Farewell to Split

Our last day here looms.We have had such a nice stay here in Split, such a vibrant place and the place is so easy to get around.Once you work out the location of the different gates it is easy to find your way around the labyrinth of little streets with courtyards running off them and new delights to uncover.
Music is big here with lots of live performances in the squares and courtyards so you come across some delightful treats to sit and listen to.
Lots of cafes and a variety of fast foods Croatian style, well lots of pizza and bread in various forms.
We decided to put our bags into the luggage lockers at the railway station once we packed up our room first thing and then visit the nearby towns of Trogir and Solin. 
The bus was easy to find and we were soon wandering around another very ancient town on an island connected by bridges to the mainland.
Trogir has a history going back, 2,300 years with examples of Gothic, Romanesque, Baroque and Renaissance architecture along with more modern shop fronts and restored buildings.It was founded in the 3rd Century by Greek settlers from the nearby island of Vis and in those times it was the most important town in the region.
The Dukes Palace and the Cathedral were the most important buildings, so much so it was declared a World Heritage Site in 1997.
The Romans had had a big influence here and the churches were very impressive although we did not go inside them we could see the affluence  from which they were created centuries ago.
We did sit in the Loggia in the centre of town and listen to a group of Croatian singers serenading the crowd for money and CD sales.They were pretty impressive.
Tourists are everywhere here and the little alleyways are crammed with shopping distractions and local gifts and produce.
We left there about 11.30 am and took the bus to Solin where we wanted to see (well I think I wanted to see) the old Roman town ruins of Salonia.
We were unlucky in that our bus only took us to the foot of the town and we had rather a walk up the hill to find the ruined town.
It was worth it though.An extensive site covering the hillside with an ampitheatre, the forum,a palace  and other features to be expected in such a find.
The interesting thing about this place was it was the birthplace where Emperor Diocletian grew up.It was his palace we were living within the was of in Split.
It was once the largest Roman town in this part of the Adriatic.It is known as 'Croatia's Pompeii'.
We had a good scramble around the hillside ( photos later) in fairly hot windy conditions so we were grateful to catch a bus back to Split from outside the gates of the excavations.
We had some lunch at a old square in Split and then sat in the park under the trees for awhile.
We were out of our room and the train did not depart until 9.43 pm so a bit of time people watching at the park and then down on the Riva where people promenade as the night goes on. You can watch all the cruise boats and sunset cruise boats coming and going and enjoy the view out over the sea to the islands offshore.
We had a cold drink sitting under the shades before heading up to the Perstila for dinner.We thought there would be live music to listen to from the local cafe who provides a different entertainment each night but we were too early so it was off to the train to collect our bags and see what a sleeper on Croatian Rail would offer.
We were pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness of the sleeping berth.Every where we have been has been very clean I have to say.
A good bunk bed so I climbed aloft as the train left the platform and enjoyed a surprisingly good night sleep.There were a few stops along the way but we drew into Zagreb on the dot of 5.50am feeling quite refreshed.
How we filled in our day is the next episode.....