Day 5, Venice & Croatia: Zadar, Sibenik, and Split
After a bountiful buffet breakfast that included everything from crepe to what we affectionately refer to as “breakfast vegetables,” we boarded the buses for the short ride into Zadar proper. There we met our local guide at the recently reconstructed waterfront. The weather was temperate with a slight on-shore breeze as we started our tour in the present and worked our way into the past. On the waterfront, we visited the Monument to the Sun and the Sea Organ, which played its wave-driven tones for us as we sat and gazed across Zadar’s harbor. From these modern manifestations of art and engineering, we walked inside the old town walls and traveled back in time 2000 years to sit among the remains of the Roman Forum and learn the history of the town. Located nearby was the circular medieval church of St. Donatus and then more of the ancient Roman ruins in the city and a present-day bakery and street side refreshment stand that provided some mid-morning sustenance for all. Zadar, with its history and beautiful harbor on the Adriatic, proved to be a fine first stop on our three town Dalmatian Coast Tour on this day.
Our second stop was in the medieval town of Sibenik located on the Krka River. Igor and Gorgi, our bus drivers, pulled the coaches into the drop off zone along the river, and we were greeted first by two swans paddling aimfully in our direction and then by our local guides, who approached us equally with purpose. We left the riverside and entered the town, traversing the narrow brick-paved streets passing a number of the 20+ churches and numerous stores, apartments, and houses. It is a beautiful town—one of the few actually built by the Croat people—with another UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Cathedral of St. James, a 15th century Renaissance construction.
Instead of taking the inland highway, we drove the coastal road from Sibenik down to Split, a drive replete with drop-dead gorgeous views of the Dalmatian Coast: turquoise waters, waves, houses perched perilously on steep rocky slopes, cypress trees, olive trees, harbors, beaches, and a surfeit of sunshine on this day.
Our last tour location for the day was in the city of Split, where we visited the sprawling remnants of Diocletian’s Palace—a monumental building. We started our tour with our guide, VJ, in the basement, of course. A bit dank, the basement was a vast, high-ceiling-ed region not yet fully excavated. VJ told stories and pointed out architectural highlights—he was a wonderful guide and we all appreciated his engagement and knowledge. We proceeded upstairs and inside and outside the palace and when VJ asked how many in our group had heard of Diocletian and his palace he was pleasantly surprised that the numerous former Grade Niners in Ms. Neely’s class had studied him, his rule, and his retirement home (the palace).
We had an outstanding tour, learned a lot, and then ate gelato. What could be better? Add in another 30 minutes of shopping, etc.: The Game of Thrones store, the soccer jersey store, the trinkets and t-shirt stores, postcards, more food—and there you had better.
On the way out of Split, VJ told us to look for the 2000-year old Roman aqueduct that still fed the modern city its water. It was just past the Mall of Split and the gas station. We drove, we saw, and it conquered us—graceful arches spanning a lengthy tract of land, in places with only the top exposed and forming the front yard wall of a row of houses, then ascending over a gorge to the next hillside. Simply awesome. Roman engineering to last for millennia.
Then we took the highway to Neum on the Bosnian Riviera. Here we would find our hotel clinging to the side of the shoreline cliffs and newly opened for the season; it was us and no one else. The place was a bit Stanley Hotel-esque with our students noting that the essence of the hotel in The Shining was in the air. No worries, it was Bosnia, not Colorado. We just needed to run the water a little to get the rust out of the pipes, note the lack of snow, and we were fine. It’s good to use one’s imagination while touring too. How do you say, “Here’s Johnny!” in Bosnian? Goodnight, Olivier. Goodnight, Mile. Goodnight, Stephanie. Goodnight, Sade...
Our second stop was in the medieval town of Sibenik located on the Krka River. Igor and Gorgi, our bus drivers, pulled the coaches into the drop off zone along the river, and we were greeted first by two swans paddling aimfully in our direction and then by our local guides, who approached us equally with purpose. We left the riverside and entered the town, traversing the narrow brick-paved streets passing a number of the 20+ churches and numerous stores, apartments, and houses. It is a beautiful town—one of the few actually built by the Croat people—with another UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Cathedral of St. James, a 15th century Renaissance construction.
Instead of taking the inland highway, we drove the coastal road from Sibenik down to Split, a drive replete with drop-dead gorgeous views of the Dalmatian Coast: turquoise waters, waves, houses perched perilously on steep rocky slopes, cypress trees, olive trees, harbors, beaches, and a surfeit of sunshine on this day.
Our last tour location for the day was in the city of Split, where we visited the sprawling remnants of Diocletian’s Palace—a monumental building. We started our tour with our guide, VJ, in the basement, of course. A bit dank, the basement was a vast, high-ceiling-ed region not yet fully excavated. VJ told stories and pointed out architectural highlights—he was a wonderful guide and we all appreciated his engagement and knowledge. We proceeded upstairs and inside and outside the palace and when VJ asked how many in our group had heard of Diocletian and his palace he was pleasantly surprised that the numerous former Grade Niners in Ms. Neely’s class had studied him, his rule, and his retirement home (the palace).
We had an outstanding tour, learned a lot, and then ate gelato. What could be better? Add in another 30 minutes of shopping, etc.: The Game of Thrones store, the soccer jersey store, the trinkets and t-shirt stores, postcards, more food—and there you had better.
On the way out of Split, VJ told us to look for the 2000-year old Roman aqueduct that still fed the modern city its water. It was just past the Mall of Split and the gas station. We drove, we saw, and it conquered us—graceful arches spanning a lengthy tract of land, in places with only the top exposed and forming the front yard wall of a row of houses, then ascending over a gorge to the next hillside. Simply awesome. Roman engineering to last for millennia.
Then we took the highway to Neum on the Bosnian Riviera. Here we would find our hotel clinging to the side of the shoreline cliffs and newly opened for the season; it was us and no one else. The place was a bit Stanley Hotel-esque with our students noting that the essence of the hotel in The Shining was in the air. No worries, it was Bosnia, not Colorado. We just needed to run the water a little to get the rust out of the pipes, note the lack of snow, and we were fine. It’s good to use one’s imagination while touring too. How do you say, “Here’s Johnny!” in Bosnian? Goodnight, Olivier. Goodnight, Mile. Goodnight, Stephanie. Goodnight, Sade...
Brimmer and May School
69 Middlesex Road
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
617-566-7462
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
617-566-7462
As an inclusive private school community, Brimmer welcomes students who will increase the diversity of our school. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, or any other characteristic protected from discrimination under state or federal law, in the administration of our educational policies, admissions practices, financial aid decisions, and athletic and other school-administered programs.