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