Following my friend Becky’s unexpected deportation from the UK, the pair of us were making an unscheduled return to Croatia just three days after returning from our trip to the countries beautiful Istrian Peninsula. Under angry black clouds and bombarded by high winds and heavy rain we found ourselves in the city of Zadar
Almost anywhere can look good under clear blue skies, but only truly beautiful places remain so in any weather.
Rain can quickly wash away the appeal of a city as stone buildings transform into ominous tomb stone colored giants with people pushing their way past one another like Orwellian drones.
Perhaps in brighter weather Zadar might have been a more alluring location, but under slate colored skies the city had the charm of a disgruntled traffic warden and as much beauty as nuclear power station.
Old town Zadar is, according to one travel website, “enchantingly Romanesque.” However, if the cities beauty was measured on a scale of pop stars then Zadar would be somewhere in the region of Tina Turner and Keith Richards.
The city is by the Adriactic Sea and while that helps its mixture of old and new architecture is more of a catastrophic collision than a cultural cocktail. In British terms Zadar is Croatia’s Dagenham or Coventry.
However, despite the dismal weather Becky and I were determined to make the most of this unscheduled return to Croatia, and under the circumstances I think we did just that. It wasn’t the relaxing indulgence that Rovinj was, but nonetheless we did get to have a few laughs along the way. In the end though, even with a promise of better weather, I can’t see Zadar appearing on our future travel itineraries anytime soon.
—
Lonely Planet on Zadar
Farewell to Montalbano
The Yarls Wood redemption
Visiting Croatia
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Wrote the following comment on Nov 27, 2009 at 7:51 am
I love the full size version of you playing dead. I thought the woman in the doorway was a real woman!
I’m sending this post to my mate Slav to translate the graffiti.
Wrote the following comment on Nov 27, 2009 at 4:20 pm
If the picture in the top left of that collage is anything to go by I would imagine that the graffiti is fairly obscene.
Wrote the following comment on Nov 27, 2009 at 5:12 pm
I am sory that you were not enjoying Zadar. It is good city for students life. I have university there but live in Sukošan other times. I find laughter with your pictures. Thank you.
Wrote the following comment on Nov 28, 2009 at 2:55 pm
I don’t like graffiti like this but I like your graffiti collage.
Wrote the following comment on Nov 30, 2009 at 4:51 pm
“if the cities beauty was measured on a scale of pop stars then Zadar would be somewhere in the region of Tina Turner and Keith Richards.”
Very very funny indeed!
Wrote the following comment on Dec 1, 2009 at 8:52 am
Oh, did you like Waterorgan? Was working nightlight?
Bye A.
Wrote the following comment on Dec 1, 2009 at 11:23 am
@ Andzsela – You know what, we saw neother the lights nor the Water Organ. That’s a shame, but to be fair the sea was REALLY choppy and the weather was awful, so we weren’t really being tourists. Maybe one day I’ll go back there and find the charm that had escaped for the week we found ourselves in Zadar.
Wrote the following comment on Dec 2, 2009 at 8:03 am
I like the graffiti.
Wrote the following comment on Dec 5, 2009 at 7:18 pm
I really like the 2nd photo in the block if your reading the block left to right. It’s got a great sense of space as well as mystery.