Thursday, May 12th to Split
Radio Split warns about a floating refrigerator. Definitely not advisable
to hit one in the open sea!
It is only ten miles to get to Split, but at least one mile to get from
the marina to the city. We will get our exercise that way.
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But it is worth the long walk. We didn't
expect such a beautiful old town. The heart is formed by the palace
of Diocletian built by the Roman emperor in the 4th century as a luxurious
retirement home for himself.
Vaults, towers and walls are to a large extent well preserved.
The city gates have "metallic" names.
One enters the palace from the sea side through the small seagate called
"Bronze Gate". The underground vaults were filled with rubble
until 1956. Today the catacombs are a souk for art and kitsch.
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The vaults end in the "Peristyl" - the ancient yard filled with pillars; this used to be the entrance to the official and residential quarters.
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The imperial mausoleum became the cathedral Sv. Duje in medieval times. Right now the area around the cathedral is packed with tourists. Just around the corner it is quiet and very peaceful and nobody in sight.
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Alleys decorated with banners lead from the west through the "Iron Gate" to the centre of the palace and through the "Silver Gate" out again to the east.
The "Golden Gate" in the north was most likely the main entrance to the city.
The huge statue of a Croatian bishop stands in the small park next to the Golden Gate. People like to kiss the big toe of the statue to make it shine golden. Yuck!
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A huge ferry berths at the ferry terminal. The two sailors in the dinghy next to it are hardly visible.
