From Zagreb

I came to Zagreb yesterday to teach a class and meet next Tuesday with the folklore institute here. In the meantime I have time to explore the city. So far the weather has been ideal, sunny and not too hot. Flowers are blooming, birds are singing, and it's full on spring here. Zagreb is the capital of Croatia, and is a very manageable and lovely city. Lots of grand architecture, public squares, gardens, museums, and shops. People jam the cafes everywhere I've been, and many cafes there are.

Yesterday I visited the cathedral, which is under some renovation, and was mostly rebuilt during the 19th century after an earthquake hit the area. It's very beautiful in its neo-gothic design. I also wandered many streets before teaching a class, where the students were very smart, asking excellent questions.

Then today I have so far visited two nice museums, the ethnography museum, mostly with traditional costumes, and some furniture and textiles, and a private collection donated to the state that is now in an old high school. It's very large and eclectic as private collections go, with everything from prehistoric art (from cave art in Europe to Egyptian, Roman, Etruscan and Greek, etc.) to Chinese pottery, Persian rugs, European paintings, medieval icons, and ancient Italian and Egyptian glass. So it was a good morning.

I had lunch at a Mexican restaurant, first one I've seen since I left the States. It's not the best Mexican food I've ever had, but it was decent.