Coffee, Cars and Cool

Zagreb was our first stop in Croatia, a country of only 4 million people, but 3,000 miles of coastline. We started in the landlocked capital city (which isn’t on most people’s list of stops, but should be) and immediately felt the vibe of its cool, coffee culture. They are LAID. BACK. It’s a University town and, as our tour guide told us, most people don’t work. They are too young, too old or students. And when you grab a cup of coffee with friends in one of the thousands of outdoor cafes, you are expected to sit there at least an hour, usually two or three!

While Mitch and I (separately) tried to relax with a cup for that long, we found it nearly impossible. But we loved trying! Instead, our family stuck to our tried-and-true formula in a new city we want to explore – we took the free walking tour and learned lots about a city we had previously never heard of, we rented bikes and explored the nearby parks, and we found museums and activities related to transportation for Luke to enjoy. Zagreb was hosting their annual Auto Show while we were there, so Luke climbed into the driver’s seat of every vehicle imaginable.

Zagreb is a very hip town. Their relaxed pace fit perfectly with our slow travel plans, and we enjoyed easing into the Croatian culture here before heading out to explore the coast.