How to catch a train?
When I tried to leave #Ljubljana I was absolutely sure that my next stop is going to be in Belgrade at the evening. The only train from Ljubljana to Belgrade (or Beograd) goes 9 hours long and leaves at about 8:30. So I woke up early. With my CS host we cherished our small daily rituals - sipping Turkish style coffee, having a cigarette chatting while gazing at the window from the 15th floor of his flat. A bit in rush we managed to get even some apples for a travel from the nearest grocery (I heard also some nasty story about the owner....smashing) and then - surprise... there is no train.
Have you noticed why? Key word - "about" 8:30.
The only train to Serbia left at 8:25. Alternatives? Travel that could take up to 20 hours to Beolgrade or go somewhere else. In that very moment I felt that nothing happens without a reason. I might have taken a train to Belgrade, but maybe this, what is going to happen now, will be much more better to me! From the perspective of time, I guess I would not have created this blog, if I got that train. And I would not know where they shoot the scenes for the next season of the Games of Thrones ;)!
The weather was getting even cloudier and rainier. The best shoes I had - old pair of intensively used converse - were obviously not water resistant, so at the spot I decided to go to a warmer place - Croatia. Ultimately, a missed train is not the end of the world - hey! Now I can truly go wherever I want, by any train it comes! (Moreover it is nothing in comparison to plane I was late to some years ago). Next train was to place called Dobova - next to Croatian border. I took it having high hopes that at least there is something interesting to sketch!
This train goes about 2 hours and serves you some of the most beautiful views I have seen during my trip. Not without a reason in my map that rout was highlighted as scenic train line. Due to the rain and overwhelming greyness, my photos do not even try to embrace a small piece of the real beauty of that landscape. I was sitting next to the window as if I had watched telly. The locals looked at me suspiciously. It did not matter - the moment I saw the mist rolling over the mountains, the slightest regret about missed train faded away like a fog.
Running away from rain...
How desperately did I want to escape rain, you cannot imagine.Nonetheless, in Dobova there was nothing but church, dog and obviously - rain. Next train to Croatia (that is 5 kilometres away) - in 5 hours. And I couldn't even sketch there! After 10 minutes in Dobova, I found a local map sign, took out my sketchbook and wrote clearly HR. Hvala! Hrvatska Republika, thank you!
It took maybe 15 minutes till a man stopped and took me to the next village with a train station. Usually I would never travel with a single man, but I told myself - next time you will follow your reasonable thinking. Now it's raining, there is no cars and all the trains you can take are only 5 km away from here! Driver spoke only Slovenian (or Croatian not sure), but with my "no ż sz cz ć ź ń dż ę ą"-Polish mixed with a bunch of Russian words, we managed to communicate pretty well! For the first time since long I had a border control. He took me to Harmica with the next train leaving to Zagreb in 10 minutes. This is how I saved 5 hours! Ultimately, the good karma was still with me!
Apart from the fact, it was still raining....
Zagreb
Veni...
Vidi...
Rain...
(Don't get me wrong, I strongly believe this city has plenty to offer, like the Museum of Broken Relationships that Jenny had told me me about, but when I can go somewhere with a backpack full of summer clothes and not even a single warm jacket, I choose place where it is already warm).
The nicest Croatian person who I met was a ticket controller. He looked at my ticket bewilderingly and took the best English he had from his pocket! I saw how much he tried to help me! Although I didn't really need help - the app in my phone was full of appropriate schedules! Well, I asked him for some help with timetable from Zagrem and he was so delighted to give me the right answer! That was so touching!
Quick stop at the station, quick visit at the exchange, quick coffe and off we go.
(Croatian kuna is still the most confusing currency for me from all I had been using in Balkans. So difficult to count! Moreover, imagine that 1 kuna = animal, marten consists of 100 lipa=tree, lime tree! How imaginative is that! ).
6,5 hours in train.
Scenic route.
I asked myself, how is it even possible that those British ignorant girls dare to sleep when the landscape outside is so breathtaking???? H.O.W.?
Well, the first part was boring, but the last 2,5 hours I was poking my nose constantly next to the window. Valleys, rivers, untouched nature, mountains and stunning play of the mist and clouds rolling over the summits and trees. I could not stop gazing at its beauty. Train was crossing deep valleys or decelerating on the tiny bridges whereas on the left side you could see the horizon with Bosnia far away, on the right side blue line of the sea separated from the bay by a green stripe of land. Above, the vail of mist and clouds brought by the evening breeze. Simply magic.
After rain comes RAINBOW
Not sun!
It was night when I arrived.
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| Rainbow to Bosnia |
#SPLIT
I bet many of you have been there already. So often I heard there Polish, British, Russian, that I wonder where are the Croatians there? Or maybe they - just as Jože - live in Ljubljana and keep inspiring all travellers to head further to Split? I would not be surprised! Yes, Jože. That was the moment I saw admiration in your eyes, when I asked you, how nice it is in your Croatian hometown. That was when you confirmed, this shall be the most beautiful place you have ever been and you wish to have come back there and live there. I didnt know whether to believe you or not. I believed you were right.
That was everything what I knew when I got to Split.
And the crowd at the train station with cartons. Sobe. Rooms.
And this ridiculous warmth.
And palms!
So happy.
Graphitti with Hajduk Split were everywhere. Hajduk were romanticized bandits that fought the rule of the Ottoman Turks and since 1911 they exist as a football team Hajduk Split. What was important in the Austrian-Hungarian empire, this club breeded the national identity and separatist approach that was against the policy of unification at that time. Right now they are still a team, but the obvious political connection faded away. For Split inhabitants it must be, I believe, important - even in my room I found a beautiful hand-made wall cloth with their logo!
My backpack contained 35l of stuff, including one dress for warm weather.
Travelling girl needs to take something like that and that was the high time to wear it!
Warm night at the Croatian coast?
Perfect for a late sketch. First one this day.
The Diocletian's Palace in Split was something I did not expected! Touristic seaside town at the coast? Yes. Ancient city of Roman empire? Nope. But it was there. I walked through the beautifuly lighted tiny stone streets surrounded by couples and the History. In the hidden restaurants noice of even more hidden tourists. Music every now and then and astonishing romanic architecture. Nothing comparable to romanic history of Cologne that I knew - that was the whole city full of ancient history!
I sat down to sketch the place I liked the most - the central square of the Palace - peristyle. If you ignored the ludicurous amount of tourists, it was beautiful. I wished to see them gone.
The moment I thought that, it started to rain heavily. All people including me hide in the restaurant. Indeed. The perystyle (square) looked much better without people.
I had to finish my sketch the next day, but in the restaurant I had a nice chat with two American friends, who came to Europe to celebrate their reunion after leaving college (greetings to Rob and Pete). Surprisingly enough, they have quite a knowledge about European history. I pleasantly tourtured them with a game - guess what country is that (.. but do you know the capital too?). They did well. Ashamingly, I never cared enough to learn American states. I excuse myself that I know all Polish and German regions with their capitals... because I was in those countries.... so let me learn them before visiting U.S. Fair enough?
Archeology is my soft spot actually...and I would love to spend there hours to do it in bigger size.
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| coloured added after. |
Who has been in Split rise your hands! :)
