Split, Croatia

Saturday and Sunday, June 30-July 1

We left our hotel around 11:00 to make our 2:00 flight to Split. Lines for passport control were long, and our flight was delayed by an hour or so, but otherwise we made it safely to Split after a brief 45 minute flight. At the Split airport, we faced bottleneck after bottleneck and more long lines at immigration, but we found our driver quickly and were whisked away to Le Meridien Hotel and Resort in the town of Lav, which was a 30 minute drive away. We were treated to a champagne reception, upon checking in, thanks to Gavin's status at Starwood Hotels--not bad! We settled into our seadside room, enjoying the view of the harbor below. Ewan and I headed down to check out the sparkling beachside swimming pool for a while before cleaning up and heading to dinner at one of the hotel restaurants. 

The restaurant is known for grilled specialties. There, we enjoyed a world class seafood dinner. Normally not much of a seafood eater, I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and ordered the octopus. It was by far the best meal I've had on the trip so far. It was made even better by pairing it with a local white wine, recommended by our super friendly and personable waiter, Tomis. We were so impressed by the quality of food, the atmosphere, and the warm, personable service. A memorable meal indeed! 

Unfortunately, Gavin fell ill with a fever overnight after arrival in Split. We weren't sure if it was some sort of virus or food poisoning, but he was too weak to join us for our sightseeing, let along any meals, so Ewan and I ventured out on our own into the Old Town of Split the next day. We took the hotel shuttle for the 15 minute ride into town. We first walked over to the Riva, which is a pedestrian promenade lined with shops and restaurants.

Ewan was keen to explore Diocletian's Palace, however we soon discovered that the palace really doesn't exist on its own, but rather the walls and features of the ancient palace are integrated into the section of the Old Town, with medieval buildings, homes and shops and structures having been added over the years to fill in the gaps. Many features of the palace remained, however, and Rick Steves' walking tour in his guide book helped us make sense of it all. We were impressed by the domed vestibule, which had once been the entryway to the palace.

What had once been Diocletian's mausoleum had been converted into an exquisite cathedral, with an impressive bell tower added in the Middle Ages.

Of course I couldn't resist the urge to climb the bell tower, as we always feel it's important to earn our gelato each day, so with quads burning and dripping with sweat on this hot and humid day, Ewan and I ascended the steep, two-way staircase (one of us, less enthusiastically than the other--can you guess who?)

Crazy steep steps, close to 18 inches tall!

Toward the top, the staircase turned to sheet metal steps, with merely a
flimsy metal rail to separate one from the open windows.

We explored more of the Old Town and enjoyed the eclectic architecture that blended ancient and medieval, admiring the narrow alleys through historic stone buildings. We found a little spot somewhat off the beaten path where we shared a pizza and salad for lunch, before summoning an Uber and heading back to our hotel.

After trudging around in the midday heat, Ewan and I headed for the crowded hotel swimming pool, where we spent the next several hours cooling off and making new friends. 

Later Ewan and I returned to the 7 Palms restaurant where we had eaten the previous night, since we had been so impressed with the food and the service. Gavin was still feeling awful, poor guy, so he unfortunately couldn't join us. Ewan and I made the best of it, despite missing Gavin, and enjoyed another fantastic dinner. Our waiter was so kind to let me taste several wines before making my selection. The setting was so gorgeous dining beachside at sunset, with a talented duo providing live music.