Tourists of Zagreb: How to Spend a Perfect Layover in Zagreb
This month we meet Kelley, an international flight attendant for an airline based in Dubai. Originally she is from the USA, but she lived abroad for the past nine years and had been flying for the last three. ''This month I got flights to New York, Cairo, Milan, and Zagreb.'' – she said to me while explaining her busy schedule.
She was in Zagreb for three days, as she operated the flight from Dubai to Zagreb and back. ''I was very lucky to get a Zagreb flight because it's one of the hardest destinations to get! It's a new destination for my airline, so all the crew is excited to go there.''
Image credit: Kelley Morgan
This was a special trip for Kelly because Croatia was the 80th country that she traveled to. Isn't that a cool milestone to achieve! When I asked her if she minds the cold weather, her answer surprised me. ''I was actually excited for the cold winter weather since it's always summer in Dubai. I was so happy that it snowed while I was in Zagreb, as it's the first and probably the only snow I'll see all year.''
Coffee & Books
''I was really impressed with how hospitable and good at English everyone is. I learned some Croatian phrases on the flight over, but as soon as people heard my accent, they switched to English. I wasn't expecting people to be so accommodating to foreigners and it made getting around and ordering food really easy, which I appreciated.''
She also told me how much she loved Zagreb's famous habit of drinking coffee and cafes on every corner. ''I was really impressed with the coffee culture and how many bookstores there are. It seems like there's a coffee shop and a bookstore on each street corner, which is my idea of heaven.''
As a flight attendant, she travels pretty much all the time, and her tradition is to read at least one book from every country she visits. ''There were so many good bookstores in Zagreb that I ended up with a whole stack of Croatian books.'' - Kelley said to me.
Image credit: Kelley Morgan
Valentine's Day in Zagreb
As she was in Zagreb on Valentine's Day, obviously, she had to visit the Museum of Broken Relationships. ''It's such an interesting concept for a museum, and ever since I first heard about it years ago, it's been on my list of places to visit. Afterwards, I walked around the markets and bought myself some flowers and chocolate. The good European kind that we don't have in the USA. It was definitely one of my most memorable Valentine's Days.''
Image credit: Kelley Morgan
Zagreb Impressions
''I really appreciate how old and historical everything in Zagreb is because, in the USA, we consider something built in 1900 to be "old." I went to the Zagreb City Museum and the Museum of Arts & Crafts, and it was interesting to learn about Zagreb's history. Croatia has a really captivating history for such a small country.''
And in the end, I asked her if there is something that she maybe didn't like.
''The only thing that I didn't like about my Zagreb trip was that I ran out of time! I could've easily spent the whole week there. Everything from the people to the food, to the culture was just perfect, and I can't wait to come back again soon.''
Header image credit: Kelley Morgan
Author: Darija Ilić