Split - Stairs of Fear

Split may not have the beauty of Dubrovnik, but it has a charm and warmth that makes you want to drop your bags and move in. But, it didn’t start out that way for us...

Church Window in Palace

The area where we stayed, close to the city centre, was a rabbit warren of narrow streets and cul-de-sacs with no room to park. Cars lined the sidewalks leaving little room to manoeuvre. We were a few feet from our apartment, but it was the other side of a wall – we had to turn around. As we struggled, a huge man came out of his house to get in his car – he saw us and immediately strode toward us – his whole frame swung side to side with aggression. We escaped, just as he got within striking distance.

Bishop Grigor Ninski

Finally we got to where we could see our apartment door and our landlady met us – she had saved us a spot to park. This was our smallest accommodation; two en-suite bedrooms joined by a tiny kitchen diner, but cosy. We unpacked and headed down into the ancient town.

Diocletian’s Palace forms the centre of Split. Built in the 3^rd Century, it’s one of the best-preserved Roman palaces in the world, although waves of settlers have built in and around it. Diocletian built the palace for his retirement, a key building being a temple and mausoleum for his remains. But, Diocletian’s reign was particularly brutal towards Christians - he beheaded local Bishop Domnius here – so, when the Christians came to town his sarcophagus was quickly removed and replaced by the relics of Domnius, now a saint. It became a cathedral and was renamed St Domnius.

St Domnius Angels above the Altar

As usual, I went for an early morning walk to catch the city empty and I chanced upon the cathedral door, open just a pinch. I looked in, holding my camera to see a nun writing notes for a speech. Eventually, she looked up and silently beckoned me in. I took some lovely shots before worshippers started to arrive. This is considered to be the oldest Catholic cathedral in the world, being essentially unchanged since its consecration.

Stairs of Fear

The cathedral also has a bell tower so later in the day my friend Marc and I decided to climb it. Now, I’m not afraid of heights, I thought, although I hadn’t liked climbing the Eiffel Tower, but this tower freaked me out. This one has a steel staircase that winds around the inside of the tower leaving the centre completely open. Marc managed to persuade me to climb, but my knees were like jelly. Oddly, I was fine coming down and the view up there was wonderful. We looked out across the harbour and down upon the Palace.

View from Bell Tower

Split’s most delightful area, particularly on a sunny afternoon, is the Riva or waterfront, a strip of awning-covered tables set away from their cafes so that you can people-watch on the promenades. Our waiter seduced us to sit in his area and served wine, Ojusko and the best coffee in Croatia (my opinion). We sat there as the girls shopped – Carol bought a pair of Black Madonna earrings commemorating one of the most holy shrines in Croatia (Marija Bistrica). In the 16^th Century, fearing the invading Turks, a priest had buried a wooden statue of the Virgin holding the baby Jesus and it had become lost. It was rediscovered years later when someone saw a bright light emanating from it. Now, pilgrims come in their thousands.

Restaurants in People’s Square

The coffee was so good, we came back the next day – and the server remembered us, leaving me a smiley face in the froth.

As with Dubrovnik, the squares are lined with wonderful restaurants. We stopped for a meal in a restaurant in People’s Square, just outside the Iron Gate, one of the most popular restaurant locales. I ate čevapčiči (kebabs), small skinless sausages made of a spiced, grilled pork, beef, and lamb mixture, served with salad, cheese and fries – delicious.

Before calling it a day we went to the cellar under Diocletian’s Palace, now a tourist market, entered down a stairwell beside the cathedral. There were some lovely local crafts there and, once again, we bought too many. But, my knees were back to normal.

The Market under Diocletian’s Palace