We don't usually patronize such "exotic" restaurants in our travels... But this lolling holiday -- literally rolling out of bed after the sun is positioned well into the day -- put us into that category of "spontaneously winging it." Still, ordering from the Golden Arches in Croatia is more fun than, oh, say... California...
Upon reading about the city of Split, we discovered that it is the smaller version of Dubrovnik -- which is said to be the "darling of Croatia." Since Dubrovnik was a good five to six-hour drive from our apartment in Zadar... well, we decided Split, only 2 hours south, would do nicely.
We arrived in the city -- using the last of our GPS power to find the Old Town -- parked, blogged, drank Coca-Colas, and people-watched.
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| Zeke looking at a picture of what Diocletian's Palace looked like when it was first built. |
This is how it goes: I am one of those people. You know the ones. They read the tour guide, the museum brochure, the back of the city map, the informational plaques with detailed explanations... from cover to cover, first word to the last period. (Yes, I read the acknowledgements and introductions in books, too.)
So we started our visit of Split with me gathering my little tour group, opening up Rick Steves' Croatia and Slovenia, reading the beginnin... oh, wait... there's an ice cream stand... but I thought we used ice cream as an incentive to get through mom's miles of walking "tours"... during which she deliberates on every. single. aha. and date. and event. and.
Ah, well. LeRoy mixed it up for us, finding refreshment at the beginning of the journey this time!
As we made our way through the tunnels of Diocletian's Palace, leading through thick walls, we stepped out into the main court to the lovely sounds of accapella coming from the top of a staircase.
When we investigated, we found this group of singers, famous in the Dalmatia region for their music. The acoustics there in Diocletian's former foyer were incredible... Of course, after the group had moved on, we tried our voices in the same foyer... and though we didn't sound exactly as amazing as them, we think that with some practice...
As we walked away, the children looked at me wide-eyed, "Mom! Aren't you going to regret not getting a CD? Remember Rome?!" Ah, yes, I can still hear the deep refrains of the opera singer in Piazza della Rotonda in Rome! (Perhaps we'll return there?) I held up the CD I had just purchased. They smiled. This tradition... taking home the music we experience in our travels... The later dinner conversations, "Remember when..." and the impending scramble to put on the CD from that particular memory...
We toured the ancient Cathedral of St. Domnius...
...stood at the center of the transverse road, the Decumanus Maximus...
...posed for photos in the Peristyle...
...sang loudly in Diocletian's formal entryway where the oculus roof has since collapsed...
...meandered through tunnels...
...and narrow streets...
...exploring courtyards with residential apartments...
...a famous chocolatier, fancy clothes shops, quaint cafes...
...watched people sipping coffee, conversing leisurely...
...before stepping back out to the promenade... in search of a beach...
...where we got lost, came to a dead end, and had to backtrack, adding another thirty minutes or so to our walk... laughing in spite of ourselves... enjoying the togetherness of the adventure...
...until we finally found the beach we were looking for (in the opposite direction we initially walked! smile)...
...where the children played in the sand...
...and splashed in the Adriactic Sea... while LeRoy and I drank coffee and watched from the terrace of the seaside cafe... the warm salty breeze caressing skin, melodic Croatian language filling in all the spaces, the waitress's patient reply to my surprise when the large coffee I ordered was no more than a couple of ounces, the luxury of not being in a hurry.
At last, we made our way back to the promenade where we ate in a cozy restaurant... our waiter, sober and a little impatient... the children conspiring to lighten the mood and make him smile... the victorious expressions on their faces when they bantered politely, using all their best manners, causing the waiter to banter back, smile long... even comment on "such well-behaved children"...
...ending dinner with a "traditional Dalmatian dessert"... a sort of pudding with caramel sauce... which we all tried at least one bite of and unanimously agreed that it resembled what we imagined a soggy pancake with tasteless syrup on it would taste like.
The day ended with a stroll down the promenade where there were lots and lots of couples kissing, a hike up, up, up steep, narrow alleys that wound through a residential area, up many, many, many stairs to the top of Marjan Hill where we were rewarded with a beautiful view of the city and water below. There was also a quiet cafe with one solitary couple cuddled up on the terrace, occasionally stealing kisses, who graciously un-cuddled momentarily to take our picture.
After that, we made our way back down all those stairs in pitch-black dark, walked past all those kissing couples along the promenade (Eli said they should re-name the street, Kissing Lane), got to our car before they closed the parking lot, proceeded to get lost for almost 45 minutes trying to get home without the GPS -- during which LeRoy and I managed, miraculously, to hold our composure and not get in a fight! -- until, finally, the children drifted off to sleep and LeRoy and I indulged in conversation for the duration of the drive.
Thank You, God, for...
37. history,
38. story,
39. people,
40. sunshine,
41. family along for the adventure,
42. tasteless desserts,
43. bare feet,
44. smiles on faces,
45. children who genuinely enjoy one another (most of the time),
46. a patient family who goes along with Mom's long narratives,
47. children full of curiosity,
48. husband interested in historical significance,
49. sea gently lapping onto shore,
50. ice cream,
51. Rick Steves and the fact that he lives his passion,
52. foreign cities,
52. ancient cultures.
Wow. Did you just want to stay there forever? Wait. Are you still there? I don't think you're still there, but if you are...oh never mind. I'll just ask you next week.
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