Split-ting from too much action – from Croatia into Bosnia and out of again

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This blog has been more than somewhat delayed – should really have written it on the very long train trip to Banja Luka yesterday, but instead it is a catch up edition – on the same train 24 hrs later – late as usual out of Banja Luka to Zagreb (it was 2 hr late yesterday from Sarajevo to Banja Luka so why not again today (only about 1h30m late today – an improvement!). . I have previously commented on the somewhat tortuous pace of progress, mostly the buses– it is certainly not swift IC trains here. Better speed up getting to Vienna tomorrow though as I have a Richard Thompson concert to get to tomorrow night. We are stopped at the Croatian border while the Bosnia and Croatian authorities do their thing – and I think maybe the “engine” (electric, but) is changed. Just as well a hotel close to the Zagreb rail is booked for tonight as it will likely be almost 10pm before we get there at this rate! It is difficult to remember where and when I have been so will have to reconstruct day by day and make it up with pix.

25 June – Split
As you might have gathered by the time I got to Split decided that a dash down to Dubrovnik to say I had been there (and of course to see it!) had to be cancelled. The “dash” would have been a 4 ½ hr bus trip down there and then strangely it might have been quicker to go to Belgrade from there and get a real fast train from there rather than reverse route. However this was all a bit too much – and the holidays in Croatia that week were causing both a sort of informal 5-6 day weekend for Croatians and thus hotel availability chaos so decided to step next door into Bosnia to get away from itI Decided I would spend another night in Split so that I could manage at least a swim in the Adriatic by taking a 50min. ferry ride over to Brac Island (pron. Brartch I think). I had to buy the swimmers in Hong Kong for my hotel roof pool swim – had also left my travel towel so bought a souvenir Croatia one for about $10 so at least I had something to lie on (or keep the grit off me it turned out). When you go to Brac most people dash over in the bus to the more glamorous Bol on the other side of the island as where the ferry arrives at Supetar is more of a transit point. I read on a local’s guide to Brac that there are things to see in Supetar so decided to check it out. Not sure he mentioned the church (see pix) but it was really nice for a small church. Snapped a few there then went looking for a place to swim. Found a very photogenic graveyard and chapel there – then had the swim. The beaches are very rocky so with the waves and slippery rocks you have to be very careful getting in but the swim was lovely – could hardly go back without one could I? In Istria maybe could have at Piran as there were steps into the harbor there. Did you know that the marble for the White House (as in Washington) came from Brac??

Ran into some young Aussie guys into the beers on the ferry back to Split - ran into 2 of them later around town and they said they had ended up in "the ghetto" with some bad dudes (some element of risk I assume) and they reckoned all the local girls were "smoking hot" (a guy in Bosnia confirmed that the girls from Split were of this persuasion as well). I had to get out some more cash (rooms the first night were cash only – found this out after booking and had to split my 100E note). So switched to a real hotel, paid almost double but at least they took a card. But they were very nice anyway and breakfast was good. Got out some real cash as bus lines mostly take cash only and thought that might get spent on dinner, not expecting to be perhaps be able to use card (this cash thing is annoying). Had a nice unexpected dinner in a place in a square – nice grilled eggplant rollups with cheese or something inside – too long ago to remember. Then a nice sepia ink-style black Risotto Marul (name of the place). This was only about $30 I think.

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Photos

Split port
interesting mix of boating there

chandelier in a church?
St Peter @ Supetar

part of cemetery/chapel
at Supetar

Supetar cemetery
great view of the Adriatic

Split - night square
where I ate dinner (not shown to R)

Diocletian Palace tower
same marble in the White House