Split for Hvar

  

  

Today started like many others, headed to the ferry. Granted this isn’t the Hyline dock but the end result is pretty similar.

After a late night negroni at this cool little jazz club (cds not live) I started Tuesday with a little breakfast and then a self-guided tour of the palace. It’s fascinating to me that this ancient Roman palace -300AD - could actually be occupied by shops, restaurants, Airbnb you name it. But after the fall of Roman Empire, it was essentially abandoned and repurposed over the centuries. The best-preserved building was Diocletians mausoleum. He was not a great guy and persecuted the Christians. So after the fall of Rome a bishop that he killed was entombed here and Diocletian's tomb was probably dumped into the Adriatic. 

The mausoleum has been converted into a cathedral and is still in use today.

The surrounding remnants are nice examples of Roman architecture surrounded souvineer and gelato stores 
At 5pm I met up with a good and history tour. While we toured most of the same sites I had already seen and busted inside, it was nice to get some context. And there was food. Five stops in total.

Local charcuterie in part of the old palace basement - very GOT. Black ink risotto from cuttlefish. A very slow roasted beef with potato and plums in a konoba which means tavern and a shot of cherry raki.

Then a small bite of bureak a pastry stuffed with either meat or cheese - famous here from ‘please feed Phil’. I was full but didn’t love it.  It it a Balkans dish, so I will see it again.  And a gelato. It was a nice evening with some lovely people.

  

Hvar is Nantucket in the Adriatic with the notable exception of my very simple pansion with a magnificent terrace and a notice of no guests or noise after 11.

The pretense of being in Croatia is over. Burgers, nachos, sushi, açaí bowls.  I’ll be interested to see what the party scene is like in mid- September.



(Ps: love these little trucks that run supplies around.)