I am at the seaside. This is Split, Croatia and the big difference is that I have come from minus 2 to plus 7 and if it was like when I arrived by bus yesterday, it will get even warmer in the afternoon.
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| First sight of Split |
I spent my last day in Budapest visiting the Atomicbunker Hospital in the Rock. This hospital was first built in the 1930s and evolved over time to suit political circumstances. You cannot visit it alone so you have to wait for a guided tour. Mine was rather over-suscribed and the guide was clearly in a hurry to have a teabreak. If you wanted to look at things along the way, it was difficult. Our guide, Laura spoke a sort of English at speed. She told us to look at this and that along the route but never gave anyone a chance to do so. If you tried, you missed the next piece of information.
That in itself was funny. It was more funny to note how different people within the group were dealing with this situation. Regardless of the trials of racing through the exhibits with Laura, our guide, it was well worth the visit. There were strong links to the effects of the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and how the Russians now have a bomb twenty times more powerful than those dropped in 45. Scary, to say the least.
In truth, I had to appreciate this museum as I had so much difficulty locating it. Google told me to catch a number 4 tram. I did. I went in the wrong direction. The I got a 47 bus where I should have got a 17 so that involved walking back one stop. Google then told me to get a 56A bus. Aha.. I got there and actually covered a shorter distance but used more buses. I was so close to giving up at one point. Each time I look at the map, I have to take my gloves off so it is quite a palava.
I cautiously set off for my overnight bus with the knowledge I had gone so wrong with transport earlier on. I didn't actually want to take a bus but there is no direct train in winter (sadly). Flixbus is quite good once you locate the actual stop. Until it arrives, and it says your destination on the fornt window, I think there is a bit of luck and guesswork involved. They are a private company and do not show up on public schedules. At midnight, two young Koreans and myself were turfed out into the cold when the waiting roomat Kelenfoeld was locked. We still had a time to await the arrival of our bus to Zagreb at 20 past the hour. It was bloodly freezing and a tad worrying as none of us really knew where the bus would be.
By 5am we were in Zagreb and once again the border guards had kindly walked along the bus to look at our passports with minimum disturbance during the night. The bus station at Zagrebwas equally as cold. The Koreans and myself sat down to multiple coffees. They were too early for the hotel and my connection was a long wait away.
Zagreb was white. Fog covered everything and there was snow on the ground. I literally left under a cloud. Split was so different by contrast. at 2 in the afternoon the sun was shining an we were dumped by the seafront. So now begins my exploration of yet another place on my trip back to old Blightie.
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| A view on the way |
It was nice speaking to you the other night, Marms. You certainly seemed upbeat and happy. Miss you.
Hugs all round
Love
XXX
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