Iron gate at duskCharlie feeling better, but still coughing. It is raining again, but temps in the 60s so I can deal with this. We took a little walk to the mini-mart in our neighborhood to spend our last KM but still ended up with some. Checked out and before splitting for Split took a little driving tour of some of the outer neighborhoods of Mostar. There are some nicer, newer areas that don‘t seem to have been as hard hit by the war. Or maybe they just rebuilt faster.
The route back to Croatia was an easier and even more beautiful drive. The highway runs along the Neretva River due south from Mostar to the Adriatic. It’s curvy and wooded and the fall colors are brighter every day. We never lost sight of the unusual aquamarine water of the river. While the rugged route up took us through the Herzevogina part of the country, and the (mainly Serbian) state of Republika Srpska, this road took us through an anti-Serbian section. At least that’s my impression since every road sign that had place names in both Roman and Cyrillic had the Cyrillic painted over. (Not a very scientific conclusion -- maybe it was just the act of a single kid.) Had lunch just before we came to the border and almost got rid of our money.
They happily take euros in B-H and Croatia, but only give change in their own currency. I made one purchase where they wouldn’t take euro coins, just paper, and I didn’t want to give a large euro paper and end up with all that B-H change. Did some quick math and paid in both euros and KM, but came up .18 KM short (about 14 cents) and the saleswoman laughed and said forget it -- at least I think that’s what she said.
Anyway, once back in Croatia it felt like coming home. Everything is relative. Croatia is a wealthy and clean country next to B-H. As the land got flatter there were orange groves along the river, and one roadside stand after another selling oranges. The signs directed us to Split on a new superhighway that our map showed as under construction. So we took it instead of the coastal route. Well, it went only a few kilometers before the completed part ended and it took us a very circuitous route sort of along the spine of the coastal mountains. We ultimately picked up the completed portion after seeing more gorgeous scenery than we’d intended. This crest was alpine forests through the clouds (and behind the construction equipment). Since it had been raining off and on all day it was a good day to be in the car if you’re a passenger but not so great if you’re driving.
Arrival in Split was exciting, as it always is coming into a strange town. We knew where we wanted to be, even had a map and an address, but of course streets aren’t marked very often, so you never know whether you’re doing it right or not. We did it right! Got a pretty good hotel just outside of the old town, settled in and went out exploring. It was raining lightly off and on, no problem, and we saw Diocletian’s Palace, which was built in the 4th century and taken over by the locals after the fall of the Roman Empire. Buildings were built in all the successive centuries against both the outside and inside walls and within, so it’s a hodge-podge of ramshackle, architecturally disparate parts, with funny little alleys with artists studios and pizza parlors, and upscale hotels and shopping. There’s a Temple of Jupiter made into a Baptistry, Diocletion’s mausoleun made into a church, a ethnographic museum, and souvenir shops galore. There’s also an open-air market right outside of the Palace. And that’s all the sightseeing we had time for.
Went to dinner at a nice little konoba (local ethnic food) and met a young couple from Denmark. Lingered quite a while, chatting. They may turn up in Coronado some day.
Charlie is planning our day tomorrow while I’m writing. It’ll be a surprise. We may stay on another day or just part of the day. There is certainly enough more to see. But as he reads the guidebook, we find there’s more to see up the coast than we have days remaining. We already scratched plans to visit some of the picturesque islands. The ferries don’t run frequently enough -- once there we’d have to stay for days before getting back to the mainland. As much as I hate hot, crowded summer travel, I think the Dalmatian Coast must be a vastly different place in the sunshine. These really are beach towns. Split is a big city, with sprawl and high rises and traffic, but like Santa Monica, maybe, it’s still a beach community.
All told a leisurely and interesting day.
12,870 steps
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