October 4,2023 found us docked in Split, Croatia. I hope that I’ve conveyed just how much we loved our time in Croatia. The coast line is beautiful, the folks are lovely and we benefited from the knowledge of four wonderful guides.
We met our Split guide, VJ, after a late breakfast…right outside the port gate.

If I only show Timmy’s breakfast, mine doesn’t count♥️
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The port of Split, Croatia …lots of ferries.

VJ drove us up a mountain (such a familiar refrain) to the Roman ruins of Salona… another familiar refrain. As much as I love being at sea, Timmy loves history and old stuff. I do too, so it’s really an easy decision when we engage a guide to request an origin story.
VJ explained that if we wanted to understand Split, we needed to start at the beginning.

Up on the mountain top… in Salona…where it all began.

Salona became the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia, because it sided with Gaius Julius Caesar in the civil war against Pompey. The city acquired Roman characteristics: walls, a forum, a theatre, an amphitheater, public baths, and an aqueduct.

Under this terrain lies uncovered Roman ruins.
That’s the sea off in the distance.
VJ explaining that all olives begin as green olives…
A tomb outside the Roman wall… Romans forbade burials inside city boundaries.
The symbol denotes a Christian tomb.
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Some serious explaining happening here.
Burial ground of wealthy folks.
Burial mounds of poor folks.
The structure in the background is the home of a bishop who initiated preserving these ruins.
At least 10,000 Roman sarcophagi and fragments have survived.
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Resources are lacking to uncover what may be an enormous treasure trove of ancient artifacts.
Off in the distance we see students on a limited archaeological dig. For about 30 seconds I was tempted to climb down and get a closer look.
I did park Timmy on this stone wall and go off exploring.
An aqueduct.
Passageway to the amphitheater.
Ankle surgery? What ankle surgery?
I said “Hey Timmy! Turn around and give me a smile”.
Oh yes, we needed another rest after that climb… It’s almost as if someone knew how welcome these benches might be♥️

After receiving the background story, we headed back to Split to visit the old city walls. It is such a shame that we only had one day here…

Here we have the walls to the old city…cool fact…folks live and work within.
Before we entered the walled city, VJ explained its’ construction, using this replica built by the local Lions club.
There’s a cool museum as you enter the walls.
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This appears to be a braille map of the ancient rooms .
Trying to give a sense of the scale.
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The cathedral of St. Dominus.
Folks enjoying the beautiful day as someone’s laundry dries.
I do believe that among these visitors were folks from Symphony too.
This is St. Dominus…
…and this is his foot…yes, folks rub his big toe for luck.
VJ told us that some visitors specifically ask to be taken to the “statue of the foot”.

We spent a most enjoyable day with VJ, whose love for his city is so evident. We are grateful to him for his perspective and his patience in answering so many (many) questions. If you find yourself in Split, we recommend that you engage VJ as your guide.

Here’s his info: Vjeran Mlacic WhatsApp number:385951989279.

When our tour ended, I was too exhausted (don’t get old) to do any additional exploring…let alone shopping…so we boarded our beautiful Symphony and enjoyed canapés on the veranda as we watched the sunset.

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We had a wonderful day. Thanks for following along ♥️