Around And In The Cathedral of Saint Domnius
The Cathedral of Saint Domnius is Split’s catholic cathedral, the earliest part of which is Emperor Diocletian’s mausoleum, which was built in the third century.
This is obviously a genuine Roman Catholic cathedral.
The Temple Of Jupiter
The Temple of Jupiter was just round the corner from the hotel.
It was well worth a visit and the entrance fee of just over a pound.
Along The Promenade At Split
Walking alongside the Adriatic reminded me very much of some Southern French towns like Nice or Cannes.
In some ways, I felt a touch sad, as I know that Split would have been a place C would have liked.
Split Station
Split station is conveniently placed alongside the port and about three hundred metres from Diocletian’s Palace.
This Google Map shows the area.
Split, Port And Station
Note the station to the East of the port, with the railway running North-South and then going into a tunnel under the city.
The station is not very special and except for the Split Suburban Railway and the occasional long-distance train, it is not very busy.
But I was able to buy my ticket with ease, using a person-to-person interface, so that I could leave on time in the morning.
Incidentally, there is a Future Projects section in the Wikipedia entry for the Split Suburban Railway. It says this.
In the near future the underground station Split-Sud is to be opened, connecting to the Hrvatske Bratske Zajednice Square. In 2008 the now closed station Kaštel-Lukšić will be reopened again.The line is expected to get a second track and be fully electrified starting in 2008. New, low-floor trains are expected as well. This line will also be lengthened, to encompass the Split Airport and continue on to the city of Trogir and Seget Donji. Split will have a mini-metro to be operational by 2015.
Nothing seems to have happened yet!
First Impressions Of Split
My hotel was in the middle of Diocletian’s Palace, the Roman palace that forms about half the old town of Split.
I took these pictures on my first morning in the town.
It really is an unusual place, which is a cross between modern city centre and Roman palace.
If you stay in the town, try to stay in the old part
On My Way To Split
Dubrovnik does not have a railway station, so it was a ferry to Split.
It certainly wasn’t the typical Mediterranean rust-bucket, that I’ve encountered in Greece and Italy, but a modern high-speed catamaran, that had been built in Australia.
The only problem was that the boat wasn’t big enough, for the large number of passengers going to Split from the islands. But this is to be expected, as it was the only boat on the day I travelled.
Walking The Walls Of Dubrovnik
I took these pictures as I walked the walls of Dubrovnik.
Note.
- I started at the Western end, soon after the walls opened at eight o’clock.
- There was a couple of cafes at the halfway point, where I had a coffee.
- I didn’t walk it fast and I took about two and a half hours
- The stairs in the hotel were the more difficult climb.
As you can start at more than one place, a ticket that allowed you to break the walk might seem a good idea. But then you’d have to climb back up again.
I think that my plan of taking it slow early in the morning, when it was not crowded and a bit cooler, might be the best way to walk the walls.
Beware Of Hotels In The Old City Of Dubrovnik
I took these pictures of my hotel room in the Old City of Dubrovnik.
I get the impression, reading some of the things said about hotels in Dubrovnik, that this is not the only hotel with a nice, spacious rooms and a staircase not for those of a nervous disposition.
An Excursion To Lokrum
As I’d missed all of the full day trips, I took the boat to Lokrum and had a walk round for three hours or so.
Before I was diagnosed as a coeliac and went gluten-free, I couldn’t have done a walk like this.
It was almost, as if my blood couldn’t move the heat away fast enough from my skin and it all overheated. But once, gluten-free and with blood full of B12, the heat transfer was better.
I used to burn badly some years ago, but I don’t now. After Lokrum my face was just a healthy colour.
Intriguingly, my father, who was probably an undiagnosed coeliac, rarely went in the sun and was very much a man for wasting time in his garage or shed.
My son who died, appeared to me to be the most likely to be coeliac and he was always hidden away working on his music.
Dubrovnik Old Port
These pictures were taken in the morning of Dubrovnik Old Port
I got some much-needed sun, that I have been needing all winter.
This is the port for excursions.
The Anonymous Widower 