Finally, we are in Zagreb

   After a planes, trains, and automobiles experience, we arrived in Zagreb last night 11pm Croatia time.  We missed out on the first night at our B&B, but the owners were kind enough to leave a key outside for us to quietly enter at 1am for the 2nd night of our booking.  Cousin Tomek Japuncic was kind enough to pick us up at the airport and drive us downtown to our place, along with McDonalds and conversation.  



We got a few hours of sleep and we had Sunday breakfast and will go pick up our car rental to head to Rastoke/Slunj for a day stop on the way to Plitvice Lakes.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sveti Rok, Croatia. Population 292, Salute!

Image
    We got up this morning and made our way to Sveti Rok.  This town was the ‘center’ of life for my great-grandparents, namely for church and trade.  They lived on opposite sides, outside of town from each other, but most everyone here was connected as family to their church.  My great-grandfather was Stjepan Japunčić, and upon arriving solo in America, used the name Steve (Stephen) Japuntich henceforth.  About two years later, my great grandma Kata Krpan decided to come to America and marry him, right before world war 1 in October of 1913. We drove out of town to the property where my great grandpa was born to visit the ruins of his fathers house. Steve’s two brothers built this house for their families and their father Jacob.  Not much is left after the homeland war and years of weathering. Here are photos from before and after the homeland war, and from today. While we were there, my online friend Marko  Japunčić happens to be driving out of t...
Read more

T minus 5 days

Image
   My great-grandparents emigrated from near Sveti Rok, Croatia just before world war 1.  I grew up knowing very little of my Croatian heritage.  Over the years, and with some curiosity, I have pieced together an interesting storybook of people and lands far away.  It is my intention to not let that heritage disappear with the next generation.  I want us to bring back our own stories to pass down to our grandkids.   We have been dreaming of this trip for a few years, and planning for at least a year.  We won't be there long and will shortcut a lot, but that lets us really be picky of how we spend our time and money.  We are going for the experience, but mostly for the people.  There are extended relatives and future aquaintances waiting to meet us.  We hope to absorb as much culture as we can, and we can't do that sitting on a beach isolating ourselves as an end to a means.  
Read more