22nd June Let's Split!!

In many ways this was the first real surprise of the trip because I simply hadn’t expected Split to be such a major transit point for people heading off on trips to the islands off this part of the coast.

As we pulled into port, the harbour was literally a sea of activity with boats criss- crossing back and forth. It was heaving with travellers of all ages, shapes and sizes lugging luggage back and forth or trying to find a shady spot in which to kill a few hours before their boat departed.

It was also hot and humid so that by 8.30am after walking less than a km from the ship to the riviera just outside the old town, we were both ready to seek refuge in a water vapour cooled café, where two iced teas really hit the spot. If we do this again it won’t be in the height of summer or maybe just not where the temps have been hitting the mid 30’seach day.

TOM has done really well on this trip but…he really needs to get rid of a lot of weight and do something about his overall fitness, both of which I know he will do fuck all about when we get back. But he would feel so much better if he did.

As for Split itself, it was a lovely mixture of old and new living side by side.The main focus within the old city was the area surrounding Diocletian’s Palace, including the tower that neither of us could locate until we realised we were sat directly underneath it. 

It was of course busy but a moment of aural respite came from a quartet of singers, a Croatian Barbers shop ensemble, who sang within the confines of round tower that was open to the sky. It lasted less than two mins but we were in the right time at the right place as their voices harmonised and soared up and out of the tower. It was beautiful

We then enjoy a spot of people watching over a beer purely for rehydration purposes. Again by midday, as the temps continued to soar, we had both had enough so we wandered back along the even busier harbourside to the sanctuary of the ship and some much needed shade.

We appear to have scared away the Scottish couple when had been sat next to us at dinner. Instead a new couple arrived who didn’t really make any attempt to converse…come back Ali and Jay I thought. Until suddenly just before pudding they burst into conversation.

The entertainment this evening, one recommended by none other than Captain Neil himself, who turned up to watch the show was a three piece folk / shanty group called The Privateers. Not only were they very funny,  they were fantastic, musically very accomplished and played a beautiful version of Fields of Athenry. In fact I’d suggest that they got the best audience reaction of our trip so far.

All of these shows in the Playhouse only last for 45 minutes and so leave the audience wanting more. We will certainly be back later on this week for their second spot.Tonight we doubled upon the star turns with a quick dash down to the Manhattan bar, the party bar on Azura, to hear a Paloma Faith tribute band although I suspect 80% of the crowd had no idea who Paloma Faith was.

But as ‘Yzzy Pearce-Higham’,  the Paloma's look a likey said herself, ‘ the quicker we drank, the more she’ll start to look and sound like Paloma and by the end of the night we’ll be singing along to all the songs we had never heard 30 minutes ago.’ Which strangely enough we were…lol