"Vrt" is the word for "garden" - it's so cool that they can have words without vowels in Croatian. Zagreb's Botanic Gardens made for a lovely stroll among trees and flowers from all over the world. I can't resist sharing this sign:
"Please, don't take the turtles."
Rosalind and I visited an unbelievable national park, Plitvicer Lakes, home to dozens of waterfalls and hundreds of lakes. It was truly stunning, every view more beautiful than the last. There are kilometers of boardwalks set up so visitors can walk directly over the lakes.
TO PULA
Austria is a landlocked country, and Croatia is renowned for its gorgeous coastline, so after a few days in Zagreb, I headed for the seaside. The bus ride featured some beautiful countryside, vineyards, and small plots of farmland with rich red soil. The grass was green, so green, like a little taste of Ireland. My first glimpse of the Adriatic Sea was breathtaking, sparkling clear waters and forested islands hugged by clouds. All of the houses were modest-sized, but there were occasional highrise apartment towers near the sea, built high to maximize the beautiful view.
I arrived in Pula, an ancient city in the northwest of the country. I left the bus station and was awestruck at the sight of the Amphitheatre. This is a 30,000-seat arena that the Romans built two thousand years ago for gladiator battles, lion feedings, and such. Today it's used for more peaceful events, such as rock concerts.
I hadn't done much planning ahead, so I didn't have a room reserved, nor did I know precisely how to get to the town hostel. How many people did I stop to ask for directions? A record: Nine. Everyone was very friendly, and helped as much as they could, although most spoke no English. After about two hours of wandering through various neighborhoods, I finally found the place, and they had beds available - and on top of that, they were located right on a beach! This would be my home base for the next few days, where I would enjoy many hours of this view while talking with other guests, writing in my journal, and composing.
There was a cute litte kitten who lived outside the hostel - the groundskeeper tried to shoo him away, but the guests liked him too much. "Zippers" was his name. He would hang around the tables outside at breakfast, and my roommate secretly fed him tins of canned meat from the buffet table. One afternoon, an old Croatian woman brought him some milk in a little saucer. She and I talked about how cute he was, although we had no language in common. (Sometimes it doesn't even matter.)
In search of a grocery store, I walked through the suburbs near the hostel, some of the most beautiful neighborhoods I've ever seen anywhere. Thoroughly Mediterranean - houses with gleaming white walls and olive vines (here they're on a trellis above the driveway). Many have backyard gardens with red soil, and everyone has a great view of the seaside just down the hill.
James Joyce is one of my favorite writers. He spent a few months in Pula when a doctor prescribed that he vacation by the sea to improve his health. (Wouldn't you love a doctor like that?) I ran into him while I was out walking the streets.
AND NOW…It's been an action-packed six weeks since returning from Croatia. We've had a few visitors in Vienna, traveled to visit a farming/religious community in southern Austria, played a concert, and sampled ice cream from about six different vendors (all amazing…the ice cream here is simply amazing.) I'm in the midst of writing a 15-minute piece for 6 instruments, a big project where I'm putting into practice many of the ideas that I've thought of during the year - my new thoughts on harmony, rhythm, polyphony, instrumental sounds/noises, overall form, and even compositional process (how I think about and carry out the work). It's so exciting to tangibly feel the ways in which I've grown during this year.
I have less than four weeks left in the city, and many things I hope to do before I leave! Check back soon for more pics and stories…
