September 18, 2022
Today is our first full day on our own in Split and we opted for a leisurely start to the day. The plan is to head back to Diocletian’s Palace and explore some of the back streets and alleys which we didn’t visit with the guide on our walking tour. I’m also interested in getting inside the Cathedral and some of the other installations in that complex for a closer look.
But first, we head down to find the meeting place for the all day tour to Krka National Park and Trogir that we have planned for tomorrow. Our departure time is 8:15 am so we want to know where we’re going to make tomorrow morning stress-free. Luckily, it turns out to be not that far from our well-located VRBO. After a quick selfie with the Split sign, we head toward the Palace and the Cathedral.
It’s Sunday so the church isn’t open for tourists until noon so we’re off to explore. Another Klapa group is in the Vestibulum so we give them a listen and I take another selfie, this time with the open ceiling as my halo; hmm not sure I look all that angelic.
Time to explore the back streets and alleys where there are waaay fewer people and some interesting sites. We weave in and out of the Palace in our wanderings on a beautiful day under bright blue skies which make the white limestone city sparkle.
Along the way, we stumble on what remains of the Church of St Michael in Rita Maris (on the coast). Tradition says that this was commissioned by the first archbishop of Split, John of Ravenna. All that remains of the of the 15th century church is the Gothic apse carved into the western wall of the Palace.
We also meet Marko Marulić (or at least his statue) in Fruit Square. Marko Marulić Splićanin was a Croatian poet, lawyer, judge, and Renaissance humanist who coined the term “psychology”. He is the national poet of Croatia and many credit him with the Croatian Renaissance. The statue is yet another example of Ivan Mestrovič’s handiwork.
We end up behind the palace at the Green Market where there are a range of fruit, veggies and other edibles displayed for sale. We’re a bit too late for the early morning fish vendors who have sold out of their catch of the day.
The wall in this area is not as well preserved so it’s easier to see how the homes within the wall are built.
Before heading to the cathedral, we detoured to Grgur Ninski’s statue for another toe rub and another wish. If Tanya is right about his 50% success rate, this one might not be realized but still worth a shot!
After snapping a few pics at the gate, we set off for the chocolate shop to replenish our supplies in case we don’t come back this way.
Continuing our explorations, we stumble across The Church of St. Martin; one of the first little churches in Diocletian’s Palace. It was built in the 5th/6th century in the sentries’ walkway above the Golden Gate, and was remodelled many times.
Lots more sights and sounds, including an interesting mode of transport and a small medieval church located in the northwestern part of the historic city center; the Holy Spirit which dates from the 11th century.
We eventually ended up on the Promenade with the beautiful people walking along the edge of the water sparkling in the sun. Soon enough it’s time to head back to the Cathedral to go inside for a better look.
I started my exploration in the Treasury housed in the medieval palace of the ancient Lucaris patrician family; originally a circular Roman pagan temple dedicated to the mother goddess Cybele. Split Cathedral Treasury boasts one of the most valuable ecclesiastical collections in this part of Europe. Here are a few of my faves.
Next stop was St Lucy’s Crypt; located under the Cathedral of Split with the same circular plan as the church above with rectangular niches and a vaulted dome. The crypt is dedicated to holy Lucie of Syracuse; one of the last victims of Christian persecutions under the reign of Diocletian.
My third stop was the Cathedral of Saint Dominus; consecrated at the turn of the 7th century AD and regarded as the oldest Catholic cathedral in the world that whose original structure remains in use. The structure itself was built in AD 305 as the Mausoleum of Diocletian. The church is magnificent inside and has a beautiful choir loft behind the altar. I decided to skip the bell tower as my dislike of narrow spaces and heights made it a nonstarter.
My last stop was the Temple of Jupiter. The temple was built between 295 and 305, during the construction of the Palace, and was turned into a Baptistery of St. John the Baptist in the 6th century. Before the entrance to the Temple is one of the twelve sphinxes brought from Egypt by Emperor Diocletian. Sarcophagi, containing the remains of two Archbishops of Split, Ivan of Ravenna (died c. 1059) and Lovre (died c. 1099), are placed inside the Temple. In addition, there is a large bronze statue of St. John the Baptist made by our friend Ivan Meštrović. A Renaissance sarcophagus of Jakov Selembrije from the 16th century is in front of the baptistery.
Being a tourist is thirsty work so I find Linda and together we head to the courtyard of Konoba Laganini for a light lunch and a glass of rosé. We both opt for a burrata salad with adriatic shrimp, cherry tomatoes, purple onion cream, black olive powder and basil. As scrumptious as it is beautiful and we still have room for some gelato later …
No gelato but we did stop for another glass of rosé at a lovely café on the Promenade before heading back up the hill toward the VRBO. We were trying to find a wine store but ended up at a different wine store where we bought a couple bottles of local wine we thought would be good; they were not! One ended up down the sink and the other was marginally better when paired with the left over charcuterie items from the previous night. Yikes!
My turn to be the cribbage champ before retiring for an early night so we can hit the ground running in the a.m.
Tomorrow is another day. Adventures await…
September 19, 2022
So yesterday’s preparations for today’s tour meeting place were for naught. We arrived with plenty of time to spare but the bus was not well marked and our meeting spot not really well defined. Despite the challenges, miraculously we did find the bus and our tour guide in time to board just a few minutes late.
We’re off to Krka National Park with a stop in the nearby city of Trogir – aka Little Venice. Trogir has a well preserved old town that lies on a small island connected to the mainland and the island of Čiovo by bridges. The historic centre of Trogir has been included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites since 1997.
We passed by the 13th century Cathedral of St. Lawrence to reach the Town Loggia for the requisite history briefing. The Loggia was not only a public gathering space, but, on occasion the seat of the town’s court. The judge, seated at the table on the eastern wall, would decide the case under the watchful gaze of Justice flanked by St. Lawrence on the right and St. Ivan, patron saint of Trogir, on the left. The central field of the lion was removed in 1932 so that Mussolini wouldn’t think the city belonged to Italy.
On the south wall is a relief of Petar Berislavić, viceroy of Croatia (1513–1520). The original was destroyed by the fascist army and rebuilt in 1970 to commemorate the 450 anniversary of his death.
The largest building in Trogir is St Lawrence Cathedral. Building started in the 13 century and it was finally finished in the 16th century. The beautiful building is a mix of styles given the 400 years it took to build.
We’re having a whistle stop here so Linda and I wander around a bit, checking out the town. Our first “stop” is across from the cathedral; the Great Cipiko Palace is an ensemble of Romanesque buildings which were remodelled for the first time during the Early Renaissance ca. 1457.
Next we stumble upon the Garagnin-Fanfogna Palace; two blocks of Romanesque and Gothic buildings, incorporated into the ensemble in the second half of the 18th century, according to the plans of Ignacije Macanovic. The Palace now houses collections of paintings and graphics from the 17th and 18th centuries as well as the Town Museum.
No town in Croatia would be complete without a few little churches. We found St. Peter’s Church; originally part of the women’s Benedictine monastery which was, according to the legend, founded by the wife of King Béla IV of Hungary.
I’m not the best listener so I headed to the bus instead of the appointed meeting place outside the town gate. When no one was there five minutes before the appointed time, I figured it out and headed to the gate!
One last picture of the gate into town featuring a statue of Bishop John (of Trogir) before bidding adieu.
Soon enough we join the group and board the bus for Krka National Park; notable for it’s rich flora and fauna and many waterfalls.
Before exploring nature, we have a chance to visit an example of the water-powered plants that were used to grind grain, and wash and soften wool. There have been water mills along the Krka River for 1200 years but the one we’re visiting is only 150 years old.
The skies are threatening so it starts to rain a bit; nothing serious at first but some of our group buy rain ponchos at the tourist shop in case it gets worse. Close to the mill, there is a viewing platform and our guide offers to take photos. Lol, he’s snapping pictures from all angles like he’s catching butterflies but I don’t think he’s looking at the photo display. I should have lots of pics to delete.
We’re meeting in an hour or so for a boat ride, so he lets us loose to follow the one way wooden path through the forest and along the river. It’s not exactly the yellow brick road but even I can’t get lost. The earlier rain has made the wooden planks a bit slippery and handrails and side rails are scarce so I taking my time and enjoying nature.
At some point, it starts raining again, a little heavier so everyone is picking up the pace. By the time, we reach the meeting point early, it raining cats and dogs and everyone is scrambling to find some type of shelter. The rain pelts down for half an hour and just around the time we were supposed to meet it was safe to venture out. Lol, this is our third boat ride with bad weather. As things usually happen in threes, I’m optimistic that we’ll have great weather for our cruise down the Rhine that starts on September 21st.
We slosh our way to the boat and board with the masses trying to get somewhere they can warm up. Met a lovely lady on the boat, originally from Ireland and now living in Santa Fe, NM and we chatted all the way.
The boat landed in Skradin where we were having our lunch break. Linda and I hoofed it to the recommended restaurant in the center of town for lunch. We sat inside for the first time in ages and basked in the warmth. Our lovely meal started with a steaming bowl of tomato soup; good for the soul followed by a nice plate of chicken, grilled vegetables, fries and a salad. Replete and warm, we headed back to the bus for the drive back to Split.
We passed a bakery on the way to the VRBO and picked up some cheese burek to have with whatever was left in the pantry for dinner. Given our experience buying wine at the grocery in Split, we decided not to bother. After last load of laundry and a bite to eat, Linda kicked my butt in crib and we retired for the night.
Tomorrow is another day. Adventures await…
Tomorrow is another day. Luxurious adventures await …
September 20, 2022
The blue skies are back in Split as we figure out our plan for the last day here, clean up, finish packing and grab a bite of breakfast. Our VRBO host continues to be very accommodating so we are leaving our luggage here for pick up later in the day when we head to the airport.
Our plan is to hoof it to the Meštrović Gallery to learn a bit more about this prolific Croatian sculptor, architect, and writer.
Our route takes us through the Green Market, past the British Consulate and along the Western Riva toward ACI Marina. It’s at the latter that we stumble across plaques commemorating the glorious stories of Croatian Olympic medal winners from Split in chronological order. Croatians are renown water polo players but there are also medals for football, swimming, basketball, rowing, tennis, weight lifting, handball, and athletics. There are no less than 73 names on this Olympic Walk of Fame, and that makes Split the true capital of Croatian sport. Linda also spies a water polo net out in the sea near the beach. No wonder they are champs!
We know generally where we are headed and soon enough we make it to our destination, Meštrović’s summer villa in the west end of Split. Ivan does not disappoint; the range of his work in terms of subject matter and the material of choice is very broad. I was fascinated that he could breathe life into pieces of bronze, marble, stone and wood. Here are some of my favourite pieces but if you’re ever in Split, don’t miss the opportunity to go check out his works out for yourself. The balcony of his villa also provides stunning views of the area.
After a thorough tour of the Museum, we headed to the nearby Meštrović Church where the wooden panels depicting Christ’s life, death and rebirth are simply stunning.
On our return journey along the wharf and the Promenade, we had a well deserved gelato; dark rich chocolate for Linda and a sumptuous date and walnut for me before heading back to the apartment to gather our luggage and meet our transfer to the airport. Tonight we’re off to Basel and another adventure on our Cruise down the Rhine to Amsterdam with lots of friends and family.
Tomorrow is another day. Luxurious adventures await …
Judy’s Rambles 