David's Diary: Monday, August 5, 2002
Split, Croatia
Split Harbour
We had to say goodbye to Arbella, Onskan, and Willy Flippit and all of the new friends that we've made. This is normal in cruising as you join up and get together, but then each family heads its own way. Our paths may cross again or they may not. Perhaps that's why our meetings our so intense. We're never certain how long they will last nor whether we will see each other again.
We left Lovice, Brac and motored for the short passage to Split. The largest city along the Dalmatian coast of Croatia had lots to offer us. We needed the generator fixed, some Jeanneau warrantee items repaired, and we were looking forward to exploring the city that was founded in Roman times.
Split was founded by Diocletian when he decided to retire in 295 as the emperor of the Roman empire. Diocletian built his palace at Split, having originally grown up as a boy in Dalmatia. We had read about Diocletian's Palace and we eagerly jumped in the dinghy to pay it a visit after first anchoring Dragonsinger in the harbour.
For more pictures of Split, visit our Split pictures Web page. After looking at the pictures use your back button to return here.
Campanile
Today if you search for the palace you will be disappointed. Long ago the palace was taken over by the townspeople. Shops, buildings, and walkways spill out from inside the original palace walls. We navigated the warren of streets until we found the center of the formal palace, parts of which still do survive today. We found the Cathedral which was originally Diocletian's Mausoleum. We spent time in its cool interior before heading back outside and climbing the Campanile that stands just next to the cathedral.
Harbour views from campanile
It was a long hike to the top, but the sunny views of Split were worth it. The harbour was spread below us with Dragonsinger at anchor. We could see the many ferries making their way to the docks. Split is the center of ferry service for many of the nearby islands and in many cases are the only means of transport. We could also see the hills behind the city and the urban sprawl which has grown away from Diocletian's original palace walls.
We walked through the basement of the original palace central hall and out onto Riva, the main waterfront walkway which is lined with cafes. We made our way back to Dragonsinger, but the wind had come up while we were exploring Split and it was with difficulty that we managed to make it back onboard. Rather than bounce around all night we decided to head to the marina and found a spot to settle in for the next few days.