Day 6: Zagreb & Börek

The day started off a bit exciting at the Croatian border crossing. Civilian officers positioned themselves shortly after the border. As I drove past them, they didn't hesitate to start chasing me, which was no problem given my speed. I had to, or rather had the privilege to, follow them to the next rest area. The two cops were really friendly and it was just the usual procedure. Papers, where are you going, any weapons or drugs? Luckily, I didn't have any weapons with me this time. And I could also deny having any drugs. They briefly checked inside the camper van and then allowed me to continue the journey.

Arrived in the city of a thousand billboards. It's probably even more, I guess. Oversized flat screens, old-school advertising posters, and huge banners on building facades every hundred meters. Advertising everywhere. That was my first impression when I arrived in the city.

Other than that, it's quite lively here. Traffic is definitely wilder than in Ljubljana, and you can see that in the streets and cars. Good thing I'm not driving a new SUV this time.

With the bike, I head towards the center, or at least that was my goal. First, I got a bit lost. You can clearly feel the size difference compared to the Slovenian capital. The Croatian metropolis, located in the northwestern part of the country, has about three times the population, with over 800,000 people living here. On the way, I pass through Bundek Park. Besides the small lake in the middle, the park doesn't have much to offer. In the center, there are some magnificent buildings that can be attributed to the characteristic Austrian and Hungarian architecture of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Later, I had my first Börek of this trip. It was love at first bite. Even though you need a roll of paper towels afterwards to clean your hands and face from the grease, it is one of the specialties in the Balkans. Heavenly. My highlight. Zlevanka, a kind of corn cake, was also included. Quite delicious as well. Although it can hardly compete directly with Börek.

In the evening, I go bouldering at Boulder Zona, just around the corner from where I parked. Nicely set routes and a good training area.