DAY 140 - ZAGREB

9 September, 2011

Total: 1404.14 miles Total: 2,760, 481 steps

I had been invited to travel to Zagreb for meetings with political and sporting leaders to discuss the Olympic Truce, but this would have added a month to my journey if I had walked there and taken me in the opposite direction to Trieste, Italy.  So I decided to do the meetings, but take the coach. Thanks to the fabulous new motorway this journey took just over two hours.

My first impressions of Zagreb were its wide roads and boulevards; it was a capital at ease with space; not at all crowded or claustrophobic, as the suburbs filtered into the tree line of the mountain backdrop. It is a city for those who enjoy walking or trams. The next impression was the strong Austro-Hungarian feel to the city with some exquisite architecture, none more so that the magnificent Zagreb Cathedral and St Mark’s Church, which are both world-class monuments to creativity and ingenuity.

I was met on arrival by Chris Frean, Head of the Political Section at the British Embassy whom I had last met in Split during a very successful visit there and again he had pulled out the stops with a strong programme of meetings and visits. It was good to see him again and he was able to hand over my suit which he had kindly brought up from Split to save me another item of luggage. Accommodation had been arranged with our excellent Ambassador to Zagreb, David Blunt at the Residence which was a great honour, not to mention a great help with the budget.

It would be fair to say that I had very little contact with the British Diplomatic Corps prior to my embarkation on the walk. I had undertaken many parliamentary visits to foreign countries during my times at Westminster, but invariable the diplomats appeared for a short briefing before meetings and for a reception at the residence on arrival or departure. Over the past few months that has changed; I have had the absolute privilege to get to know and work with many of our diplomats who perform an extraordinary, and yet often unseen, service for our nation. To many overseas political, business and cultural leaders, they don’t just represent Britain, they are Britain. It is vital therefore that they are properly resourced for that hugely demanding task.

Staying at the residence in Zagreb was another part of the education—it was a hive of activity and most of the ambassador’s time was spent supporting British firms secure commercial opportunities, navigate their way through the complexities of the local political economy, or introducing them to potential clients or partners. The scale of the commercial focus of our staff seeking to do their bit to get behind our economic recovery was as inspiring as it was highly effective.