On our way out of Vienna it was suggested to us by new friends we met the night before at dinner in the Vienna woods that we should travel by a more scenic route and stop for lunch at Pogusch in the hills before we cross the border to Slovenia.
The drive was well worth it as we drove through beautiful Austrian countryside and alpine vistas. The restaurant was quite unique in its location and décor. The girls were thoroughly amused by a herd of about 20 of the friendliest goats we’d ever met and so Paul and I sat on the deck overlooking sloping green fields and distant views of limestone mountains. The occasional helicopter landed to bring diners up from Vienna and we watched as the posh people came and went. Having not quite had enough of the Vienna schnitzel we chose the lamb schnitzel this time and it came with a delicious fresh cranberry sauce. The three cheeses went perfectly with the wine and we felt we could have easily stayed another couple of hours sitting there in the sunshine but Croatia was calling and the wasps were starting to get Paul a bit agitated. "A bit !"
This current one was getting a well-needed face lift.
From here we walked to the Danoc Markets. Mostly fresh fruit and vegetables and a few stalls for the tourists but not enough to take away from the local feel. Time for a coffee, we found a shop right on the edge of the market and started with a coffee which lead to a wine and some nuts then since it was Friday we had to have some fish. Three different types of fish with salad and more wine. Ice cream was next and a visit from a travelling salesman who was trying to sell us his drawings. Charlotte had money and quite liked a drawing of a horse in full flight but this pedlar from Bosnia refused to sell to a child and then tried to teach us his philosophy of child rearing in his broken English. He bought us some nuts and then all of a sudden, he left. We found out later that the man at the table next to us had told him in no uncertain terms to leave us alone as he was being a pest. So then we had a new friend to chat with and this very stylish, yet laid back gent shared with us his travel stories and passed on years of advice on where to go and how to live while in the Balkans. Again, could have stayed another hour but the day was getting on and we had more of Zagreb to see.
Right in the centre of the square and just next to the statue of Ban Josip Jelacic (who abolished serfdom in Croatia in the 1800's) there was a stall of hairdressers cutting for charity. For a donation to the Childrens Hospital Fund they would cut, style and blow dry. The first girl we spoke to was an effervescent Croatian who had lived in Sydney for her school years and was very keen to chat to some Aussies far from home. So without a thought Paul took the seat first and had the usual short back and sides. Maisy was next and a neat trim for her elfin hair style. Charlotte gave it a big miss and then after many, many months it was time for my hair to be lopped off. A new look! I left it totally up to Daniella and came out with a very short back and a lop-sided bob. During our hairdressing session we learnt everything we needed to know about Zagreb and travelling around Croatia from young Madeline who is studying tourism.
The drive was well worth it as we drove through beautiful Austrian countryside and alpine vistas. The restaurant was quite unique in its location and décor. The girls were thoroughly amused by a herd of about 20 of the friendliest goats we’d ever met and so Paul and I sat on the deck overlooking sloping green fields and distant views of limestone mountains. The occasional helicopter landed to bring diners up from Vienna and we watched as the posh people came and went. Having not quite had enough of the Vienna schnitzel we chose the lamb schnitzel this time and it came with a delicious fresh cranberry sauce. The three cheeses went perfectly with the wine and we felt we could have easily stayed another couple of hours sitting there in the sunshine but Croatia was calling and the wasps were starting to get Paul a bit agitated. "A bit !"
Three hours later we had driven through Slovenia and arrived in Zagreb the capital of Croatia (Hrvatska). Our apartment for two nights was a small flat under a family house in the suburb of Bukovac. The family was so friendly and Maisy played with the two children riding up and down the driveway, eating smarties and picking flowers. On the first night we walked around the streets and wondered what life would have been like here just 15-20 years ago during the Croatian War of Independence.
We had a whole Friday to explore the town of Zagreb so we started at the Cathedral of St Stephen where they were approaching the end of a major renovation. The church as we see it today is only 100 years old but a church has stood on this ground for almost a thousand years. Some razed to the ground during Holy battles and another severely damaged by an earthquake in 1880.
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We had a whole Friday to explore the town of Zagreb so we started at the Cathedral of St Stephen where they were approaching the end of a major renovation. The church as we see it today is only 100 years old but a church has stood on this ground for almost a thousand years. Some razed to the ground during Holy battles and another severely damaged by an earthquake in 1880.
This current one was getting a well-needed face lift. 
From here we walked to the Danoc Markets. Mostly fresh fruit and vegetables and a few stalls for the tourists but not enough to take away from the local feel. Time for a coffee, we found a shop right on the edge of the market and started with a coffee which lead to a wine and some nuts then since it was Friday we had to have some fish. Three different types of fish with salad and more wine. Ice cream was next and a visit from a travelling salesman who was trying to sell us his drawings. Charlotte had money and quite liked a drawing of a horse in full flight but this pedlar from Bosnia refused to sell to a child and then tried to teach us his philosophy of child rearing in his broken English. He bought us some nuts and then all of a sudden, he left. We found out later that the man at the table next to us had told him in no uncertain terms to leave us alone as he was being a pest. So then we had a new friend to chat with and this very stylish, yet laid back gent shared with us his travel stories and passed on years of advice on where to go and how to live while in the Balkans. Again, could have stayed another hour but the day was getting on and we had more of Zagreb to see. 
Just down from the markets, past the flower stalls is the town square. Not so charming as some of the majestic and impressive town squares we had been to but nonetheless interesting and lively.
Right in the centre of the square and just next to the statue of Ban Josip Jelacic (who abolished serfdom in Croatia in the 1800's) there was a stall of hairdressers cutting for charity. For a donation to the Childrens Hospital Fund they would cut, style and blow dry. The first girl we spoke to was an effervescent Croatian who had lived in Sydney for her school years and was very keen to chat to some Aussies far from home. So without a thought Paul took the seat first and had the usual short back and sides. Maisy was next and a neat trim for her elfin hair style. Charlotte gave it a big miss and then after many, many months it was time for my hair to be lopped off. A new look! I left it totally up to Daniella and came out with a very short back and a lop-sided bob. During our hairdressing session we learnt everything we needed to know about Zagreb and travelling around Croatia from young Madeline who is studying tourism. 
Croatia was one of the 6 states of Yugoslavia before 1996 when, after the 6 year war with Bosnia over coastline each of the states of Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia and Macedonia became independent nations. We asked Madeline and Daniella what life would have been like here 20 years ago. They painted a sad picture of life hiding in their own homes while the men went out to fight with whatever weapon they could find. In the end they had to leave and fled to Australia and the freedom and luxury of Fairfield.
Eighty kuna in the charity box and we left with our new haircuts to walk around the town for a few more hours before we found ourselves back at the same busy little café on the edge of the market. It was a different scene as we took our seats and ordered more of the fresh, light wine and calamari, pishmole and papalina with lemon and salt. Delicious. It was now late in the afternoon and the markets were being packed away for another day. The sweepers and scavengers came in and in no time the whole area was cleared away as if there were never a hundred umbrella covered stalls and masses of colourful fruits and vegetables covering the square.
My long winded blogs are a result of hours in the car travelling to new destinations. Today we are driving 440 kilometres from Zagreb to Split and then a ferry over to Brac Island where we will be staying for 2 weeks. The scenery along the way has been incredible and not at all what we had imagined. We have been driving along first class highways through mountain tunnels and over great stretches of open plains. The hot dry land is speckled with clear blue lakes and waterways. The mountain range is parched white rock and the small trees and shrubs trying to exist on the scorched plains are now slowly getting bigger as we get closer to the coast. Inside the car the air conditioner is working hard as Charlotte is busy doing a maths unit on area, Maisy is working through a worksheet on division and Paul is in his element driving, ever driving along excellent highways taking us safely to our next idyllic destination.
A comfort stop by the side of the road and we looked back at the bridge we just drove over. Under the arch and up river there was a perfect little riverside town. Lunch was calling and Paul just had to drive the windy road back along the river down to this sun-drenched village. Skradin was a perfect taster for life by the water in Croatia.
ShortLee
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