Day Six
6 June 2012
Weather: Sunny, 25
T-shirt count: 1
Cat count: 3
Well, despite the loud sheets, I slept like a log. I woke at
7 to a lot of fish bones in the garbage.
Great, now I’m going to be paying a fine for the cat’s
fishing in the Plitvice Lakes.
Too bad I didn’t bring a pair of sun viewing glasses. I
could have watched the last Transit of Venus that will happen in our lifetimes.
I managed to get a few minutes online in the lobby, but the
connection kept dropping. I decided it was safe to go down the breakfast at
8:15 and had a feed of scrambled eggs and croissant.
Breakfast of tourists.
The sausages so far have not been the type I like. Not sure
how to describe them. Maybe a bit too much Vienna Sausage like.
Oh wait.
We boarded the bus at nine when most other tours had left. We
soon go from the two lane back road of Croatia to the highway and pass through
a 5 km tunnel that takes us from Continental Croatia to Mediterranean Croatia.
The change in landscape is day and night. So is the temperature. From 16 to 24
in a matter of 5 km. Gasper said that it could be as much as a 10 to 15 degree
difference. On this side of the mountains, they get a strong wind they call the
Bora (no promises on the spelling). It can gust to over 200 kph which explains
the low vegetation. The locals have to put rocks on their roofs to keep the
tiles from blowing away. The wind can sometimes close the road on that side of
the tunnel.
Today is so calm, I can make out reflections in the sea.
We stop for a coffee break in the valley below the tunnel
exit and then head down the highway towards Split. We pass the turnoff for
Zadar which is on the coast a few km away. The city has a lot of Roman ruins
and was heavily damaged by the Allies in the war. It was bombed 72 times.
The speed limit on the highway is 130 kph and the cars are
zipping by. One went by and had to be doing over 200. It was like the space
shuttle flying by.
Then I look around for the cats. I think they’ve rented cars
to get to Split so they can speed legally.
About 25 km from Split, we turn off to take the coat road to
Split via Trogir. There’s a switchback down the side of the mountain so that
everyone gets a chance to snap a photo of the tremendous view of Trogir below.
Absolutely gorgeous!
As we get to the bottom, we pass through a town called
Kastel.
Then we pass through another town…called Kastel.
Then another town…called Kastel.
Then another. Twelve in all.
I’d hate to fly into Trogir and tell a cab to take me to
Kastel.
Maybe they’re planning for the future when they get big
enough to amalgamate. Won’t be a problem picking a name.
By noon, we drive into Split. I had taken the ferry to Italy
from here but didn’t see much of the city. We head towards the old part of the
city and meet up with our guide. Then she says there’s a bathroom if anyone has
an emergency but that there’s only one for the women.
I don’t go but most of the women are obviously having an
emergency. I can just imagine the line-up. Took them about 15 minutes to finish.
Turns out there’s one stall for the women, but six for the men.
Someone suggested the men should have guarded the entrance
and let the women go there.
Our guide took us to the Roman Palace of Diocietian. It’s a
walled city that used to extend right to the shore (so that if the palace was
attacked, the emperor could escape via a boat.) The palace is now a UNESCO
World Heritage Site but several hundred people live inside the walls.
We start by visiting the substructure under the front part
of the palace where water from the ocean and garbage from the city could
collect.
Only ¼ of the city has the subterranean structure. Part of it has
collapsed because they removed the garbage – which turned out to be supporting
the buildings above.
Imagine their surprise when they start removing the ancient
garbage and the ceiling starts to crumble!
Maybe surprise isn’t the right word.
Some of it was also damaged by bombs from the Second World
War.
The guide shows us around the substructure then we pass
through to the upper level which is a curious combination of homes with laundry
hanging out and restored Roman buildings. There’s a huge bell tower in the
middle.
So, living in the palace comes with a free wake-up call.
Whether you want it or not.
We pass by a bank that has incorporated itself into the
existing palace. The walls, floor, ceiling, pillars are all part of the
original palace. The only thing in there that is not Roman is the desks,
computers and tellers.
If they really wanted to get into the spirit of it, they’d
be wearing togas, sitting on the floor and using an abacus.
Heh.
We continue to walk through the narrow streets and stop by
the Temple of Jupiter. Below the entrance is a street so narrow, they call it
the “Let me Pass” street because it’s impossible for two people to pass. A
fellow tour guide of our guide had brought a group of Germans through it
because they were big enough to assure that his tour got through it with no
competition. He even tried to get two of them to pass each other and they
couldn’t do it.
Inside Jupiter’s Temple is a statue of Jupiter with four
fingers (for east, west, north and south, I imagine).
Above him, the ceiling
has some screaming heads.
Cause we all know how the Romans just loved to scare people.
Part of the altar in front of the statue has a depiction of
a European king – the oldest known one and it goes on exhibitions all the time.
Near the far end of the palace we come across the entrance
with has two large doorways and a courtyard in between. The idea is that if you
are attacked, you leave the outer one open and close the inner one. Then the
enemy storms up to the inner door and you drop the outer door to trap them in
there and shoot them down from above.
Somehow, I think it’s a trick that will only work once.
We leave the palace and follow the walls to the north side
where there is a street with buildings built up against the walls where people
began to expand outside the palace.
The street is called Bosnian Street as the
Bosnian traders used to set up their shops there. There are a number of silver
shops along this street. And a pizza place I’ll have to check out for lunch.
Our guide notes one interesting thing. The currency is
called a Kuna which is actually their word for an animal similar to a maarten.
They used to trade the furs as currency and it evolved into the modern currency
name.
Now, for all those thinking…did Canadians trade in loons?
No. We didn’t. The name loonie comes from the depiction of a
loon on the $1 coin.
A loon. As in a bird. Not the other kind of loon. Though
there’s a few in government now.
Heh.
The temperature is creeping up to the point that we now seek
shade. It must be close to 30 degrees. Our guide takes us back out to the
gorgeous promenade and sets us free. We have almost two hours before we have to
take the ferry to Hvar Island.
I head straight for an ATM but my debit card is called
Invalid.
Ever see Gattica?
Yeah. I’m looking over my shoulder.
I try two ATMs and neither will accept it. I even try a
small amount on the second try but it won’t take it. So, I give in and get a
cash advance on my Visa. I’ll email my bank tonight to see if they know why
it’s not being accepted here. It was in Vienna and I filled out my travel plans
for them.
After I have a thousand Kuna in hand, I head back to the
pizza place. They have a spinach pie that is highly recommended but I’m not
into spinach, so I take a regular slice with a Coke. Pretty good. Nice to
wander the narrow streets chowing down on a slice and take pictures of one of the three cats of Split.
I must have walked through the palace five times in more
than an hour. I got my usual fridge magnet and a t-shirt then I pick up an ice
cream and go back to the meeting area on the promenade. It’s a nice spot to
wait.
At 4:15, Gasper shows up with our ferry tickets and we walk
to the ferry. During the regular season, he can get the fast Cat for a one hour
ride to Hvar, but we’re too early in the season for a late afternoon Cat ride.
(He usually would send the bus over on the 2:30 ferry and the tour would take
the fast Cat at 5).
So, instead, we’re all on the slower 2 hour ferry to the
island. It’s not a large ferry and not full by any means. We go up on deck for
some really nice shots of the palace with the hills in the background.
Then some locals, all wearing the same t-shirts, haul out
the guitars and beer and start singing.
That’s one way to clear a deck.
If they had been on the Titanic, people would have happily
jumped overboard. I found a quiet spot to do some typing then went back up a
half hour before docking. Their singing was getting better.
And louder.
Then I heard the good news.
They are NOT staying in our hotel.
<whew>
LOL
The ferry docked a few minutes after seven and our singing
friends wanted to ride on our bus.
Heh.
Turns out they get together twice a year to eat, drink, play
cards and sleep. I imagine the wives are all off shopping together.
We had a 20 minute drive to the other side of the island.
Gasper tells us the island has 11,000 occupants and is about 300 square
kilometres in size. It produces olive oil, wine, fruit and lavender. Fishing is
also an industry.
After all, it is an island.
And apparently, the sunniest spot in Europe. In fact, some
hotels will return your money if it rains during your stay.
Gasper assures us that we will not get back any money.
The bus can’t get down to the Amfora hotel parking lot, so
we have to walk down and the luggage is delivered by a motor cart.
Gasper
warned us that the hotel was confusing. Well, not as confusing as that one in
Peru (that was a labyrinth!). The problem with this one is that all the rooms
have four digits. The first is the wing (there are 4 wings) and the second is
the floor (there are 4 floors). So my room is 2432. That means it’s room 32 on
the 4th floor in wing 2.
But I don’t know that when I get my key card. The reception
directs me down the stairs to a corridor, so I go down and the rooms are all in
the 1400s.
I stop, go back and scratch my head. Another solo with 2433
joins me on a quest to find our rooms. Sure enough, we pass by all the 1400s to
find there’s a second wing and all the rooms are numbered in the 2400s.
One couple was still looking for their room when we gathered
in reception for dinner.
Once you figure out the system, it’s no sweat.
And the rooms are funky. They’re ultra modern and all white.
I expected a disco ball last night. Tonight, I expect Brando
to show up in his white superman outfit. Or Gandalf the white.
The room has two single beds, a small tv, shower and bath,
shampoo and stuff, safe, funky artwork and a square toilet.
And free wifi in the rooms. Woohoo!
Yes. I said a square toilet.
I haven’t seen the cats since I got here. Then I saw the pool
below.
Holy Cow. What a spot!
Dinner was a buffet and was delicious. Chicken, turkey,
cheese noodles, scalloped potatoes with onions, something fishy and desserts
etc. Delicious.
I got back to the room for 9 and checked out the funky
bathroom. The bath controls are really bizarre and took a while to figure out.
I can’t explain it. I’ll have to take a photo.
At least I won’t have to explain it to the cats. They’ll get
all they need in the pool.
