I started my week-long trip through Croatia with a couple days in Zagreb, the country’s capital and largest city. It was exciting to be traveling again, and to be solo, so I was eager to explore and see what the hilly, cobblestoned streets had to offer. Weather wise, it was all rather dreary and much colder than I expected, with a freezing rain that never seemed to let up. But I braved the elements, walking to see as much as I could, popping into the occasional museum and coffee shop when the cold became too much.

One of my first stops was The Museum of Broken Relationships, a small museum dedicated to loss and the failure of romantic relationships. It houses a collection of objects donated by people all over the world — some objects are of great value or great importance, others are simply left-over artifacts from a happier time, inconsequential yet heavy with memories. Each object was accompanied by some commentary or a narrative, some just a few words, others many paragraphs. They were often funny, sometimes heartbreaking, and even relatable. It’s a simple and unique museum, and a worthwhile visit even in fine weather! I enjoyed it very much.

I got some lunch before doing more strolling. In Croatia, fast food is extremely popular, with people of all ages and occupations taking their meals on the go, walking with sandwiches, sausages, baked goods, or giant slices of pizza. With my camera and umbrella in tow, my hands were pretty full, so I opted for a counter seat and couldn’t pass up a $2 slice of pizza bigger than my head.

My exploration continued with more walking, more rain, a park, and a cute little bar called Tolkein’s House, where I ordered I rather dangerous cocktail called Sauron. But hey, it kept me warm!

The next day I was up bright and early (with more rain) and managed to explore a park and make a visit to the Modern Art museum before catching my bus to Plitvice. The park was a pleasant adventure even in the chilly mist, and the art museum was (as most modern art museums are) interesting and confusing all at once. There was a powerful and haunting exhibit called Women’s House featuring masks made from the faces of women who’d been physically abused or contracted HIV from partners. Then there was a box with something pink and fuzzy inside, labeled THE THING. I took a pretty wide circle around that one.

Up next: the magical Plitvice (when I can narrow my photos down to a reasonable number). Until then, all my love!