Fall Break - Split, Croatia

Monday - October 27, 2014

Second stop - Split, Croatia...

History in a nutshell -  second largest city, located in the Dalmatia region of Croatia, approximately 1,700 years old, with a population around 175,000. Since the Middle Ages Split has been controlled by Hungary, Venice, Napoleon and the French Empire, the Austrian Empire, and Yugoslavia (formed in 1918).  During WWII it went from Italy to Germany to Croatia back to Yugoslavia until Croatia seceded from Yugoslavia in 1991. The city itself is built around the partial walls of the former Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian built in the 4th century.

We wandered around the old town portion of Split built within the old Diocletian Palace walls. The streets around the outside palace walls and the Diocletian cellar is lined with vendors selling lavender, handbags, souvenirs, linens, etc. We had gelato on the waterfront promenade but the wi-fi was bad so relocated to the old town center for a quick lunch and decent wi-fi before heading back to the ship and another late afternoon bingo session.

the Dalmatian coast

portion of the old Diocletian Palace walls

the first of many jump shots during the week

portion of the old Diocletian Palace walls

limestone worn smooth over the centuries

portion of the old Diocletian Palace

peristyle portion (courtyard surrounded by columned structure) of the old Diocletian Palace

St. Dominus' Bell Tower -portion of the old Diocletian Palace

steep, narrow bell tower steps

jump shot inside the bell tower

the kids declared the bell tower climb extremely unsafe... nothing to keep someone from stepping into the open windows from the stairs!

Audra, Sofia, Gabby, Hallie and Cody

our ship in the distance

cathedral mausoleum at the base of the bell tower

cathedral mausoleum

cellars of the Diocletian Palace

cellar door

mounds of gelato!

Croatian cat

free wi-fi and lunch

former palace vestibule

narrow passages

narrow streets, narrow motorized carts

back to the ship

good bye Split!