Foot in the World
The Balkans

Slovenia – Croatia – Montenegro – Bosnia

The preparation... The trip...
          
We thought about the distance we had already traveled on foot. We came to the conclusion that we had already walked the equivalent, in a straight line, of the distance between Belo Horizonte/Chicago (USA) or Belo Horizonte/Barcelona (Spain). In other words, more than 8,000 km. 👀
            
Is it impressive? Yes. But it is not by mileage that we choose the paths and trips. It's not a competition, nor do we want to break any records. It's a lifestyle. We like to travel slowly, enjoying every step of the way. And, once again, this is how we have now decided to get to know another side of Europe, the Balkans.
            
We learned about a trail that starts in Austria and ends in the Adriatic Sea, the Alpe-Adria Trail. We studied each place where this path passes and we concluded that at the time we would like to travel, spring, the beginning of the path would still be closed, because of the snow that arrived late and stayed longer in the Alps. We didn't give up and decided to walk half of the trail, that is, 300 km in 15 stages, going through Slovenia and crossing the border into Italy. At first, we thought it was very little, but we saw that the difficulty was great. Crossing the mountains would be our challenge and as a reward, we would then travel through Croatia, Montenegro, and Bosnia.
            
Many people ask "if" and "how" we prepare to travel. Yes, there is a lot of preparation. Gym from Monday to Friday, with specific training for walking and carrying the weight of the backpack. Aerobics and long walks during the week and weekends. That's because we want to enter a well-prepared trail and finish without any injury. 
 
But, shit happens...
 
This year pain in the lower back of one, and pain in the knee of the other, made us have to decide to postpone the trip a day before boarding. But the most serious thing happened to Vera. Probably, the excess exercise, according to the doctor, may have caused an edema in the L4 vertebra, as pointed out by the result of the MRI. 
Patience, the way was to be medicated and wait for improvement, which came a month later.
            
We rescheduled the ticket, but walking with a heavy backpack was out of the question. 
 
Disappointed, but already resigned to the situation, we followed our plan to make the way as much as possible, without a backpack. So, this was an unusual trip. It was done partly by walking, without backpacks, and partly by car, to facilitate travel to more inhospitable places and inaccessible by public transport. 
            
The day of the trip arrived. Without pain, we left home happy for the airport. It would be a long flight, from Belo Horizonte with a connection in São Paulo, Rome until arriving in Venice, where we would stay for a few days to meet "friends of the way". Everything would have been perfect if the BH/SP flight had not been delayed by two agonizing hours. Several times we asked if we would be able to board another flight, since it was a connection and we were worried about the time, and the answer was always the same: "- Rest assured, there is time to arrive and board for Rome". 
            
To our despair, when the flight arrived in SP the boarding to Rome was already at the end. We ran from one terminal to the other, desperately. We were lucky to have gotten a ride in the airport cart, along with other passengers who were on our flight and in the same desperate situation. What we learned from the flight attendants was that there would be someone from the airline on the ground to accompany us, but that didn't happen. Nor could we disembark before the other passengers, which was a request of half a dozen desperate people... 
            
Finally, sweaty and breathless, we managed, at the last minute, to board. From then on the flight was super smooth to Rome. We waited for boarding to Venice and everything went very smoothly until we arrived and found that the luggage was not on that flight. It was a blow, but we understood when at the "Lost and Found" counter they did the screening and saw that the luggage had stayed in São Paulo. But they assured me that it would arrive the next day, at that same time, and that it would be delivered to the hotel. Boring? Yes, but we understand that with the delay we were able to rush to boarding, but the luggage could not arrive on time.
            
The next day, we waited, waited and waited..., but no sign of the luggage arriving at the hotel. We tracked it and saw that the status was "baggage not found". We called the airport and the answer was that the luggage was with the courier and that it would be delivered. Well, this rant lasted 4 long days. As a result, we lost our tickets and stayed in Zagreb, where we would stay 3 days. We had to stay close by, in case the luggage arrived. We bought basic items and some clothes. There were financial expenses and the uncertainty that the luggage would arrive. We even considered going back to Brazil, because we had necessary medicines in our suitcase (total stupidity and another learning experience). Asking the airline about the possibility of changing the return ticket, in case the luggage was lost, the answer was that the problem was not the company's, but the airport's. And so they could do nothing. The way would be to buy another ticket. But those who have friends have everything.
            
Lucio is an Italian friend, whom we met on the French Way to Santiago de Compostela in 2014. From then on we always talked, and we have met a few times. He and his family live in Vicenza, in the same region of Venice. Knowing that we would be nearby, he suggested lunch. In the middle of all this drama we met and he offered to help us. The issue of medicines was resolved. We would buy the medicines with her daughter, who is a pharmacist. He also offered his apartment in Vicenza for us to stay in, while we waited for the suitcase. Even clothes and a backpack would not be a problem, because as a marathon runner, I had a marathon t-shirt in abundance. But the most important thing for us, at that moment, was to solve the problem of the missing suitcase and Lucio also helped a lot. After all, the conversation from Italian to Italian was more productive.
            
So, after many calls, we found out that the luggage was in Rome. At one point, Lucio was told that the luggage was already in the hotel and the case had been closed. But it was a lie!! Finally, when we called the next day, already hopeless, we received the news that the luggage would arrive on the 7 pm flight that same day. Without believing much, we decided to pick it up at the airport. And indeed, the baggage has finally arrived... 
            
Exhausted from all this imbroglio, we decided to spend the weekend in Vicenza, with Lucio and family, to de-stress and then head to Ljubliana and, finally, start our long-awaited trip to the Balkans.  

Slovenia...
            
To talk about Slovenia, it will take a little imagination and believing in fairies, elves, and gnomes. JThat's right! The country seems to have come out of Walt Disney's tales. It is no wonder that part of the movie "The Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian" was shot in Slovenia, as well as other films also had the country as a setting.
            
Let's start with Ljubljana, which has a dragon as its symbol. The dragon is at the top of the Castle tower, on the city's coat of arms, and on a bridge that crosses the city. He represents power, courage, and greatness. Some legends explain its existence, but none of them was better than arriving in the city and seeing the dragons that decorate the bridge right in front of us. The name of the city is an enigma. Several scholars have tried to trace the origin, which has led to several theories and no conclusions. 
 
In its most recent history, Slovenia belonged to Yugoslavia until its independence in 1991.
            
Ljubljana overflows with life, culture, greenery, and tourism. We saw all the interesting points of the city, including Metelkova, an underground and controversial place, but one that is part of the city's memory. It was a former military headquarters of the Army of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Then it was the headquarters of the Yugoslav People's Army. Currently, it is an alternative place of tolerance for minorities, NGOs, art, social life, cultural centers, and pubs..., but it is sometimes subject to attacks by extremist groups, due to its liberal connotation.  
            
After visiting the Slovenian capital, we went through the Julian Alps, which are part of a "sub-range" of the Alps. The Vršič Pass, which connects the valley of the Sava and Soča rivers, is the highest in Slovenia. The country has many lakes, forests, swamps, and mountains, all very superb. 
            
First, of course, we went to Lake Bled, the most visited in Slovenia. It looks like a painting. Its blue waters denote a picturesque environment, surrounded by forest and mountains, with an island where the main building is the medieval church in honor of the Assumption of Mary. Above the lake is a medieval castle, which is said to be the oldest in the country. And the Zaka Valley is at the other end of the lake. Simply wonderful!
            
From there we went to Lake Bohinji, another wonder of nature, which is part of the Triglav National Park. It's a glacial lake, but many people swim in those icy waters, while others fish for trout and shellfish. Even better is the view of Vogel, a ski resort from where you can see the entire valley and Lake Bohinji.
            
We continued to Kranjska Gora, which would be our starting point for the hike. It is close to the borders with Austria and Italy. The village is best known as a winter sports town. Surrounded by mountains, the mood is incredible. Many people start their walks towards the Vršič Pass there. 
            
While we were visiting the village church, some young people came noisily, which disturbed our peace a little. Only later did we realize that it was a choir. They were there for a rehearsal. When the conductor signaled, the young people began to sing. It was spectacular! We listened to the music, in that sacred setting, in a city surrounded by mountains, rivers, and forests. All of this was a wonderful gift. 
            
From Kranjska Gora to the Vršič Pass, the climb is incredibly long, but what you see along the way is unforgettable. Starting with Lake Jasna, which consists of two interconnected artificial lakes at the confluence of the streams Velika Pišnica and Mala Pišnica. Here you will find the Kneipp circular path, made of stones with cold mountain water, and the statue of the ibex, which is a goat from the Alps, the Zlatorog ("Golden Horn"), a legendary animal that has become a symbol of the lake. 
            
The Russian Chapel is a wooden construction made by Russian prisoners of war during World War I. It was erected in honor of their comrades killed in an avalanche while building the road to the Vršič Pass. 
            
We pass by waterfalls, forests, rocks, valleys, and beautiful views also from the Vršič Pass. On the way down, towards Trenta, we saw the source of the Soča River and the memorial to Julius Kugy, the first climber of the Julian Alps. 
There are many attractions and wonders. The phenomenal Soča River, with its waters, sometimes emerald green and sometimes bluish green, runs alongside us, the gorges stir its waters, the Boka waterfall, the highest in Slovenia, can be seen from afar and crossing the suspension bridges over the Soča to Bovec takes us to other fantasies. 
            
Bovec is a small town and the stop is a must. It has a good infrastructure, but what interested us was to visit the Ravelnik, an open-air museum. Access is via a trail in the forest. Arriving at what was the first line of defense of the Austro-Hungarian army, we saw the trenches, caves, bunkers, shacks, and the crater left by a grenade. There, fierce fighting took place during World War I. From there we went to Kobarid. 
            
The Kobarid Museum is rich in stories about the First and Second World Wars, the city has a good infrastructure, but we prefer to stay in a village 5km away, on a small plateau under Mount Krn, Drežnica. When we approached the village, the view made us fall in love with that place. The predominance of the church, dedicated to the Sacred Heart, with the 52m high bell tower, the houses, and the view impressed us. We decided to stay another day to get to know the surroundings of that idyllic place. Even the small cemetery was a charm. At night, the red lights illuminated the way, which left a certain cheerful, festive air. 
            
We walked a lot through the region, we passed through Koseč, a small village with several sculptures on the way, to go to the Chapel of Saint-Just, the oldest in the region, which is said to have a healing energy point. We descended along a trail, in a forest with waterfalls of the Stopnik stream and the energy points in Glavica, to feel the good energy of this forest. We were also at the waterfalls of Krampež, Supot, and Male Skale, to enjoy the view of Drežnica and the entire valley of the region. A visit to Krn, a small village below Mount Krn, is also a must. 
 
Near Kobarid, there are also its attractions, such as the Kozjak Waterfall, which we didn't go to because it was paid. It wasn't because of "cheapskate", but we didn't find it necessary after seeing other waterfalls, cascades and beautiful views, where we didn't have to compete for a place with any tourist. 
            
It was time to move on. The next stop was to see the trenches on Kolovrat Mountain, another open-air historical museum of World War I. This was the third line of defense of the Italian army. In addition to being the border between Slovenia and Italy, it offers incredible views. The trenches hold memories of the former battlefield of the Isonzo Front, with the observation points, the artillery positions for machine guns, and the caves with their details, such as the spiral staircase in one of the caves. After seeing all this and being impressed once again, we went to Tolmin.
            
Tolmin's most famous park is Tolminska Korita, with springs and rapids of blue-green waters. Tolminska korita is the name of the Tolminka and Zadlaščica basins, which merge at the only confluence of the riverbeds in the territory of Slovenia.
 
The Tolmin's Gorges are the lowest and probably the most beautiful entry point to Triglav National Park. The circular route ended in a cave, which unfortunately was closed. Zadlaška Cave is one of the many caves through which the waters of the Soča Glacier flowed. It is also known as Dante's Cave. This is because legend has it that Dante Alighieri would have found inspiration for Hell in his Divine Comedy in this cave. But at its entrance, we find Duga Baba.
            
Ancient stories say that in the cave lived mainly elderly and kind women, who helped people and gave them advice. Among them was Duga Baba who, according to legend, ensured that no uninvited person could enter the cave. 
 
The natural beauty and the stunning mountains of Triglav National Park are the setting for many popular myths and legends that depict man's relationship with nature and its phenomena. 
            
In the region, there is also the Church of the Holy Spirit, which is a memorial built by Austro-Hungarian soldiers, in just eight months, in honor of the soldiers killed in World War I. It is located on Morro de Javorca, about 8 km from the village. The memorial church is almost entirely made of wood and on the walls are engraved the names of the 2,808 soldiers killed. On the entrance door is the inscription in Latin: Ultra cineres hostium ira non superest, that is, "Hatred should not be on the ashes of the dead".
            
We set off towards Šmartno, a tiny medieval village, and then head towards the Postojna Caves and Predjam Castle. We stayed in Vremski Bristof, a small village near Sežana. 
            
Postojna Cave is one of the most visited cave complexes in Europe, being 24km long. The visit is made by train for the initial 2km and the rest is done on foot. The rock formations, stalagmites, and stalactites of all colors make visitors unleash their imaginations. You can see an ice cream or spaghetti... The proteus, which is a salamander that lives deep in caves, is an attraction in themselves. They are the "little dragons", as they are called. Because their metabolism is very low, their heart beats once or twice a minute, they can live up to 100 years. Without pigmentation in the skin, always remaining in the larva state they are very susceptible to light. Therefore, seeing and recording them is a difficult task, and photos with flashes are prohibited. 
            
Predjam Castle was built at the mouth of a cave. Its construction under a natural rocky arch at the top of the stone wall was to make access difficult. Legends are told about its construction and it is possible to see it in the third season of the Netflix series The Witcher.
            
And so, with all the enchanting scenery, legends, and stories, it was time to leave Slovenia and head to Croatia and continue discovering the wonders of the countries of this Eastern European.  

Croatia...
       
Our first stop was Plitvice Lakes National Park. We crossed the border of the two countries, Slovenia and Croatia, without any bureaucracy. We pass through Rijeka, a city dedicated to shipbuilding and maritime transport. Then, we went to Rakovica, near the park where we spent the night to enter the park the next morning, very early, and avoid the crowd of tourists. 
            
It is impossible to describe the first impression upon entering the park. The day was cloudy, but what we saw from the highest part of the complex left us ecstatic. The lakes feed on other lakes and the water has a color that hypnotizes. This is because the vegetation sets the tone of the water. Every step on the wooden platform, which runs through all the lakes, was a surprise. The waterfalls that form have different shapes, depending on the type of vegetation and the altitude they fall. 
            
To better understand, the park has two entrances and three trails, which the visitor can choose from. We chose "Entrance 1" and walked along "Trail C", which runs around the entire park. We are not satisfied with little. I wanted not to leave that magical place. Even the rain that fell did not disturb the scenery. On the contrary, it gave another tone, even more beautiful. The raindrops in the water have further adorned the lakes. Anyway, you have to be there to understand all the beauty of the place. 
            
But it was time to move on. We went to Zadar, a coastal city, known for its Roman and Venetian ruins. The old center is surrounded by walls and the various Venetian gates allow us to visit the tangle of streets, squares, shops, and tourists. It is also possible to see the city from above, walking on the walls. Another attraction is the "Sea Organ", created in 2005, which consists of a gigantic pipe organ installed below large marble steps by the sea. It produces sounds through wind and waves. And being there, it is worth waiting for sunset and dusk to see the light show of a complex monument called "Salutation to the Sun". This monument consists of a circle 22 meters in diameter, with 300 glass plates in many layers that store solar energy during the day and glow when it gets dark. The same waves that dictate the rhythm and melody of the "Sea Organ" are also responsible for the movement of the lights of the solar panels. These two installations were created by the same Croatian architect Nikola Basic. 
            
From Zadar we followed the sea road, getting to know the small coastal towns and beaches towards Split. On our recommendation, we tried to stop in Šibenik to get to know its historic center. Unfortunately, we couldn't. Even the underground parking lot was full. Unable to get to know the city, we went to Trogir. 
            
Trogir has a rich historical heritage with 2,300 years of tradition. Its culture influenced by Greeks, Romans, and Venetians, brings together palaces, churches, towers, and fortresses, all on a small island, which has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
            
Finally, we arrived in Split. We are a little away from the historic center, but close to a charming beach. We took advantage of the late afternoon to take a walk along the waterfront, have a wine, and rest since the idea was to stay there for a couple of days. The next day, we went to the old part of the city. Nothing better than walking through the streets of the city, outside the tourist center, to get to know the place better. That's what we did. 
 
Arriving at the old center we were shocked by the number of tourists. We didn't know whether to look at the historic buildings or dodge the groups of tourists crossing in front of us. Spit is beautiful, but rampant tourism has put us far from this historic center. We prefer to walk around other corners of the city than to be fighting for a place for a photo. We didn't go to Hvar, but who knows this might be a good reason to come back in a less touristy season. 
            
The next stop was Dubrovnik. As in Split, we knew that the ships, with their thousands of tourists, would be there. So, we went very calmly, from Split to Dubrovnik, along the coast. It was a longer trip, but very beautiful. We got to know the beaches and enjoyed the stunning sea. We stopped a few times to enjoy that unforgettable view. 
            
Croats living further south, such as Dubrovnik, had to cross two Bosnian international borders. This is because, after the separation of Yugoslavia, Bosnia was left with little access to the sea. The solution came with the construction of a 2.4 km bridge. The Peljesac Bridge was built by a Chinese company, although it was mostly financed by the European Union. Thus, now the bridge connects Croatia, without having to cross the two borders. 
            
In Dubrovnik, we are also further away from the old center and away from tourists. We chose a location close to Srebreno beach. It was a quiet place, close to a small shopping center and as the heat was intense, a dip in the sea was very welcome. 
 
There was a bus stop almost at the door of our inn and that would drop us off in the old center. But, despite all the explanations we received, we missed the right place to get off and went to the end of the line. We had to walk back to the old center, which allowed us to get to know another part of the city. The tourist part was impassable. Groups of people squeezed into small scraps to hide from the scorching sun. The heat was unbearable. With that, we lowered our expectations and walked in the wilderness, without much concern about staying tuned to all the tourist attractions. After all, the center was not very big and we could get to know everything very calmly. We go in and out of the churches, even to cool off a little. But the good thing was to go back to our quiet corner and swim in that sea of fresh waters to cool down a little. 
 
Dubrovnik is a charming city. From the upper part of the city, it is possible to see its wall and the spectacle of the view of the Adriatic Sea. It was no wonder that it served as a location for movies and series, such as Star Wars and Games of Thrones. All its history, architecture, and natural beauty have made Dubrovnik a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Around Dubrovnik, several islands can be visited. And, one of them, is Lokrum Island, an island to go and relax.

Montenegro...
 
It was a beautiful sunny Sunday when we left for Montenegro. We arrived at the border and found a line of cars. Nothing that scared us, but we waited about half an hour to cross the border. We move towards the Bay of Kotor. It is good to remember that the name of the country refers to Mount Lovćen, covered by dense dark green forests, hence the name Montenegro.
 
The Bocas de Cattaro are fjords, unique in the Mediterranean. Skirting the sea, along a narrow road, are fortified towns, such as the ancient city of Perast, which has a centuries-old church. The two famous islets, Sveti Djordje (St. George) and Gospa od Škrpjela (Our Lady of the Rock) can be seen from the road. The first island is where there is a Benedictine monastery and a cemetery. The second island has a church with a sky-blue dome that seems to float in the sea. 
 
The World Heritage City of Kotor is located near the limestone cliffs of the Lovćen Mountain. It is surrounded by walls and has labyrinthine alleys, with beige and reddish stone sidewalks. The houses are almost all limestone and narrow, with wooden doors painted green. Its squares, palaces, Catholic and Orthodox churches, Maritime Museum, and historical buildings are places to be visited. 
 
The climate and scenery invited you to take a dip. That's what we did as soon as we arrived. The view from where we stayed was beautiful. We saw the whole bay and the ships that arrived and departed with the tourists.  
 
It was already in our plans to go to Budva, another historic city, with beautiful beaches with crystal clear waters. Although the weather forecast was not very good, we decided to take a bus to get to know the whole way better, declining an invitation to go by boat with Bruno, our host. Lucky us! On that day, a storm fell that caused damage and even the death of a port worker, because a crane fell. As a result, we could not see the city as we would have liked.
 
On the way back to Kotor, we bought a ticket, but the difficult thing was to get on which bus we should get on. Several bus, van, and microbus companies circulate between the two cities.  It was necessary to show the ticket to the driver to know whether or not we should board. There were several "no's" until we agreed on our transportation. Anyway, it was worth the tour and the return by another path, going down the cliff, which guaranteed a beautiful view and photos of the entire bay, seen from above.  
 
Montenegro is a small country, a true holiday paradise. In addition to the Bay of Kotor, the Durmitor National Park, with its lush forest, is worth visiting. This time we didn't go. We decided to go ahead and book two days in Zagreb, as our visit to the city was frustrated by the airline's baggage diversion problem.

Bosnia and Herzegovina... After
 
Saying goodbye to Bruno, our host in Kotor, having some tips on the way, we said "bye" to Montenegro and entered Bosnia and Herzegovina. We crossed the border without problems and we were still dazzled by the view of the mountains. 
 
The country is divided into two: Bosnia, a mountainous region with dense forests, and Herzegovina, with rocky hills where agriculture is very present. The country coexists with three ethnicities, Bosnians, Serbs, and Croats. As the Cyrillic alphabet is the one adopted in the country, the difficulty was even greater than in the other countries we visited. The language is Serbo-Croatian, with even more unpronounceable words, and the religious majority is Islamic. Hence, the number of minarets along the way we traveled. But the most interesting thing is the good coexistence between religions (Islam Catholic and Orthodox Christians) and between their practitioners, which was very beautiful to see. 
 
Our idea was to get to know Mostar, one of the most visited cities in Bosnia, but not before going to Medjugorje, which is in the municipality of Čitluk, in the south of the country. Medjugorje is a city of pilgrimage to the site of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary and to the Sanctuary, in the Church of Santiago Maior (Apostolo). As we believe that coincidences do not exist, there we were with faith and devotion thanking Our Lady of Medjugorje and Santiago for another travel dream being fulfilled.
 
From there we leave for Mostar, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site, which is just a few kilometers away. Because it is not far from Split and Dubrovnik, many tourists who visit Croatia venture into those parts. We wasted no time and went to see the old part of the city. 
 
The old bridge over the Neretva River was rebuilt in 2004 after being destroyed in the Bosnian war in 1993. The reconstruction and reopening of the bridge was seen as a sign of hope and coexistence between Christians and Muslims who have had troubled relations over time. Today it is the main attraction of the city. Tourists and locals alike watch the fearless divers jump from the top of the bridge into the Neretva River.

Unfortunately, during the Bosnian war, the entire country was severely ruined, and the consequences are evident to this day. Buildings are kept with marks of gunshots and bombs. But none of this took away from the beauty of the old center and the beautiful minarets of the mosques. Kujundžiluk is an old bazaar with artisan shops and great restaurants. 
 
The country still has other ancient cities, such as Blagaj, and its construction is encrusted in a huge rock, the Tekke Blagaj, which is on the banks of the Buna River. Počitelj is another medieval town built entirely of stone. Neum is located in the region of Herzegovina on the Adriatic coast, where the bridge connecting Croatia was built, as mentioned earlier. 
 
It was time to head to Sarajevo. The city is considered important in the Balkan Peninsula, with a rich history. It was founded in the Ottoman era. It was also there where the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, culminating in World War I. Sarajevo hosted the Winter Olympics and was the scene of war, which left a trail of destruction throughout the city. But, despite the war that lasted 3 years, ending in 1995, most of the city was rebuilt, leaving some ruins in the center, which seemed to us to be deliberate, so that the bloody fighting remains in the memory of Bosnians and visitors as something not to be repeated.
 
The Miljacka River runs through the city, which is surrounded by five mountains very frequented by tourists who want to ski.
 
Sarajevo has parks, the Cathedral, and Mosques and is famous for its viewpoints. An important symbol and attraction of the city is the cable car, which takes visitors from the city center to Mount Trebević. There is also the Old Jewish Cemetery, the second largest in Europe. The City Hall, the Latin Bridge over the Miljacka River, the Central Market, and the Sarajevo Brewery are all must-sees. 
 
In addition to all this, the old city enchants with its cafes, restaurants, shops, and the coming and going of tourists, mainly from Eastern Europe. The Tunnel of Hope is another interesting point. This tunnel was built, passing through the homes of residents, during the war. It was the only access point, which served as a route for troops and supplies to enter and leave without the Serbs noticing.
 
What can we say about Bosnia? The country was a pleasant surprise. Nature did its best, the mountains impressed, the cities and, above all, the kind and tolerant people touched us. We stopped thinking of Sarajevo as a synonym for war and started to think of Sarajevo differently. We were happy to have known that part of the Balkans. However, it was time to move on. Zagreb was our next stop. 
 
Our idea, when we planned the trip, included Belgrade, Serbia. But, due to the setback at the beginning of the trip, when we had to stay in Italy waiting for the blessed diverted luggage and canceled our stay in Zagreb, we decided not to miss it. 
 
The decision was right. Zagreb is a beautiful city, which like other European cities mixes the modern and the old interestingly. The wide and long avenues of the lower city of Novi Zagreb surprised us. We set out to see as much as possible since everything was far away. Ban Jelačić Square is the main square in Zagreb, situated in the heart of the city. Ilica Street, which is one of the longest and busiest streets, and Tkalčićeva Street, with its bars, restaurants, cafes, and craft shops were partly covered. 
 
In the upper town, the Saint Mark's Church, with its painted ceramic roof, was a stopping point, no doubt. The Lotrščak Tower, along with the Stone Gate, was what remained of the medieval fortification system of the Upper Town. The Museum of Terminated Relations was also visited. We crossed the Crič Tunnel from one side to the other and visited the Church of St. Francis, the Dolac Market, and the Maksimir Park. Anyway, we visited what was possible from the Croatian capital. 
 
It was already the end of our trip when we returned to Venice. We met more friends, Elisabetta, whom we met while walking through Italy, and Tiziano, her boyfriend. We have made plans for the future. And it was time to leave, but not without emotions.

The trip, the return...

Given everything we went through on the way to Italy, we decided days before our "trip" home, to try to change the ticket from Venice to Rome to an earlier time, avoiding the setbacks of connection delays, which we were denied. It would be necessary to buy a new ticket. Faced with this, we gave up and left it to see what would happen. 
 
We went early to the Venice airport and calmly checked our luggage, which we would pick up in Belo Horizonte, as shown on the ticket we received. Suddenly, we saw that the flight was delayed 20 minutes. This has already aroused some concern. As if that were not enough, the panel showed a delay much longer than the 20 minutes. We did the calculations and concluded that we would lose the connection in Rome. We tried to find the airline counter, without success. This is in the middle of Venice airport. We saw a Help Point and ran there, but there was no one at the counter. We decided to call Brasil, which resulted in absolutely nothing. Our alternative was to get on board and see what would happen in Rome. 
 
We arrived in Rome and the "boarding in progress" notice appeared as soon as we turned on the cell phone. We tried to disembark earlier, but the flight attendants denied the request. They said that there would be ground staff to help, which did not happen. We disembarked desperately... We had already seen that movie... we ran, we found a Brazilian, who was also on another delayed flight ... We went from one terminal to another running... But we still had to go through Immigration, which was in chaos.
 
At immigration, the queues were huge. We asked the policeman for help, who replied that everyone was there to board. Our world has come crashing down... We jumped the line and joined other Brazilians who were late. Each person came from a different place in Europe, but all through the same airline. We swell the queue and do not "move away" our feet. 
 
There were people of all nationalities trying to board their flights. We were all late, angry, fighting, chaos. Three employees were trying to control the chaotic situation when, suddenly, an employee of the Emirates airline appeared beautifully, in that unique uniform looking for the passengers who were there. It was a total revolt! Not only because passengers would have priority in the queue, but also because of the envy of the comfort of a good company. More fighting, more pushing... 
 
By then, it was already past 10:30 pm, and remembering that our flight would leave at 9:55 pm, we managed to get through immigration. More rush, because the boarding gate was the last one. Anyway, we arrived and came across a miracle, the plane was still on the ground waiting for the 13 missing passengers. Phew! We embarked, once again, sweaty and angry. 
 
It was a smooth flight. We made a connection in Rio de Janeiro. As a precaution, we decided to check if the luggage was checked directly to Belo Horizonte, as the ticket showed. But, behold, we saw our luggage on the conveyor belt. This time, we had time to pick up the luggage and check it so that it arrived with us at our destination.
 
From all this imbroglio, our learning was that, if the flight is delayed and the connection is too high, don't despair, wait... Simply, stay because your luggage will certainly not go with you. Never trust the airline when they say that the connection time is enough... And relax, because when you ask for compensation for your losses, you will not receive the fair value. And, futhermore, you will have to sign a letter committing yourself not to claim anything else, besides the little they offer. Unless you are willing to pay a lawyer and file a lawsuit. Do you know why? The airline does not recognize the baggage diversion error, attributing the error to the airport...

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