Split from Dubrovnik

We've taken a vacation from the "hardships" of Dubrovnik to visit the Croatian city of Split, a four-hour bus ride up the coast.

 

Scene from the bus: the coast near Dubrovnik

Also seen from the bus, a little further up the coast

First, let's talk about that name, 'cause it's bugged me for a long time! It seems that when the Greeks arrived here a few millennia ago the hills on the surrounding islands were covered in the distinctive yellow of Scotch Broom. (Actually it was Calicotome spinosa, but what do I know about plants??) The Greeks named their colony Spálathos after the plant, which eventually ended up as Split.

I learned all this from a very charming and infuriatingly irritating man on the bus. He got on at a stop an hour from Split, and talked nearly non-stop the whole way. Seems he was born and raised in Split and ended up in Sweden, where he lived for eight years. He got on very well there and considers himself at least part Swedish now. I know this because he explained it to us all. In English.

But before that explanation, shortly after he got on, two (three?) Swedes got on the bus. The only available seats on the bus were in back, right in front of us, and right next to him. He quickly learned they were Swedish and his non-stop travelogue began as he expounded on the wonders of Croatia in general and Split in particular. At least, I assume that’s what he was saying; it was all in Swedish, a language I don't speak. He did interrupt himself a few times to explain something in English. So what are the chances that one of the few Croatians who grew up in Sweden would end up on a bus next to one of the few Swedes in Croatia? If I saw that in a movie I don't think I'd believe it! True story though....

According to our self-appointed "tour guide," an underwater fresh-water spring can make the sea appear to boil here  

Then there was Claire, the English woman sitting in the back of the bus with us who lives on an island off Dubrovnik. She was on her way to retrieve her winter-time duvet she'd left in Split. We later ran into her on the waterfront, and she explained there was a large ex-pat community (mostly Brits) in Split.

Seems like we should definitely take more buses in Croatia!

Ok, but what about Split, the city on the Adriatic?

 

City front of Split, with the old Diocletian Palace hidden behind cafes and restaurants -- and palm trees!

Two thumbs up! A real charmer, with old stone buildings separated by narrow walkways. The center piece of the city is the Diocletian Palace, built by the Emperor in the 3^rd Century as a retirement villa. It’s huge, probably two or three city blocks on a side, and is the center of the city. Well, it’s right on the waterfront, so hardly the geographic center. But certainly the social center. It’s full of cafes and pricy restaurants, open squares for gatherings and picturesque, ruined walls. And, there are many private residences, so people live there, too! Every morning there’s a market, and, of course, plenty of archaeological marvels to explore.

Main square in the Palace; always lots going on, looked over by the Praetorian Guard

Same place, at night in the rain (how to avoid tourist crowds...)

The bell tower of St. Domnius and Diocletian's Mausoleum

Nighttime in the Palace

Market day, every morning

Finally! Real olive oil!

The old clock and bell

An original palace wall, and some more recent additions

Street scene in the old Palace, Split

The more, ah, recent old town is off to the left, with older stone buildings and very narrow lanes.

Looking east from the new(er) old town towards the Palace and the bell tower

Yup, streets are really narrow!

Things can get a little chaotic in these older towns...

Seems like there's a dress code in the Pjesacka zone

Paula moves through a dark alley towards the light

Nothing funky about the sea front, though: fine dining and pricey hotels!

We hiked to the top of this hill, with some magnificent views of the city.

Park Suma Marjan, with the city front on the right

Panoramic view of the city and harbor

Overall, we were only in Split for two nights, hardly long enough to get bored. It's clear, though, that this is a real town, were people live and work and spend their lives.  I expect that even after two months we would still be finding things to amaze and amuse us.

The bell tower at sunset, behind the original walls of the Palace

The city front at night (and in the rain, as I recall)...

We weren’t quite ready to go back “home” to Dubrovnik yet, though. Croatia has some 1000 islands (or so I am told, I didn’t count them), and we had to get to at least one. So our departure from Split (you’ll notice I refrained from saying we split from Split, and you’re welcome!) was by boat. We took the morning ferry to Hvar, the main city on Hvar, a large island an hour south of Split. The plan is, from there we’ll take the high-speed three-hour ferry back to Dubrovnik.

Our ride out of town

But that’s another story…