Travel Day

Our 1st holiday of 2025, yes, this is our 3rd trip abroad, but the big trip in January wasn't a relaxing holiday as there was too much to see and do! Prague last month was really a city break long weekend away, so again, not a relaxing holiday!! 😀
So here we are in Croatia 🇭🇷 at the hotel Le Meridien Lav in Podstrana on the outskirts of Split.
The day started well with our ride 🚕 to the airport 🛫 arriving early. At 01:45 am as you would expect the roads were extremely quiet and so by 02:50 we had checked our bags in and were heading through security and onto the departures area where the San Marco was about to open. After a leisurely "full" English breakfast with a coffee ☕️ chaser, we left about 90 minutes later. At 05:30, our gate number was announced, and by 06:50, we were taking off, leaving the rain 🌧 and Manchester behind as we jetted to the sunshine 🌞 and split. Bags 🎒 🎒 collected and transport found we arrived at the hotel 45 minutes later and yes Croatia has Friday traffic as well. 🚗 🚗 🚗
Fortunately, our room was ready; some 4 1/2 hrs before the formal check-in time. So unpack, check out the pool, and by midday, we are enjoying our first Croatian beers 🍻 🍺 🍺
After a bite to eat, we relaxed for the rest of the afternoon on the stony beach, treading gingerly to the waters edge for a cool down.
Apart from what looked like a church on fire on the hillside, the day ended with a lovely sunset 🌇
Footnote: we later found out that the church wasn't on fire but actually taking part in a religious ceremony of burning frankincense resin a well-known practice; unless you are not Croatian 🇭🇷, Where it's used for its aroma and believed to purify the air. Burning frankincense involves heating the resin, typically on charcoal or on a censer, which releases a fragrant smoke.Read more