The train to Zagreb took about three hours. Arrived at around 7:00 p.m. and we were going to catch an overnight train to Split but didn't know if the hostel could accommodate us so early in the morning so we decided to stay a night in Zagreb. Found a cheap, brand new hostel right near the bus and train stations. Met a girl from Canada in our room, Crystal, and the three of us hit a local square that was crowded in anticipation of a soccer game. Sampled Croatian beer and potato pies. Walked around the city before it got dark. Noticed a lot of eastern bloc architecture but it wasn't nearly as drab as I'd heard and I was sorry that we couldn't stay longer. The main problem with booking hostels in advance is that you're compelled to move on unless you don't mind losing your deposit.

Split

Caught the early morning bus to Split and arrived tired in the afternoon as the Zagreb hostel had proved to be hot and noisy all night. A woman at the bus station hustling rooms for rent was really aggressive and upon hearing my fourth "no thanks", in desperation said "my house has a bathroom on the same floor as the room which would be good as you're an older woman." I already had a hostel booked, but this would definitely have been a deal breaker if I hadn't! I told her "thanks for that" and walked off as the last shred of youth I've been so desperately clinging to just floated off into the Adriatic Sea.

Took us forever to find our hostel. Finally found it up an alley 20 minutes from the station. We're finding that proximity to the train or bus station is one detail that hostels consistently lie about. Another is claiming that they have free wi-fi access. Not! The long walk was worth the hassle as the room was beautiful, light, and airy with large shutters that opened onto a secluded courtyard with roses, hydrangeas, and trumpet vines. There were also several cute cats that lived nearby, only two other people staying there, and the owner didn't live on-site so it was basically like our own place. Found a wonderful local restaurant and sampled dishes such as goulash and gnocchi washed down with a local white wine. We happened to be sitting next to a local guy and the backpacker he was hosting through couchsurfers and he filled us in on all things Croatian.

We spent the next three days shopping, sampling local cuisine (lots of fresh fish, meat, poatoes, wine) and lounging on the beach. Found an out of the way beach with few beachgoers. The beaches are pebbles, not sand, but they're very comfortable. I like them better than sand because they stay put and don't get all over you! The water was crystal clear and cold but it felt great as it was scorching on the beach and not much shade was to be found.

Dubrovnik

Took a four-hour bus to Dubrovnik. Did not have a hostel but a very persistent guy at the bus station named Ivan persuaded us to check out his hostel. I felt a bit uneasy about Lizzy and I getting into a stranger's car but he seemed legitimate and this is a common practice of train and bus travellers. Sometimes you have to take a chance. He lived on top of a large hill and his place was beautiful. Dubrovnik is a city of steep hills (similar to SF) and we walked up and down thousands of stairs during the next three days. The room was great and the common area where we ate our meals overlooked the harbor, hills, and ocean. The patio overhang was covered in grapevines, wisteria, and jasmine.

We hit the walled Old Town area the next day. The walls were originally built to protect a refugee colony of people from Cavtat who fled from invading Avar and Slav tribes. Old Town was filled with churches, shops selling authentic handicrafts, museums, galleries, restaurants, and even a shelter for stray cats that included a "cat playground." We counted eight very happy-looking felines lounging around it. The Croatians appear to love their cats. It seems that strays are well fed and lots of them are adopted. We donated to the cause. Spent our last day at another perfect beach with a picnic lunch. Wandered into a large outdoor bar on the way back from the beach and watched the Croatia vs. Italy soccer match. Every time Croatia scored a goal, loud fire crackers would go off all over the city. The highlight came when an Italian player tried to blame his foul on a Croatian player using overly dramatic hand gestures to prove his point, and everyone in the entire bar simultaneously stood up and imitated him perfectly!