Split / Diocletian's Palac

 Hello from Split!

We didn't have much to write about yesterday, since the majority of our day was spent simply getting from Kotor, Montenegro to Split, Croatia (and returning our rental car).  But we have arrived safe and sound for a three-night stay in the sunny coastal city of Split. 

Our home is a beautiful little apartment on the edge of the old town, with stone walls and exposed wooden beams.  It's so nice in fact that some family members are reluctant to go explore the town in the August sunshine :) 

Last night after we arrived, Zoe and I decided to go out and explore the old town on foot. Like Kotor it has a lot of charm with cobblestone streets, stone buildings, and narrow alleys, although it is also much bigger than Kotor (and sees more traffic from cruise ships too). 

Just a block over from our apartment is a beautiful wide promenade that goes straight down to the water, and the waterfront is a big open space filled with patios, walkways, and palm trees. 

Palaza del la Republica

From the waterfront we picked a random alley and wandered further into the old town, and eventually - or inevitably, perhaps - wandered into Diocletian's Palace. 

Radic Brothers Square

The Golden Gate of Diocletian's Palace

Roman mosaic tiles! 

Time for a history nerd tangent. One of the reasons I had Split on our itinerary is that literally half of the old town is Diocletian's Palace (or what's left of it). Diocletian was a Roman emperor who ruled the empire from 284 until he abdicated and retired in 305. His palace in Split was essentially his retirement residence. Diocletian is pretty interesting for a number of reasons, but one of the big ones that stands out to me is that he basically said "guys it's ridiculous how big our empire is; no one man can effectively rule this."  So he split it up into a four-person system, known as the tetrarchy.  It worked for a while, but quickly fell apart after he retired (thanks Constantine). 

Anyway, after everyone caught up on some sleep last night Rosie and I headed out in the afternoon to do the official tour, which includes Saint Dominius Cathedral, a climb up the bell tower, the Treasury, the Crypt, and the Baptistry (aka Jupiters Temple). Some of these were a little underwhelming (the "crypt" is just a small empty room), but the view from the bell tower was great, and really lets you see the remnants of the walls of the Palace and how they've been incorporated into the old town of Split. 

Rosie with the Silver Gate in the background

Entombment of Christ

Saint Dominius Cathedral

After our climb to the top of the bell tower, Rosie and I enjoyed some well-deserved ice cream - Oreo for her, pistachio for me. 

Nothing like sitting on the ruins of an ancient civilization and enjoying some ice cream

Ok one more nerdy history detail - most tourists do not even notice this, but there's an Egyptian sphinx just outside the Cathedral! It's over 3,000 years old (from the reign of Pharaoh Thutmose III), made of African black granite, and was brought back from Egypt on Diocletian's orders. Spoiler alert - we are going to see more Egyptian artificats in a few days when we explore Rome. :) 

Egyptian sphinx

After our afternoon adventure Rosie and I walked back along the waterfront and stopped at a patio for a refreshing drink. 

We have no firm plans for tomorrow so are going to play things by ear!