Christmas 2021 – I was in Zagreb in pursuit of warmer holidays by being away from the frozen city of Tartu. It wasn't too cold in this part of Europe during these days; in fact, they had to fake snows for decors. While Dubrovnik was the intended destination, Zagreb was a case of circumstantial necessity that turned out pleasantly nice; made more special by the lovely accommodation package and the topnotch service we scored, and the fact that I oddly met some Filipinos in this foreign land which doesn’t happen quite often. Aside from visiting the usual tourist suspects in the Lower and Upper Town (Ban Jelacic Square, Maksimir, among others), the highlights of this trip were the long walks and the slightly heavy drinking that came with it – alcoholic road sessions characterized by lots of kuhano vino and a handful of gin tonics (plus doses of kabasice) were arguably among the better things in Zagreb, if not the best.
On the other hand, the unexpected absence of a firework display on Christmas Eve was among the worse parts of this advent experience. Welcoming Jesus’ date of birth in silent mode was a downer. But, the more shocking part was the huge number of broken glasses scattered on the streets in the aftermath of the night's celebration. But oddly enough, the remnants of those helpless, fragile things seemed to be a picture of happy moments, glistening against the blinding and twinkling lights, disregarding the fact that these are serious safety hazards. I have never seen such a thing, so plenty that they looked like stars fallen on the surface of the earth. Indeed, there's always beauty in everything, even for broken things.
Meanwhile, Zagreb is also home
to the daring Museum of Broken Relationships and the famed Museum of Hangovers
