It’s our last full day in Zagreb before heading home! Gimpy and I had avoided a few attractions our first time around since we wanted to do it together with Vino. Our plan was to hit those places today.
Kava Tava
But the first order of business today is breakfast. We visited a well reviewed restaurant called Kava Tava. It’s a cool spot with unique decor and a great breakfast menu. One area looked like an airplane cabin, though I’m not sure what its used for.
The menu itself is also very creative and unique.
I ordered the big breakfast, a coffee and an orange juice. This is probably the best breakfast I’ve had during my time in Croatia. Nothing was super unique (like the fried poached egg) but everything is just very well done and very tasty.
Dolac Market
From Kava Tava, we set out to visit an open air farmer’s market that occurs in the centre of the city.
On the way to the main square, we encountered what looked like some form of military parade/changing of the guard. We heard the beat of drummers and a small platoon of classically dressed Croatian soldiers followed by officers on horseback. As they reached the main square they performed a small ritual/ceremony and left two guards by the statue before moving on. I’m not sure if this was normal, since Gimpy and I didn’t see this the first time we were here.
We headed up some stairs to the Dolac market. We spent a short time browsing through the stands before heading on to Zagreb Cathedral. Both Gimpy and I insisted that Vino visit the inside of the Cathedral. So we headed in again to give Vino an opportunity to experience it. It was just as pretty as it was the first time. Because I’d already had a chance to explore it, I took a moment to myself in this beautiful church.
Museum of Broken Relationships
In our research of Zagreb, one of the most interesting things we noticed was a museum called the Museum of Broken Relationships. Its a place where the public from around the world submit items and stories of heart break and “broken relationships”. We were all keen to visit when we first heard about it. Inside the museum are hundreds of different items that people have submitted that hold significance to the sender in a past relationship. Whether it be an old mix tape, engagement rings, love letters etc. all the items have a story attached to them.
We spent a few hours going through the entire museum and taking the time to read through every one of the stories. Some are truly heartbreaking failed relationships, while others are inspiring stories of overcoming adversity. There’s so many, and the item on display can be so random.
I really enjoyed this museum. Its a little art, a little comedy, and a little therapy too. If you find yourself in Zagreb, Its well worth the visit and if anything a unique way to spend a few hours.
From here we spent a few hours walking around town and doing a little shopping. There are quite a few stores and we popped into a few to check them out. From shopping, we returned back to our AirBnB to freshen up before dinner.
Gostionica Tip Top
We looked up a small tavern like restaurant to have dinner in called Gostionica Tip Top. We were all pretty hungry, so in addition to our mains, we also ordered a plate of wings to share. For my main I had their steak, which was good given I hadn’t had a steak the entire trip. I guess I was eager for the food since I didn’t realize until after that the pictures were a bit blurry!
After dinner we returned to our airBnb to pack. We’d be leaving Croatia early tomorrow for our long journey home. We wanted to make sure we were set and also that we had plenty of rest.
Zagreb to Zurich
We woke up early the next morning in order to get to Zagreb airport. At the airport we returned our car which served us so well over the past two weeks. Its a bit bittersweet since we had such a great time driving through this country, but it was time to say good bye.
Sadly, it was also time to say good bye to Vino. While Gimpy and I had matching flights all the way home. Vino would be taking a different route. So with a little sadness we said good bye to Vino and made our way through security and passport control.
Gimpy and I boarded our flight to Zurich where we would have an eight hour layover. I ended up getting the entire business class cabin to myself. It felt a little awkward, but that went away pretty quickly. One of the great things about this flight is the view. Some of the shots of Switzerland are lovely and I’m glad we have the layover that we did in Zurich.
Zurich
After arriving in Zurich and clearing immigration, we took the train into Zurich which only took 20 minutes. From there we had no set plans. Since we only had a few hours here, we simply wanted to walk around as neither of us had been before. Zurich is everything that is stereo-typically European to me. With the trains and trams, the canals, the older style buildings all of it contributed to what I would envision typical “Europe” to look like. And that’s not a bad thing, I really liked it (as I have all my trips to Europe). We ended up walking up a hill that had a great view of some of the skyline. We also crossed a few bridges and walked through some lovely courtyards. It was an enjoyable way to spend a layover.
Raclette Factory
We stopped for lunch at a place called Raclette Factory. The Swiss are known for their cheeses and we thought it would be a great thing to try! So Gimpy and I ordered some cheese inspired items. Gimpy had this soft (semi) melted cheese where you would dip different items in, similar to a fondue. I ordered a flatbread with cheese and meat, similar to a pizza. Normally I can’t take too much cheese as I’m slightly Lactose intolerant. But, both dishes were really good, albeit quite cheesy. I don’t think I was able to finish my pizza as its just too big and its just too much cheese for me.
All in all it was something that looked, felt and tasted local and that’s never a bad thing!
Swiss Business Lounge E
We walked around a little bit longer, before heading back to Zurich Airport. Zurich Airport is very nice and a great place to check out if you have a little bit of time. There are places for you to view the airplanes on the field and its very clean and comfortable. On the strength of my business class ticket, I was able to visit the Swiss Business Lounge E and was afforded a more private view of the airplanes as well as a more comfortable place to relax before boarding the flight.
While the food and drink selection was quite nice in the lounge and the entire area was very comfortable, I was more enamored with the outside views of the airplanes, so I spent a majority of my time outside geeking out over all the planes.
Zurich to Boston
It was time to fly back to North America, and for this flight we would be flying from Zurich to Boston on Swiss Airlines’ A340. I was a bit excited for this flight because I’d heard good things about Swiss airlines AND this would be the first A340 I’ve ever flown. While its an older airplane, and one of the few that still has four engines, it was still a few firsts for me.
Adding to my excitement, was knowing that I was able to snag one of the few “throne” seats on the plane. The way that the business class seats are set up on this plane is a weird 1-2-1 and 2-2-1 row configuration.
So while the “single” seat on the “right” side of the plane is solo, some are aisle and some are window. When I say throne seat, I’m referring to the ones on the left where you are in the center and have room on both sides of your seat. I’d read about these seats when I first looked into Swiss, and though these seats are not bookable in advance, I was able to get one 72 hours before the flight.
So after boarding, getting settled and selecting orange juice as my welcome beverage, we were on our way! I made my selections for the in flight meals, was recommended a local Swiss beer as a beverage and got comfortable for the 8 hours flight to Boston.
For the most part the flight across the Atlantic was comfortable. There were a few small things that I’m going to chalk up to the age of the aircraft. The seat itself is in good condition, but really wasn’t comfortable for me. When I tried to sleep I found it quite narrow as my shoulder’s didn’t quite fit between the two “throne” armrests. The In-flight entertainment system also felt dated. I’ve seen much more vibrant and responsive systems in newer economy class products. Other than that though, the food, service and all other elements were great!
Boston
We landed in Boston at around 8PM cleared customs and retrieved our baggage (which we needed to re-check closer to our 6AM flight the next day) in an hour. We knew we had a rough layover ahead. Boston Airport closes the post security areas after the last flights depart, so we wouldn’t be able to spend our layover inside the terminal. We had looked at AirBnb or hotel options, but it was either too expensive or had a bit of transit risk given our 6AM departure.
For dinner we walked to the Airport Hilton and ate in the sports bar that was open late. We nibbled on some items and killed time before finding a quiet place in the lobby of the Hilton to catch an hour or two of sleep. We were woken up by one of the security guards who informed us that we weren’t allowed to loiter. So we made our way back into the terminal, found a quiet spot on a bench and crashed for another hour or two.
Boston to San Francisco
4 AM rolled around and we checked our bag, passed through security and made our way to the gate. After grabbing some coffee and breakfast (at McDonalds!) We boarded our United flight to San Francisco. I had the luxury of another lie flat bed since United equiped transcontinental flights with them. I’m not sure if it was due to fatigue or if it actually is a superior product, but I found this flight much more comfortable than the Swiss flight. I ended up sleeping for a majority of this flight.
San Francisco to Home!
We arrived in San Francisco without incident and had a short hour layover, so there wasn’t much to do except stretch our legs. We then boarded our last flight home to Vancouver. I wasn’t able to get business award space for this flight. But Gimpy and I were lucky enough to have no one in the middle seat between us. So we had the whole row to ourselves. It was also quite nice to end the trip flying with Gimpy on our last leg together!
Two hours later we were home! We passed through customs, picked up baggage and exited the airport. Gimpy’s husband was waiting to take us home! It was about 40 hours since we left our AirBnB in Zagreb, and both Gimpy and I were beat! As nice as it is to travel and as nice as it was to do it in Business. There’s something to be said about sleeping in your own bed and having both feet on the ground.
The End
I’ll do a bigger wrap up in my next post. But as with all trips I’ve taken, there’s some reflection that occurs at the end. When I first embarked on this trip, Turkey and Croatia were more or less places I’d never been. I’d heard and read a lot of things about them, but didn’t know what to expect. Now that I’ve been to both, I’m amazed at all the things we got to do, see, eat and experience.
It humbles me that I am so fortunate and blessed to have the means and flexibility to travel. I am constantly reminded how amazing and diverse this world is. And it instills in me a continued sense of wonder and appreciation for the Creator. All this does is fuel my desire to see and explore more of this beautiful place we call Earth. So onward and forward to wherever the map leads me next!