Hrvatska                                                                      Zadar 44:08.50N 15:13.06E

SPLIT

The first inhabitant of Split was the Roman emperor Diocletian who started to build his palace in this friendly bay around 293 AD. After his abdication he withdrew to this luxurious palace of about 30 thousand square meters.

The following turbulent centuries made the palace into a town first populated by the citizens of the nearby Salona, fleeing before Avars and Slavs. The town overgrew the walls of the palace and its authorities kept changing - from Croatian kings in 10th century AD, Hungarian and Venetian administration, to French rulers and Austro-Hungarian monarchy. Such past left its traces combined in the town everyday life. The city, however, went on remaining the centre of this part of the coast till our day. This mixture of historic layers brought some clumsiness and some things done too fast but today all that makes a part of its originality. The big city today lives by the silent beats of history, lively spirit of the young and its particular Mediterranean charm. Thanks to the www.visitsplit.com website.

18th June, Jo-Anne & Jacques Larretche (The Larry’s) arrive from Paris. Irene and I returned to ACI Marina, Split at 08:00 this day and have been working every since cleaning the boat. Thank goodness for air-conditioning. Patricia and Brian Molloy (The Molwoi’s) arrive from London tomorrow. Patricia & Irene were flat mates in Sydney before we all married and Jo-Anne is Patricia’s sister. Jacques is of course French, Patricia & Jo-Anne, English and Brian is an Aussie. Talk about the United Nations for 10 days. Poor Jo-Anne was involved in a car accident a few days back and she arrived in a neck brace, broken rib and splitting headache. Talk about keen for a holiday in Croatia!

Jacques & I ventured forth into Split and tracked down a wine merchant for some advice on Croatian wines. While Bob & Steve were on board it was a bit hit and miss (Steve drinks Banrock Station normally!) so we felt we should take advice. Made the wine seller’s day we did with a hefty order and when we got back to the boat, I photographed and printed out a sheet with all the labels so that when we went to the Konsum supermarket we had something to go by. Oh well we will see!

Jo-Anne stayed abed and Jacques, Irene & I decided on dinner locally at the marina and were delightfully surprised. Entrée was a carpaccio of six different fish, main course pasta, beans and prawn soup and a desert of chocolate soufflé including some delicious bottles of St Klement white wine from the island of Šolta. Fantastic value and well presented.

19th June During the night, as I had forgotten to lift the passeraile, a surge caught the boat and crunched the passeraile into the concrete dock splitting the cap rail off the gunwale and breaking the bracket out. After borrowing and buying sufficient clamps, I managed to glue it all back together as my guests were trapped aboard until I fixed it.

Brian & Patricia arrive mid afternoon and that evening we dined ashore at the same restaurant as last night. David & Lynn off ‘Patricia’ a Bénéteau 50 came with us.

20th to the markets early and then to the Konsum supermarket for a big shop. Croatia has available most things we are used to and the supermarkets are just like home so we are not deprived of anything important and then off to Šolta for swimming, drinks and dinner on board. A mermaid swam out from the shore and asked us to hold out our flag to her friend to prove we were from Australia. Lovely bay and idyllic surroundings.

The rest of the trip with the Molwoi’s and the Larry’s went smoothly and we touched on the highlights of Croatia with them. Šolta, Trogir, Hvar and dinner again at Toto’s at Palmižana, up the Krka River to Skradin, visit to the Krka Falls, Zlarin, Tribunj, Murter, Šukosan (where Jo-Anne & Jacques departed), back to Trogir where Brian & Patricia departed.

In Trogir we rafted up with Phoenix and John & Amanda Cushen whom we visited in Stewart Island, NZ this past February.

Irene, Jo-Anne, Patricia, Brian & Jacques at Diocletian’s Palace-Split

Bit hard to see this but the Optimist sailing dinghy is towing the rubber ducky.

Scampi on every menu                                    Trogir car show 1934 Roller

She took my picture so I reciprocated.               Every little alleyway held a surprise.