Day 1: London to Zadar

Packing stress get to Matt...

Packing stress gets to Audrey..

I can't believe we're finally doing this. Seems like we have been planning forever (well, a year) and we finally have set off! Our room is empty, our bags are packed, and our tickets printed. Last-minute photos with the housemates (several of them were unfortunately 'sick' today and had to stay home from work) as we head out the door. Can't believe everything we're going to need for the next two months is now carried on our backs.


We somehow managed to make our first two travel connections without issue but as the traffic backed up on the freeway the stress-levels climbed. Were we really going to miss the very first flight of the trip? Size has its advantages as we knocked over old ladies and kicked several children while bolting through the airport. Turns out it's possible to run up stairs with a 70L backpack.

Had packed a bottle of prosecco, having planned to surprise Audrey with a relaxing celebratory glass in the airport lounge, but after the delays this basically turned into us trading slugs from the bottle at the security gates. The guy behind the nearby currency exchange desk watched with some amusement.


Anyone who has flown RyanAir (Aussies - imagine Tiger Airways on a budget!) will know exactly what we faced at the boarding gates. Everybody sweating profusely as they wear everything in their bag to get it under the measly weight allowance. Usually us, but we feel particularly smug with only a small daypack between us. We choose to sit as close as possible to the only screaming infant on the plane. Two hours later we have landed and cram onto a bus which is rumoured to be heading for the centre of Zadar's old city.


Thirty minutes later everyone piles out of the bus - "Last stop, Zadar old city". Excellent. I send a quick text to our AirBNB host Zeljko (pronounced Zhayl-ko apparently). He comes to meet us and guides us the two minute walk to his apartment. Things are little sketchy as we head through a dark alley into an even darker garden. But the guy seems fine, serial killers are never smiley happy people right?!


He leads us up five flights of stairs - "Sorry guys, no lift" - and shows us through our room. A fold out couch, a small desk and a large stereo system. Then he takes us out to the balcony. Score! 50 square metres overlooking the old town. Take a seat, he motions towards a couple of chairs. Over the next 2.5 hours he gives us a generous helping of his life story. I shall sum it up thusly:
- 12 years in Germany (5 illegally, 7 via fake marriage arrangement - "like getting greencard in your USA")
- Huge lazy dog called Max. Audrey melts when she sees him.
- An earring in each ear.

 

 

Had to leave my car behind :(

- A glossy 8x10 of himself (taken at least 10 years ago), matted with hearts and mounted with pride of place in the kitchen.
- Sleeps on the balcony every night (as we learned when we all but tripped on him coming home)
- Apparently involved in regular disagreements with his neighbour about who will clean the stairs outside.


Several attempts to involve ourselves in the conversation with more than an 'uh-huh' or 'oh really' were met with a brief pause before he continued his monologue. A few subtle and then not so subtle hints later, we headed out for a quick stroll around the town. 11:30pm and the place is still a hive of activity. Strains of classical music and accordian echoing down the alleyways as we try to recall his directions. The noise of the crowds just outdoing our growling stomachs, the alley opens into a square, we see market stalls and a seaside promenade.


We each pick out a slice of pizza and I proffer a 100kuna ($20) note, "Sorry, no change". I try a 50 ... still no good. FREE PIZZA. How could life get any better? Yes. Auds uses her impressive linguistic skills (ie one of the three words she knows in Croatian) to get us some sladoled, and we get our icecream cones for about 50 cents apiece We stroll for a few hours and it's time for bed.

Farewell 278 - See you in October :)

Total distance travelled today: 1500km
Free pizzas consumed: 2