Split, Croatia

On the coast of the Adriatic Sea, Split is a busy port, but also possesses a beautiful harbor and a valuable old town center. The weather wasn’t great when we arrived: cloudy and later rain. Trying to maximize our time in Split, we went straight to Diocletion’s Palace after checking into the Hotel Park. The palace is more like a military fortress with thick walls, gates, and towers. Diocletian was a Roman emperor, governed for 20 years, built the palace to retire from public life, and returned to the vast stone palace in 305, now a Unesco World Heritage site. Made from lustrous white stone, the palace took 10 years to construct, with Diocletion sparing no expense. Split is a unique place with a palm-lined harbor promenade on a peninsula.

Outside the front gate of the palace is an imposing statue of Gregorius of Nin, a 10^th century Croatian bishop. It is a defining image of Split that serves as a good luck charm for those who touch his left toe. So Kathryn, Tom, and I rubbed the hell out of his toe for good weather because the skies were definitely overcast.

In the interior courtyard of the Roman complex is the peristyle with columns and a café where tourists gather.

We came upon a photo shoot of bride and groom posing for the photographer—a strange juxtaposition of ancient and contemporary.

We went inside the Cathedral of St. Dominius, originally built as Diocletion’s mausoleum, and the Temple of Jupiter, with a statue of St. John. It was later converted into a baptistry.

As we walked within the walls, we saw daily life. People live, work, and play here. We came upon a woman hanging her laundry, a very typical scene.

We also came upon a wedding party. The groom, his friends, and some musicians promenaded down the streets of Split. The best we could figure out as we followed them is that they were on their way to the wedding for no bride was apparent. A band played and a person waved a Croatian flag as the groom embraced his friends along the streets.

The Hotel Park where we stayed proved to be a favorite of our trip. We ate in the dining room there because of a heavy rain storm and had a delectable meal. Yet another wedding party had their wedding reception dinner at a long table next to ours. All of the pamphlets said the bar was historic, but we never figured out why. We did determine that the hotel had the best breakfast on the European continent.