Happy..... :D

Here we go again...
One more year over, next one is just a midnight kiss away...
Will it be better than the last? We'll see!

Everything is possible, you just have to be the ones to make it that way, and that's why we have all the crazy new years resolutions popping out in our heads every December. Next year I'll be a better person, so yeah, don't start right away, wait for the 1st of Jan. I'll start going to the gym, what's the difference between now and that 01/01? I'll travel more, I'll find myself a boyfriend, I'll start diet, I'll stop eating crappy food, I'll do more good deeds... Why do we always have to start with all our decisions from Monday, or in this case from the 1st of January?
This is the reason why I never do this resolutions, if I decide to do something I'll do it right then and there! So should everyone else, specially with 'being a better person' part :)

That being said, let's run through the past year...
It's been crazy and tiring and also calm and peaceful, it's been hectic and fun, it's been sad and happy, it's been surprising and boring, there was love and kisses, fights and tears, lots of new friendships and the ones that come and go, positive and negative - it's been everything I can imagine...
And while all this was happening life didn't ask me where I was at the moment!
This year I've crossed some of my Bucket list wishes and put some new ones on it (that list will never ever be finished).
We all grew up a little bit, we all made mistakes, and we all did something to be proud of... At the end of the year, putting everything together, summarizing good and bad happy and sad I can say I'm still happy with everything that came along, and with everything what's in front of me, waiting to happen... 
Happy to be strong enough to help, happy to be brave enough to try, happy to be smart enough to decide, happy to love enough (and much more than that), happy to BE loved, happy to be me and happy to have people I have beside me no matter what!

This was my 2013...
Celebrating New Year at Nasimi beach with my girls, one of them decided to go back home, the other one is still here housing me on her couch almost every day :)

In February I took leave and went to see friends in London, sunny week in usually rainy town :)
Also I went to Brazil for the first time... Climbed Great wall of China and saw K2 from the cockpit, layover in Casablanca too!

Spent my birthday in New Zealand and Australia with great people who made me remember that day for the rest of my life! Had my friends for dinner and crossed another wish from my list - to swim with dolphins! Went to Singapore, Melbourne, Tunis, Brisbane, Auckland, Dar es Salaam...

Dar es Salaam

April was perfect for a visit to Prague, Durban, Barcelona and Shanghai and than another week in London...

Shanghai

Prague

Cambridge

Barcelona

In May I was already crazy to go back home, for the first time I felt the need to be home, I was in such a bad emotional state and a week in Zagreb made me better, made me top up my batteries and kept me going (since then I'm going home every two months haha). But before that I had to go to Jakarta, China (which made me even more depressed when you see a city like Guangzhou), Kuala Lumpur, Manchester and a celebration dinner - one year in Dubai...

Guangzhou

 

 

June came and went away, half of the year passed by us and we haven't even realized it! Miss Adri had her b'day party once again (I baked my first birthday cake EVER!) :), and for the first time we had our annual exams to renew our flying licences. Whole month of celebrating something - as well our boys coming in town weeeee! (bad boys bad boys what you're gonna do...? I don't know why this song always pops in my head when I say boys and town in the same sentence) :D :D
Lisbon, Frankfurt, Hamburg, and a cherry on top shopping and gossiping day with my lovely friend in Manchester.

Lisbon

Manchester

Hot summer started in Dubai, Ramadan too, so I went back to Croatia to chill a little bit again... One week before went to Houston for 4th of July and after Zagreb went to Mauritius :) I tried to count flights but it was impossible even though I write down every flight I got lost in numbers :)

Klenovica, Croatia

Mauritius

August was pretty boring :) Only one new destination - Copenhagen, the rest was same same but different!

September ended up being more interesting with Warsaw, Los Angeles and Rome on my roster! I started writing a column for an online portal and playing tennis again! My 'new year' always starts in September not 1st of Jan :) Decision was made to start going to the gym and eat healthier as well, so far so good must say :)

Warsaw

 

Los Angeles

 

Rome

 

Top bid month came and my roster said - RIO DE JANEIRO! One more wish crossed over! Small 3 days vacation in Brazil, couldn't wish for more... In Seattle I went accidentally and, World being small as it is, I met another Croatian who lives there and who showed me around a little bit :)

 

Rio

 

Seattle

2 more months and the year is over, time flies so freaking fast, is it only me or what but it's crazy sometimes how I feel there's not enough time for everything I wanna do and everywhere I wanna go and all the things I wanna see AAAAA! hahaha...
So in November I came home again for a week, no idea I'll be back here for Christmas too...
Week after that my dear Sandra came for a visit and we were all around, desert safari, Alicia Keys concert, Gold Souk, Madinat, all the biggest malls, Fountains, Burj Al Arab... Typical tourist places :)

Dubai won EXPO 2020!

 

London, Colombo, a few turnarounds and here we are in December, Glasgow, Edinburgh, another London, Manila, Jakarta and my lovely Zagreb... As I said, it wasn't planned but my mom got very sick and I just needed to go so I did everything I could to have 7 days off to come home and be with my family, you know, selfishly like that :)

Oxford street, London

Princess street, Edinburgh

And now I doooooon't waaaaaaant to go baaaaaaaack....... :) Few more days would be perfect! I needed it desperately! :)

But Copenhagen, Lagos in Nigeria, Bangkok, Malta and who knows what else is waiting...!
Anyway... This was my busy year, and I can't wait to see what next one has prepared for me :)
Until then have a very happy New Year, and Merry Christmas although I'm being late one week :), and I wish you all whatever you wish for yourselves to come true! I wish you more love and happiness, specially health, good friends, lots of hugs and kisses and cuddling and laughter, beautiful travels and vacations... I can go on and on and on but should really start washing my hair, doing my nails and putting some glitters on for tonight! hihi!

XO when the clock strikes twelve! :* 

Story of Zagreb :)

It's been awhile I know, I've been a lazy ass but here it goes again, another story about one more beautiful destination!
I've been writing about so many places around the world and now it's time to tell you a story about my favorite place in the Universe, about the city I was born and raised in, about the city where I've spent the biggest part of my life -and where I want to come back to at some point, story about my Zagreb - my home! :)

Zagreb - capitol of  the Republic of Croatia
Local currency - Hrvatska kuna (Croatian kuna, kuna meaning a small animal - marten)
Population of Zagreb - about 1,5 mill

 

Kuna :)

Story of Zagreb starts...well we say somewhere in the 7th century, but its history dates all the way from the Roman times!
For centuries Zagreb was divided into two different city centers - smaller eastern part Kaptol, where Zagreb Cathedral still proudly stands, and larger western part Gradec or Grič, inhabited mainly by farmers and merchants, or I would say - where all the life was happening :)
At the end of 19th century ban Josip Jelačić united these two sides so, in his honour, the main square has his name!

 

Zagreb Cathedral

 

Main square - Ban Josip Jelačić

A few centuries before that, in 1242. , Gradec became a free royal town by Bela IV, King of Hungary and Croatia at the time. He gave citizens of Gradec a royal charter, a Golden Bull by which Gradec was proclaimed 'a free royal city on Gradec, the hill of Zagreb'.
The citizens started to built defensive walls and towers, scared of Mongol invasions. There were four gates into the city, and only one still remains today - Kamenita vrata (eng. Stone gate) inside of which is a small statue of Majka Božja (literally Mother of God) where people come to light candles and pray, so when you pass through just be respectful of those who are praying in front of the only painting that survived a terrible fire in 1731. (was that a sign?)

You cannot miss it on the way up to the Upper town, where another must see church is - st.Marko's church! One of the most beautiful in the country... On the same square there is a mansion called Banski dvori, which is the seat of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, and just on the opposite side is Croatian Parliament. (and right next door is my high school :)

 

St. Marko's church

 

Tower Lotršćak

My favorite place in the city is as well in the Upper town and its called Kula Lotršćak (Lotršćak tower)! It is a fortified tower, one of the towers built in 13st century, remember Mongols and their invasions? The name comes from a Latin expression which means thieves bell, referring to a bell hung in the tower to signal the closing of the town gates.
There is one more important thing about this tower, it has a cannon inside which is fired from every day at noon to mark midday, since January 1st 1877! (no matter how long you live there and hear the 'bang' every day at the same time you always jump for a second, and all th crazy pigeons start flying all over! Therefore if you hear a loud bang and see lots of pigeons flying just remember it's 12 o'clock!) ;)
If the doors are open you can climb up and get an amazing view of the city of Zagreb, specially in the summer time, around 7pm... Ah, amazing!

Oh we have so many interesting history facts and legends I could bore you with right now but let's move to another one... :)

 

Winter sunset in the city 

 

Tram 11 takes you from the west to the east part of the city, from Črnomerec to Dubec.

 

THE best ice cream on planet Earth :D

There are also many legends and stories about how our city got its name, and one of my favorite is the one explaining the name of the main square's fountain Manduševac too...

Long long time ago, when this small lake was outside the city walls, and girls had to walk there with big wooden buckets to get some fresh cold water, a Croat ban was coming back with his thirsty soldiers from far away, across a deserted region. Getting closer to the city he saw a beautiful girl Manda at the lake (of course she was beautiful, they all are in the legends like this, I'm sure he was handsome too).
As thirsty as they all were he came to her on his horse (white horse would be a little too much for this story) and asked her 'Mando dušo (Manda dear) zagrabi vode (scoop some water)'. And that's how it happened, I don't know if they fell in love, got married and lived happily ever after but this is how Manduševac got its name and stands today on the main Zagreb's square as a small fountain, just near ban Jelačić statue, and how our lovely Zagreb got the name that proudly carries for ages!

 

Manduševac

Many books and poems were written about my lovely Zagreb, and one of my favorite writers is Marija Jurić Zagorka, whose statue stands in one of the most livest streets in the center of the city - Tklačićeva street. If you come for a visit you'll go there for sure, cause most of bars are there and it is one of the ways to get up or down from the Upper town!

 

One of the ways to go up or down is funicular!

Center of the city is where everything is happening! Relaxing in one of the parks making Lennuzzi's horseshoe is just one of the things you can do here! Btw Lenuzzi's horseshoe consists of 7 squares/parks, and the most known one is Zrinjevac with its musical pavilion built in the late 19th century. Around this small green square you can find the Supereme court of the Republic of Croatia, Zagreb Archeological Museum, Ministry of foreign Affairs and European integration, and Croatian Academy of sciences and arts.
Every summer or winter there are happenings and it is one more must see and feel places...

 

Zrinjevac - summer and winter time, it is equaly beautiful!

If you walk further down you'll get to the Main railway station and Botanical garden. And that route is a favorite one for me and and my Miss T for a long walk and talk with ice creams in our hands when it's warm outside...

Miss T and me on one of our walks :)

 

Main Railway station

 

Botanical garden

Sit for a coffee or beer in one of the bars and restaurant on Cvjetni square, as well my favorite place to spend days off when I come for a vacation. Christmas market is taking place there every year (and I'm gonna miss it again ;(
It is THE hot spot for a saturday's 'shpitza' (just an expression for everyone to go out and show off, I personally avoid it 'cause I hate the crowds like that when you can't find a decent place to sit down and grab a drink, but it can be 'interesting' from time to time).

 

Cvjetni square at any time of the year :)

Christmas on the main square

Friday's and Saturday's nights are mostly spent here where you can walk to and from one bar and club to another, specially in the winter when Jarun lake is closed.
Speaking of which... The lake was formed by the Sava river and it is a sports and leisure center where you can come for a loooong walk around the river, bike, swim, play volleyball and so many other stuff. Few weekends a year there is a cinema on the open - watching movies on the big screen and laying on the grass under the stars - awesome! Around the lake are lots of bars and clubs too (they are mostly closed during winter but in the summer time...) :)

Movie night by the lake :)

 



Taking a tram number 11 or 12 from the main square you'll get to the eastern part of the city and one more large park named Maksimir (by which is a Dinamo stadium where all the football matches and bigger concerts are being maintained).
Maksimir park is Zagreb's oldest public park. Founded in 1787. predates the majority of Europe's public park foundings. The park was opened 7 years later under the initiative of the man for whom it was named - Bishop Maksimilijan Vrhovac of Zagreb. Inside of the park is Zagreb's ZOO, so if you like nature take a whole day and spend it there, on the meadows, in the woods or by one of the five lakes - spring/summer weekends are the best time for a visit ;)

 

Unfortunately I don't have any newer pic from Maksimir but here is one from my neighbourhood :)

The last part of the city I want to mention is a mountain just north of Zagreb under which our city lays down safe :) - Medvednica - it can be translated as the bear mountain.
Most of the area is the nature park, and the highest peak is called Sljeme. There's also a winter sports center that has hosted several FIS World Cup slalom skiing races!
One more thing built up in 13th century, for defensive purposes against Mongols was Medvedgrad (bear town). A fortified town overlooking the city. Below the main tower of the castle is Oltar domovine (Altar of  the homeland), dedicated to the fallen Croatian soldiers.
It's worth taking a hike to go up and get a spectacular view of the city and much further away...
A night car ride further up to Sljeme is also amazing for some night shots or kissing in the dark with an amazing view :D (it is a famous place for couples ;)

 

My window view on Medvednica and Sljeme

I think I told you about my top places where I would take you if you ask me to be your guide when you come for a visit :)

And for the end of the story just a few interesting facts about our wonderful Croatia...
- Mr. Slavoljub Penkala, who lived and died in Zagreb, invented hot water bottle, rail-car brakes, and anode battery and one of the most famous creation - the ball point pen! (the first pen to come with its own ink, the ones you are using every day)

- Another Croatian invention was a tie! Soldiers fighting for king Louis XIII wore silk material around their necks in the early 17th century. As the king being quite the fashion oriented he took those colorful accessories and named them Cravats, which came from a word Croat. (kravata - eng. tie)

- Zagreb also has the largest and most extensive collection of Neanderthal Man remains found on one site in the world!

Aren't we awesome or what?! :)))

I think I could write and write and write about Zagreb (and all the other places in Croatia), since lots of people told me how amazing it was for them seeing a little bit of my country, or how they can't wait to go for a visit, or how they plan to go back again soon! :)
Hope you'll all visit Zagreb someday and see it the way I see it, the way I love this town :)

 

Have a wonderful night wherever you are! xx