Gotta Split...

Split, Croatia

September 24, 2007
N43°30.500
E016°27.210

We officially shed our long sleeved shirts and long pants in exchange for shorts and t-shirts again. The warm weather along the Adriatic coastline was brilliant and definitely a welcoming change.

Today was dedicated to strolling along the coastline of Split, getting lost within the walls of the castle and hitting the market to find some local cheese and produce.

The beaches in Split aren’t the most glorious, at least the ones we saw. Instead, large concrete boardwalks wrap around the coastline with ladders stepping down to the actual water. There were people basking in the sun scattered along the coastline; however, it was obvious we were a little late to the party as several of the umbrellas and sun-chairs were put away for the winter. To us, the sparse numbers were perfect; allowing us to casually stroll along the promenade and not fight crowds.

The castle in Split was built in 305 AD and celebrated its 1700 year anniversary in 2005. The castle walls glowed in the early afternoon sun, unfortunately the graffiti that plagues many of Eastern European cities hasn’t missed Split, and distracted from the full beauty of the historical monument. We wandered through the labyrinth of back streets and alleyways, getting lost a few times within the castle walls, but after carefully retracing our steps we finally found our way.

Our exit from the maze led into a local market where fruit, vegetables, nuts and cheese were being sold. After sampling a few of the local cheeses we decided upon one to take to Hvar Island with us tomorrow. We also grabbed some almonds and dried fruit to make our own trail mix, a relatively healthy afternoon snack.

Before splitting from Split, we decided we should walk through the castle at night, especially since the moon is almost full tonight. We’ll enjoy the full moon out on Hvar Island where we will spend the next five nights.