Day 5 - Saturday - 28 November 2015 - Split, Croatia on Viking Star

Breakfast in the World Café on Deck 7 is terrific -- lots of choices and all quite good.   We now have the stamina we need for a walking tour of Split, the second largest city in Croatia with a population of 174,000 people.

Split became famous when the Roman Emperor, Diocletian, built a palace at the turn of the 4th Century as a retirement home.    It is really a walled city  measuring eight acres.  The front section by  the sea was for the Emperor -- the back section was a military garrison.   Diocletian was the first Roman Emperor to voluntarily abdicate in 305 after 21 years as Emperor - moving to his  Split palace where he enjoyed tending his vegetable garden until his death in AD 311 at age 66.

Diocletian is known for his persecution of early Christians -- beheading many including St. Gennaro who you will meet in Naples.

Diocletian's Palace - front section on the sea for the Emperor.

After Diocletian's death, the palace was used as a retreat by Roman Rulers before being left to ruin.  When nearby Salona was invaded and destroyed in the 7th Century -- many refugees settled in the remains of the palace --- where their descendants still live today.

People live in this section of the Palace

We enter the palace on the bottom level  --  now a  contemporary art museum with  some unusual exhibits.   
We travel through the streets and alleys of the palace passing several structures including the Temple of Jupiter.  Jupiter was the name of Diocletian's father and also the highest Roman god (of the Sky and of Thunder).   This temple was turned into St. John's Baptistry in the 12th Century -- with the installation of a large baptismal font allowing total body immersion. 

Temple of Jupiter - now St. John's Baptistry

Pat in front of Cathedral of St. Domnius.

The Cathedral of St. Domnius, consecrated at the turn of the 7th Century, is the oldest Catholic cathedral in the world that remains in use in its original structure.  The original structure was built in AD 305 as the Mausoleum of Diocletian --  is that justice or what?

A stop at the Ethnographic Museum within the palace walls is next -- an interesting place with lots of traditional clothing, photos, tools, and furniture from days gone by.   Patte and I love this stuff -- it was fun to imagine what life in Split might have been like.

In the courtyard of the Museum we are treated to a performance by an A Capella quintet singing traditional Croatian music -- known as Klapa Mor.  We decided not to buy the CD's they were selling.  

We end our tour with a walk through the marketplace -- noticing so many wonderful faces in the crowd and behind the counters. 

Saturday Marketplace in Split, Croatia

After lunch, Patte, Phil and I walk in another direction along the tree-lined promenade where the Christmas market is being set up.  Since it is Saturday -- lots of families with small children are out and about in the cafes and along the walkways.

Vendor at the Marketplace -- What a great Face!

Before you know it --  it's time for dinner -- which we have in the World Café on Deck 7.

Thanks for Reading,

Pat