Wow are football supporters loud

When I first found out there would be a World Cup qualifying match in Zagreb while I was there, I was excited and wanted very much to go. I tried with no luck to buy them online- you have to be a member of the Scottish Football Association to buy from them and a Croatian citizen to buy from Croatian football, so with little fanfare I walked myself 3 km to the stadium today- match day, and stood in line with another 50 people to buy my ticket. 

Of course when we arrived yesterday we started to see what we were in for. I booked a studio apartment just off the main square in Zagreb thinking what a great location, we can walk all over, etc. never did I think about the visiting team supporters OR the fact that Friday night would be a crazy loud spectacle... and probably underestimating the soundproofness of windows in a building right off a square in the middle of a very old city. Hmmm. These things might cross my mind next time- must have long memory for this. 

Anyway, last night (Thursday) there was much noise, talking, music playing, etc. until around 11, but there was still noise. Now, about 6:30 (game time is 8:15) there is a LOT of noise, and of course now I see the bar about 30 feet from our window. The music blaring and the off key singing...ha! They were very excited about that havering song just now. I guess it's a good thing I won't need to hear the game as I'm sitting in the stadium. These folks are loud. Oh, and there goes the bagpipes again. 

It is fun to see people throughout the city wearing kilts and jerseys, sometimes kilts with Croatian jerseys. In all they are football supporters, and seem to respect each other as they come together for the love of the game. I can't wait to see what I'm in for once I get to the stadium. Oy!

Relaxing too much to blog

My apologies:) Since we arrived in Zadar, Croatia we have been either busy with activities (Plitvice Lakes Sunday, Preko on Ugljan Island today) and relaxing so I haven't had time to sit and think about writing. 

Zadar is beautiful. We are staying in the old town, and old towns are my favorite places. The streets are usually narrow so they are mainly pedestrian only. And let's not forget the streets are not in grids. These streets grew organically for one reason or another. Zadar is actually a walled city. I think this is the first one I've stayed in. It's amazing how many parts are intact, and really how much they have excavated or preserved. Streets that people have walked on for hundreds of years. There are columns & other items sitting in the area that was the site of the roman forum and I couldn't help but run my hand over these marble items that were carved so many years ago. It makes me feel connected to history and marvel at their skill and knowledge that has created this thing that is still here. Then you see a dog pee somewhere and you realize there probably is not a place here where a dog hasn't peed. I mean, it's a walled city on a peninsula and it's been here forever. Certainly at some point in time a dog has peed in every inch, there's just no way it hasn't happened. That's all I'm saying. Watch where you put your hand;)