Day trip to Trieste 

My first idea of Trieste was the one from my grandparents' and parents' stories about visiting this popular Italian tourist destination back in the day. Those were the times when no such entertainment was to be had here in Croatia. Fashionable ladies and everyone who thought of themselves so would visit Trieste at least a few times a year. My granny still remembers exquisite clothes and above all the shoes she would buy there. 

Nowadays when everything is available everywhere and when there are much more exciting places lurking from the Internet, Trieste seems to have lost its reputation. Yet, if you spend a day in this town, you will see this conclusion is very wrong. 

I was pleasantly surprised by the charming atmosphere and laid-back pace of sunny Trieste on a Saturday. I decided to spend a few hours there after having arrived on an early bus at 9.30 in the morning.  So how to make the most of that time?

First, take a 5 minute stroll from Trieste Centrale, the railway station, to Piazza Unita d'Italia. After enjoying the spacious squares and admiring their majestic buildings, have a coffee in one of the numerous cafes on the way. 

 

 

 

When you have finished resting on a cafe's sunny terrace, take the tram number 2  from Piazza Oberdan. It links this square, on the northern edge of the city centre, with the village of Villa Opicina in the hills above. It is an unusual hybrid between the tram and funicular railway. Your ride on this tram will be anything but boring.

 When you have reached Opicina, enjoy the nice view of Trieste and simply take the same tram to go back to town. 

In the afternoon, take a bus near Piazza Oberdan which will take you to Miramare Castle. You will need about half an hour on a bus to reach it, but on the way you will enjoy the view of Trieste's beautiful seafront. 

When you have reached Miramare Castle, enjoy a nice stroll around and inside the castle, as well as all its surroundings. As this takes you an hour or two, my day trip in Trieste finished here and I took a bus going back home. During these few hours in Trieste, I got a whole new picture of this town that I took home with me.

 

Why love Zagreb in winter

Why love (my town) Zagreb in winter

December arrived and I started getting ready for my second trip to South America. I was so excited about it and all I could think of was how I can't wait for December to pass and then go in January. It seemed I'd breeze through all December holidays and festivities without noticing much. At least that's what I used to tell myself every December. For the past few years I've been thinking holiday spirit and decorations in town were just getting out of hand. Everything was artificial and consumer society was showing its ugly face. 

Those had been my thoughts until this December. I realized then how I'd always been waiting for something to pass only to look forward to something in the future. In that way, as you may guess, you never really enjoy the present moment. And there were things to enjoy last December. 

Amid political crisis, poverty and all other problems that Croatia has been facing for many years now, one could say there is no room for Christmas lights, decorations and all the hustle&bustle that goes with it. 

Yet, according to some, Zagreb was elected the top European destination to visit in winter. 

 And I couldn't help but admire the effort which turned Zagreb into a really stunning image.

 I decided to enjoy my town once again without any prejudice. Life will always go on and what we can remember forever are moments. 

(Photo copyright: MeninaIdris for Connected)

Ultra Music Festival Experience - Split, Croatia

It's been three years now that I've been visiting Split every summer. The reason is going to Ultra Music Festival which has taken place there every year since 2013. Although being a fan of electronic music makes sense to go to events like this one, I would like to describe you the experience itself.

In 2013 I decided I wanted to go to Ultra Music which was held in Europe for the very first time. Being Croatian that undertaking contained also a touch of pride.

I had never spent more than a few hours in Split before that and it was only to wait for a ferry to one of the islands. That kind of a short stay in Split left little room for impressions. 

And Split indeed is a beautiful town. It has everything you need to decide to come back, at least every summer. But more than that, I enjoyed the special kind of vibe during the festival – the one which is a blend between the town's own vibe and the vibe brought by numerous festival goers from literally around the globe.

Actually I enjoyed seeing how Split transformed from a coastal town into a true melting pot. A place where not only geographical boundaries but also age differences were surpassed. 

And now to the short overview of the festival itself. All the three years of its existence, it has been attracting a few hundred thousands of people. I found it particularly amusing to see how locals of all ages were also getting their tickets for at least one day of the festival. 

As I said earlier, even if you’re not a fan of electronic music, you would agree that all the artists and festival goers connected in having a great time together. Should that not be the main purpose of events like this? :)

To conclude, some remarks about going there.

If you decide to head to Split during that time, make sure you book your accommodation well in advance. You will find plenty of hostels and of course, private accommodation.

Just relax, for there will be many people everywhere both day and night, on the beaches and in the transport. But the atmosphere will still be relaxed and what you would normally see in packed tourist resorts is not the case here. There are no arguments, no accidents, no nuisance or anything similar. Or if there are any, the positive attitude that everyone has at the time, makes those negligible.