November 26-December 6, 2022

Croatia has been on my bucket list for about 40 years. Why did it take me so long to get there? It could be my obsession with Spain. For me, a trip to Europe means time in Spain.

The good news is that I finally got there. I didn’t see as much as I would have liked, but I will return in 2023 for further exploration.

Rijeka: We arrived by bus from Trieste, Italy. The ride took us through a little bit of Slovenia and then through passport control at the border of Croatia. I was getting close to my 90 days in the Schengen Zone, so I was relieved to get my passport stamped. (Croatia fully joined the EU and became a Schengen Zone country on January 1, 2023. They also switched their currency from the Kuna to the Euro.)

We arrived in Rijeka, and my friend, who had joined me for the final three weeks of my trip, was a bit disappointed. Rijeka lacked the sparkle of towns like Trieste and Venice. I was not surprised because I saw Croatia as an up-and-coming country.

Rijeka did not disappoint. A block or so away, we encountered the city’s main pedestrian street. It was indeed sparkling with Christmas decorations and lights. The Christmas market stands and pop-up bars were bustling with people. It was delightful!

Our apartment up the hill was spacious and comfortable. It had two bedrooms, thoughtfully decorated. We were each ready for some space, so it was a nice break.

Every evening of our stay, I made a final trip down to the pedestrian street to take in the lights and festive atmosphere. I found Rijeka surprisingly charming.

Rab Island: Three days later, we took a ferry from Rijeka to Rab Island. I had done some research and felt there would still be some things to do and see even though we were well into the off-season.

We arrived after dark but had a short walk to our apartment. As we walked through the arch of the old city wall, we found ourselves in a park decorated for Christmas. Talk about enchanting! We kept gawking as we slowly walked, and our hostess awaited our arrival.

Our apartment was in a building that was a former palace. The apartment itself wasn’t anything special, but the location was perfect! We had a view of the harbor and were strategically located in the old city. At about $65. per night, it was a bargain.

The next day, as we walked, we learned that the old city was a pedestrian zone. And it was the end of November, so few tourists were around. The Christmas decorations were plentiful, and there was a cute ice-skating rink. Some signs said, “The most beautiful Advent in the Adriatic.”

Historical sights are plentiful within the old town, including several churches and Roman ruins.

Zagreb: We finished the adventure in Croatia’s capital city.

We returned to Rijeka by ferry and had about three hours to kill. That made for another stop at the gluten-free bakery and a refill of dried fruits and nuts at one of the market stands.

We boarded our bus and arrived in Zagreb about three hours later.

This time I could have done better with the apartment. The apartment was okay but far from the historic center. No problem. The bus stop was close. (If I were to revisit Zagreb, I would book something closer in, though.)

By the time we got settled, darkness was falling, but it was still early. My friend was leery of heading into the city after dark. I then reminded her that I had walked around alone a couple of evenings in Rijeka. I convinced her that we would stay in the touristy areas.

It was early December, and the city was decked out for Advent. Our evening walk took us by the biggest ice rink I had ever seen and through a couple of Christmas markets.

The “markets” in Croatia are quite different from those in Spain. In Madrid, there is an abundance of stands selling artisan goods. In Croatia, the focus was on stands selling food and drink. In fact, many were pop-up bars. We did, however, find some lovely goods to take home as gifts.

The next day, we boarded the Hop-on, Hop-off bus to take into the city. One could spend a week in Zagreb and still not see all the museums. Sadly, some of the museums were closed for renovations as the city is still recovering from the 2020 earthquake.

While on the bus, we noticed the lights were on in the National Theater. I had looked online to buy tickets for the Nutcracker, but it was sold out. We decided to go in to see if they had any last-minute tickets.

We were in luck. Box seats. And not just box seats, but the best seats in the house! We were so very grateful to have such good fortune.

The rest of our time in Zagreb was delightful. It was chilly and a bit rainy, but that didn’t keep us from enjoying the city. It also gave me an excuse to drink hot chocolate and tea. There was a delightful gluten-free bakery, too.

Since I was at the end of my extended trip, I shopped for some gifts, including lots of chocolate and a big box of tea, and maxed out my suitcase before heading home.

My next European adventure will start in Croatia. I can’t wait to return!