Croatia is a tiny country, smaller than West Virginia, but it packs a lot worth seeing into that small space. Dalmatia, the southernmost region of Croatia, strung out along the Adriatic coast, encompasses about a quarter of the country's area and includes 79 little islands. It is packed with lovely and historic towns, stunning scenery, kind people, and many delightful restaurants and cafes.
The best way to see the islands and visit the smaller towns is to book a tour on small boat. Last fall, along with my family, I went on a seven day excursion from Split to Dubrovnik and back, with lots of stops in between, aboard a 38 passenger boat, the M/S Desire. This post focuses on Split, the second largest city in Croatia. I'll follow up with another post or two on the other towns.
Split's main attraction is Diocletian's Palace which was built for the Roman Emperor, Diocletian, in the 4th century as a place for him to retire. Here is a view of the peristyle, or central courtyard, the heart of the palace.
Original construction of the palace included twelve sphinxes from Egypt. This one is the best preserved of the remaining three.
Wander through the palace and you can spot other original decorative elements, such as this mosaic floor,
and the round vestibule, or waiting room.
Today you can see the sky through what was once a domed roof.
It is fascinating to explore the narrow alleys,
and open courtyards.
Today the palace is a fascinating patchwork of private residences,
shops, hotels, and restaurants.
Speaking of patchwork, here are a few images of patchwork that I have been stitching away at recently. I worked on a few pieces for Denyse Schmidt's Free-Wheeling Single Girl quilt-along during this trip, using fabrics from my visit to Phoenix. I will need nine of these to make up an entire quilt so I am clearly way behind on but it's fun to work on here and there.
And here is a top that I finished almost a year ago, using up some blue scraps. I've finally picked out a backing for it, so maybe I'll have a finished quilt soon.
The best way to see the islands and visit the smaller towns is to book a tour on small boat. Last fall, along with my family, I went on a seven day excursion from Split to Dubrovnik and back, with lots of stops in between, aboard a 38 passenger boat, the M/S Desire. This post focuses on Split, the second largest city in Croatia. I'll follow up with another post or two on the other towns.
Split's main attraction is Diocletian's Palace which was built for the Roman Emperor, Diocletian, in the 4th century as a place for him to retire. Here is a view of the peristyle, or central courtyard, the heart of the palace.
Original construction of the palace included twelve sphinxes from Egypt. This one is the best preserved of the remaining three.
Wander through the palace and you can spot other original decorative elements, such as this mosaic floor,
and the round vestibule, or waiting room.
Today you can see the sky through what was once a domed roof.
It is fascinating to explore the narrow alleys,
the impressive basement (which now houses vendors of local wares),
and open courtyards.
Today the palace is a fascinating patchwork of private residences,
shops, hotels, and restaurants.
Speaking of patchwork, here are a few images of patchwork that I have been stitching away at recently. I worked on a few pieces for Denyse Schmidt's Free-Wheeling Single Girl quilt-along during this trip, using fabrics from my visit to Phoenix. I will need nine of these to make up an entire quilt so I am clearly way behind on but it's fun to work on here and there.
And here is a top that I finished almost a year ago, using up some blue scraps. I've finally picked out a backing for it, so maybe I'll have a finished quilt soon.
