What do Dalmations, neckties, and Nikola Tesla have in common? They all originated in Croatia.
On a whim that had nothing to do with dirt-cheap flight tickets (not), a friend and I decided to book flights for a 3 day weekend in Rijeka, Croatia in late June.
It wasn’t without some trepidation that we set out for this impulsive journey. We’d glanced over photos and itineraries before deciding to go for it, but had not thoroughly planned our trip. Also, it did not help that none of the people we talked to seemed to have even heard of this place (“Rijeka? Where’s that? Near Split?”).
And so we landed on a scorching hot Thursday morning in Rijeka amid stunning views of mountains and the Adriatic Sea, at a tiny airport with a single gate, that looked more like a cheap motel than an airport.
On that first day, it was so hot that the only thought at the forefront of our minds was to take a dip in the sea for a refreshing swim as soon as possible. But first, we had to satisfy our growling stomachs. We wandered into town looking for breakfast, into Korzo, the main promenade, which was bustling with elderly citizens mingling over beers (on a Thursday morning!) and coffee.
After a satisfying breakfast of iced coffee and an omelet (the smiling waiter gently nudged us away from our poor choices from the menu), we took a bus to Bivio, which hosted the “best” beaches in Rijeka according to the various tobacco shop proprietors we questioned. We did not actually find a giant stretch of beach on this route, but every few meters, paths led down from the main road to small, secluded beaches, which are much better in my opinion. We found a rocky, pebbly beach on which a few people were sunbathing and decided to jump in. It was quite a challenge to walk on the mossy rocks, but the cool waves made up for it, and we both agreed that this had indisputably been the best swim of our lives.
By dinner time, the entire city was buzzing with excitement and joyful shouts — Croatia was playing Argentina in the FIFA world cup. It seemed like everyone and everything was adorned with red and white paraphernalia. The match was being played on TVs in every bar in the promenade, and a giant screen had been set up on the waterfront for football fans to gather and watch the match. We chose to eat dinner outside at a restaurant next to a bar that was filled with a particularly rowdy group so we could watch the match and enjoy the atmosphere while devouring our meal, as Croatia was winning a spectacular victory.
Sadly, the weather on the second day was disappointing as it rained heavily all morning. It was also Anti-Fascist struggle day — a national holiday in Croatia. Every museum was closed, which ruled out the option of staying indoors and still crossing some items off our list. So we decided to brave the rain and head to Trsat, to see the castle.
On the way, we noticed that Mass was in progress at the Church of Our Lady of Trsat, and decided to head in. It was my first time in a church service and it was a moving experience — the soul-stirring chants strangely echoed those that I’ve heard in temples in Southern India. I’ve always viewed prayer as a solemn act, but the elderly church-goers were smiling happily while singing along (although I noticed a few of the ladies wipe away a tear or two).
The castle of Trsat was a disappointment for me. The views of Rijeka and the sea from the castle were impressive, but for some reason, there was a restaurant and bar right in the middle of the castle courtyard. Every castle I’ve visited in Europe so far has chosen to spoil the peaceful and historical vibe by situating cafes and restaurants amid the ruins.
On our third and last day, we visited the Peek & Poke computer museum — a small, one-storey building with a huge collection of computer artifacts — from early calculators, to the very first Macintoshes and a giant contraption that was the IBM 3380 — the world’s first gigabyte HDD that cost about $81,000 at the time. Then, unable to resist the warm, sunny weather, we headed out to Opatija — a 30-minute bus ride away from Rijeka.
Opatija is a touristy town that is packed with beach resorts — these are not to my taste, but I loved the amazing views of the deep blue sea. We decided to go on a boat excursion along the coast to have a relaxing end to our vacation. And so with our captain, Bruno, his cheerful wife, and their dog Bela, we sailed out on their boat (also named Bela).
All in all, the trip to Rijeka was one to remember. We headed back to the tiny airport, quite sad to leave. And this time around, it did not remind me of a cheap motel, but rather of a nice rooftop bar, as we sat on the patio enjoying cold orange soda with our co-passengers, and looking out onto the runway, taking pictures of the solitary helicopter, waiting for our flight to arrive (it was the only one that day). (Side note to airlines: the quickest way to get all your millennial passengers to the gate as soon as possible is to tell them a helicopter is about to take off)
Some tips for those who may want to immediately fly to Rijeka after reading this enticing post:
1. Swim in as many beaches as possible — the beaches in Rijeka are the quietest and most well-preserved ones I’ve been to. The ones in Opatija are more sandy and touristy, but with better facilities. Choose your poison.
2. Always buy round-trip bus tickets at tobacco shops — these are cheaper than buying them on the bus.
3. Every cafe and restaurant we went to served delicious food — but if you’re in a rush, just ask for the bill as soon as your food arrives, or you’ll be waiting a long time — Croatians like to savor their meal, and the wait staff respect this by avoiding your table at all costs after serving your food ;)
