Curated in Residence 2025: Looking Back (Part Eight

We chose our last location in Europe by where we could travel within about 4 hours from Budapest by bus or train. Where did we go?

Wide angle required to capture this whole Zagreb mural!

The reason we chose Zagreb, other than its proximity to Budapest, was Plitvice Lakes National Park. When I first visited Croatia in 2015, it was winter, and I didn't have the chance to visit Plitvice. It's been on my wish list ever since. I'm sure you can see why!

Our first glimpse of Plitvice Lakes.

The park was first established in 1949, and it was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. Truly a well-deserved designation! While the 16 terraced lakes are only a small part of the entire park, they are the reason most people visit -- including us:

Kevin and Karla just after entering Plitvice Lakes National Park.

Our next favorite thing in Zagreb was the food. So many delicious options! I can't tell you exactly what we ate, but trust me when I say we enjoyed every single thing.

Gostionica Ficlek: highly recommended and well worth the wait!

Earlier that same day, we enjoyed burek for breakfast!

Zagreb has a number of interesting small museums. My last trip here was over a New Year's holiday, and not much was open. I made up for it this time!

At the Museum of Broken Relationships

The Museum of Broken Relationships is a poignant reflection on how relationships end. Not just romantic relationships, but friends, parents, and business relationships, too. Each artifact in the museum is the submission of a real person related to the end of one of their relationships.

"Ticket" into Zagreb's Chocolate Museum

The Museum of Chocolate was fun! Your ticket is a box of treats, one for each room, and you are supposed to read the signs of the exhibition and follow the instructions.

((Let's just say I skipped that part and ate the shell of a cacao bean! Oops-a-doodle!))

Anyway, I enjoyed the delicious bits of chocolate AND learning about all the fabulous chocolate services available. Do I have too many serving pieces already? The answer is never.

Vintage chocolate cup, specially designed for
protecting the mustache when sipping steaming chocolate.

The Nikola Tesla Technical Museum -- which incidentally has nothing to do with Nikola Tesla! -- is filled with all kinds of interesting inventions, from cars to fire trucks, train engines to deep sea something-or-other. It was a fun visit!

Karla in the fire prevention part of the museum.

Kevin taking snaps of cool cars.

The Museum of Contemporary Art is a bit of a tram ride from Zagreb's city center, and it was neat to see the city far outside the tourist area. If you are a fan of really out-there contemporary art, add this museum to your Must Visit list. However, as much as I love the modern art scene, I enjoyed ... mmmmmm ... maybe half of this museum. My only regret, though, is lacking the bravery to take the slide from the 4th floor as my exit from the museum!

The amazing slide exit!

And, because the necktie was invented in Croatia, Zagreb is home to Cravaticum, the Boutique Museum of the Cravat! This quirky little place includes several spaces dedicated to the history of the necktie, types of neckties, art about neckties, and even a room where you can try your hand at one of the 177,147 theoretical ways to tie a necktie -- though the museum admits that only 85 of these are "mathematically proven to be correct, while only 4 are commonly used."

Kevin studiously trying to follow the special tie technique.

But possibly our favorite evening in Zagreb involved dance lessons in the little park near our apartment. This park was home to family picnics, kids playing soccer, couples holding hands, and in the center an elevated gazebo. One night, a band played, and the crowd was lively!

Park during the day, above.
Dance instructions and practice pads, below.

But on the ground around the gazebo were large circles with steps for a variety of dances. You could practice on your own any time. And one night, there were actual dance lessons in the park! No pictures of us dancing, of course, because we were busy!

And finally, FINALLY, it was time for my return to the USA. On August 9, 2025, Kevin and I took a very early morning taxi (we should stuck with Uber!) to the airport and began the long journey home.

View from the plane: Heading Home.

Of course, as soon as I arrived in the USA, I slept a very few hours, then jumped in my car for the long drive from North Carolina home to Louisiana to see my mother. But you know that story already.

Not long after I returned to Baton Rouge, my dear friend and Chapeaux business partner Jennifer said she'd like to visit Annecy one day ... and that's how the plan for Curated in Residence 2026 began!