SPLIT, CROATIA

2015-10-28, 21:30, THORIN

STAY: TCHAIKOVSKY HOSTEL

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We left Zagreb in the early morning in a tiny rental car, journeying towards Dubrovnik. There are honestly so many other stops we could have taken too (Zadar, that national park that everyone harps on about) but we were on a reasonably tight time period (5-6 days for Croatia) and really wanted to see Split.

The drive was absolutely stunning. The Croatian country side is remarkable, and the roads are very good. It was an incredibly enjoyable experience and I highly recommend to anyone considering it! Also, they drive on the right so Americans wouldn't feel out of place (althoguh all the cheap cars are manuals!). The Croatian countrysie though is both fantastic and a little sad, as you drive past bombed out villages and ruined buildings on the side of the road - leftovers of the not-too-distant Bosnian wars. We drove through one village that looked completely deserted and derelict, until we saw an old man just sitting on a chair on his porch. Quite a jarring image.

However driving through was a pleasure. About 2/3rds of the way through, Jason spotted castle ruins high up on a cliff that look stunning. We looked at each other and thought - we are here, we are queer, we may as well veer... off the road. We drove through this tiny village, that had a bunch of people drinking at tables in the middle of the street which was weird, but after coercing our weak car to climb the mountain roads we got to the top and what a sight! One of the coolest castles that I have ever been to! And I'm British, we all basically live in and around castles. 

Casually exploring the castle, we got back into the car and drove the rest of the way to Split. On a stunning seaside road we pulled into the city. Split is just cool. Seaside city, but most of the foreign interest is in Dubrovnik so Split has been able to develop as a Croatian holiday destination for Croations moreso than Dubrovnik. And with the part islands of Hvar and other consonant-consonant pairings. Consequently, the city has a really cool, laid back vibe with a superb waterfront and trendy ruins. We ate excellent food, made friends with Croatians who were on holiday, and generally walked around and drunk espresso. Very, very Instagram-worthy.

Onward from Split into Dubrovnik!