Throwback Post: Split & Zadar, Croatia

Split, Croatia

After our group said teary goodbyes to our beloved Dubrovnik, we headed to Split, Croatia for a lunch stop. It’s hard to remember many details of a city when the weather is a million, trillion degrees (OK, or 40 Celsius), but the few photos I took in the bustling tourist hub have helped jog my memory.

After strolling along the harbor and gazing at the massive cruise ships, we wandered through a market and–no big deal–more sweet European architecture. Coming from the U.S. (and now, having been in New Zealand for four months), historical remnants like this never fail to amaze me, especially when they’re amidst modern city features, with rows of restaurants and souvenir shops just across the street.

We stopped for ice cream (to compensate for sweating out our body weight), hopped back on the bus, and headed to our next destination to spend the night: Zadar, Croatia.

Zadar

The first goal in Zadar was to get to the beach A.S.A.P. for a quick dip to cool down, with just enough time to make it to an evening walking tour of the city. Surprise, surprise, more stunning architecture awaited us! And some adorable cat and dog purses. (P.S., they sell these in New Zealand, too, and they never fail to amuse me.)

I am just now realizing the ridiculous number of cat photos I have taken around the world…

Cooling down as the sun set, we checked out Zadar’s famous sea organ. It’s definitely worth Googling to find a video of this instrument: tubes like organ pipes extend from the cement boardwalk through to the sea, and when the waves ebb and flow, it creates eery, hauntingly beautiful sounds.

Dining outside is my fave.

*mmmm, gnocchi*

Just looking at photos of European meals makes my taste buds cry. I definitely miss the food (and beverages). Like, a lot. Just look at the gnocchi and those delicious Croatian beers we got to enjoy! Sigh…

We were told Zadar is known for “the best sunsets in the world.” Sadly, it was an overcast day, so we settled for mediocre sunsets. Still, I’ll take any sunset over water any day, especially when it’s accompanied by a South American group playing music nearby (not featured in these pictures, so you’ll just have to take my word for it). 🙂