Eurotrip: Split

Split was the second of our major Croatian stops, and the goal was to spend one day seeing the city and two days exploring the nearby islands. We had opted to do all of this via trains and buses, rather than renting a car or taking a chartered boat trip. (Renting a car would break my non-driving streak, and the boat trips seemed a bit more geared to partying 25 year olds which clearly is not my style!) Unfortunately, this decision meant many hours on buses. The trip from Plitvice to Split was about seven hours. I was pretty happy to get off the bus once we arrived.

Split is probably most famous for being home to Diocletian's Palace. While not exactly a palace anymore, the residents of Split have utilized it for shops, apartments, hotels, restaurants, and a big market. It is pretty incredible to see the mix of old and new.

The first day we arrived was Angie's birthday! Birthday gelato and birthday drinks in the palace!

Also in the palace, an original Sphinx from Diocletian's time and more pretty views of the palace.

Have I mentioned I love narrow streets? Splint had plenty!

Our third day in Split ended up being a rest-day. Although we originally intended to ride our bikes along the coast, it was pouring down rain and we opted for more sleep and laziness. When it cleared up a little, we walked down to this beach. I include the picture below to demonstrate that Split is still a city in transition... while the nature is obviously beautiful, other parts could still use some work.

The highlight of the beach was watching these men play some type of soccer. The second highlight was finding a old rickety playground and playing on it. I think Angie loved it!

The day actually ended up being really nice. We went for a run (ah-hem, some might call my style more of a a Slow-Jog, i.e. Slog) in the park, did our laundry, and went to a delicious dinner. Angie & I agree that we needed a day off, and this fit the bill in the best way! A slog, nice food, and clean laundry? Score one for Split!