In late May 2025 my elder son Brando and his wife Kasia flew from Australia to Prague, then travelled down to Lake Bled in Slovenia. They were travelling ‘child free’ for the first time and it was decided I would meet them in Bled, and together show them some of my favourite places in Slovenia and also Zagreb and the Zagorije Continental region of Croatia before returning home to Podgora, home of the Vulinovich clan on the Dalmatian Coast. They spent 5 days in Prague and enjoyed every moment wandering through that splendid yet busy city of breathtaking Gothic architecture. Lake Bled was a different story, a peaceful picturesque lake with surrounding snow capped mountains, a medieval castle and the little church of St. Mary in the centre of the lake reflecting in the waters below. The fairytale castle of Bled was built on the cliff above the lake, dating back to the year 1004. I have visited this part of the world many times but this was extra special being able to enjoy some time together with my loved ones and sharing places I have discovered during my tour escorting days. They were child-free but mother and mother-in-law bound!! The Julian Alps were calling…..

Fortunately my wonderful Slovenian friend, Irena, a fellow colleague living in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, was free to join us on a glorious drive from Bled through the Julian Alps to the Kobarid Valley (Ernest Hemingway Country where he wrote ‘Farewell to Arms’) and also the home of Chef Ana Roš, holder of 3 Michelin Stars at her restaurant Hiša Franka,. It was a day now well tucked into our memories, visiting an abandoned hilltop village that is being restored back into life, a vineyard with a wonderful restaurant overlooking the hills sloping down towards the Adriatic sea, and a drive back to Ljubljana through the Slovenian countryside where houses and balconies are bursting with colourful flowers, and the hills are as green as the greenest hills in County Kerry, Ireland! Around every corner was yet another photo opportunity!

The view of the castle from Irena’s window is simply breathtaking. The castle of Ljubljana was built high above the Ljublanica River that meanders through the heart of the tree lined city centre, where sweethearts and people of all ages gather to either take a walk, a breath of fresh air, a meal, a glass of wine, an aperitif, a gelato , and naturally a cup of coffee in the mornings. In the early evening we roamed through the city centre, soaking up the ambiance at dusk, listened to a group of musicians on the street corner, and had an impromptu conversation with a lovely American couple sitting at the next table, who were in awe of the ambiance and all they had discovered on their first visit to Slovenia.

On the following morning it was time to depart from Ljubljana, and following many kisses and hugs with Irena, we hopped into our transfer minibus and were soon being driven the short 1.5 hr drive across the border to the nearby Croatian capitol city of Zagreb. We arrived at our destination, a rooftop apartment in the centre of town close to Trg Ban Jejacić, the heart and soul of our city of culture, learning, beautiful parks and its blend of historical and more modern architecture, reflecting the city’s rich past and dynamic present. From Gothic cathedrals, and neo-Baroque and neo Renaissance theatres of the Austro-Hungarian days to the art nouveau architecture of early 1900s… and a mix of a few more modern buildings in the Brutalist design of the communist era. Zagreb has it all.

The Parks of Zagreb are much loved by he locals. Zrinjevac Park, named after Nikola Šubić Zrinski, stretches from Trg Ban Jelicić in the city centre..to half way down towards the main Train Station as part of Lenuci’s green horseshoe designed as a breathing and wandering natural space where people from all walks of life are free to walk, wander and breathe the fresh air. A number of prominent busts of significant Croatian people are to be found around the park, and several pavilions and historical buildings are based here. The Plane trees lend a spectacular display of shady greenery through summer shedding their leaves in Autumn..and I noted the number of young people sitting in small group circles, talking, laughing, conversing, without any sign of a mobile phone!!! A young couple on a park bench, , obviously very much in love caressed as we wandered by..totally immersed in their emotions and totally unaware of any passers by.

On a crisp sunny morning on our walk around Zagreb, we headed for the Cathedral, originally built in the 11th century, partially demolished after an earthquake in 1880, then given a new face by the Austrian architect Hermann Bolle. Inside is the grave of Cardinal Stepinac, Archbishop of Zagreb from 1946 to 1960, who worked hard for the independence of the country and promoting the Croatian language during the time of the Communist regime. For his so called crime he was imprisoned for 15 years. Unfortunately the cathedral was closed today due to restoration following another recent earthquake in the Zagreb region. We made our way across the Dolac Markets, checked out the fresh food and ventured up to Kaptol in the upper town, passing through the Stone Gate, saying our prayers of thanks to the Blessed Virgin Mary and Kasia lit a candle. The most interesting place in Kaptol is the Croatian Parliament, surrounded by St Mark’s Church with its decorative tiled roof, Ivan Meštrović’s Atelier, The Catholic Greek Orthodox Church, the Museum Of Croatian Naive Art and the Lotrščak Tower overlooking the city.

Naive or Primitive Art originated in the 1930s and is one of my favourite art forms, mostly depicting seasonal village scenes.. The Croatian Museum of Naive art is exceptional, and was opened in 1952, displaying paintings sculptures,, drawings and prints mainly by Croatians yet there are some international pieces in the gallery. Naive art is characterized by a refreshing innocence and use of bright colours by untrained villagers, who simply had a love of painting. Simple as that. Villeroy and Boch have a naive art selection on their fine dinnerware, mugs, and wall plates set. This style became a global trend, particularly in Europe and reaching as far as Australia.

Scenes below are by Ivan Generalić 1934, NA BREGOVIMA/ ON THE HILLS, and Ivan Večenaj 1965 ‘KRAVE VOZE DRVA’

One of my most favourite spots in Zagreb, is the Bornstein Wine Bar at Kaptol 19, near the Zagreb Cathedral. I was determined to take Brando and Kasia to meet Ivan and Doris Srpek, the wonderful owners of this well loved establishment where wines from many parts of the wine world are displayed and offered together with platters of delicious tasty bites. The setting is in the old cellars beneath ground level, cool and inviting, with a small outdoor area for those who prefer the outdoors.

On our last day, we took a guided tour of the nearby Zagorije region, the land of mystical castles and legends, visiting Trakošćan castle built in the 13th century as a smaller fort , and later owned by the Drašković noble family for a period of 400 years. all of the furniture, art and various displays, cutlery, table settings etc are totally genuine pieces belonging to the Drašković family during their lifetime. We wandered through the many rooms, stairways and halls, marvelling at the thought of their way of life in days gone by, the power, the ever constant thought of defending one’s property and country from invading enemies coming from all directions! Brando loved the display of armery, the swords, helmets, and decorative chest armour. We all decided it would have weighed a soldier down, yet was obviously very necessary.

Driving a few extra kilometres we arrived in the beautiful small Baroque style city of Varaždin the capital city of Croatia, during the years of 1756 – 1776 before Zagreb reclaimed that title, located on the Drava River. Varaždin is the city of baroque, young people, music, flowers, bicycles and angels. with a population of only 47,000, Varaždin is one of the most attractive destinations to live in or to visit in Croatia. Varaždin is also know as the City of Angels , they adorn many of the buildings, and though the year there are many colourful events, the most famous being the Špancifest- The Street Festival of good emotions and the Varaždin Baroque evenings which celebrates music, Baroque architectural inheritance and authentic instruments in autumn.

Not to be missed in Varaždin is the cemetery, established in 1773, and in 1905 Herman Haller designed and planted a further 7000 cypresses, maple, ash, beeches, boxwood, magnolia and birch trees , shaping the cypresses into geometrical shapes. Its not only a resting place of the dead, but also known as one of the most beautiful cemeteries in Europe.

We ended our day in the hills between Varaždin and Zagreb at a local vineyard, where the local cuisine , wines and ambiance were a perfect ending to a more than perfect day.. Arriving back into Zagreb, we said our goodbyes to this city of culture, sport and learning, and made our way home to Podgora on the Dalmatian Coast.