The eye of the phone

It's in the little things

The world is really beautiful

if you slow down and take a look

IN my neighborhood there are many ugly things - large concrete structures, signs of vandalism, trash, and mega amounts of graffiti. But when you look around you can find many pretty things, in tiny details and in taking in the bigger picture.

Around Zagreb center

We have never ventured inside the Archaeology Museum of Zagreb 

~ AMZ ~ Arheološki muzej

but
The courtyard is super unique...

free the explore

We are fans of the restaurant Brewbites, which is across the street
and has its outside terrace in the AMZ courtyard,
an American style restaurant
amongst an array of ancient

amazing stone monuments.

"Stone monuments from the Greek and Roman periods, of varied purpose and content, represent one of the more important segments of the rich classical collections of the Archaeological Museum. The wide selection of Roman stone monuments, organized into several thematic units, is exhibited partly in the ground level entrance to the museum, but primarily in the garden courtyard of the museum, both under modern arcades and in the open air. Various stone monuments of large dimensions and weight, such as milestones, inscriptions, monumental statues, altars, tombstones, sarcophagi, and others, are exhibited here."
Quote from AMZ website

Trg Nikole Šubića Zrinskog 19 
(Zrinjevac park), 
 Zagreb, Croatia

Phone: +385 1 4873 100

Email: amz@amz.hr

www.amz.hr

sarcophagi -a stone coffin, typically adorned with a sculpture or inscription and associated with the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Rome, and Greece.

We eat inside Brewbites, but we do frequently cut through the courtyard,
Possibly someday, soon we will make time to tour the inside of the museum...
and maybe even eat or relax over coffee on the terrace.

The courtyard is worth stopping and taking a look around!

"The archaeological collection of the State Institute had been kept in the Academy mansion at Zrinski Square from the 1880s and remained there until 1945, when the museum moved to its current location at the 19th-century Vranyczany-Hafner mansion, 19 Zrinski Square."  wikipedia


All pictures I took over this past summer and fall.

In and around Zagreb

Like all of the places I've blogged about, the city of Zagreb
 is full interesting facts, history, great architecture,
and there is always something to see & do.
And now this is our home! 

Zagreb center at night *

Zagreb - looking south *

It is hard to believe it has been a year since we first stepped foot in Croatia!
July 11, 2013 - knowing no one in the country,
we flew into Zagreb for a ten day tour.

By God's grace, his prompting and open doors
we were able to establish contacts.

We moved here 2 months later.

Once we moved here in September, Zagreb became our home.

There is always something to see and do in Zagreb center

HORVASKI: 
CROATIA (in English)
CROAZIA (Italian)
HORVATIYA (Russian)
CHORVATSKO (Czech)
CHORWACJA (Polish 
HORVÁTORSZÁG (Hungarian) 
HRVATISTAN (Turkish)
CROATIE (French)
KROATIEN (German) 

Population of Croatia: 4,453,500 (2011)

Area of Croatia: 56,542 km2 (21,831 sq mi)

Land boundaries: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia and Montenegro

Coastline: Adriatic Sea

Click link to see More of Zagreb
Click to return to A 3 week visit
*1st two pictures and some info at   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zagreb 
also see http://www.zagreb-touristinfo.hr/

Let yourself be salt! CC

A trip to the Zagreb Zoo

So for our anniversary we decided to check out the zoo.

Zoo selfies with Bison, Lioness (asleep behind the log), and camels

I think he smelt us or maybe the zebras?

Up close - You can see the lions, and they can see you! In their cave through glass,
observing them from outside, you can look down on or across the water, at eye level - kinda close!
New housing for African lions - Lion's rock Kidepo,
 Lionesses Ayana and Nyota and Leo the Lion
the one sleeping behind the log, woke up and she was fantastic to watch.

Things behind glass: reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates.
Some were very strange. The 1st turtle is motionless, just waiting for something to swim into it's mouth, I thought he was fake or dead, but his "tongue" moves. The 2nd one is a soft shelled turtle, and the 3rd is some kind of strange croc! Lots of neat frogs, took me a while to find the one center-right...I took a lot of pictures, but most look better in person.

The landscape was fantastic! 

One thing that would really help, a brochure in English with a map! Now that would be very beneficial! (but no one asked me my opinion and there is no comment box:-) 

After spending a few hours in the zoo, we walked a couple of the paths in the park.  We had been to the park before, but from a totally different neighborhood, and at the time had no idea there was zoo or that is is so big! It is quite a beautiful area and trees make it seem a lot cooler on a hot summer day! We got hungry, so took the tram back to the center for dinner. A very nice *celebration*.

Interesting facts:

In Croatian: Zološki vrt grada Zagreba; located within Maksimir Park in Zagreb, accesable via trams and is literally across the street from Zagreb's Stadion Maksimir, home of Dinamo Zagreb, (where major football matches are played and rock concerts take place).

• Zagreb Zoo is the oldest zoo in southeastern Europe, was founded by Mijo pl. Filipovic and opened on 27th June 1925. 
• On the opening day there were only three foxes and two owls.
• At that time, the park (Maksimir), was located on the outskirts of the city, now it is surrounded by many of the city's neighborhoods.
• Today the zoo covers approx.7 hectares (17-acre), and are 275 species of animals {2,225 individuals}, from almost all continents. Represented are mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates. 
• Reconstruction of the old zoo began in 1990. The new Lion area was just finished and opened June 2014. (Leo is new too!)
• Maksimir Park, was founded in 1787, is approx. 316 hectares, (1,005 acres), was the first large public park in South-Eastern Europe, and opening in 1794 under Bishop Maksimilijan Vrhovac (1752–1827).It was named Maksimilian's peace or Maksimir for short.
• Besides the Zoo, the park has big meadows, numerous creeks, five lakes, and forest, with big old trees. {The remainder of the original forest survives as a girdle to the park}
• All the things needed to spend the day (i.e. coffee shops, ice cream & food stands, WC, picnic, music, sports and playground areas)

http://www.zgzoo.com/hr  

http://www.park-maksimir.hr

Yep, squirrels !!

FYI - They have a squirrel house, looks like New England, with scrub pines and all! I have never seen a squirrel here, and I live in a selo (village), so if they were here, they would be here.

Still have so much to learn,

Christine 

(**** my symbol for fireworks***)

*Celebrated* 29 years married! 6-30-2014

This week: a Fair, World Cup & Jarun-fest

Amateur Cultural Troupe

While we were out on a bike ride,
we came across this cultural fair.

National Heritage event at Sveta Nedelja

We were told you can find one of these somewhere, all summer,
put on to promote Croatian national heritage.
This one was specific to the Sveta Nedelja region. (Where we live.)

Traditional Croatian costumes and customs

You can, and we did, sample some traditional food
while listening to entertaining music & singing.

Crafts and kiddie rides too!

There was some modern fair food and drink for sale too.
We bought fried dough, they offer salt, not sugar
to put on it...we ate it plain.
A very nice break from a hot bike ride!
Also got Ice cream<;-O

Croatia vs Brazil

Thursday June 12, 2014
The game time here was 22:00 (US 10PM)
Yep, usually my bed time, but this I had to stay up for! We decided to head into Ban Jelačić Trg, the large square in Zagreb centar, where the big screen was set up. (Has cool web cam too)
http://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/hrvatska/grad-zagreb/zagreb/trg-bana-jelacica.html

First let me set the stage for you all back home,
Yes - soccer in America and football everywhere else.
Here the word is nogomet.
Croatians love their nogomet!!
Hello, opening game, in Brazil - against Brazil, for the World cup WOW !
Most autos have turned into moving advertisements, sporting checkered “socks” on the mirrors, checkered hoods and trunks, and flags taped just about everywhere and most folks are wearing checkers. Lots of outside areas have turned into mini stadiums… bars and cafe’ have brought in big screen TV’s and some even brought in stadium seating.

And the day dawned sunny and hot...
Then in the afternoon, a wicked storm came through…
high winds, thunder, lightning and it down poured!
BUT the game must go on. We headed to the center a little early
(bc we loss power, so why sit in the dark:)

Zagreb centar before the game

Even in the rain there was quite a crowd ...
 Imagine what it would have been like if the weather was nice. 

The crowd gathering in Ban Jelačić Sq. for the 2014 World cup match 

Before the start, the crowd getting loud...

Smoke from people lighting off flares...

This was cool, projected on the side buildings - 

the fans in the stands at the game in real time.

 the fans in the stadium in Brazil - right side

The real time images of the fan in the stadium - left side

We stayed in the square for the first 10 minutes, missing the one 

Croatian goal by a minute.

Heard the crowd as we were walking... or should I say the 11th minute, which according to internet media 

Start Time: The match is under way. (#’s r minutes)
1 Kovačić (Croatia) misses the target. 
5 Čorluka (Croatia) is penalized for a foul on Hulk (Brazil). 
6 Marcelo (Brazil) takes the free-kick. 
6 Pletikosa (Croatia) makes a save. 
7 Olić (Croatia) misses the target…Splendid cross from Ivan Perišić and Ivica Olić climbs highest at the back post but cannot quite direct his header on target. 
6 David Luiz (Brazil) has an effort on goal.  
8 Perišić (Croatia) is penalised for a foul on Marcelo (Brazil). 
9 Rakitić (Croatia) is penalised for a foul on Luiz Gustavo (Brazil). 
9 Paulinho (Brazil) has a shot blocked. 
10 Neymar (Brazil) takes the corner.
Ivica Olić gallops down the left and delivers a low cross which Marcelo inadvertently turns into his own net after Nikica Jelavić miscues his shot from close range. 
11 Marcelo (Brazil) scores.

The final score was Brazil 3 - Croatia 1

Jarun Lake

Saturday June 14

To end the week, we helped out serving food at Jarun fest. 
A Christian outreach at Jarun lake in Zagreb. 
If you look close you will see Tom serving up hamburgers, (middle left;-)

A Christian Outreach open to all! 

Keeping it real here in Croatia!!!

CC
The Potter's House, Zagreb
our website^^^

A Cave, Špilja Vetervina

On a beautiful spring morning, we packed water, crackers & cheese and took a hike.  We live near quite a few foothills (planine ili podnožja?) with lots of marked hiking trails. Tom had seen a trail sign with a picture of a cave so that is where we headed. 

Hiking trail to (špilja = cave)

We have come along way,
Now when we hike we bring water (and sometimes snacks) with us. This was never the case when our boys were young, especially when we lived in VT   We would just jump in the car, drive somewhere, park and hike!  When I think back on the trails and places we hiked with them, never very prepared and way before cell phones; It really is amazing they made it and probably another reason why we only had boys . . . God knew!

 Ok, back on Špilja, the sign says 2 km (about 1.2 miles) doable. HOWEVER it didn't say anything about how steep the trail was . . .
hummm, could be age and life style?
Na, I'm sticking with the steep trail story because it was steep and most of the hikers we saw looked like they needed water too!

So we hiked up to the cave, on a steep trail, on a lovely day, only to find ...

THE CAVE was behind locked bars! What we didn't know is that you can't get in the cave without a tour guide, it's only open on weekends and even then not until 10:00am. So here we were, I'm taking pictures through the bars, a guide heard us talking, asked where we were from and offered an early tour in English ... 
We had a "private English tour". 
(We also didn't have the entrance fee, he let us bring it back later ... now that is trust!) 

Cave entrance - Only guided tours, the red lined area is the 1st 380 meters. The total length of the explored part of the cave is over 7000 m, the length of the main channel is 2,622 m

It was an amazing cave!  We got to walk through the first 380 meters (about 1/4 mile), then turn around and walk back.  This was the second weekend of the season and because we were the 1st tour in, some of the lights were not working, (damp?) making for a dark kinda spooky experience! The temperature was colder than outside, we were told it stays about 10°C/50°F year round. Before you go in they give you a helmet to wear, good thing, because some of the passage is very low and I hit my head a number of times! And yes there were bats sleeping over head and a few, waking up from their long winter nap, flying around!

Bats hanging from the cave ceiling - Fourteen species of bats hibernate in the whole cave.

Bones, fossils, a well, bear jaw...

*Cave ornaments

Underground water on karst locations is “hard” because of the dissolved limestone. By extracting the dissolved limestone through evaporation, and other processes, “cave ornaments” - dripstones form. Dripstones differ from each other by their form and origin. In Veternica cave we find stalagmites, stalactites, curtains, helictites, spaghetti (numerous thin stalactites which represent the beginning stage of stalactites) and many others. Average growth rate is 1 to 2 mm annually.

*Paleontology

Paleontologist Mirko Malez performed extensive paleontological research in Quaternary sedi entrance area of ​​the cave. Found 94 animal genera and species, as well as traces of the cave man Mousterian culture. The most numerous are found bones of cave bear that was prey Paleolithic hunter.

Besides cave bear findings there are numerous residual findings of other animals which lived in these parts at that time: cave lions, wolves, various deer, rhinoceroses, rodents, and many other animals.

Veternica Cave; Our private tour, our walk in some places - real dark to walk other very low!

The cave itself has a some interesting history (of course!). One of the unique 'rooms' is a concert hall, our tour guide told us up to 200 people would gather in there for concerts (hippies?).  It is this open area with a stage craved out, they did destroy the “cave ornaments”, (when the parks took over control in the 1970's they put a stop to them.) 

Along the trail

At the top of the Mt. there is a mountain house, Glavica, which has a restaurant, after we left the cave we continued up the trail to the top 

(took a coffee & strudel break there:) 

Yet another thing we didn't know . . . You can drive and park up there, although very limited spaces, then walk down the trail to the cave entrance in about 5 minutes! 

So glad we hiked UP and got to explore the cave, well worth the 30kn (like 5 bucks!),  So very glad there was an English speaking guide willing to take us in early, (not knowing IF we would come back with the fee . . . Of course we did :-)  

Yep, glad we had water... of course we will always take water, because not all trails lead to Mountain tops with restaurants.

And yes, the next day my calves did ache!!

And now we do know! CC

 *some info from and more can be found at:

http://www.ppmedvednica.hr/Medvednica_en/Medvednica_ponuda_Veternica_en.htm

Veternica cave is located in the southwest part of Medvednica, above the village Gornji Stenjevec. Its distance from the center of Zagreb is less than 9 km.

The part of Veternica adapted for tourists shows geomorphologic phenomena rarely seen in typical tourist-adapted caves: oval erosion forms made by water vortexes (which tell us about a former water stream), sand dunes left after the last underground stream which used to spring from Veternica, an extinct cave bear's ( Ursus speleus ) lower jaw, fossil mud, the Well of wishes in the Concert hall, the fossil of a shell from the genus Pecten , the sea urchin Clypeaster on the ceiling, the stone waterfall (a beautiful dripstone formation) etc.

Veternica is the fourth longest cave in Croatia in length, and the longest in northern Croatia . It is an important archeological and paleontological site,