first 24 hours in split

jojo:
what do i like?
-restaurant hosts/hostesses are very chill and don’t harass you as you walk the streets. the aggressiveness of some people we’ve run into in portugal and dubrovnik were a real turnoff
-prices for food and drink are about 30-50% cheaper than dubrovnik; nice to be out of the theme park and back to reality
-feels like a pretty young city; lots of patio dining and travellers from all backgrounds

20160628132221 — People still out and about late at night

20160628133248 — Gelato stand in Old Town

-live music echoing through the old town streets in the evenings.
-the drive along the coast (the d8 highway) from dubrovnik was unbelievable and possibly the nicest drive i’ve had the pleasure of taking. single lane traffic the whole way, many towns and beaches to pick from as a rest stop, fresh fruit stands seemingly every few km and views that travel guides rave about. the steep mountainous faces, sharp dropoffs from the roads to the sea, clear adriatic waters and also sprawling green farmland. unreal.

20160628053245 — Many of the numerous roadside fruit stand next to the highway on the way to Split, love how they keep the watermelons cool

20160628044820 — Well paved roads with gorgeous scenery from Dubrovnik to Split

20160628051939 — Rolling hills, lakes and green fields

what do i dislike?
-driving through the city to find our airbnb was a convoluted mess. it feels like the entire city is a giant one way maze and it’s even challenging to figure out if roads are actually one way streets since people park wherever they want, facing whatever direction they want. ahh, to be european.

20160630000909 — Trying to get out of parking spot Austin Powers style

what do i like/dislike about the new accomodations?
-some things are interesting. like how every room is a different level from each other as well as the hallway which i’m fully expecting to result in breaking all of my toes over the next few days.
-our shower/tub combo actually is elevated from the floor and has an elevated step on the back half of the shower. i wouldn’t classify this as a dislike though. i finally know what it’s like to be taller than a halfling.

20160628102049 — Livingroom with giant tv monitor

20160630232629 — Dangerous for vertically challenged people

biggest adjustments from the previous stop?
-pretty much everything that i’ve listed above on why we like this city. there’s much more of laid back vibe here. while it’s busy and a tourist destination, the streets aren’t completely packed, lots of quiet areas can be found around town yet the cafes & bars are busy enough to have ambience

what was our first meal?
-buffet fife along the waterfront. recommended by our host for traditional dalmation fare, we all had to find backup meals as they were sold out of our first options. we arrived around 830-9 and the side by side restaurants were completely packed; no surprise that they were sold out of most items.

i had the braised chicken and haha went with the stewed tripe. the portions were huge, came in aluminum bowls/buckets and had the presentation of gruel. nice to have something other than pasta and pizza for a change, even if it wasn’t particularly inspiring.

overall impressions?
i like split more than i thought i would. i had expectations of it being a busy party town and while there are areas that fit that description, there’s plenty of areas that are very laid back. we were surprised to see the narrow streets of the old town completely empty in a lot of areas. the architecture is beautiful and not quite as ‘picture perfect’ as dubrovnik; walls are dirtied, some shutters are barely hanging onto the hinges and the stones are in a variety of shades which i feel adds some character to the buildings

haha:
what do i like?

Split seems like a very laidback resort town. Reminds me of Nice a bit. Lots of people walking around the promenade called the Riva. Love how all the bars and restaurants utilize any outdoor space there for patio seating.

20160628132745 — Bar in an alcove area of the old town wall

20160628134246 — Square outside the cathedral has been turned into a bar and dance floor. We had very overpriced drinks here! Should’ve brought our own from the grocery store.

20160629042757 — Street bar, the steps are used as seats

what do i dislike?

Groups of young guys and girls looking to party. The old town feels like a giant club afterhours because of all the outdoor patios. I’m definitely too old and curmudgeony to put up with young drunk people. Luckily there are still lots of quiet alleyways to avoid the more boisterous groups.

what do i like/dislike about the new accomodations?

Older apartment with squeaky floor boards, very spacious though. It met our needs and the location can’t be better as it’s right at the edge of old town. It was very confusing to navigate through the streets without Google maps. We had to get a sim card so that we could find our way home.

20160628102041 — Our bedroom, very spacious

biggest adjustments from the previous stop?

Less beach time and more city time in Split so I need to look less like a beach bum. I’ve been alternating between my two sundresses I picked up in Kotor.

what was our first meal?

I had tripe stew with buttered rice and mashed potatoes. The metal bowl it came in was ginormous. I barely made a dent to the dish and was stuffed.

overall impressions?

I would definitely come back to Split again when it’s less touristy. People are really nice here. It’s a nice mix between old town and new shops/restaurants to keep one entertained. I even managed to get a hair cut for a reasonable price here.