Split, Croatia

Split sits along the Dalmatian coast, which is also where the famous fire engine dog, the Dalmatian, gets its name, which is for the spots of islands that dot its coast much like they do the dog itself. Cute dogs aside, the Dalmatian coast is quite beautiful.

There is a promenade with endless restaurants and shops, rocky beaches filled to the brim with tourists laying out like beached whales, minus all the blubber:), and the Marjan Forest Park all centrally located. We hiked the Marjan Forest Park to the Croatian flag which provides a great overview of the city and sunset.

Along the main promenade sits Diocletian’s Palace, which was built by Roman Emporor as a retirement home in 4th century AD. Slowly but surely the city built up and around this palace/fortress allowing you to walk around it and still see a 3200 year old sphinx adjacent to the main city square and bustling shops.

Random interesting Croatian fact, 90% of Croatians own an apartment and there are no property taxes. Can’t think of another country with 90% rate of home ownership. Some of this is due Croatia’s history of socialism and from the money that tourism brings in.

We took a boat to the nearby island of Hvar. Apparently this island is popular for the rich and famous but don’t think I would recognize a celebrity if they were sitting next to me 🤷‍♂️. The island has crystal clear waters, but was too windy for any kayaking or stand up paddle boarding. It was wonderful to spend a day relaxing and drinking way too many coffees, okay, maybe that’s not a thing. We have one final day before it is off to Dubrovnik.Lue lisää