The JaYmes Escape

My train ride from Budapest on Tuesday was supposed to include a scenic section around the eastern shore of Lake Balaton in Hungary. Unfortunately the dense fog got there first and I saw nothing. I did leave the EU though, for the first time since Russia, so finally got another stamp in my passport.

Thankfully there was no fog when I got off the train in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia and home to almost a million people. It was a beautiful clear day and unlike in most cities the station fronts onto a huge park with various monuments and art pavilions. Art is really everywhere here, there are dozens of galleries large and small, public and private. There are even sections of wall ‘devoted’ to the work of local graffitti artists. The atmosphere is upbeat and optimistic; people feel things are on the up. Ten years have passed since the end of war with Serbia and I’m staying at the height of the campaign for the presidential election run-off. There are also far fewer tourists than in Budapest, Prague or even Bratislava and this makes a huge difference to the attitude of the locals.

Anyway, I’ve really enjoyed it here and I could easily stay another day or two. However, time is catching up with me and tomorrow I’m down to the Adriatic coast. This will be a special day for me as I will have crossed Europe, over land, all the way from the Gulf of Finland.

The first batch of Zagreb photos are now in the gallery