When we last left off, our travelers had found themselves in rather dire circumstances, set upon by nature, devoid of hope and Wi-Fi ...
OK, we left Hvar two days ago and headed by car ferry to Split, the second largest city in Croatia. Founded in the 4th Century by the Roman Emperor Diocletian, this working port town expands out from the ancient site of the Roman ruler's retirement Palace.
We stayed in a little place, the Hotel Peristil, built between the inner and outer walls of the ancient palace, and just behind the Cathedral. Back in the day, the Cathedral was Diocletian's mausoleum, across the Peristil, or the central courtyard, is the Temple of Jupiter, now the Baptistry. There you can find one of two black granite sphinxes, from around 1500 BC which had greeted visitors on the entrance Diocletian's mausoleum.
Now, Diocletian was a bit of a badass. Born a slave, he joined the Roman army, rose through the ranks and was Emperor at age 39. Though, oddly, he found the Empire at the time somewhat unmanageable, so he split it into four fiefdoms, or the Tetrarchy. Then, in something rarely done in the annals of politics, he decided to retire to Split and his palace at the age of 60. This, of course, led to a civil war between the other members of the Tetrarchy. But, hey, at least he was innovating ...
We spent the afternoon walking through the Palace which has been repurposed with great expertise into a high-end tourist outdoor mall of sorts. Interesting architectural flourishes about, like our hotel, basically a discrete four-story box built between two of the ancient walls. It's not uncommon to walk by a trendy boutique or a bank in the alleys where they've built around an ancient column or wall.
We dined that night at Šperun Deva, a great "mom 'n' pop" restaurant, not only recommended by numerous guidebooks and websites, but also the locals.
Bob ordered the mussels in a red sauce, not on the menu, but recommended by one of the guides. Great stuff. We then had the branzino, which was poached, then baked. Great flavor, tender, but firm, served with boiled potatoes and sauteed kale.
Now the wine we were served was great. Postup, the local grape. This was insanely good. Big, bold, licorice, black cherry, full-bodied.
It's safe to say that beyond the port and the Palace, Split is a plain, working-class town. The following day we drove up into Croatia's mountains, to the Plitvice Lakes. As you pull away from the center of Split, from the ancient palace, past the Mediterranean-style stucco and brick summer houses and apartments with the red tiles which hug the shore, you move into the suburbs and a lot of those bleak, Cold War-era apartment blocks. Dreary.
We took the main road up the hills, with the temperature in the high-80s. If you've ever driven from San Bernardino to Palm Springs, you kind of get the picture. Just eliminate the smog. This is a rough-hewn country, especially in the area between the coasts and the foothills. Bare limestone pillars and peaks jut out of the ground at weird angles.
But the higher we rose into the hills, the more Alpine the scenery became, and the Plitvice Lakes National Park is beautiful. The temperature had also dropped to the mid-60s and it was overcast. The lakes are not large by U.S. standards, but they are tiered and were formed by a calcium material called travertine. The water is clear and large schools of fish can be seen in each of the lakes.
OK, this was really hilly, with lots of hills, and we had to walk down, and then back up a few times. Overall about a two mile walk. Bring sensible walking shoes.
We stayed at the Plitvička Jezera, a park-owned resort that's got a major '60s-modern grooviness going on. It's kind of like a mountain chalet, yet at the same time, somewhat utilitarian.
That night we headed back down the hill about 6 miles to the Vila Velebita for our first helping of spit-roasted suckling pig. This stuff is INSANE. Pork should always be served this way. No, seriously. It was tender and succulent and the crackle, the skin was a guilty treat.
The wine was also quite good. In fact, outside of one or two glasses of errant reds or whites, overall the wines here in Croatia are as good as anywhere we've had wine: Italy, France, California ... Just solid.
Bob and I made it an early night after our huge, pork-fueled dinner. In fact, it's dinnertime now. Will write more later...
The Campanile of the Cathedral of St. Domnius, Split
OK, we left Hvar two days ago and headed by car ferry to Split, the second largest city in Croatia. Founded in the 4th Century by the Roman Emperor Diocletian, this working port town expands out from the ancient site of the Roman ruler's retirement Palace.
We stayed in a little place, the Hotel Peristil, built between the inner and outer walls of the ancient palace, and just behind the Cathedral. Back in the day, the Cathedral was Diocletian's mausoleum, across the Peristil, or the central courtyard, is the Temple of Jupiter, now the Baptistry. There you can find one of two black granite sphinxes, from around 1500 BC which had greeted visitors on the entrance Diocletian's mausoleum.
Now, Diocletian was a bit of a badass. Born a slave, he joined the Roman army, rose through the ranks and was Emperor at age 39. Though, oddly, he found the Empire at the time somewhat unmanageable, so he split it into four fiefdoms, or the Tetrarchy. Then, in something rarely done in the annals of politics, he decided to retire to Split and his palace at the age of 60. This, of course, led to a civil war between the other members of the Tetrarchy. But, hey, at least he was innovating ...
We spent the afternoon walking through the Palace which has been repurposed with great expertise into a high-end tourist outdoor mall of sorts. Interesting architectural flourishes about, like our hotel, basically a discrete four-story box built between two of the ancient walls. It's not uncommon to walk by a trendy boutique or a bank in the alleys where they've built around an ancient column or wall.
Hotel Peristil's "tasteful" signage
We dined that night at Šperun Deva, a great "mom 'n' pop" restaurant, not only recommended by numerous guidebooks and websites, but also the locals.
Bob ordered the mussels in a red sauce, not on the menu, but recommended by one of the guides. Great stuff. We then had the branzino, which was poached, then baked. Great flavor, tender, but firm, served with boiled potatoes and sauteed kale.
Now the wine we were served was great. Postup, the local grape. This was insanely good. Big, bold, licorice, black cherry, full-bodied.
It's safe to say that beyond the port and the Palace, Split is a plain, working-class town. The following day we drove up into Croatia's mountains, to the Plitvice Lakes. As you pull away from the center of Split, from the ancient palace, past the Mediterranean-style stucco and brick summer houses and apartments with the red tiles which hug the shore, you move into the suburbs and a lot of those bleak, Cold War-era apartment blocks. Dreary.
We took the main road up the hills, with the temperature in the high-80s. If you've ever driven from San Bernardino to Palm Springs, you kind of get the picture. Just eliminate the smog. This is a rough-hewn country, especially in the area between the coasts and the foothills. Bare limestone pillars and peaks jut out of the ground at weird angles.
But the higher we rose into the hills, the more Alpine the scenery became, and the Plitvice Lakes National Park is beautiful. The temperature had also dropped to the mid-60s and it was overcast. The lakes are not large by U.S. standards, but they are tiered and were formed by a calcium material called travertine. The water is clear and large schools of fish can be seen in each of the lakes.
Veliki Slap (The Big Waterfall)
OK, this was really hilly, with lots of hills, and we had to walk down, and then back up a few times. Overall about a two mile walk. Bring sensible walking shoes.
We stayed at the Plitvička Jezera, a park-owned resort that's got a major '60s-modern grooviness going on. It's kind of like a mountain chalet, yet at the same time, somewhat utilitarian.
Welcome. You WILL Enjoy Yourself
Groovy Stairwell
Groovy Amoeba-shaped First Floor Landing Lighting
That night we headed back down the hill about 6 miles to the Vila Velebita for our first helping of spit-roasted suckling pig. This stuff is INSANE. Pork should always be served this way. No, seriously. It was tender and succulent and the crackle, the skin was a guilty treat.
The wine was also quite good. In fact, outside of one or two glasses of errant reds or whites, overall the wines here in Croatia are as good as anywhere we've had wine: Italy, France, California ... Just solid.
Bob and I made it an early night after our huge, pork-fueled dinner. In fact, it's dinnertime now. Will write more later...
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