Snow has returned with a vengence

On 23rd March 2013, I woke up to a flurry of snow and the pine tree in the garden was laden with snow, heavy with the burden. On my way to Guildford, the Surrey Hills were bleached white with snow, at once beautiful, at once fearful. Snow means disruption in travel, and the thought of waiting three hours for a flight numbs my mind.

Zagreb Series - Morning and Night

I realise just how my life has been dominated by work when the photos I could take were those in the morning and in the evening, from the hotel room.

Today, I read in a magazine how a woman, far more successful than me, reflected on her job at Lehman Brothers. "I didn't start out with the goal of devoting all of myself to my job. It crept in over time. Each year that went by, slight modifications became the new normal. First I spent half an hour on Sunday organising my email, to-do list and calendar to make Monday morning easier. Then I was working a few hours on Sunday, then all day. My boundaries slipped until until work was all that was left". Let that be a salutary lesson to lesser mortals like me.

21st March 2013
Zagreb at night, view from the hotel room

22nd March 2013 - A bright spring day at Zagreb
The chimney of Savica Power Plant in the distance

My Project 365 - Day 26

All the little things that make me smile

19th March 2013
On a beautiful spring day, flying over the Alps

I never tire of the sight of Alps. The snow has receded and the rugged terrain was more visible. I want to chart the changing season as I fly over the Alps. 

My Project 365 - Day 25

 All the little things that make me smile

17th March 2013
The beautiful Monarch butterfly, seen on a BBC wildlife series

My Project 365 - Day 24

All the little things that make me smile

13th March 2013
Simple object, unspoken luxury on a hotel promotional  brochure

Zagreb Series - Snow and Sunshine

14th March 2013
About 4 to 5 cm of snow falling on Zagreb

Snow fell on Zagreb with a vengeance on 14th March. Thankfully it was wet snow and did not disrupt traffic or travel. My heart was in my mouth on the way to the airport since there is only one flight out of Zagreb to London every day. Otherwise the traveller will have to be routed via Vienna or Frankfurt.

London was snow free. From the air, London looks the metropolis: the flyover, landmarks that I can recognise, and the Hounslow suburbs. 

My Project 365 - Day 23

All the little things that make me smile

14th March 2013
Finally, British Airways flight Zagreb to London was on time!

The flight from London Heathrow to Zagreb on 11th March 2013 was delayed for 3 hours. The reason? The incoming flight from Dublin was snowbound. And it took British Airways three hours to assemble a crew and another aircraft. "It's not British Airways fault", said the man who manned the departure gate. No reason was given for the delay at the passenger terminal, except that the departure time was pushed back by an hour each time I looked at the departure board. 

Zagreb Series - Fleeting moments

Passing over the Alps - 4th March 2013

The economy cabin was nearly full on the British Airways flight from London Heathrow to Zagreb on 4th March. But the business class was nearly empty. So it was easy to grab a temporary seat at the front to snap a few photos of the magnificent Alps. It was a beautiful morning, sky a glorious blue, and the clouds dancing above the mountains. 

A nearly empty airfield at Pleso International Airport, Zagreb

Pleso International Airport almost always seems to be deserted. At times of my arrival and departure, I would see at most 6 aircraft. British Airways on most days operate one flight into and one flight out of Zagreb. I last counted 13 airlines flying into Zagreb, including the national carrier Croatian Airlines. According to Zagreb Airport's own website, on Friday 26th October 2012, the airport checked in their two millionth passenger in 2012, which was a day earlier than in 2011! Compared to London Heathrow which handles an average of 190,000 arriving and departing passengers a day, Pleso Airport is a quiet backwater. At the international departure gates, there is a combined bar / cafe, staffed by one or two bartenders, who would accept either HRK or Euros as payment. There is also a duty free shop at the international departure gates, also accepting HRK or Euros. The range of stock is limited. Noticeably there is a Mont Blanc dealer within the duty free shop.

View from Sheraton Four Points, Zagreb

This time I stayed at another hotel, a slightly cheaper establishment that last decorated its rooms probably 20 years ago. The furniture in the room looked battered by use over the years, carpets were fraying at the edges, the curtains could not be fully drawn, and wi fi was absent in the bedrooms. Since I spent 11 to 12 hours a day at the office, the decor of the hotel hardly mattered. There was little time to ponder over the pros and cons but I could easily list the Tops 10 least favourable features in this hotel.

From the bedroom window, looking southwards, I could see the residential area of Zagreb. The high rise buildings are located in the commercial district near the Old Town. The hotel is called Panorama for this reason.

View from Sheraton Four Points, Zagreb

My Project 365 - Day 22

All the little things that make me smile

9th March 2013
The first sign of spring. Cherry blossom at Cobham, Surrey

My Project 365 - Day 21

All the little things that make me smile

2nd March - spotted in the local hotel, Zagreb

My Project 365 - Day 20

All the little things that make me smile

I am desperately behind with this project. Travelling is not conducive to keep this blog alive on a daily basis. On board a British Airways flight from Zagreb to London Heathrow, I spotted this charming advertisement. 

1st March 2013 - Bee stung lips

Zagreb Series - Winter is still here

Before I arrived at Zagreb on 25th February, the city received ~30 cm of snow. Snow was still lying along the carriageways and on grounds missing human foot traffic. Spring seemed so far away. The Alps were breathtaking - miles of miles of snow-capped mountains, sometimes hidden by layers and layers of floating clouds. 

Pleso International Airport remains the backwater it always has been. All passengers are ferried to the arrival hall by coaches. All departures are manned by one person (at best two) checking boarding cards and passports. On the plus side, departing passengers passing through security are not required to remove their shoes / boots. Or is this a downside?

Aerial view of the Alps, en route from London to Zagreb - 25th Feb 2013

Outlying areas of Zagreb covered in snow - 25th Feb 2013

View of Ulica Izidora Kršnjavog, Zagreb, from hotel - 25th Feb 2013

Junction of Ulica Izidora Kršnjavog and Savska Cesta, Zagreb