From Melissa:
It feels so good to finally be in Croatia. The train
ride last night was, for the most part, excellent and we both enjoyed a much better night's sleep than on the airplane. We rode in a six person sleeper car on the top bunks. The beds were super firm and we had to use the seat belt contraptions to keep ourselves from rolling off in the night.
We woke up rested, but a little worse for the wear. I have
an ear infection in my left ear, and Dave pulled/strained a muscle in his back, so please be thinking of us tomorr
ow as we sing and play!
From Dave:
(First off, Solevenia looked beautiful from the train, on the way to Croatia).
Zagreb feels like a city on the rise, a place where troubles have come in the past and development and life have arrived and appear to be growing. In this way it reminds me of Barcelona. The streets are bustling with life, and the train station had what looked like a small Catholic shrine. The people seem friendly and many of them smoke. The coffee was just as advertised (at least our first iced mocha): strong and delicious. The word for coffee is "kava," just like Ukranian (thanks, A!). The hotel is comfortable, small, and very helpful--they saved us from our 2-prong/3-prong plug adapter problem, hence the fact that we are able to write this post! And, the exchange rate and cost of items seems to work favorably for us, unlike in Zurich.
The music school (building) where we practiced was old, bare, and alive. From the moment we walked in the door, music combined in the air, wafting through together from various rooms (mostly piano) to create a sound John Cage would have loved. It reminded me (Dave) of the bells so often reaching Arvo Pärt's ears. The walls were not absorbent in the practice room, but we enjoyed the acoustically lively space.
Just a little while ago, we got a request for money from a child about 8 years old as we sat in a small coffee house's outdoor seating. ...not sure if he begs to live or if he just likes money. I pray that he and his family are OK.
We like it here, maybe even love it.
Zagreb / Pleso, Croatia Weather Conditions
