Split

Tuesday, August 2

Before leaving Venice we sat at a cafe for a couple hours to kill time before going to the airport. Of course the weather forecasted rain for the exact hour that we would be checking out and walking outside with our bags, but we got lucky and stayed dry. The shuttle to the airport was straight forward and then we had to hang out in the airport for a few hours before our flight.

We had purchased tickets on Volotea airlines which allow a 10kg checked bag and a personal carry-on item. Last time I weighed my bag it was about 14kg (full of souvenirs for my better-be-grateful family and friends), so I had some rearranging to do. We found an abandoned part of the airport that had luggage scales and we played around with weight distribution for a while- what fun!

At the moment of truth we were each exactly .1 kg over, but they let it slide. Because we were checking our bags I didn’t have anxiety about finding space in the plane’s overhead compartment so we were able to take our time boarding. It was the shortest flight ever and then we were in Croatia!

The airport shuttle drove along the beautiful bay to the old town of Split. We hiked through the old palace walls to our Airbnb. The host made us trek to another place to get the keys which was annoying but we got to see just how close our Airbnb was to the center of the old area with all the restaurants and bars. We trekked back, dropped our stuff off, and set out for food.

During our key pick up excursion we had seen (and smelled!) two good looking burger places next to each other, right on the old wall. We went back to that spot and were able to get a table outside, in a cobblestoned alley. The beers were fine but the burger was so good that my eyes teared up. It had raw red bell pepper and pickles and it was just beautiful. We also got wings which were great. We had been on a mostly pasta diet for the last month so the mostly meat meal was a nice treat.

We walked to the nearby grocery store to get some food for the next few days and then went back to the Airbnb and passed out. Even though our apartment was right over a noisy bar there were new, airtight windows that blocked out the sound. It was amazing.

Wednesday, August 3

We started the day with a walking tour. The guide, Rocko, was great. He started by explaining that the old town area of Split was built in 305 CE to be the emperor Diocletian’s retirement palace. After he died the inhabitants of the surrounding area moved in to use the protection of the stone walls.

They threw their trash and human waste into the basement, which ironically helped to preserve this area from the centuries of modifications which occurred above ground. The cellars are also famous as the set for where Daenerys held her dragons in the show, Game of Thrones.

Diocletian had not been nice to the Christians so, after his death, they ransacked his tomb and turned it into a church. We explored the old palace areas turned Christian, and meandered through the narrow city streets.

Rocko also told us a lot about modern day Croatian history and how modern Croatians live. He explained that there is no property tax and that most Croatians do not over work at their jobs but instead enjoy a better work life balance. He questioned whether things would remain this way going forward but encouraged us to embrace the laid back lifestyle during our vacation.

After the tour we went back to the main palace areas and bought tickets to see the main sights. We went up the bell tower to get views of the city, the Adriatic Sea, and the Kozjak and Mosor mountain ranges. It was gorgeous. Then we saw the cathedral, the crypt, the baptistery, and the treasury. The baptistery was converted from an old temple to Jupiter and on the facade there are still clues to the worship of Roman gods like the faces carved into one of the ledges.

The treasury had lots of Christian artwork, as the pagan statues had been destroyed. The most interesting parts were the many statues reported to contain relics (body parts) of the saints that they depicted.

Then it was time for lunch. Rocko had suggested walking north to an area full of Konobas. A konoba is essentially a tavern but represents the best place to find authentic Croatian food and drink. We found one called Deep Shade that had outdoor seating (with shade). We got black risotto (squid ink again!) and the gnocchi with marinated meat and truffle. Both dishes were on lists of must-eat Croatian food. They were both good, but a little salty for us. We washed them down with some tall Croatian beers.

We wandered back to our Airbnb and relaxed in the AC for a few minutes before setting out again. We grabbed our swimsuits and walked toward the beach. The beaches in Croatia are mostly rocky, some areas are big rocky ledges and some have rocky flat beach. We walked along the cliffs looking for the best spot to put ourselves. It felt so hot that we thought we had to find a spot in the shade, which there were few. But, as soon as we jumped into the really, really cold ocean we understood how everyone was able to sit in the direct sun.

We found a spot on Obojena beach and stretched out our beach sheet and towels. As soon as I felt crispy again I tip toed back into the water and instantly felt better. Despite the rocks and lack of shade, it was really nice. We spent a few hours here and then headed back to the city.

On our walk back into the palace we walked by burger corner again and decided to try the other burger place. The burger wasn’t as good as the night before but it came on a black bun which was fun. We also got fried sardines, another Croatian favorite. We ordered the two hoppiest craft beers on the menu and were pleasantly surprised. It had been so long since we’d had our IPA fix!

We went home and showered and relaxed until the evening. Then we snuck out to get a peek of Split nightlife. We got cocktails at the corner bar and pretended to not be really tired.

Then it was time for the Game of Thrones museum. Most of the show was filmed in Dubrovnik, but for some reason Split has the museum. We had low expectations but even these weren’t quite met. It was cool to see the original props and costumes but all of the description placards described the characters and plot, which we already know (and we found a couple inaccuracies!)

The best part were the photos that showed the Croatian location where scenes were filmed and then how CGI was added. Like scenes of Daenerys trekking to the city of Meereen which were filmed nearby Split with a CGI pyramid added to the background.

Afterward we went across the street to the gift shop and got our mandatory photo in the iron throne. It was good, cheesy fun especially because I’m still reading and enjoying the last book of the series.

Thursday, August 4

We met up with our tour group at about 8am to head out to Krka National Park to see the famous waterfalls. People used to swim at the falls but with crazy amounts of tourists the park had to restrict swimming. Even still, we couldn’t believe how many tourists had come just to walk around and see the park- it was packed.

We started with an hour long bus ride during which our guide, Rudy (Rudolph) gave a really good history of Croatia. We learned a little bit more than we had the day before and he kept the stories relatively upbeat. We got out at the park and, after a somewhat confusing ticket buying experience, were led onto a boat into the park.

The boat started in the cute town of Skradin which itself seemed worthy of visiting. We went upstream, into the park’s main waterway. The water was a light blue color, the hills were vibrant green, and there were many large swans milling about. It was like a scene from a fairytale.

We disembarked and met up with Rudy again so he could explain the plan. We would follow him for about 45 minutes to the other side of the river so we could see where the bus would be. Then we would have 2 hours free time to do the nature trail ourselves. Despite there being so so many tourists, Rudy encouraged us to not worry over the crowds and just try to enjoy the nature. He later told us that we had visited during the peak week of tourism for the area.

The worst part was walking over a bridge that looks at the main falls. We were in a human traffic jam as people tried to cross in one direction while a few people tried to cross the other direction and a bunch of people stood in the middle trying to take pictures. We breathed and made it through, aware we would have to walk the same spot again in order to do the nature walk loop.

When Rudy let us to ourselves we took our time walking over the boardwalk paths through the wetlands and streams. It was really pretty, but still a bit too hot at about 96 degrees F. We did the loop and had to cross the bridge of heaven and hell again (heaven= waterfall photos, hell= 1,000 pushing tourists). We did our best to take photos as if we were the only ones there.

After we had some time to look at the old water mill and the old kitchen and smithery. We got some ice creams that were like life savers in the heat. We saw some people in swim suits standing under waterfalls and considered joining them, but it seemed like they were still breaking the rules somehow.

Finally we met the bus again and had a beautiful ride to the town of Primošten. Here we were given another two hours to eat and swim in the sea. We opted for the wine tasting experience and ended up really enjoying it.

Rudy led the smaller group of us to his favorite restaurant, Galija, and we walked through it to the back garden. On the left side was a barn looking building that he led us into and we discovered a cellar-like tavern room. An old man appeared and Rudy told us he is the restaurant owner and wine maker.

While we waited for people from another tour group to arrive the owner cut us off small pieces of prosciutto from his own supply. Rudy pointed out the many legs of ham hanging from the ceiling rafters, and told us the current piece being carved was three years old. The owner fed us pieces of prosciutto one at a time and we nearly fell over because the meat was so good.

Then the other people arrived and the wine tasting started. Rudy and the other guide took turns explaining wine and Croatian wine history and culture. We learned so much. One of the things they told us was that the wine variety, Zinfandel, was actually from a Croatian grape that was brought to California. The original name for it, Crljenak Kaštelanski, was too difficult for the Americans to say or remember, so it was changed to Zinfandel and the association with Croatia was lost.

Both Rudy and the other guide told stories of how their parents and grandparents made wine at home and how this culture has changed and continues to change as Croatian wine becomes more popular.

The most popular wine of the tasting, Babić, was a red that grows on limestone soil. Rudy explained that the grapes get sun exposure from three sources: the sun, the sunlight reflecting from the white limestone, and the sunlight reflecting from the sea. With all this sunlight and little rain, the grapes end up very sugary and very alcoholic. They explained this wine often has to be watered down in order to still be considered wine.

They also served cheese and bread with olive oil. They taught us how to sample olive oil- sucking the oil of the bread through your teeth- and we went back for more and more samples. When the tasting was over we were full of bread and a little tipsy. We had about an hour left before we had to get back onto the bus so we went to the beach.

Another rocky beach, but the rocks were smooth and white so not too sharp or hot. We laid out our towels and took turns jumping in. Around us tons of families played in the water and there were people on SUPs all about. Back on the rocks, it didn’t feel so hot anymore. We could’ve stayed there for another day, but we had to get back on the bus. We must’ve looked salty and drunk because Rudy giggled when he welcomed us on board and said “ready for a nap?”

The journey back should’ve been short but we ran into some traffic because of the soccer game scheduled for that night. Rudy and the other tour guides had been visibly excited about the game all day.

Rudy explained that the Croatian soccer team, Hadjuk, has been around since 1911 and that they have an intense fan base. That night’s game would be the first European game since May. Rudy told us not to pay attention to the score and to just enjoy the excitement of the fans’ love. Croatia did end up wining 3-1 so I’m sure everyone, especially Rudy, was stoked.

While Croatians were enjoying fútbol, we went to a fancy restaurant. We found a place called Uje Oil Bar and got some oysters and a charcuterie platter. We got a bottle of Rosé too and felt pretty fancy.

Afterward we went to the main palace square to see live music. There’s a restaurant called Luxor that somehow owns the steps all around the square. We sat on cushions and ordered some (more!) wine. Prosecco for me and Babić for Carl. We drank and enjoyed the cover band’s music while watching families dance in the courtyard below the grand bell tower. It felt like a scene from a movie.

Friday, August 5

We had to check out at 10am but our Ferry to Hvar wasn’t until 3pm. So we went to a cafe that we saw that advertised breakfast. It ended up being ‘American’ style, and not the best. We got spicy eggs (poached eggs with veggies, potatoes, and spicy sauce) and avocado toast. We broke our rule of getting non-Croatian food in Croatia and we could taste the mistake. But, it was alright and we spent a few hours pretending we were having brunch back on the east coast again.

Then we went to the cafe below our Airbnb called Teak. The place is very cute- nestled right next to the old wall with old Roman stone walls and teak wooden floors. We got a couple of coffees and they let us sit there forever.

Finally it was ferry time. We made our way to the docks and, finding ourselves way early, got some overpriced cocktails at a restaurant on the pier. Then we got on the ferry and it pushed off at 3pm on the dot. Off to Hvar!