Split time!

Today was our only full day in Split. We arrived about 1:30 yesterday afternoon and will leave about 10 am tomorrow morning. We wanted to see the Old Town and Diocletian's Palace, and that was a out it. This town is very different from Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik has retained an 'old country' air about it with all the white washed houses with red tile roofs; Split is very 'old soviet' in appearance as you come into town. There is a great deal more graffiti here than in Dubrovnik. It definitely appears more depressed economically. When we began planning this trip, I went on booking.com to make the accommodations for us. So far, that has worked out well. When we first drove up to this apartment we were concerned because from the outside is has that 'old soviet' appearance - drab and run down and very institutional. Then we met our landlord here and saw the apartment. Wow, were we ever surprised. There is a nicely appointed great room (think kitchen, dining room, and living room all in one and small) and a bedroom and bathroom. The bathroom even has a washing machine! We had a drink with our landlords and paid the bill, about $220 US for two nights, then settled in. The best part right now? Air conditioning! Central Europe is having a heat wave and we are smack dab in the middle of it. It was 95 degrees today and about 75% humidity. The other good thing about where this apartment is located is that in three blocks we are in Old Town. Handy! Yesterday we walked around there a bit and had a late lunch/early dinner, but today we went through what's left of Diocletian's Palace and some of the old churches around the harbor. I think we got some pretty nice pictures. The Palace was a bit underwhelming after seeing Dubrovnik's old walls. Much of it has decayed beyond the ability to arrest it. Lots of touristy places within the walls to buy souvenirs. We had a lovely lunch where we met two young women from London on holiday here. Spoke with them at length about traveling and what they do. Both currently live and work in London, but one was from Vancouver, B.C., and the other was from Sydney, Australia. They were quite fun to talk with and it made our lunch time fun. We came back to the room to cool down (no mad dogs or Englishmen in this group), then headed back out to traverse the Promenade this evening and have a quiet dinner. It is now 10 pm and we are winding down. I forget how much walking around a lot in the heat will wear you out (either that or I am getting old, and that cannot possibly be the issue here). So I will close for now and come back after we get to Plitvice tomorrow. I hope our luck with all the bookings continues! Hope everyone is well! Ciao, baby!