A fascinating city, Zagreb combines the best of Eastern and Western Europe.
One major area is the Cathedral and square. Mary is the patron saint of Zagreb, and images and statues abound throughout the city.
This includes the golden statue in front of the cathedral.
Just round the corner from the Cathedral is a large market square.
Next corner led to Radica Street. This is a long, long cobblestone street, with quite a slope.
After struggling to the top, we were met with an inedible breakfast egg, and a statue of the only thing that could have cooked it, but some silly bugger killed it!!
One of the reasons for the devotion to Mary dates from 1731. In that year a great fire destroyed parts of the city. After the fire, the only salvaged was an untouched icon of the Virgin Mary ans Jesus. It is on display in a carefully protected shrine. Crowns were added at a later date.
St Mark’s church, with incredibly colourful roof tiles. There had been demonstrations there the day before, and security was tight, with a watchful police presence.
Perhaps their intentions would have been plainer if they had utilsed the cannon pointing out of a nearby window:
We arrived in Zagreb just after Mayday, but a group of young kids was having their own Mayday parade.
The Interpretative Dance Troupe
Not sure what thy were really on about – seemed to be huddle together like a rugby scrum, then one would squirm out, crawl over the top, then rejoin the huddle. Maybe Richie McCaw would understand.
In the afternoon, we went to living Museum, celebrating Tito’s early life. It shows how life was in the years in which he grew up, and how it influenced him, and how he secretly rebelled. It is obviously a target for school excursions, and there were several there today.
