Sunny in Split

New country new blog editor - Linda asleep after a hard day on the tourist trail.

We both enjoyed the sleeper train trip through Austria (dark & night-time to) & Slovenia and then finally Croatia. Dawn & Tim met us at Zagreb Station and apart from a return trip to get Dawn's accommodation and directions travel folder (panic) we were on our way south in the rental car. Learnt how to say "hello - four beers please" in Croatian on the way.

First stop was Zadar on the coast and a walking tour of the old city parts of which date back to the 9th century. Good start but we didn't feel we needed more time there so traveled on to Trogir for the night. Our accommodation is in a converted palace, the Villa Moretti, right on the harbour. Lovely room and an unsecured wireless connection to boot - woohoo! Dinner last night was a rather grander affair than planned comprising a huge platter of several fish (whole), squid and shellfish. It was accompanied by a bill to match! Have agreed to a more modest pasta and pint meal next time to balance the budget.

Started today with a short trip down the E65 to the Dalmatian coast city of Split, site of the roman emperor Diocletian's summer pad (AD245- 313). He got a bit stressed running the empire so did the unheard of and retired to the sticks. Very impressive pile that has been"saved" by various occupants adding the latest essential features (e.g. cathedrals, tat shops) and not pulling the whole thing down. The tour of the basement (recently excavated) gave us some idea of the immense size of it. Very interesting and totally worth the hype. Pic is of Gregorious of Nin outside the Golden (North) gate to the walled palace. Yes, Linda is giving him a toe rub - supposed to bring good luck.

Returned back to Trogir visiting Solin (Salona) on the way which is among the hillside vineyards (but also industrial sites) north-east of Split. The roman city ruins are the most important archelogical site in Croatia. Pic is of Emperor Tim V (AD1955-) inspecting the troops while slave Dawn peels another grape for him. The amphitheatre (AD200) accommodated 18,000 before being destroyed by the Venetians in the 17th century. Bloody vandals! - not that we can talk mind you.

We pack up and leave tomorrow and move on to Dubrovnik - "the pearl of the Adriatic" (Byron). Dawn and Tim share the driving while Linda & I do the last minute swot with the travel guides in the back seat. Arrangement is working well. Time to go and find the reasonably obligatory pivo (beer) and hopefully a big screen as Tim wants to watch a football match.

Till the moro - wifi permitting.