Why am I dressed like a retro film star? Because I had a dramatic day in Zagreb, Croatia with my travel film team — involving broken hearts and a Mask of Shame.

Read on, to see how our Eurail.com “emo day” unfolded!

We were lucky to have Andrea as our local guide – she graciously hosted us in her cute Zagreb flat (available via AirBNB). She knows the city by heart, and has connections to the coolest people and places in town.

Sadly, we didn’t have time to go to Dubrovnik and the Croatian coast, as it’s quite a few hours away from the railway line. But we’re eager to come back and stay in Andrea’s gorgeous beach-side apartment, which you can rent from her via Airbnb (tell her we sent you!)

Outfit details: I’m wearing striped top sent by Sourpuss Clothing, similar to this shirt with stripes. My black and white hat is almost exactly like this one sold online. The scallop shorts are KiLaRa Hello Kitty, from Hong Kong.

The city center had so many cute boutiques, including this Illamasqua makeup shop, one of the only stand-alone Illamasquas in the world.

We also enjoyed this twee basement, filled with sailor paintings and clothes. Next door was a necktie shop because… the tie is a Croatian invention.

We passed by few alternative fashion boutiques like Boudoir. They sell antique-inspired meets avant garde corsets and bustiers, which I could see on Lady Gaga.

I told Andrea that we wanted to see what was cool and upcoming in Zagreb. She took us to Kino Europa (Varšavska ulica 3), a 1920s cinema that endures as a home for indie films.

Kino Europa has an outdoor cafe and gift shop, with goodies like this Pink Flamingos artwork of Divine.

Here, I met Professor Balthazar! This bespectacled character is from a popular Croatian / Yugoslavian cartoon that ran in the 1960s and 70s.

This store is a movie-lover’s dream. I did my best impression of Charlie Chaplin.

I was tempted to get this sushi-cat game.

And one of these Diana cameras. (Have you played around with vintage or toy cameras?)

I’ve never seen a small screening room as well-decorated as this one. Each of these chairs was rescued and reupholstered in rainbow colors.

Locals meet here to watch films that aren’t shown in mainstream theaters. This is also home to festivals and special events.

The main room is an ornate 1920s marvel, with a red carpet entrance flanked by these white statues. Kino Europa is looked after by a gentleman who has been here since the beginning. Once you get him started on his favorite films and meeting old-time stars, he can reminiscence for hours!

Like many of the cities we visited on our Eurail-Vision journey, Zagreb is filled with young, poppy street art. This mermaid holding a cat-balloon was one of my favorites.

Time for lunch. We got a lift from Matija Nikolić, a winner of TV’s Masterchef.

He offers free cycle-rickshaw rides from the city center to his young restaurant, Wok by Matija. (Varšavska 16) The concept is Asian street food fusion, with mostly organic ingredients from his family’s farm.

The place has a charming pop-up feel, as if he invited his friends for an impromptu outdoor meal. Matija chatted with us while cooking, and customized the Thai noodles for those of us with peanut allergies. (Remember the no-nuts travel sign from the Budapest food post?)

The fresh, sustainable ingredients and relaxing atmosphere were pure win. Thank you, Matija and friends, for this perfect lunch; Wok is a restaurant to look out for.

Now, for some tears… at the Museum of Broken Relationships (Ćirilometodska ulica 2).

This is one of the quirkiest and most fascinating exhibits I’ve ever visited. There’s a permanent museum in Zagreb, but the displays rotate and go on tour overseas.

In a nutshell, people from around the world send mementos of personal heart-break, and the most compelling ones go on display. Every object comes with a story, such as a first encounter gone wrong or a tragedy that pulled the couple apart. Above is one of the more disturbing entries: a woman was forced to wear these “jugs” to please her partner.

There had to be something here that struck a note with your own experiences, from handcuffs to boots left behind. But the Museum of Broken Relationships isn’t all about pain…

… there was also plenty of humor in the tales, and the gift store had lighthearted mementos (like a zippered “love pillow”).

The day wasn’t over yet. We rode the Zagreb Funicular (or inclined tram) to the top of the hill. This is one of the shortest and steepest funiculars in the world. And no, I didn’t know what a “funicular” was until I rode it.

The trip was fun (ha ha) and gave a terrific view of the red rooftops.

Andrea knows I have a spooky side, so she arranged for us to go on a Upper Town Witches Tour. We began in front of the Gothic St. Mark’s Church, famous for its colorful tiled roof. This is where 14-16th century women, accused of being witches, had to publicly march…

… while wearing this iron Mask of Shame! It’s on display at the Zagreb City Museum, along with other torture devices.

As part of the tour, we got to make a mask like this one, out of black construction paper.

Our guide also took us to the building where witches were unjustly put on trial, and locked away in a tall tower. Every place has a dark side…

We walked past historic sites where witches were killed, and ended up at Zagreb Cathedral, another striking example of Gothic architecture. (Travel photography by Melissa Rundle.)

Wow, that’s a lot in one post — and I still have more stories from Zagreb. Thanks to Andrea and everyone who took care of us, including our friends at Eurail.com. If you come to Zagreb, you can get the same royal treatment by booking Andrea’s rental apartment.

Do you like my black and white stripey coordinate? If you could add an item to the Broken Relationships museum, what would it be?

PS: Thanks to Riss of Fashion Vandals for interviewing me on “life lessons, staying true to yourself, and where you can find the hottest goth party in Japan.”