Split (Croatia)

From Plitvice, we drove the 3.5 hours south through the interior and east back to the coast. Split is the second largest city in Croatia, and our friends had assured us that we'd enjoy it. Upon arrival, we quickly understood why: Split looks and feels a lot like Barcelona. With the palm trees, stalls selling jewellery and other accessories, and umbrella cafés looking out to the boats in the harbor, the Riva seafront promenade could have been a stretch along Barceloneta or Port Olímpic. The arches and neo-Renaissance buildings of Trg Republike (or Republic Square) make it a ringer for Plaça Reial, and the wide, pedestrian street Marmontova ulica sporting shops like H&M, Oakley, and Zara could be Portal de l'Angel. There is even a Montjuïc equivalent in the forested Marjan hill on the western banks of the Split peninsula. In such environs, eating old favorites such as black rice with cuttlefish or carpaccio of cod and fresh anchovies made us more than a little homesick.

Split is an old Roman city with the Emperor Diocletian first bringing it to prominence in the fourth century. He built his retirement home here - a lavish palace/fortress complex and UNESCO World Heritage Site of local limestone and marble that still dominates the city. Three towers, the walls, and all four gates remain. Outside the Golden Gate (or Porta Aurea) on the north side, the statue of the bishop Gregor of Nin by famed Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović dominates. Gregor's toe has been rubbed to a conspicuous golden sheen by tourists for luck. In the maze inside the palace walls, museums and ruins intermingle with modern shops and restaurants. Diocletian's mausoleum became the Cathedral of Saint Domnius, and the Temple of Jupiter was converted into a baptistery. Guides expound on history and visitors rest on red cushions littering the steps of the grand open court known as the Peristyle. In the Vestibule with its open-air occulus, groups of men in black suits take advantage of the wonderful acoustics to perform the traditional Dalmatian style of a capella singing called klapa. The cool, underground cellars, which once stored wine and foodstuffs, may be recognizable to Game of Thrones fans from Daenerys storylines.