Welcome to the Main Feature of Balkanopoulos Country No 1 and my 99th UN Full Member Country of Croatia.
Zagreb (Pop 1.1m Metro) is the Capital of Croatia (Pop 4.1m). Zagreb, Croatia’s northwestern capital, is distinguished by its 18th and 19th-century Austro-Hungarian architecture. At its centre, Upper Town is the site of the Gothic, twin-spired Zagreb Cathedral and 13th-century St. Mark’s Church, with a colourfully tiled roof. Nearby is pedestrian-friendly Tkalčićeva Street, lined with outdoor cafes. Lower Town has the main square, Ban Jelačić, plus shops, museums and parks. Area: 641 km² Elevation: 158 m
To me, Zagreb is a classic Eastern European Capital slowly being consumed by a rash, fast-moving modern generation that is too busy to look after it and letting it slowly degrade. There is no denying that not much money is being spent on preserving the old city (Upper Town) because you can see it. Croatia is in the European Union but kept its long-time local Kruna currency – thank goodness it did because its valuation is low and everything is cheap !!!
Zagreb has a truly European feel. There is a level of sophistication here coupled with the sounds of church bells, screaming kids and the hustle and bustle of traffic and trams. My run here was full of swerving and near misses. I liked the long curvy roads full of classic smog smitten buildings with every kind of retail shop underneath.
No one really knows where the name ZAGREB came from but its meaning is now defined by the people who scurry around in it and also have the time to sip coffees in the upper and lower towns.
Today was the first full day of filming for Balkanopoulos including its first chase scene and interview – lots to come !!! In terms of Blog Photos you will see a reduction because the next 102 days of production requires a more restrained and picky reportage to bring you a film of shorter and richer content.
Enjoy the images of Zagreb…
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