"Can you do me a favor please?"

I should have known! But instead I blurted out “sure!” You see, at home in Vancouver, if my dear friend Dr M asks me for a favor in that particular tone of voice, the favor is unusual! Not necessary difficult, often not difficult at all, but always interesting!
“Could you bring me a toaster?” she asked. “A TOASTER?” I replied, not quite sure I was hearing her right and “yeeeesssss….” (with the patience one would use with a small child) “a toaster. A simple two slice toaster. Ours is not working and I cannot find one here!”
Now to explain, Dr M does not want me to bring her a toaster to Vancouver, she is in Baska, (on the island of KRK in Croatia), where her family has a 300 year old summer home, and I planned to visit them for a couple days.
I found what she asked for, and even had a choice of a very expensive model (about $100 CDN) that I swear would do about everything but the dishes, and a more reasonable one. I packed the toaster into my suitcase and after work today headed off to the train station.

A beautiful sunny ride through the southern Slovenian country side, through lush green valleys between steep rugged forested hillsides, where plump sheep snooze, and cattle graze, and bright yellow pumpkins lay ripening in the fields. Around every corner seemed to be a little hamlet of red tiled roofs surrounding a tall church.

Crossing the border into Croatia was indicated by a simple and friendly visit from the customs officers asking me if I had anything to declare and for my passport. Before I knew it I was in Rijeka, where I needed to change from train to bus.
After hooking up briefly with a young Austrian couple who spotted the maple leaf on my pack and wanted to talk to me about Canada, I found the bus station, bought my ticket to Baska and after a couple of false moves found the correct bus. When the driver stowed my duffel bag in the cargo hold he turned to me and said “7 Kunas”. For a moment I’m sure I looked at him blankly until I remembered I have to pay for luggage on the buses in Croatia and replied “Euros, please?”. He replied “Ne, 7 Kunas”. I pulled out a 10 Euro bill and said “Euros?” again. At this point, with exasperation written all over his face, he gently but firmly grasped my shoulder and steered me down the side of the bus, behind the bus and pointed at the currency exchange. “OHHHHHHH” I exclaimed and promptly rushed off to change some money.
I was laughing when I handing him money, and he was laughing when he handed me my change. Two hours later I was the last person on his bus, and when I thanked him for my suitcase we laughed again. A wave good bye, and a big hug hello from my friends and WHEW!!!! Toaster and Gwen have arrived in Baska.

I wonder what tomorrow holds?