Yesterday was a mixture of good and bad. I will start with the good with that being my achievement of taking the bus to the airport and then successfully returning with my rental car only getting lost and having to ask for directions a single time! When I planned the trip, I decided I did not want/need a rental car for my first few days in Zadar as I arrived late in the evening and I did not want to attempt to drive and also find my way to the apartment in the dark. However, it was significantly cheaper to rent the car from the airport so I decided to take the bus to the airport on my final day here in Zadar.
The 25 minute walk to the bus station actually went rather smoothly other than me missing one turn and having to ask for directions. Fortunately almost everyone here in Croatia speaks at least a little English so I managed to find a kind (and very attractive) shopkeeper who managed to steer me in the right direction. The process to buy the ticket and find the correct bus also went smoothly as the the ticket seller spoke English and the platform was specifically marked with the word "Airport" listed in 4 languages plus a picture of an airplane. However, unlike the other buses, the Airport bus is a city-line bus and as a result was only at the station for about one minute so if you do take it, you need to be near where it arrives as it does not wait. The bus trip itself took about 15 minutes as there were no stops between the bus station and the airport. I had a bite to eat at the McDonalds near the bus station before my trip, and I was little surprised to see ashtrays on the outdoor tables. I guess it makes sense given the number of people who smoke here, but I found it a little surprising nonetheless.
The car rental process went very smoothly as well as the drive back to the apartment. However, as I was nearing the apartment, I received two calls from a Croatian number, which made me think "Damn -what did I leave at the airport?". When I arrived at the apartment, I called the number and it turned it was Martina (the woman I rented the apartment from) who asked if I had checked out. I explained that I thought I was here one more day and that I was standing outside the apartment. Martina came out and showed me where I was scheduled to leave that day. To make a long story short, I was able to stay one more night. Martina and I chatted for awhile - she is very sweet as are most of the people I've met here.
Lesson learned: when you are booking stays at multiple locations, make sure that your departure date from your prior location overlaps the arrival date at your next location.
After straightening out the accommodation issue, my only other other times venturing out of the apartment was to drive to the Petrol station to pick up a Slovenian Vignette (which is a sticker you need to place on your windshield required by Slovenia to drive on their roads) and then walk down to Old Town to get a cup of coffee. As I mentioned previously, if you order a coffee in Croatia, you get a very small espresso and a glass of water. I asked the bartender the night why this is, and she could not give me an explanation for the water other than "that is just the way it's done". I actually like the water as the espresso is so tiny, sipping the water allows you to enjoy your coffee a little longer. Unfortunately, this time there was no water - I think the waitress knew I was a tourist and thus just expected an espresso. On the 25 minute walk back, I did get caught in a downpour, but fortunately I was close to the apartment so I was able to run back and only slightly soaked.
I did mention that there was bad news. The encountered the bad news occurred when reading my work email later in the evening. It turns out that one of my major clients is losing one of their major clients, which possibly means less work for me from this client. I am very good friends with the owner of this company, so I'm a little bummed at not only the possible loss of work for me, but also what it means for his company and his staff. On the other hand, it does mean I need to get off my ass and really start working hard at building my company. Hopefully this is the kick in the pants that makes it happen.
Today is the drive to Slovenia with a stop at Plitvice Lakes National Park. Hopefully my documents are in order and my Vignette is properly displayed. Off to Slovenia!
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