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Not so much Groundhog Day happening today... For a start we are on the 3rd floor of a 700 year old building within the walls of the very old, Old Town part of Split, the windows are small with shutters and I think that this was built loooong before sea-facing balconies were invented (at least in the 'subject to attack' port of Split).
That said, our 1-bedroom apartment is fabulous with a large and smaller bed (thanks JJ for letting me sprawl out last night draped across my snuggling pillow in the big bed), a small but functional kitchen which is well equipped, and a very large bathroom with lovely fluffy white towels and great hot water / shower (which neither of our previous places had). And the 'thought he might be grumpy but turned out to be excellent and quite a charming young man (yes, I know, relative to me most people are young) who is our landlord also left us wine, fruit, yoghurt and tea/coffee.
Thus I recommend the place highly - only problem is finding it and getting up the 3 floor stair case. Google it if you want to see where we are - Dulce Vita Apartments in Split. And I notice that one comment notes that the owner "was really nice and cute"... Well, OK he was cute! Pic attached showing the passage to the entrance, which also leads to a restaurant, where the waiter works who helped with the bags (not mine).
See also attached a pic of my 'today in the office' - which is very pleasant. Around the corner to the elect in the pic is a large statue of Marulić Marulus who was a nobleman born in Split, Dalmatia, coming from the distinguished aristocratic family of Pečenić (Pecinić, Picinić), the 15th century family branch whose founder was Petar. Apparently he was quite a poet, and is known as the Father of Croatian humanities, wrote in Latin, Croatian and a form of Italian (as you do), and was the first person to practice psychology (not sure what that means - I will leave it to your intellect to follow up).
Anyway, his name is given to our street alleyway and it was beneath the noble statue that our lovely landlord rescued us from being 'the 2 lost girls'. We walked past this statue many times while out and about today, and returned for closer visit tonight (see pic).
Anyway, after a very slow start (always to catch up on the FB gossip, delete all the email spam and make take a few calls to/ from oz, we emerged to see what Split had to offer.
Our first port of call was to sign up for a tour to the nearby offshore sights. The one-day cruise sounded great - "Visiting famous Blue Cave and 5 islands on a small-group tour in a speed boat starting from Split, daily. Explore the Blue Cave and five beautiful islands near Split, including lunch Zoom across the Adriatic Sea by speedboat to sunny islands and hidden lagoons Admire the otherworldly blue light inside the Blue Cave Spend time snorkeling, sunbathing and swimming Visit the historic fortress of Hvar and stop for an included lunch What You Can Expect Pakleni islands
Our popular speed boat tour is starting early in the morning, and we are heading directly the Blue Cave, then on to Stiniva Bay and then the Green Cave.. From here, we are heading to our next destination, which is another cave, Green Cave. After that, we will cruise away to amazing Hvar island for Lunch and photo opportunities!"
However, so much for the blurb and despite our enthusiasm, it was not to be. There is bad weather (winds from the south) forecast for tomorrow and so no tour as it will be too rough. So sadly we will rethink that tomorrow's activities.
Then we found a laundry and dropped of our dirty stuff and headed out for a wander. The old part of Split is pretty old. The old city of Split is an absolute "must see" when in Croatia! It is well populated and thus, alive. The area, especially around the Diocletian Palace, sets one back in time. There are small streets that end in large plazas and the promenade is lined with restaurants and cafes. Interesting shops are nestled in nooks and corners.
wiki told me "the-old-townSplit is the largest city in the region, and is the country’s busiest port. And though it tends to be more of a stop-over town, Split has much to offer. You can spend the day lounging on the beaches or soak in history; Split is home to one of the best preserved Roman remains in the Diocletian Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since it was built, the palace complex has housed many; at first these were the palatial staff quarters, today they house local citizens. This intriguing combination of history and everyday routine adds to the mystery of the complex. The palace was built by the Roman Emperor Diocletian as a retirement home. He wanted to spend his remaining days closer to his birthplace, Salona, the then capital of Roman Dalmatia. Split being just four miles away proved to be an ideal location; the topography ensured he’d always enjoy a strategic advantage in case of any hostile approach, and he had more than enough room to build a luxurious palace that reflected his position and housed his staff. Split’s development as a prominent city was a result of this move.
My wandering so took me to several local museums and gave me a chance to sample some local food, other than the forever-in-my-sights ice cream. Today I tried the traditional Burek, which I think has various versions, but the sour cheese one I had was delicious. Some pics are attached of some notable parts of the city, bipartisan like Dubrovnik - it's truly beautiful and around every corner is a new delightful restaurant, lane, shop or open area. Those of you who have visited will understand.
Another notable statue at the rear of the old town is that of Bishop Gregory, who introduced the national Croatian language into Catholic services in Croatia after the Great Assembly in AD 926, finally making it possible for everyone to know what was being said. Prior to that, services had been held only in Latin, which few people understood. As a result, Christianity grew stronger within the Croatian kingdom.
Sculptor Ivan Meštrović created a 20-foot-tall statue in 1929 in commemoration of 1,000 years having passed since Croatian was first spoken in religious services. Because of the popular belief that rubbing the bishop’s toe brings good luck, the toe is now smooth and shiny. I did rub the toe, not that I thought that I need much more luck to have a truly wonderful life but who knows what is around the corner!
Then foot weary, we retired to one of the close-by restaurants for a drink before going out for dinner and partaking in crowd watching. We were not disappointed at the variety in the passing crowd, representing many nationalities, ages and purpose in life. A good night was topped off by a couple more drinks after a visit to the (now our) local supermarket...
So another wonderful day here in what turned out to be a sun filled, delightful day.
Night all. J
- comments
sally.c Sounds great Mum! a bit jealous I must admit ;)
[email protected] A pity about the weather and your visit to the caves and islands. I guess it is an excuse to come back at another time. Sounds like you are having a very interesting time.