Sunday, July 22, 2012

Sea and Sunshine in Split, Croatia

Split is Europe's waterfront playground - a city of orange roofed buildings standing in sharp contrast to the blue Adriatic Sea.

European tourists have long recognized Croatia's coast as a holiday destination so infrastructure is in place to keep things comfortable for vacationers.

We lucked out with our accomodations, ending up in a private three room cottage in a pedestrian cul de sac near the old part of the city. The place had powerful AC and an equipped kitchenette and was less than $50 USD a night. The communal feel of our street, where people opened their doors and drug dining tables to the sidewalk, was enjoyable.

An elderly non-english speaking neighbor motioned that we were welcome to use his clothesline to dry our laundry and we were moved to later find the clean clothes had been left neatly folded on our doorstep.

Our favorite Split memories:

- Walking through Diocletian's Palace - Roman ruins that Split city center has been incorporated into. Instead of being untouched and preserved the site is used as it was designed - it's lived in, worked in, and enjoyed, with shops, lodging and restaurants built into the crumbling ancient architecture.

- Enjoying the cool evening air while taking in the nightlife on Riva Harbor, where thousands of gather to walk, drink, and listen to live music.

- Waiting in line for a table at Fife, a very popular family-style restaurant at the far end of the harbor. When finally seated we feasted on black cuttlefish risotto, swiss chard, gnocchi, and fresh whole fish while chatting up our Irish tablemates. Croatian cuisine has Italian and Greek influences, and relies heavily on seafood, which was perfect for pescatarian Molly.

- Bravely jumping off the high rocky ledges at Bacvice Beach into the warm saltwater below. AD demonstrated the most courage, easily conquering the highest perch. Molly took some cajoling but eventually lept as well, albeit from a lower point.


Next stop: Hvar, Croatia

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