Making our way 'home' after a perfect day.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Our 'Colorful' Train
Still not sure if this is intentional or they just gave up, but a rather large number of the trains around here are covered head to caboose with graffiti. And it is not bad looking either.
Saying Goodbye
Hard to tear ourselves away from Duga Resa and Zoran's company. I am sure he would not like to hear me say this, but he is a wonderfully inspiring man trying to do everything in his power to do what is right and make his city a good place to live. We are both incredibly thankful to have the chance to spend a day with him, share in his knowledge, and to hear his many words of wisdom. What we are most thankful for however is his friendship. A wonderful day we will never forget.
Learning about Gemist
We had about an hour to kill before catching our train back to Zagreb. Zoran took us to a cafe near the train station and introduced us to gemist. White wine with mineral water. I admit I had my doubts before tasting it. It may very well be the perfect summer drink. At some point he ran next door and came back with cakes that perfectly matched the drinks. We had train tickets for 5:14 pm, which we changed to 7:20 pm, before finally changing them to 9:20 pm and taking that train because there were no more afterwards. Needless to say, a good time was had by all.
Biedronka
Spotted yet another Biedronka...seems to be on a lotto store this time. It's the old, 'Once you go looking for something, you see them everywhere' adage.
Scenic Spot in Duga Resa
Zoran then drove us out across one of the beautiful rustic bridges and to a spot alongside an old watermill that has great views of the Mreznica River that flows directly through Duga Resa. Unfortunately it was raining pretty heavily at this point, but it was still so beautiful that we leapt out of the car and took a few photographs before running for cover again.
Overlooking Duga Resa
Next destination on our tour was Zoran's city, Duga Resa. While it is small, it has a lot of natural beauty, and he drove us out beyond his home and up a hill filled with vineyards to share with us this spectacular view of his city.
Past, Present, Future
An interesting look with an illustration of the area prior to the war, an obvious look at what remains now, and an interesting view of what will come.
Two Jets
One destroyed or crashed during the conflict, another as it looked originally. Poignant visual reminders of what took place here.
Turanj Open Air War Memorial Museum
Zoran informed us this area had served as something of a 'buffer' for Karlovac during the 1991-95 war. Utter destruction of countless buildings, memorialized here with a few of them left standing and surrounded with military equipment used during the conflict. A war that took place not long ago, and what most Americans would associate the Balkan states with, I'm glad we have traveled here to witness this history as well as see for ourselves how far the entire region has risen. A testament to the strong wills of the people that call Croatia home.
Not the Renault I Remember
When I was quite young, my father drove a 'silver' (more like faded gray) Renault LeCar that had rusted so badly from the salt used to melt snow from the streets in Wisconsin. He'd always be out in the garage, sanding, filling in the rusty patches, and buffing out the color of the panels. This much newer Renault looks nothing at all like my memory of a Renault.
Greatest Pizza in the World!!
Zoran first made the claim, then the awesome waiter seconded it. Jihye, my fiancee, has been a vegetarian for three years...but after eating this amazing jumbo pizza, I think she might be changing her mind!! Great food, the best waiter, I wish we had a restaurant like this in Seoul, South Korea.
The Milestone
Built during Habsburg rule in the area, it showed the number of hours required to travel to different areas from Kavolac along what was one of the most modern roads in Europe at the time.
Renovated Building
One of the many buildings Zoran pointed out to us. Karlovac has done a commendable job of renovating where it can, and examples like these point towards a bright future for the city.
The Six-Pointed Fortress
As Zoran so clearly explained, Karlovac found itself on the very front lines of the defense against the invading Ottoman Turks. Invaded seven times, it never fell. Much of this is due to the genius and originality of the six-pointed shape of the fortress that allowed no clear point of attack for the Turks. Also, these massive moats were filled and made it nigh impossible to take the fortress.
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