Croatia: Split

Our second day of the cruise and once again we were up early and had another quick breakfast at the buffet. 

The cruise lines are typically very aware of the spread of germs and sickness, and they do make as many precautions as they can. They have people stationed for an involuntary dose of disinfectant as you board the ship, and when entering the dining rooms. 

Particularly at the buffet, you have people at every entrance to make sure people wash their hands. The crew refer to it as ‘washy-washy’ and they repeat the phrase continuously.

Several crew members greet people at the buffet each morning playing the guitar, singing and dancing to all manner of hand washing songs adapted from traditional tunes, such as “If you’re happy and you know it wash your hands..” Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline is sung as ‘Please wash your hands, wash wash wash” and the Hokey Pokey is sung as “You put both hands in, you take both hands out, you put both hands in and wash them all about” 

Their repertoire seemed endless and a lot of fun. 

We left the ship at 8:30 and were escorted to a tour bus. The tour was lead by a middle aged local guy named Ivitza, which he said comes from Ivan which translates to John so we can call him Johnny. 

He shared a lot of similarities to our Alan and I was certain it was his long lost forgotten twin by the misplaced relative of his mother’s distant cousin’s close family member from another brother. 

Alan strongly disagreed with me, although they shared a very similar love for history. 

Johnny’s profession was a mechanical engineer, but he was unable to earn a high enough wage so he chose to work as a tour guide where he could make more money by sharing his passion for history. And boy did he know his history.  

He mentioned that the population of Croatia is shrinking largely due to their low standard of living. Almost no one makes more than minimum wage which is about $5 an hour, even with a skilled profession.

We first drove through the town of Split. The name Split is derived from a flower called the Calicotome spinosa, which is a yellow budding flower also known as the Thorny or Spiny Broom.

Split is a vibrant coastal city located at the far North of the Adriatic Sea, known for its rich history and stunning architecture. This city has a bustling waterfront area lined with cafes, restaurants, and shops, perfect for a leisurely stroll.

Split’s Old Town is an archaeological jewel set within the seaside city of Split. 

Built in the 3rd century by the Roman Emperor Diocletian, this ancient palace is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and forms the heart of the old town.

The old city is filled with well-preserved Roman ruins, including temples, streets, and the Peristyle, a grand courtyard within the palace.

This car-free quarter centers on the semi-ruined Roman Diocletian’s Palace and a tangle of lanes where the city’s residents still go about their daily routines.

Wine was very popular in Croatia; so important that it was used as a form of currency. In past times the wine was called debit from which the name debit card comes, since people were literally allowed to pay off their debts with wine.

The well known Zinfandel wine originated in this very area.

Our first stop on the tour took us to the ancient city of Salona. 

Salona was the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia, just a few kilometers from Split. Salona is one of the most important archaeological sites in the country. 

Salona was the last residence of the final Western Roman Emperor, Julius Nepos, and acted as the de facto capital of the Western Roman Empire from 476-480 AD.

The old city is still being excavated, and there are many acres yet unearthed. They have uncovered many areas that include the ruins of cemeteries, churches, a school, a monastery, a theater and an amphitheater. 

Johnny and his wife own property but have been afraid to build anything. He claims there are so many ruins in the area that people frequently find them anytime they dig on their own property. This immediately shuts down their project, and the delays could significantly, if not permanently, shut down construction.

Johnny stressed the fact that nothing ever gets finished in Croatia, and showed us many examples of things partially built and never completed, both in ancient times and in modern times.

Relating to that, he said that the people are never in a hurry to do anything in Croatia, and they don’t even have a term for someone being late. As long as you arrive the same day, it’s not considered late. Bryan likes that idea a lot.

Our next stop was to the ancient walled city of Trogir, which they refer to as Little Venice. Not because it’s built over water, but because the architecture copies that of Venice, and indeed it does resemble Venice.  A Doctor Who episode titled Vampires of Venice was filmed there, and it was also the backdrop for the city of Qarth in the TV series Game of Thrones. 

Trogir is a charming historic town located on a small island just west of Split.

Founded by Greek colonists in the 3rd century BC, Trogir boasts over 2,300 years of continuous urban tradition.

Trogir was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, recognized for its remarkable example of urban continuity. 

The town is renowned for its well-preserved medieval townscape, featuring stunning examples of Romanesque, Renaissance, and Baroque architecture.

The beautiful St. Lawrence Cathedral prominently stands as one of the town's most iconic structures. 

Inside the cathedral flanking either side of the alter are their two patron saints, John of Trogir and Saint Laurence. In other wards, John and Larry. A fact which our John and Larry rather enjoyed until hearing they were martyred and Larry by being grilled alive.  

The Clock Tower is another prominent landmark, which offers visitors panoramic views of the town and its surroundings.

Trogir is a delightful blend of history, culture, and stunning architecture, making it a must-visit destination in Croatia. 

Trogir also boasted of having the best ice cream in the world, so of course we had to try it out to see for ourselves. We all agreed it may not be quite that good but perhaps we should sample all the rest of the ice cream in the world before we can be conclusive. 

At the end of our tour, Johnny talked to us about about American politics and said the country as a whole leans toward conservative values and they would mostly align themselves with the Republican Party in the U.S. 

But the country is strongly catholic and the church here morally doesn’t agree with Trump and don’t even believe he is a Christian saying his actions don’t line up with the church. Some priests are quite vocal against him. They say even though they don’t know anything about Kamala, they are afraid of Trump so they would take their chances with her.

We returned to the ship for a dinner in the Venetian dining room, and then attended a show by an acrobatic couple who call themselves Duality (Louis and Christina). It was a spectacular program and left us all quite in awe. 

It was a long grueling day and we were all about to fall asleep as it was. We have another country to visit tomorrow, so sleep was calling and we immediately retired…

…to the buffet.