September 9, 2010

Split, croatia

Having been the summer playground of Germans, Italians & french for a long time, I was not quite sure what to expect of Croatia. It felt a little bit like a real adventure. We flew into Split, Croatia from Paris & was greeted by a wave of hot Mediterranean sunshine. What bliss!

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Because of its proximity to Italy, Croatia has been greatly influenced by its Adriatic neighbour. We dined in Italian restaurants almost everyday & marveled at architecture which would not have seemed out of place in Venice. I, however, was the odd one out. Everywhere we went, people stared at me as though it was the first time they'd seen an Asian.

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Split is best-known for the Diocletian Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one which truly lives up to its reputation.

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It was amazing to see locals still living in 4th century Roman palace ruins & going about their everyday business like hanging clothes. I was obsessed with spotting Croatians hanging their clothes or leaning out of their windows. When i spotted one, I would shout : Look! Princess!!! Meanwhile F the history buff would shake his head & lament about the Serbian war which led to many years of misery for Croatia.

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The peristyle of the palace where you can now relax on cushions & have a coffee. My favorite place of all, especially when i am constantly jet-lagged.

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Climbing old stone structures & stairs is de rigueur in Split but we soon discover that the best views are really from the top.. like this one over the city from the narrow bell tower.

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Ladies afternoon tea.

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Split is also a busy port and we loved hanging out at the promenade & just watching people, eating gelatos.

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We practically burn our skin just walking under the sun... not a cloud in the sky.

After 2 nights in Split, we take a ferry to Hvar, one of the many islands dotting the Dalmatian coast.. and there, we fell in love. You'll soon see why :)

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