![\"Waiting](\"https:\/\/www.cncadventures.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/image477.jpg\")
<\/a>Waiting at Split Station<\/p><\/div>\n
I confirm the platform and track with the ticket lady and we go outside and sit on a bench while we wait. We had bought a combo Croatia, Slovenia, and Austria rail pass at home. It is a 4 day pass but gives us a free day for a total of 5. We will most likely only need 4. When I did the math, it will probably save us around 30 to 70 dollars in train travel depending on which trains we take. More importantly, it makes it worry free, as we can jump on and off any train on the days we use it. Going to Austria involves a few connections and with the pass if we miss one, it will not matter. You have two months to use the 5 days, even though the Croatian train lady who validated the pass put the end date as September 18 instead of October 18 which is one month. It does not matter as we will be in Sicily on September 18.
\nOur train arrives and surprisingly to us, it is only two cars in length. We find our reserved seats and settle in. The train engine is loud and we chug along out of Split and into the Croatian mountains. I think I can, I think I can, the engine moans and groans. It is somewhat of a roller coaster ride and we wind to the left, wind to the right, leaning all the time.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Every Station has One<\/p><\/div>\n
It does not go very fast on tracks like this so we now know why it is a six hour scheduled ride to Zagreb.
\nFast forward or should I say slow forward and we arrive in Zagreb 1 hour late at 1530. All,this means is that we missed the possibility of a 1500 bus to Slovenia which with another train would have gotten us to our hotel about 3 hours earlier. Originally, if the bus did not work out, we have a 4 hour layover. Now since we are late, it is only three. I check at the train ticket counter to make sure we do not need a seat reservation on the train from Zagreb to Lesce Bled. Even with the rail pass, some trains require a seat reservation. This one does not so we are good to go. We find a storage locker for our back packs and I get rid of 15 Kunas in coin, lightening my pockets. We are going to walk around central Zagreb. Zagreb is the Capitol of Croatia. We walk from the train station along a park lined street. It is very beautiful for a bustling city. The buildings have very interesting architectural qualities to them. After about a half mile we come to Jelacic Square with a big statue of Jelacic, a 19th century governor.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Zagreb Cathedral<\/p><\/div>\n
From the square, it is a short walk to the Zagreb Cathedral. The original cathedral was built in 1094 and was destroyed in the 1200s by invading Tartars. Then it was rebuilt, and damaged in an 1880 earthquake. They are still restoring parts of the outside. They have a display showing mother natures damage of a spire and the reconstructed ones that are adding to the facade. The new stone is obvious verse the older original work.
\nInside, the cathedral is beautiful. Behind the alter is the modern tomb of Archbishop Stepinac. He shortsightedly supported the nazi puppet government, thinking this would lead to independence from Serbia. When Tito took over, he put Stepinac in jail for five years. I am not sure why he is honored, maybe for his faith while imprisoned. From the cathedral we wander and go in another church. St. Marks church has a much simpler interior. We wander down a nice quiet street with locals sitting in cafes. We decide to stop and sit to enjoy a local beer. I ask our waiter what he would recommend in a dark and he says Tomislav, so Tomislav is what we get. Very nice and relaxing, not a tourist in sight, unless we look in a mirror.<\/p>\n