Arriving in Split

Monday May 13 was a mix of sun and cloud but still a warm 21C.  We had our last breakfast on the deck in Dubrovnik and then had a 10 minute walk to catch a local bus to the main bus station.  

Photo from our deck-Lokrum Island where we were on Sunday in the background

Allan saying farewell

We took the 11:30 a.m. Flixbus to Split.  The trip took about 4 1/2 hours with a couple of short stops.  The coastline was beautiful.  Lots of small towns on the Adriatic with mountains in the background.

Crossing a bridge near Dubrovnik

Passing some very pretty towns (pics from the bus window)

Castle and moat

Amazing mountains

Another beautiful waterfront town with towering mountains

Great graffiti en route

One of our Airbnb hosts, Petar, met us at the bus station.  He identified Allan from an old Airbnb photo.  He helped with the luggage and we walked to the Airbnb.  It was only about a 15 minute walk from the bus station along the waterfront and then down a few narrow streets in the Old Town to a small house behind an 11th century church.  The house is not that old and is in a very quiet location.  It is a spacious place with a large bedroom, kitchen and dining area and a large living room with a sofa bed. 

Our house with the green mailbox, door and shuttered window (the bedroom)

Bedroom

Living room

Well-equipped kitchen


The 11th century Church a minute away from the house

We decided to go for a walk.  Split is the second largest city of Croatia after the capital, Zagreb, with a population of about 178, 000.  It is a shipbuilding city with a big sprawl surrounding an atmospheric Old Town, where we are staying.  Split also has some of the best Roman ruins outside of Italy.  In the fourth century AD, the Roman emperor Diocletian (345-313) retired to his native Dalmatia and built a huge palace in Split.  Today around 2000 people live or work within the former palace walls.  The Old Town is made up of two square sections.  The east half was once Diocletian's Palace and the west half is the medieval town that sprang up next door. 

Bell tower and narrow streets

We wandered a while, checking out some restaurants and then noticed a few locals waiting to get into Zlatna Ribica, a small restaurant very close to the fish market.  They had a small menu of mainly fried fish.  

Inside the resto

We had a very good meal of mixed fried fish- squid, prawns (delicious) and small fish, and a green salad.  We also had a bottle each of Croatian beer.  We talked to the woman behind the bar,  who is a friend of the woman who owns the place who was also there.  The owner and her daughter now run the restaurant which has been around for over 20 years.  The owner's grandson served us.  It was a very friendly family restaurant with very fresh and tasty fish.  Most of the customers were locals.  Perfect for a low-key dinner after a long bus ride.

Allan toasting dinner



The outside of the restaurant

Before heading back to our place, we took a walk down the Riva seafront promenade which Petar, our host, described as Split's living room.  It runs the length of the old town and hugs the palace on its south side.  Lots of restaurants and cafés are located on the Riva, as well as a series of benches lining the harbour, where people hang.  The real name of the broad street is "Obama hrvatskog narodnog preporoda", literally "Quai of the Croatian National Revival", but everyone calls it the Riva.

Palm trees, lights and a long string of restaurants

Another view-- benches near the water too

Split 2007 tile on the Riva 

Our Airbnb is just minutes away from one end of the Riva.  Great location in the medieval Old Town.

A Split cat near our Airbnb

On Tuesday, we will take the Free Spirit Tour and start exploring Split.

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