On the night of January 29th, we left Ancona, Italy and crossed the Adriatic Sea, a ten hour journey that delivered us to Split, Croatia. We traveled overnight by ferry, although “ferry” apparently means “sweet cruise ship“ in Croatia. Being off-season and all, we caught a nice break on the ticket price and landed a cabin with a window, bathroom, shower and washing area for a cool 20 Euro each. We pretty much had the gigantic ship to ourselves, which was awesome and creepy at the same time. After a drink in the Piano Bar, we slept like babies and woke up in Croatia.
Split is Croatia’s second largest city with a population of 188,700, and it lies roughly in the middle of the country’s long and indented coastline. It’s a traditional coastal town that’s mostly free of mass tourism, and it provided a great intro to Croatia. We didn’t expect much so were pleasantly surprised by the friendly place. The gem of Split is Diocletian’s Palace, built for the Roman emperor Diocletian between the years AD 295-305. Inside the walls of this palace -- which is essentially an open-air museum and one of the world’s most imposing Roman ruins -- shops, markets and cafes buzz with locals chatting about politics, as has been the case there for thousands of years. One of the highlights of our stay in Split was a short hike up Marjan Hill, where lookouts offered views of the town, the main promenade (called “Riva”) and Split Harbor.
[Since not as much is known about Croatia as most European countries, here’s a quick and dirty summary: Croatia is home to about 4.5 million people, who seem to like a random sport called handball quite a bit. English is widely spoken as a second language to (harsh-sounding) Croatian. Tourism has flourished here since the country’s independence was recognized by the EU nations in 1992, especially among Italians. The long coastline is flanked by more than a thousand beautiful islands that rival Greece’s. Formerly part of Yugoslavia, Croatians voted for long-desired independence in 1991, but true independence came only after a very ugly five-year war with the Yugoslav Army and Serb forces between 1991-1995. The currency is the Kuna, currently $1 US = 5.24 Kuna. It’s really a very lovely and peaceful place, and perfect for vacationers.]
Split is Croatia’s second largest city with a population of 188,700, and it lies roughly in the middle of the country’s long and indented coastline. It’s a traditional coastal town that’s mostly free of mass tourism, and it provided a great intro to Croatia. We didn’t expect much so were pleasantly surprised by the friendly place. The gem of Split is Diocletian’s Palace, built for the Roman emperor Diocletian between the years AD 295-305. Inside the walls of this palace -- which is essentially an open-air museum and one of the world’s most imposing Roman ruins -- shops, markets and cafes buzz with locals chatting about politics, as has been the case there for thousands of years. One of the highlights of our stay in Split was a short hike up Marjan Hill, where lookouts offered views of the town, the main promenade (called “Riva”) and Split Harbor.
[Since not as much is known about Croatia as most European countries, here’s a quick and dirty summary: Croatia is home to about 4.5 million people, who seem to like a random sport called handball quite a bit. English is widely spoken as a second language to (harsh-sounding) Croatian. Tourism has flourished here since the country’s independence was recognized by the EU nations in 1992, especially among Italians. The long coastline is flanked by more than a thousand beautiful islands that rival Greece’s. Formerly part of Yugoslavia, Croatians voted for long-desired independence in 1991, but true independence came only after a very ugly five-year war with the Yugoslav Army and Serb forces between 1991-1995. The currency is the Kuna, currently $1 US = 5.24 Kuna. It’s really a very lovely and peaceful place, and perfect for vacationers.]
Posts
We are buried under snow here in DC.... I am sooooo sick of winter....happy trails you guys - looks like you are still having a blast. Krista - love the sleep photos! xoxo Joanne
ReplyDelete