5/19

6 AM…….WHY???????, anyway, waited for a bit to get up, arrange my luggage (that is a story on its own that I will not share!!!!!!) and went down to breakfast.

Walk around the city , and found a open market. The fruits and the dry figs, so delicious looking, as well as the prosciutto and the jerkies, in big pieces….

After walking around the market went to the bus station and took a hop on hop off. It was cloudy by then and windy, and the bus had no windows….. We drove through Marjan Hill Park, the big green hill that overlooks the city with an altar carved on the stones.

The sandy Bacvice Beach is spectacular with crystal clear water.

45 minutes later we got off the bus, walk around and found a nice place to have lunch. We were in Veli Varos, a quarter just outside the Diocletian’s Palace. Few churches, the Theater and lots of traditional stone buildings lining narrow streets.

Kept walking outside the palace walls (I told you the Old Town is inside the palace walls – very unique) and came back through the promenade, Riva, a people watching spot.

Dalmatia has produced world-Class soccer players, tennis and basketball.

Fyaka ( feeaka) or Fiaca in Buenos Aires, is the Dalmatian art of doing absolutely nothing, slide into a seat in one of the many cafes lining Riva, and watch the world go by, allow your mind to wander into daydreams, feel your body relax and your senses sharpen. That’s fyaka!!

Making another turn in this city, we encounter the statue of Grgur Ninski, Gregory of Nin, a medieval Croatian bishop of Nin who strongly opposed the Pope and introduced the national language in the religious services in 926. No, I did not miss the 1 thousand, it was the year 926. And Croatians said that if you rub the toe, it brings good luck! So we did!!!!!

Back to the hotel for a little break!!!! BRB!

Took a little break, set up our taxi for the airport tomorrow, and went out again, cloudy, but got an ice cream, sat up at the promenade and did what Croatians do: Fyaka!

Set up our stroll towards the castle . Paid our entrance fee and got inside the basement of the castle. The whole castle occupied around 30000 square meters.

Emperor Diocletian had a wish to enter his palace on a ship, without leaving the deck. And in his time, the lower tier of the palace was once covered with water, and the ship of th emperor was usually slowly passing between the columns and stopping Amon the vaulted rooms of the lower tier.

Only the foundation and lower floors have survived.

D

Done with our Palace ruins visit, and under the rain, just a drizzle, tried to get back to the hotel. OH! So many turns!!!!! Finally found it, Jackie had a coffee and I had a beer. Here it is!!!! And called it a day!