SPLIT

Split was to the Emperor Diocletian and the Romans what Taiwan was to Chang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang. In the late 400’s the Western Roman Empire had collapsed to just Italy and complete destruction was inevitable. Diocletian and his retinue moved to Split (within the Eastern Empire) and built a great Palace / Fortress in the harbor just south of Salona. Think four city blocks.

Today a world heritage site, and center of Split, a large city with a population around 300,000. Although the palace area has a distinct museum quality it is a lively town center with a large market and plenty of local people going about their lives.

This is, of course a very popular tourist destination. The big ferries come in and out of the harbor continuously going up and down the coast and to the offshore islands.

My friendly morning coffee concocter tells me never to come here in the summer when thousands of tourists make it impossible to walk in the narrow lanes.

Kastela

The area called Kastela is along the coast between Split and Trigor.

It has that name because a line of small towns were fortified in the 1400’s to protect against raids by the Ottomans. I went out to take a look but didn’t find much except some good immersion into the real Croatian coast.

Zadar

A very old city. To write its history it would be the entire history of this part of the world. Two guide books told me to give it a miss, and were right. There are a few historic churches there but they can be seen in an hour and a half. The city has been demolished so many times it is not so interesting today.

I did see the biggest sailboat I have ever seen. Note the small man on the dock.

Which reminds me to relate that there are boats of all sizes everywhere along the coast. Boat trips of all kinds are on offer. Charter sailing is big. There is a National Park near Zadar with 150 islands and protected sailing. There are many islands all along the coast with small towns to visit.

Other

Split is decorated for Christmas and full of families with children in the early evenings giving it a wonderful ambiance.

On Saturday I am climbing up into the park and around the stone houses in the old harbor and come back to the city and it is full with people walking and taking drinks, coffee and lunch.

On Sunday, walking back from and thinking about Salona. it is some kind of holy day and this historic church from three eras, which I come to see is busy and overflowing.

I should mention my apartment, in a Family “Palace” built in the 1300’s. It is a bit of a museum itself.

The apartment is in the walls of the old Peristil, which I look into out of my windows. The Emperor’s quarters were just behind.

He came out onto a balcony over this square to allow the populace to worship him as a god, son of Jupiter. On Sunday columns of singing priests paraded around town and through the Peristil.    So it goes.

 

Spurious comments.

• I get all my laundry done on two occasions for 7 dollars each time. Living on the road this is a major good thing.
• The fish market has little restaurants that serve up the seafood fresh from the sea.
• Styrofoam cups of hot spiced wine are 2 dollars each and should be avoided although they are delicious and comforting on chilly walks home from dinner.
• Split never stops eating, drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes.