Split, Croatia.

Traveling by bus in Croatia is quite comfortable, as the coaches are clean and quite new. The coastline is stunningly beautiful (even if it is raining...), and the large windows offer great views as you travel along. The route along the coast from Zadar to Split was no exception, and my head was turned as much to the landward side of the road as it was to the seaward side. The mountains are rugged and spectacular, and as we passed by the area close to one of the Croatian national parks, I was kicking myself for opting to not go to Plitvice Lakes National Park, on account of the cold and wet weather. I have since learned that it IS a must see, and so I will endeavour to get there on my way back through Croatia in December, when it is certain to be cold and snowy! But, I'm from Alberta so it should be no problem for me, ha ha! Sensible footwear will be the key.

Upon arrival in Split, I found my way to the hostel that I had booked, and then proceeded to explore the Old City. This is really an amazing place, because it is what built by Roman Emperor Diocletian as his retirement palace, between AD 245-313. It measures 215m by 181m, and contains not only the original structures such as his mausoleum (which was turned into a cathedral), but structures added over the centuries by subsequent occupiers such as the Venetians and Hapsburgs. It grew into a residential community, and still is today, home to several hundred residents along with banks and shops and tourism related businesses. It is really quite fantastic, with all the architectural styles of the various influences over the ages. I love the small details that are evident here, there, and everywhere - carvings, loges, balconies, windows, doorways, decorative motifs. I did a guided tour, one on one, with a very good guide who was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the history of his city.

The hostel brought me into contact with some young travelers from Australia and New Zealand, about the age of my daughter, Caitlin, and a little older. It was really nice to sit with them and chat about many things, and share some laughs and some food. It was also a real treat to finally get to a hostel where I could cook my own food. There was a nice market very nearby, and so eggplant was on the menu, cooked up with onion and paprika and topped off with pomegranite and yogurt. Yumm! And of course some wine. This is where I first discovered Macedonian wine. Very good!

I went to the town of Trogir as a day trip from Split. A one hour bus ride away, it is a lovely town with some pretty buildings and set on a small island linked to the new town by a bridge. I hiked around and up and over the old town through the old residential streets to the far side of the island (it's tiny) to find lovely coves with azure waters and bright sun. No sandy beaches, which are rare in Croatia, as far as I can tell, but many good spots to slip into the Adriatic to swim and snorkel. In the summer, that is. The air temperature was too chilly for that on a day in mid November. But it was mildly tempting!

Instead I contented my self with clambering around on the rocks and picking fichi d'india, aka prickly pears. Prickly, indeed! The fine, hair-like thorns embed themselves in your skin very easily, so I used a plastic bag to pick them. They were a beautiful dark red, much more so than the ones that I have bought from Spinelli's in Edmonton. When I got back to the hostel, I was very surprised to learn that the young woman who is the receptionist, had never eaten them before. They grow all over the area, close to the sea and inland, not at all rare to see them in peoples gardens and in natural places. Mostly the just fall off and rot, but there are some for sale in the markets, which would be akin to buying rhubarb or crabapples at the grocery store in Edmonton. Pomegranites and persimmons are also everywhere, but mostly cultivated. And oranges. Lots and lots of oranges.

There is a huge park to the west side of Split that offers some nice walking trails and good views of nearby islands and the vast sea. I had a fine day of exploring there, and came upon the local climbing crag, which looked very enticing and fun. The limestone cliff band has eroded over the ages into varied formations and caves, some of which have had hermitages built into them. All along the coast of Croatia is vast amounts of climbable rock, and it has in fact started to become a preferred climbing destination in Europe. So, if you are looking for new routes and fewer crowds than Back of the Lake or Squamish, I would strongly recommend a spring or late summer trip to Croatia. It is hard to imagine that there would be any kind of line-ups anywhere here for the next century or so. Very good quality limestone!

After about 4 days in Split, it was time to move on to Dubovnik.