Things That Go Boom: The Croatian Edition

Living in LA, I’m pretty used to sounds that go boom. Well, its more like Paw Paw. Or Pew Pew (not that I’m trying to desensitize it). The first time I heard a paw paw sound was just outside the house of a place I was living at in college. I didn’t pay much attention to it and then went on my merry way when I saw police tape outside (and to appease you readers, no one was hurt). Now, I know this sounds scary and I wouldn’t want anyone to be deterred from visiting our wonderful city. I’m merely noting that boom-like sounds hardly scare me because I’m used to it.

Or so I thought….

The art pavilion.

After admiring the marvelous musturd yellow Art Pavilion building, Frank and I wondered into The Cathedral of Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and had an educated self-guided tour about the earthquake of 1880. We then migrated to the Dolac Market in the middle of Zagreb. We decided to take a break after the summer sun finally relented. It was officially much cooler in Zagreb, both in terms of weather and how amazingly walkable the city is. We held hands, like young newlyweds on their honeymoon often do, watched the locals bargaining for goods and taste fresh seasonal products. I looked into Frank’s eyes, I saw stars…and little hearts…and unicorns. And then:

BOOM!

What the hell!” I said as I threw my arm around Frank, preparing for the melee after a blast (like people normally do).

The Dolac Market

Not one person flinched from that boom. No one even looked up. Had I imagined it? I thought.

I hadn’t.

The boom came from Lotrscak Tower. Every day at noon, the city is regaled with a cannon boom. The legend –or possibly a true story –is that Croatia fought off the Turks and a cannon ball had landed on some general’s platter of food. So, instead of a clock tower’s dinging, or a church’s serenade of bells, Zagreb gets a reminder of a long ago battle win.

I mean, it literally could have been any other sound: a tinkling of a wind chime, a train whistle, a slow golf clap, Roseanne Barr singing….anything. But, no, the sound of war alerts everyone that it’s noon.

The cathedral

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