Split: so much to see, so little time

It seems that our group is reluctant to say goodbye so we have arranged to meet in the centre of the old town for lunch. Diane and Ken are staying at the same apartment/hotel as we are on a quiet residential street, easy walking distance of where all the action is. Although we are very early for check in, we get a friendly welcome and our rooms aren't ready, we can leave our luggage. Before we can set off to explore, our hosts insist on treating us to coffee and chocolate cake which is served in the garden. A nice start to our stay at the Villa Vice.

We only have one day here, so we hurry to the Diocletian Palace which is the biggest draw for visitors. The old walls are well hidden behind parking lots and commercial storefronts. but once we find an entrance, we are into a world where old meets new; ruins and restaurants, chic stores and squares; homes and alleys; tourists galore and tacky tourist attractions. But the setting is magic. This is another location for the filming of Game of Thrones. Mysterious caverns and tunnels, crumbling facades, ancient buildings, temples, churches - everything jumbled together and crowded with visitors.

The Diocletian Palace, built in the 4 AD by the Roman Emperor Diocletian as his planned retirement residence, is a vast complex which for a long time has been home to local people. Blended in with the remnants of antiquity are residences, cafes, bars and shops.

When we get to the appointed place, our friends are already waiting, looking relaxed and at home in the main square.

 

Lunch at a nearby restaurant is as expected, delicious. 

After another round of group hugs, we go our separate ways.

Peter and I head to the cellars. This a vast subterranean area built in Roman times to create a level platform for the palace structure. At times used for storage, residences and waste pits in the Middle Ages, abandoned for centuries, cleaning began in the 19th Century and now the cavernous halls with their sturdy pillars are home to exhibitions, festival and sundry events. Today it is quiet and we are free to wander and absorb the slightly gloomy ambience.

Outside the walls of the Palace there is a lot more to see.

And finally we climb the bell tower of the cathedral and get an awesome panoramic view, over the rooftops to the city and the harbour below.