Located on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, Split is a gateway for exploring the coast and many islands of not only Croatia, but also Italy and Greece. We were told that this region is one of the sunniest places in Europe and today that sure proved to be true. It was truly a picture perfect day!
We ate breakfast and after a rather lengthy wait (2 hrs), we boarded our tender for Split. While we were waiting for our ride we met two sweet ladies from New Brunswick, Canada. They were thrilled that we enjoyed “Anne of Green Gables” so much! The scenery of P.E.I., Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick is exactly what we see in the movie. Winters are hard there, of course. Nevertheless, they don’t hunker down and wait for warmer days. Everyone either plays hockey, skis, or sleds – in other words, they have ways of enjoying the cold, cold winter!
Once we arrived in Split we went to the main sight, The Roman Palace. It was built by Emperor Diocletian in the 4th century. In 295 AD, The Roman Emperor liked this area so much that he ordered a residence be built for his retirement. It took nearly 10 years to complete. He died there in 313 AD. Afterwards, Roman rulers continued to use his palace as a retreat. Split has experienced a rather complicated history, being under the control of the Venetians, Austrians, French – and eventually became a part of Yugoslavia in 1918. During WWII, The Italians were here until the city was liberated in 1944, and the country of Croatia was finally formed.
The Roman Palace is a maze of cobblestone streets, art galleries, cafes, small shops, and Gothic churches. We visited the Cathedral of St. Duje. Inside we saw the remains of the mausoleum of Diocletian. All over, there are beautiful frescoes, very tall pulpits, and ornate Romanesque carvings.
As we do everywhere – we walk and walk! Split, I believe, is the prettiest city we have seen so far. It is so very old, yet so immaculately clean! No trash anywhere! The school children look and act much like American children –enjoying their friends and their cell phones. We wandered through the back streets and heard canaries sing their lovely songs from their cages. Old men gathered in small groups and talked and laughed on park benches, all seems safe and comfortable. Split is more mountainous than we had expected. I can see why some travelers we’ve met think that Croatia is one of the most beautiful countries in Europe!
Dinner tonight was extra special. We had started our packing before we headed down to eat – not looking forward to saying farewell to our new friends. Secretly, we all signed a card that Monica bought in town, wishing the newlyweds all the best. Then Connie, who sings in her church choir began to sing us all a song as a parting gift and as a birthday gift to Becky. In her lovely Irish brogue, she sang for all of us, right at our table, “Galloway Bay.” Can you picture the sweetness of this moment? She ended by singing “Whispering Words ”- a song sung in church many years ago. We’ll never forget it.
Inside Diocletian's Palace
Ross by bell tower and bishop statue
Linda by park flowers
Split city street
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