The Trogir Diaries: Day 5 - Thursday 18th September 2014: to split or not to split?

A momentous day.  It's the day of the Scottish independence referendum (for which we've both postal-voted in advance) and the big decision is to split or not to split from the UK.

Rather appropriate then that today's agenda consists of a trip along the Dalmatian coastline to its biggest city - Split!

Today is a DIY excursion and we're travelling on the Bura Line ferry which leaves at 11.15am.  No pre-booking required, just turn up and go.  However, as there's only a limited number of ferries every day, this one fills up very quickly so make sure you get there early.  It's a leisurely boat trip between Trogir and Split, stopping off on the way at a little town called Slatine.  You won't be surprised to learn that it's a most scenic arrival into Split - this part of the world is just one great big photo opportunity. 

There is also a cruise ship in town today, the Ocean Princess.

Following our arrival we head straight for lunch, in the vicinity of the Diocletian's Palace and in close proximity to a famous little narrow street called "Let Me Pass" Street, named for the fact that only one person can get through at a time...

The Diocletian's Palace, which is virtually Split's city centre, is its main attraction.  There are lots of walking tours

A big assignment today: finding a CD store.  Having done research beforehand, I've mapped the way to the small Croatia Records shop on yet another picturesque, historical square - Narodni Trg (pictured above).  I purchase a couple of this summer's compilation albums:

If Trogir is a miniature maze, then Split takes it to a whole new level.  It could probably take weeks to find your way round the place, and we're only here for a few hours, so we're not venturing too far away from the city's centre.  Time for some souvenir shopping before heading back to the Riva for a quick afternoon coffee.

The ferry for Trogir leaves at 4.00pm, when it's time to say goodbye to Split.

Split was of course the main competition for Trogir as our holiday destination. I'm glad that we picked Trogir, but during our trip today it occurred to me that Split has all the appealing characteristics which would make for a potential future city break destination

Return boat trip done and dusted, it's back to the hotel via some of the town's less crowded streets, to get ready for another evening meal at one of the many restaurants on the Trogir Riva, before settling into what has become a nightly tradition on this holiday: late-night refreshments on the main square.  Bravo Band are back again tonight and it's an entertaining end to the evening.  We are now reaching that point of the holiday where a little bit of sadness is creeping in, with the realisation that we have only two more full days before going home.  All the more reason to enjoy them to the full!