Wanderlust

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Cliffside Churches

Split is basically located between the Adriatic Sea and some very large hills/mountains. If you climb to the top of the closest hill, you get a spectacular view of the city and the sea. In fact, I watched a FIFA game at a café at the top, while enjoying a spectacular sunset.

Soccer stadium from the Mediterranean Games in the 80s

View watching the game

To the side of the café

There are also several churches set into the cliffs, which aren't common spots to attend mass, since the only way up is by foot. Tea and her family only go to one for Christmas eve mass.

If you look close, you can see the cliff churches

Ahhh sea

Church number 1

Church number 2, actually built into the cliff

Part of church 2

More sea

Part of Split

They had these little millipedes all over the place. I was distracted

Church 3

Klis Fortress

I saw so many things in Split and its surroundings that I could probably write about them for the rest of my journey, so I'll condense it down to my favorites.

To any Game of Thrones fans, Klis Fortress might seem a little familiar. It was used in filming as parts of the city of Meereen, where the slave masters are crucified on the walls. I don't watch the show myself, but the view was phenomenal.
The fortress holds a key defensive point, protecting Dalmatia from invaders.

The fortress is on the top of the mountain

The view is breath-taking

The very top

The second of three gates

Spread along the ridge line

Dragon!

Ant people (also in the fortress)

at the top

Church and view

So pretty

Mountains

On the other side of the fortress

Happy fortress face

Fortress cat! Cute!

First gate on the way out

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Arriving in Croatia

On Saturday evening, I caught an overnight bus to Split. The ride was infinitely more comfortable than my last night bus, seeing as we were driving on paved roads the entire way. Everything went smoothly until we stopped at the Croatian border at around 5 in the morning. I was still sleeping when the guy behind me shook me awake to an unhappy border control officer standing over me. Being the only non-European on the bus, he took my passport to go stamp it, and before I had it back in hand, the bus started moving again. Cue panic on my part. I started up the aisle, but everything ended up fine since they had given it to one of the drivers before they left.

The rest of the trip was uneventful, other than my awe at the beautiful land and seascape of Croatia. I arrived in Split and found Tea without trouble. After getting settled in, eating, and meeting her parents, we all drove to Trogir, on the other side of the bay from Split.

Yeah! Hrvatska (Croatia in Croatian)!

Mill house at a small nature preserve

water canals

Happy flowers

Trogir

Old castle converted into apartments

Church

Clock tower

Carved entrance to the church, flanked by a naked Adam and Eve

Corn carvings, predating discovery of the new world

Mass inside the church

Stripey guy, Tea's mom and dad, and Tea

Pier

Lovely ocean

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Herrenchiemsee

My last day in Germany, we visited the Herrenchiemsee, where King Ludwig II built one of his many palaces. Only 20 of the 60 rooms were ever finished, but they are more spectacular than any other residence I have ever seen.

To get to the island, you have to take a 15 minute ferry ride and then it is a short walk to the palace.

On the ferry

Alps in the distance

Lukas, Ulli, Omi, and Oliver

Lukas and Opa

Construction was begun in 1878. The palace was modeled after Versailles in France and exceeds it in some respects. For example, the Hall of Mirrors, at 100 meters long, is larger than the one in France. There are also seven fountains in front of the palace.

Palace and fountains

Latona Fountain

The goddess Latona and her children, Artemis and Apollo, were denied water by the villagers.
They were then turned into frogs by the wrathful mother (see frog people in picture)