find a cute little cocktail bar tucked upstairs that overlooked the water so we stopped in for a beer and to use the wifi. 

  
Then we made our way back towards our place and found a restaurant called Mazzgoon for dinner. A great little find! Teresa seafood plate of tuna, scampi and octopus but Michele won out with her mussels in a salty cream sauce. 

Dessert was an amazing chocolate, caramel and avocado tart accompanied by a glass of honey rakija, yum! 

  
It started to rain outside so we made the long trek around the corner to our place and put our feet up for the night. Dobra noć!

Last full day in Zagreb started with a nice hot breakfast at Jagerhorn and then a tram ride to Maksimir park which is also the location of the Zagreb zoo.     

  
The zoo was clearly being upgraded so the entry cost of 20HRK was very reasonable …$4 each. We saw some amazing animals such as the Mara (a sort of walking rabbit) and a multitude of very colourful poison frogs. 

   
    
 The ape enclosure and the sea lion pool were very small, dirty and a bit depressing yet we think they have funds to improve these. Also because of the cold winter, some animals can only be seen in enclosed buildings. 

  
 
   
 It was great to see red pandas in the trees above just like you would see koalas in Australia. Michele was a bit anxious when the sleeping male lion was only a few metres away behind a sheet of glass. She did not want him to awaken.
 
   
 We do recommend a visit to this zoo, using tram route 11, especially after the upgrades are complete. All up because of the time of year we probably shared the whole zoo with maybe 20 other visitors. 

  
 
   
   
 
  
Coming back to Centar we wandered around trying to find a restaurant for lunch. That’s when we stumbled upon another impressive cathedral, Zagrebačka. 

  
  We stopped into the Ristoran Kathedral for lunch but it was one of those places that has too many dishes on the menu, with photos, which we should have known would be substandard with mediocre food and no wifi. Oh well, the dark beer was still good!

 After lunch we did more sight seeing and found that there is a lot to see in this city and it is all easily accessed by foot. It was the longest we have been without wifi on this trip so we had to find a cafe to have another beer and connect to the world.

 
  
We walked to the upper town using the stairs directly behind the Jagerhorn rather than catching the funicular again. At the top of these stairs was the most amazing little outdoor bar connected to a restaurant which overlooked the city of Zagreb. We drank vodka while we marvelled at the vista around us as the sun set. Stunning!

   
   
Although we loved the Stari Fijaker we needed to find somewhere else for dinner. We walked for nearly an hour to find somewhere that we were happy to have dinner. There are a lot of places that offer western or Asian food but we wanted table service with local cuisine. We took a punt with a traditional pub and were pleasantly surprised. 

  Not only were the food and drinks great but the price was very cheap. This would be a nice place for lunch too! It seemed to be well patronised by locals (always a good sign).  They actually brew their own beer!

    
 Back to our room for our last night in Zagreb. Dobra noć. 

We started with a lovely breakfast buffet and a sunny day.

 
   
 The hotel we are staying in is so central to everything. After breakfast we took ourselves off for some sight seeing. Around the corner is the funicular tram which we caught up the hill…. This one was actually working!

    
   
 At the top we could see St Marks Cathedral beautiful mosaic work and we walked past the stone gate where there were a lot of devout people praying and showing their respects.

    
We visited the museum of Broken Relationships which was really cool. 

 Here is a place where they display mementos of people’s past relationships and the stories behind them. If you enjoy reading then you will be entertained by the vignettes in this place. The coffee is also excellent! 

  
We wandered through the cobblestoned alleys to stumble upon the fresh food, souvenir and textile markets. 

 These are called the Dolac markets and they seem endless. There were even second hand fur coats on offer! 

We had a beer stop at the Bulldog Cafe and then off to Vinodol for a lovely traditional lunch. Michele ordered mushroom soup in a cob and Teresa enjoyed a pork, cabbage and potato dish. All washed down with local beer.

  
   
    
   
The weather was quite clear and crisp (and a balmy 9C compared to the last couple of countries).

It was time to attend to the hair again so we found a ‘frisier’ who charged us $15 each for a wash and blow dry. We are salon ready again!

   
 The afternoon became a little cooler so our centrally located apartment was accessed to add more layers. There was more sight seeing and walking past parks and buildings. A stop for a drink involved some entrepreneurial children trying to impress (and exploit?) people with their singing for money. Didn’t matter how cute they were, we were not falling for it!

There is a very touristy part of Zagreb with lots of bars and mainstream eateries. We were looking for a traditional restaurant for dinner and ended up at Stari Fijaker again with our favourite waiter who suggested some other lical dishes for us to try. It did not disappoint! We shared a beef and dumpling type stew with homemade breads. Then we tried the Zagreb delicacy of Strukli which is a cottage cheese pastry served with sour cream. Yum! 

      
 Michele finished with a cherry strudel and we complemented our meal with vodkas which were served straight with a slice of lemon……….very smooth!

Our waiter who enjoyed our interest and willingness to listen to his suggestions and advice about local foods  then served us a glass each of Rakia gratis! 

    
We finished the day by visiting the lovely park we had walked past earlier in the day to enjoy the lights by night. 

     
 Zagreb is a busy town and there are people buzzing around, shopping and drinking every evening. Our kind of town….laku noć!