Diocletian's Palace

     This was probably my fault. Whenever I go somewhere, I never put enough research in before going to really know what I'm going to look at. I plan on the local guide helping with all the details. When I went to Croatia, one of the things I was looking forward to more than anything else was seeing Diocletian's Palace. I love Roman history, and was so excited to see something outside of the aqueducts and ruins that I had seen elsewhere in Europe. I had heard Diocletian's palace was well kept and a great example of preserved Roman architecture. When I arrived in Split, the first thing I figured out was that you could barely see it from the outside.  

The Croatians had built their city up around the palace on all sides. This was already disappointing. When I walked inside, I was shocked to see just stone walls everywhere. I had expected splendor and beautiful colors. Instead I saw strong, well planned walls that had managed to last centuries despite their abuse from citizens of every period. Although I quickly realized that my expectations were faulty, I was still a little disappointed. It kind of ruined the city of Split for me. 

They did have a nice market on the outside and a few nice shops. This statue stood out to me as well. There were some men's choirs too that made it a pleasant afternoon, but I was happy to leave and head to Dubrovnik. 

 

A scenic stop along the way.

Seven Lakes

 



Istrian Peninsula

     I took a day long Istrian Peninsula tour that started in Pula, the largest city in the area.  It is well known for an amphitheatre that looks like a smaller version of the Coliseum, which is still used for concerts and other events today.  It is one of the six largest Roman amphitheatres left in the world. 

 

 

 

     The Arch of Sergii is in the city and was built in the 1st century AD. 

 

 

 





  

   The temple of Rome and Augustus was another landmark in the city, also built in the 1st century AD and was in the Roman forum.  It was a few dollars to enter, but worth it to see some works of art.  I didn't take pictures of the art since the lighting was so poor. 

 

 

 

There were many other sites where existence of the Romans still existed.  Just walking along the streets you would look off to the side and see an ancient arch or a sign pointing to a burial sight for ancient Roman soliders.  It was the best mix of a seaside town with a healthy dose of history.  Unfortunately, since I was trying to see as much as possible in the Istrian Peninsula, I only had a few hours to spend.

 

And then just a few hours in Rovinj.

 

 

 

Which was mostly just a seaside town, lots of small shops and restaurants, tons of boats, and just a small, charming town. 

 

 

 This looked so interested, unfortunately I just didn't have the time.  Is there anywhere you can do this in the US?

 





And Porec, which had a beautiful Euphrasian Basilica well known for its mosaics.



 

 

 

What do you think, would you plan on spending more than a day there?

Winter Storm

Sometimes the best adventures are in your own backyard...or at least down the street.

 

 

 

Some people enjoyed the snow day more than others.