Last Day in Croatia

There's a funicular in Zagreb. It's very short--the whole ride takes less than a minute--and because it runs only every 10 minutes, you could porbably just walk up the hill in less time. But it's fun, and costs just 4 kuna, which is about 80 cents or so. At the top of the funicular is a tower, and every day at noon they shoot a cannon on the top of the tower. I'd forgotten about that and happened to be at the bottom of the hill today at noon. That noise'll make you jump out of your skin! And it makes all the dogs bark, too.

The area at the top of the hill is called Kaptol. The big cathedral is there, and also a long pedestrian street lined with cafes and shops. Most of Kaptol is very quiet, though, and I meandered for an hour or so among winding cobblestone streets and old houses. Very pretty.

I had lunch today with a couple people from the university, at a restaurant across from the cathedral. There was covered outdoor seating, which was good because it's raining today. Again. I had some local food--mushroom soup and a zagorski strukli, a sort of pastry filled with cheese. The strukli are delicious--they taste quite a bit like the cheese knishes my grandmother used to make, although the look and texture is sort of lasagne-like. And we had red wine with water, which I guess is traditional with lunch, and of course espresso. Boy, have I been drinking a lot of espresso. :-) Tomorrow very early I leave Croatia. I have a very quick layover in Paris this time, so we'll see whether I make my connection. If not, well, I guess I'll be stuck in Paris. Quelle tragique!