Split
Checked into Al's Place, the hostel in Split, and met Nick from Melbourne, Lucy from Oxford, and Kate and Moriah from Oregon. They were really friendly and invited me out to dinner with them. We grabbed some pizzas and then headed over to a bar overlooking the harbor of Split. The scene was quite amazing - imagine an outdoor patio overlooking a moonlit harbor filled with empty boats, bustling with the chatter of Croatian. We were probably the only tourists there. Al, the owner of the hostel, even came out to have a few drinks with us, and the mood was one of those unspoiled perfect moments with good conversation, happiness all around, and a surreal setting.
After relaxing a bit we wandered around the harbor, where, in contrast to the other harbors I've seen, the water was clean and perfectly clear. Along the ocean floor we could see giant sea slugs, crustaceans, and schools of fish swimming around. We wandered around the nearly 1700 year old walls of Diocletians Palace, which the city of Split has integrated into its urban development, then headed back to grab some sleep.
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The inside of the palace is a cavernous space filled with souvenir shops and vendors hawking their wares, but there are also a few "exhibits" worth visiting. Most notable among these are the cellars, a vast expanse of large, cold stone rooms underneath the palace. The rooms are empty save for a few archeological exhibits, but are worth exploring anyway just to get a feel for the architecture. There are informational signs describing the palace in English, but they begin to repeat themselves after a while and are a bit difficult to follow, so it might be worthwhile to research information on the palace beforehand if you want to get the most out of your visit.
