So, in recent news of Waxing-land, our friend Brianna had an invitation to read in a poetry festival in Zagreb, Croatia, and we said GO (as long as I could tag along, as, er, a documentarian…).

So she went, and so did I.

This gave me an excuse to follow a small, multi-national coterie of writers around for several days, avoid being directly photographed (always), eat copious amounts of delicious food (yes please), gain a larger appreciation for homemade grappa (even the Italians in tow gave support, which says something good, I should surmise…), and (of course) hear some poetry – in several languages…

But mostly, I got to look…and now, I get to share.

Zagreb is full of unexpected visual treasures, like these handsome sentries, inexplicably hanging out in an otherwise ordinary (if you consider late 18th century buildings ordinary) driveway alcove

or the juxtaposition of wheat paste posters on an enclosed garden’s wall

but on the way into the “upper” city, after entering this archway, I stopped here

with its tiny, exquisite island of candles (below)

(for a donation of a few kuna, you could light one…)

and etched stones marking gratitude:

(there is something unspeakably moving about being able to touch them)

I think oftentimes we’re guilty of failing to see, despite taking all kinds of photos. I don’t mean to get overly heavy here, but it’s true. I’m sometimes spoiled in that I find myself in splendid places, armed with an android phone, running around making proof of whatever antic is most compelling – and it’s only later, when going over the images, that I remember what I was trying to see in the first place, which isn’t so much a thing as a moment of pause.

~Dannie

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