Walking around Split
It is by slipping over the polished paved streets that I found myself imagining how my life would be like if I would have moved next door to the Diocletian Palace. Split doesn’t go unnoticed. I like to imagine that this is the reason why its city walls are still embracing its inhabitants seventeen centuries later. To protect it by envious eyes. Wherever they were coming from sea, land or air. Split has stood tall, contrasting against the sparkling blue of its fresh waters and the towering mountains behind it. If you isolate yourself mentally from the crowds of tourists hungry for cheap food and beaming attractions, get lost in the labyrinth of narrow streets that form the old town. If you don’t pay attention, you will probably end up walking in a circle. But if you do, you’ll notice that each street has a different way of reflecting the light of the warm sun, a different row of soap scented clothes hanging from the numerous drying racks, a distinct smell coming from the various restaurants or a particular stray cat that looks at you wary. Take notice of each chipped corner and you will find your way out. If you look up wherever you are, you might glimpse the proud eyes of some old locals, spying on you from the height of their green shutters. Hard, distrustful, those gazes resemble the feline ones. In response, look at them humbly, silently pleading their forgiveness for your unwanted presence, promising them that you’ll explore their loved city respectfully. After, treat yourself to a hot solinska pita, a Croatian savoury pastry that is filled of spinach, ricotta and ham which you can find in the many Bobis bakeries that stud the place. While you enjoy its bittersweet taste, you’ll probably end up by the harbour. Sit right on the parapet and let your feet dangle over the salty stretch. Split’s magic lies in its waters. No matter how deep or how polluted the sea might be, you’ll still be able to see its sandy bottom. I personally let my thoughts slip away like my steps on those polished paved streets, only to be replaced by serene silence.
