Saturday in the Park (Ljubljana - Zagreb)

Our last day in Slovenia was a transit day. Happily, dear reader, it was a day of brilliant sunshine. Blue skies, a light breeze, the perfect day for the Ljubljana Half-Marathon. We discovered what the barricades were for and headed away from the crowds, confusion and street closures and walked to Tivoli Park.

The road to nowhere.

The title comes to us courtesy of Chicago, the band not the city, and although it wasn't Saturday, it's worth a listen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLiMy4NaSKc.

Wide open spaces.

It was relatively quiet, even for a Sunday morning; perhaps everyone else was down toward the old town cheering the runners on. We strolled the 15 minutes to the park and began our search for the Tivoli Food Corner, a café. Eventually we located it, but in a complex situation, where we sat only served drinks and cake. The food needed to be ordered at the other end of the complex, although we could bring it back and eat it where we were sitting. Drinks and food would be billed separately by the same establishment. Strange.

The tower can be seen everywhere.

Anyway I consulted the breakfast menu. The only dish that didn't feature eggs was the granola. Mmmm, eggs, I ate one last week so I am not contractually required to eat another one until mid-September. We settled for coffee (it was good) and decided lunch down by the river would be a better option as it would provide sustenance for our train journey to Zagreb. And who knew what food options would be available on a Sunday afternoon when we arrived at our destination.

The Mansion.

Tivoli Park is massive, bigger than Bob Katter's personality. It surrounds a mountain where the locals regularly hike to the summit. The grounds contain a museum, a zoo and numerous walking, riding and hiking trails, as well as tennis courts, music areas, gardens, places to picnic - just about anything you could need.

He looks friendly.

The map was not very instructive so we followed trails at random, discovering the mansion, a pond and gardens. It was a very pleasant way to spend Sunday morning.

Some naked dude piping.

One of the ponds.

Check out was 12pm and our train wasn't until 2:45pm so we stowed the bags at the hotel and walked down to quiet end of the old town, away from the theatrics of the half-marathon and whatever else was going on. And that happened to be some sort of iron person competition for Spartan (whoever/whatever they are) where people were competing on an obstacle course, hauling weights up scaffolds and climbing ropes. Buzz buzz. Beyond that we discovered the flea market along the river and eventually stumbled across a restaurant that only served drinks with food. That limited the numbers.

There we sat by the side of the river, enjoying a nice white wine in the shade, as we waited for lunch and watched the people passing by. The stall opposite us was selling, I guess they'd call it art. No sales today.

We crossed the half-marathon course on the way back to the hotel, collected our luggage and walked the 10 minutes to the station. Bonus, no cobble stones in sight! Our train had changed platforms, no problem except there was no sun protection. We followed two young travellers to the lift to the underground passage. In something I should have expected, the lift was not working. 

Down the stairs we lugged the bags and along the passageway to the platform where there was no lift up to the sunlight anyway. Once again we hauled everything up the stairs. Ah, travel, it's so romantic isn't it?

The train arrived from the 1960s. It obviously didn't realise it was travelling through time. Up the three steps into the 'first class' carriage and into our compartment. There was a man in my seat. He moved into another cabin when I told him I had a reservation. The bag storage was above the seats. Now, I have no issue lifting the 25kg bag above my head, dear reader, but tilting it to allow it into the rack is another issue. Thankfully Jayne is taller than me and she nudged it safely into position.

We flopped into our window seats and were pleased we'd filled our water bottles. We were extra pleased when another passenger returned to our compartment to inform us there was no food or water available on the train. She'd just run to the vending machine in the passageway underneath the platform. It turned out she'd boarded the train in Munich some 5 hours earlier, expecting some sort of food service. Most German trains would offer coffee and tea and snacks. Not this one. It pays to do your research, dear reader.

The two and half hours passed quickly although it was very hot. The air conditioning's attempt to keep us cool was feeble at best. The train direction shifted so at times we were in direct sun. The seats were comfortable and I wasn't battling traffic or unfamiliar roads and I used the time write posts for the blog.

Exiting the train at Zagreb was no easier than boarding in Ljubljana. We wondered, not for the first time, how people using mobility devices would manage. There were no lifts or ramps to the platforms, you had to climb at least three narrow steps to get onto the train and there didn't appear to be anyone around to assist.

The Art'otel Zagreb would be our home for the next three nights and was about a 15 minute walk from the station. Good news. Blue skies, flat streets and once again, no cobble stones. We were checked in and unpacking in no time.

After the bag drag and hot train ride, we thought a beer might be in order. Having just come from such a relaxed, people-watching culture in Slovenia, it was an obvious next step for the day. Not so much. It was Sunday evening and very little was open. Maccas? Pass. 

Some fat dude. Note the empty tables.

Finally we found an open bar. Unhappily it was populated by loud-mouthed, smoking foreigners (Ok, they were Kiwis) dispensing invaluable relationship advice to each other. FML. On top of that, the trams rattled past very loudly and very close to where we were seated. And the beer was average.

Beware the speeding tram.

The search for the bar had taken us up to the main square. Not an inspiring place to be on a Sunday evening. We're hoping for better, come Monday morning.

Fortunately our lunch had been delicious and filling and we required little more than the snacks we'd brought with us before we retired for the night.

Until tomorrow.