Zagreb, Croatia

Getting to Zagreb was rather interesting. I had read that the train network in Croatia is not quite developed to the level of the EU, and when we were scuffled off the train by a large burly Croatian man grunting with a barely comprehensible "No Problem, No Problem", I actually was a bit worried. We were shuttled to 5 buses were it quickly became apparent that a portion of the tracks between Vienna and Zagreb was not in service and we would have to take a bus to the next station that had a connection to Zagreb. Tension relived. I actually rather enjoyed the bus ride. The buses are not your typical city public transportation bus, no, they are more touring coaches. The seats are comfortable, with adequate leg space (even for me), AC, tinted windows, and curtains. Rather nice in my opinion. The rest of the journey proceeded without any additional surprises and getting to my hostel was rather easy, as they had provided very explicit directions. "Take this bus to this station", "Get off the bus", "Follow the yellow feet". Very simple and easy. The city of Zagreb was very charming, unfortunately I happened to be in the city during a national day of remembrance for the people that have died in recent struggles for their liberty. Naturally most things were closed and really the only people that were on the streets were tourists. The lack of things to do actually developed into a very nice discovery. The Museum of Broken Relationships. The museum exhibits featured items that were unique to a relationship and the story of how that relationship failed. There were tales of hatred, of loving remembrance, of strife and grief, pain, and most touching of all, one story of frustration turned to pure love after death. The Item: An antique Key. The Summarized Story: - Woman meets man - Woman and man have a wonderful relationship full of passion and love. - Man refuses to have sex with woman, and (apparently) provides no explanation. - Woman becomes overly frustrated and leaves the relationship. - Years go by and woman receives a letter from man. - Man explains in letter that he has passed away from AIDS. - Woman understands that man loved her so much that he would not even consider the risk. Of all the stories, I found this one to be the most touching. There were other stories that rivaled it. But the simplicity of it I found incredibly elegant. The museum was put together so well that you wanted to read every story and look at every item. When all the exhibits had been viewed, I found myself looking for more.