Theme: European Christmas Holiday  Country: Croatia  Languages: Croatian  Unit of Currency: Croatian kuna Locations: Zagreb  Year: 2011  Bucket list: Listening to traditional Croatian music

 

DO:  LISTEN TO LOCAL CROATIAN MUSICIANS AND BANDS

Zagreb:

• Eating local foods and drinking mulled wine while exploring the city and listening to musicians and bands

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pre-Christmas in Croatia:

1) The train ride from Budapest, Hungary to Zagreb, Croatia provided amazing views of the Adriatic Sea. The locals called Dubrovnik and the Dalmatian coast one of the world’s best rugged shoreline that covered more than 1,000 islands in the Adriatic Sea with the most beautiful seaside playgrounds known as “the Pearl of the Adriatic.” The Croatian coast was absolutely fantastic and the oceanscapes were phenomenal.

2) The food was one of the best local snacks that I had during on this European Snowboardin’ Expedition. An assortment of sausages, local beers, and mulled wine is an excellent combination for a cold weather treat. Personally, the cheddar cheese filled sausages and white mulled wine made a delicious snack! A matter of fact, the sausages and wine were so good that I decided to have it several times before venturing to the next country!

3) “The Advent of Zagreb” was the Christmas Market official title for the joyous event. I can honestly say that the classical musicians added to the Croatian culture were beautifully talented. My personal favorite was several young teenagers on violins, violas, guitars, and cellos playing “If I Ruled the World” by Coldplay. Gosh, just thinking about this performance gives me goosebumps!

4) Friendly people in a place always make me feel a little more in my comfort zone. The Croatians that managed the hostel that I stayed in were amazing. Not to mention, the locals that were super sweet and constantly telling me, “Cajni Kolacic,” translates into Merry Christmas!

Next stop: Ljubljana, Slovenia! grin emoticon