Snapshots From Croatia: Split

“Bizarre travel plans are dancing lessons from God.” – Kurt Vonnegut

Having no plans made in advance when we decided to head back to Makarska the next day we found it completely impossible to hire a car. The following day we could hire a smaller car but it would not take all our luggage. The thought of six hours on a bus was just too much for us with the kids. Nada decided to jump on the bus and head off while we still dithered about what we should do.

Then suddenly like a bolt from the blue I remembered the train to Split. While six hours on a bus sounded dreadful six hours on a train sounded quite manageable and the kids had really enjoyed the long journey  from Budapest. So rather than waiting until the morning and spending the day in the car we decided to bite the bullet and went quickly to the train station to catch the one train that ran to Split. Luckily there is a supermarket at the station to stock up on fruit, bread, cheese and other  goodies for the journey.

The journey was very scenic, if a little slow, the kids were able to move around including standing right behind the drivers glass door and looking out through the front window of the train. While this was the best way for us to travel, as it gave the kids freedom to move around and enjoy the journey the bus or a car would probably be best for most travellers.

The biggest up side of this plan was that it gave us a day to see Split. At this time of year accommodation options on Booking.com were many and incredibly cheap. And so in the early evening we arrived and found our way to our apartment on the edge of the old town.

Split really needs to be experienced by night, when all the beautiful buildings, whether Roman or medieval,  are lit up and people are lounging around in the ancient squares enjoying the serenity.

Even in the evening in September the streets of Split are crowded I can only imagine what it is like in Summer.

There were many places to choose from when we went in search of dinner in the old part of town within the walls of Diocletian's palace.

It is amazing to see the core of Split, once a Roman palace which was abandoned until the local people moved looking for protection during the period of the Slavic invasion. They and subsequent generations built their homes within the basement and walls of the original palace. As a result the palace has been remarkably preserved.

By daylight the next day we explored through the town, from splendid old streets to a remarkable peristyle at the centre of the palace, from smelly fish markets to the shining blue Adriatic.

We were particularly lucky to come across this men's choir in the vestibule of the palace, which with its domed roof and oculus provided beautiful acoustics.

I was pleased to find a huge organic supermarket, BioBio,  which we returned in the afternoon to stock up for a couple of months on all sorts of lovely goodies for cooking at home. Poor Rob later had to carry the huge box to the bus station after we picked up our cases stored at the train station next door.

While sitting in a cafe in a square Rob pointed up to an apartment with beautiful byzantine arched windows, reminiscent of the palazzos of Venice, said "one of dads brothers and his wife lives there". 

Whilst my first reactions was "lets go visit" we were well aware of the frenzy of cooking we had thrown his daughter and granddaughter into when we visited them in Zagreb a few days earlier. But we decided it would be a shame to be there and not to visit and I'm am so glad that we did.

Rob's uncle looked very similar to his dad which came as something of a shock. His aunt was distressed that we had not given her some notice so she could cook for us. I can hardly imagine the feast she would have prepared as the grilled fish, potatoes, beans and salad were absolutely delicious.

Rob's Dad

We spent some time looking at old photos whilst Strina plied the children with a ready stream of biscuits and treats. We discussed the disastrous grape harvest this year due to the wet weather through summer, a topic we have heard discussed all summer both here and in Italy. And so after enjoying our leisurely afternoon we made our way back to the train station to collect our luggage and enjoy the bus ride down along the Makarska Riviera to our home away from home.

And so after nearly three weeks on the road again we finally we going to have some time to rest and recuperate...bliss