Our time on Čiovo was a lovely break from sightseeing in a bigger city. It was fun to buzz around on the scooter and get some sun on the pebbly beaches. It was now time to move on to the last destination of our two-week trip. We were headed to Split, the last stop in Croatia.
We did have a few hours between our check-out in Okrug Gornji and our check-in at the Airbnb in Split, Croatia.
The sea organ in Zadar was something that we both wanted to see. This made the perfect opportunity to fill the time gap. It was just over two hours to make the drive and after circling the area near the entrance to the historic old town, we found a parking spot.
It was a hot day but not humid. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky to block the intensity of the sun. After a healthy application of sunscreen to mitigate the damage to our skin done the previous day, we walked through the 16th Century gate that once served as the city’s defence.
We meandered through the narrow streets and found the sea organ at the furthest point from where we entered. It had been installed in 2005 as part of the project to redesign the city’s coast. After the post-World War II reconstruction, it had left the seafront an unbroken concrete wall.
Clad with marble steps, the organ emits sounds when the waves lap up against the pier.
This forces air up through the ports in the concrete. I wouldn’t describe the music as symphonic or even as music. Hayley loved it, but she has an ear for that kind of thing. Perhaps if the sea was a little rowdier that day it would’ve been a concert.
As we made our way back to the car, we took in the sights of this ancient city dating back two thousand years. This included St. Donatus Church, named for the Dalmatian Saint. It was built in the ninth century upon the ruins of the old Roman forum which can still be seen today.
The church was closed to public viewing that day, so we were unable to tour the interior.
We arrived at our Airbnb in Split, Croatia in the late afternoon.
Again, we found ourselves driving in circles before finding the apartment. It was tucked away on a narrow street near the Port of Split, Croatia. Our accommodations for the next few days were not nearly as modern or luxurious as our previous suite. However, the location was absolutely perfect.
After our bags had been offloaded, we walked just under ten minutes to the busy Riva waterfront.
This promenade fronts onto the fortress walls surrounding Diocletian’s Palace. It was built by the Roman Emperor Diocletian in the fourth Century for his retirement. Following the destruction of Salona in the seventh century, refugees found shelter inside the Palace walls, transforming it into an organized city. Since then the Palace has been occupied by residences and businesses.
The Palace was a major location for the filming of Game of Thrones. Much like Dubrovnik, it uses this as another way to attract tourists.
We did enjoy watching the show (this was how we spent the first few months of the 2020 lockdown). Prior to our trip to Spilt, Croatia, we had read that the GoT museum in Split was a must-see.
Let me save you the €11 per person and summarize it for you; this is the definition of a tourist trap as far as I’m concerned. The museum consisted of 3 small rooms filled with prop and wardrobe reproductions. The closest thing to an original from filming was a shutter that was used to cover a window.
It took less than fifteen minutes to experience the entire “museum” and I left feeling like I had been misled.
We strolled through the Palace for a bit, making our way through the narrow alleys and just taking in our surroundings.
There are a few homes still within the walls, but it is mostly shops and restaurants. To offset the bad taste of the GoT museum, we decided to have dinner at a restaurant at the end of the promenade that was recommended to us by the same friend of a friend who told us to eat at Taj Mahal in Dubrovnik.
Fife did not disappoint. Here we found a traditional Dalmatian menu that was reasonably priced. I had a mixed meat plate and Hayley had sea bass, a simple meal but very enjoyable. It was now fairly late and we were ready to call it a night.
The next morning we arose to another beautiful, sunny day.
We had coffee outside on the apartment terrace before heading back to the Palace for a tour.
The entry tickets for Diocletian’s Palace were just about the same cost as the GoT museum the previous day but it delivered ten times the value. We started by checking out the Split Cathedral Treasury. Here we saw ancient religious artifacts and paintings dating back to the death of St. Dominus (after whom the Cathedral is named) in the early fourth century.
Next was a visit to the Cathedral itself, which is regarded as the oldest Catholic cathedral in the world to still use the original building. The structure of the Cathedral was originally the Mausoleum of Diocletian before being consecrated in the seventh century. The bell tower was added in the twelfth century.
We obviously climbed the narrow stairs to the top where I continued to battle my fear of heights and question safety. Hayley took pictures of the exceptional view of the Palace grounds and out over the sea.
Next was a quick stop at the small, but very ornate Temple of Jupiter. Built at the same time as the rest of the palace, it paid tribute to the Roman Gods. It also sports a sphinx at its entrance, one of twelve that the Roman emperor had dragged down from Egypt after his conquests there.
After lunch, we spent the rest of the afternoon walking along the port and past the beaches to the marina.
We then made our way back to get some groceries for dinner. After eating, we enjoyed a bottle of wine on the terrace and got to bed early to rest up for the next day.
It was an early morning, as we had to meet down at the promenade for a tour of the Blue Caves that we had booked weeks earlier. We met our group at 7:30 and everyone seemed to be looking forward to the day.
Not long after getting the itinerary, we were informed that the cave was closed for the day due to high waves. There is apparently a low entrance to this cave (which is managed by the Croatian government) and it is impossible to access when the winds pick up out at sea.
We were still offered a boat tour that included a few stops, including the popular Hvar Island.
Since we did not have alternate plans for the day, we took a discount on the price and headed out on the speed boat.
The first stop was in Milna, on the island of Brač. There we had coffee and walked the small village for an hour before being taken to Bol, known for its wineries, on the opposite side of Brač.
After a brief stop for a swim there, we were taken to Milna, another small town of the same name as our first stop, but located on Hvar island where we had lunch.
Next up was a couple of hours at Carpe Diem Beach, a nice little secluded spot where we relaxed and went for a swim in the clear water.
The last stop was in the town of Hvar, where we walked along the promenade and spent time with a vacationing brother and sister (Sarah & Scott), whose parents had chosen not to join the island tour.
We were disappointed that we were unable to do the tour as planned, but we made the best of the day and did have fun meeting new friends.
Upon our return to Split, we made plans to meet back up with our boat crew and another couple from France, for dinner. We had a delicious meal at Apetit in the heart of the Palace, a wonderful restaurant where I had some veal and Hayley had sea bass (it had turned into a favourite choice for her).
We parted ways with Sarah and Scott and headed out with Kevin & Aurelie for some post-dinner drinks. This started at a ShotGun shooter bar, located within the Palace. We then headed over to a beach bar where we drank and danced till the wee hours of the morning.
Needless to say, the following day was low-key as we were both reminded that we are not in our mid-twenties anymore. We slept in and rallied enough to head out for some pizza in the late afternoon.
The second to last day in Croatia was also planned in advance.
We had tickets to enter Plitvice Lakes, National Park. It was just under three hours to drive there. Right before our departure I looked to the skies and decided I didn’t need my raincoat.
I’m not sure if Mother Nature was watching me and rubbing her hands together during this process, but as we drove further from Split the skies darkened. There was some light off-and-on rain during the drive that had me holding out hope that I was not going to regret leaving my jacket back at the Airbnb.
I could have easily thrown it in the boot.
There was a guy I used to work with who always said, “better looking at it, than for it”. I usually tell myself this when I’m unsure of whether I need something or not, but not that day. Upon arrival at the park, I needed it, really needed it. It wasn’t a heavy downpour, but a steady unrelenting drizzle. Thankfully I was able to purchase a poncho in the gift shop.
While this threw off my matching outfit for the day, I was able to stay relatively dry.
We entered the park and ventured out on its trails.
The small lakes dotting the park were a magnificent colour of blue with waterfalls feeding each one. The rain continued throughout our entire visit. While it didn’t deter us from exploring the park, it certainly made for slippery ground and did take away from the overall enjoyment. We opted to take the long way around the largest lake, walking the trail as opposed to taking the ferry.
There wasn’t much wildlife encountered, but the trails were also mostly unoccupied by other visitors.
Hayley was still able to snap some unbelievable photos of the park despite the weather.
Once we had reached the far end of the lake we were fairly wet. It was at this point that we opted to take the ferry back and not venture to the furthest point of the park.
During this lake crossing, the wind picked up and the rain intensified. By the time the ferry had made it to the other side, we’d had enough bad weather for the day. We trekked back to the park entrance, stopping briefly at the largest waterfall in the park to take some pictures.
Mother Nature had not been kind.
I wondered if She’d have given us a break if I’d had my coat.…. The rain stopped as we exited the parking lot, as if this must’ve been Her plan all along. After the long drive back, we put on some dry clothes and went out to have tacos. It was a warm, dry evening and a great way to end a soggy day.
There was not much planned for the final day of our trip.
However, I was still craving some historic sights.
We decided to head to the Klis Fortress, a towering structure on the outskirts of the city. This site has been occupied since the third century BCE, first built as a stronghold, then a Royal Castle in the ninth century and a fortress in the eleventh century.
It was the site of many battles and served as strategic military point for centuries until the seventeenth century. This fortress is a perfect place to visit in order to avoid large crowds. It is not a very busy attraction and we had the freedom to explore almost every corner.
There is a small museum filled with interesting facts about the fortress and the people who once occupied it. It also provides a stunning view of Split, Croatia. While we were there, I asked an employee about recommendations for lunch. He suggested Perlica, located just a few minutes away.
I was so happy that I asked for the tip.
It was by far the best meal that I had during our trip, though this may be debatable in Hayley’s case. We ordered the slow-roasted lamb, which we could see turning on a spit over open coals, just outside.
It was absolutely fantastic.
We headed back to the Airbnb to prepare for our departure the next morning. Our flight out was in the late morning, much better than the inbound flight we’d had at 8 a.m. During the drive to the car rental office, we were met with torrential rain.
It made the soggy day spent at the park seem dry.
By the time we had been dropped off at the airport, we were totally soaked. The raincoat would have made very little difference in this downpour, and I would’ve risked getting everything in my suitcase wet trying to retrieve it.
- Lesson learned; always have a packable raincoat at your disposal at all times, regardless of what weather you think you’ll get.
This was surely a sign of things to come; our flight was delayed for over three hours.
We sat in the terminal for six hours before boarding the plane. We had fallen victim to the numerous airport delays that travellers have been experiencing.
The inbound flight from Manchester was late and it had a domino effect.
Because of the unreliable arrival times, we had decided to not book a train ticket back to Sheffield in advance, instead, booking it on the TrainLine app on the fly. We caught the airport express to Manchester Piccadilly and hustled from that platform to the opposite end of the station in an attempt to catch the next train home.
We almost made it, getting to the gate just in time to watch the doors close and the train depart. It was a day of waiting. Due to cancellations, we had to wait another hour before we could board a train to Sheffield.
It made for a very long day.
These are the uncontrollable things that come with travelling. It requires patience. But the thrill of travelling the world will always outweigh the unforeseen obstacles.
We had a great time in Split, in Croatia in total. What an unbelievably beautiful county.