Croatia was spectacular. I can't begin to describe the stunning beauty that surrounded us on every front. The color of the water along the coast line is such a brilliant blue with rich shades of turquoise and aqua near the shore. The towering Karst formations of the mountains speak in hues of gray, shimmering white, red, ochre, black and green. The vegetation testifies to a colorful summer season as it segues into a mild fall, with cascading drapes of purple Bougainvillea, turning brown, trailing down apartment walls and red Geraniums struggling to keep their blooms as their leaves wither and drop, leaving them looking a bit naked. The leaves on a few trees are beginning to change color to soft shades of yellow and gold before they drift down to coat the welcoming forest floor in the Krka National Park.
In this country, still badly scarred by over 5 years of war in the 1990's, we found the peace and tranquility we were hoping for on this vacation. At first the many buildings and houses without roofs, and with crumbling interiors, just blended into the landscape still dotted with Roman Ruins until we realized that these ruins were the result of a protracted war in this, the former Yugoslavia.
Fot: "Zlatna Ribica" , Aneta |
We ate up, paid up and headed straight back to the apartment. I literally shucked my clothes and crawled into bed at 5 pm without even stopping long enough to brush my teeth or wash my face. I slept for 15 hours straight! While I was sleeping, Aneta, Alicja and Ania (hereafter to be known as the 3 'A's')went grocery shopping so we would have something for breakfast.
Fot: View from our veranda, Aneta |
Fot: Split, Aneta |
We find parking fairly near the Palace and walk a few blocks to the entrance. Entering from the Golden Gate we find ourselves in the main narrow street that runs through the palace from East to West. The narrow cobbled street is lined with a mix of souvenir shops and upscale boutiques. We window shop our way along the street, stepping into courtyards to take photos as we go. This is one of the biggest, largely intact ruins from Roman times, existing anywhere in the world today. The palace retains almost all of the original walls that encircled the original palace. For a small fee visitors are able to visit Diocletian's rooms in the palace and/or visit the subterranean areas of the original palace, which now house a museum with archeological artifacts found in the area. We did neither as the part of the palace that is available at no cost would take several days to explore and we had a two-year-old riding in a backpack which somewhat limited our options.
Fot: Split, Aneta |
Making our way to the Silver Gate we found a sidewalk cafe where we could order a meal and a coffee. I think we ate a meal, but I have absolutely no idea what it consisted of at this point. I do remember that I had a coke and asked for ice and the waiter brought me an entire tumbler full of ice! There was an amazing artist set up near the gate with beautiful pencil and watercolor drawings of Split, the palace and various sites around the area. Each of us made a purchase as his work is really outstanding, original and signed. The cost for a watercolor of significant size was approximately $20. We also found some really wonderful wood carvings and children's toys that were very special. The jewelry was magnificent everywhere we looked but we successfully resisted becoming the proud owners of any. Alicja found a pair of lovely pottery urns for vinegar and oil. There were several shops with beautiful Bas Relief depictions of the regional architecture and interior scenes from the palace. Eventually we made our way out the Small Gate to the seaside and walked along the promenade until we found a decent ice cream shop. We parked our weary backsides on a nice bench facing the harbor and ate our ice-cream in relative silence. After over four hours wandering the maze of cobbled streets and courtyards inside the palace ruins we made our way out, across the nearby park, and back to the car. It was a long time for me to be on my feet, on pavement and I paid dearly for it the following day.
We wound our way back north along the coastline to our little apartment in Brodarica. We stopped for pizza just before we arrived back at the apartment and enjoyed a really good meal. The Italian influence here is very evident and the food is terrific. As soon as we got back and climbed the 3 flights of stairs to our abode I fell into bed for another nights long sleep. I think the 3 'A's' went grocery shopping again while I slept the sleep of the dead for the next 12 hours.
To be continued!
Linda
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