Split and Graz

Yesterday (Sunday, May 31), Katya and I slept in a bit but still managed to have breakfast, pack and be out on the streets by 10 a.m.  It was a sunny and warm day on the Adriatic Coast.  Although there were a few museums we could have visited in Split, we decided that Sunday was our day for rest (which we need!) and spent almost the whole day strolling around Diocletian's Palace and the waterfront.

Split Waterfront

The first thing we did was climb the steps to the top of the bell tower for a panaramic view of Split.  The first few flights of stairs were the original (or duplicates of) ones from centuries ago, and these the risers were quite high.  Luckily, a bit further up, metal stairs were in place that seemed to have the normal heighth for risers.  We were fortunate that it was a cloudless day; the vistas were spectacular.

Shadow of the Bell Tower on the Peristil at Diocletian's Palace

After a short walk on the waterfront--strolling on the waterfront seems to be a favorite past-time of the locals--which allowed us to escape from the large tour groups (A cruise ship had come into port in the night.), we returned to the center of Diocletian's Palace to watch the changing of the guard.  Men dressed like centurians (reminding us of Octavius in Night at the Museum) responded to trumpet calls from a balcony.  Not as well-disciplined or precise as the Hungarian Parliament Guard, they took their places prior to the appearance of Diocletian and his wife, who greeted the crowd and welcomed everyone to split.  They took a more menacing (but hilarious) stance when the crowd did not respond enthusiastically enough to Diocletian's greeting.

Roman Guards

Our next stop was the main cathedral in Diocletian's Palace.  It was built after the 4th Century on the site of Diocletian's tomb.  Considering that Diocletian was not a Christian and had his wife and daughter killed for converting, he must be turning over in his grave!  Another irony was found in Jupiter's Temple, a small, square building not far from the main palace.  When we went inside, we did not find any statues or altars to Jupiter.  The Christians had long ago converted this Roman temple to a temple to St. John, and it is his statue which dominates in this building.  However, the coffered ceilings and other parts of the structure still harken back to pre-Christian Roman times.

Split Cathedral

Emaciated St. John in Jupiter's Temple

As in most of the places we have visited, layers of history can be found, from pre-historic through modern time.  Among all the preserved edifices and artifacts, daily life goes on, with shops, hotels, restaurants, sidewalk cafes, as well as homes, grocery stores and schools, using the historic structures.    One thing we really enjoyed was sitting on the steps along the Peristil and listening to phenomenal choral music being sung in the domed verstibule by various choral groups who happened to be touring in the area and must have heard about the wonderful acoustics.  Also, it was quite fun to escape from the bustle of the main plazas and explore the alleys.

Alley with Roman arches in Split

We walked quite a distance along the waterfront in both directions.  To the west of the old town of Split is a large yacht marina, with vessels of various sizes and values.  To the east lie the ferry and cruise ship terminals.  In the center of the waterfront, there are cafes, benches, grassy areas and a wide promenade.  We spent a great deal of time here.

Sailing, Split

Eventually, we were worn out well before it was time to catch the 10 p.m. train to Zagreb en route to Austria.  We had stored our luggage at the hotel--which was such a welcoming place that we hated to leave.  I went back to get a book to read.  (Katya already had her Nook with her.)  The man at the desk invited us to relax on the comfortable sofas in the lobby, an offer we couldn't refuse.  After an hour or so, we had enough energy to venture out to find food for dinner and stroll a bit more.

Katya on the waterfront

For our overnight journey, this time we booked couchettes in the sleeping car.  They were comfortable, but Katya was too cold and my back was in pain from too much exertion, so neither of us slept well.

Our plan had been to go to Ljubljana, Slovenia, for a day, but we decided to go for a bigger city, so we picked Graz, Austria, a city we really knew nothing about other than it being larger the the capital of Slovenia.  We were told in Zagreb that there was a direct night train to Salzberg, which we planned to take, but in Graz, we discovered that we would have to take two trains and spend an hour waiting between trains at a station in the country in the middle of the night.  Quickly, we adjusted our plans and booked a room for the night at a hotel very close to the Graz Hauptbahnhof (train station).  After we checked in, we set off to explore.

Like Dubrovnik and Split, the heart of Graz is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The range and quality of architectural styles is stunning.  Of course, we stopped in as many churches as we could.  (Katya has gotten used to this and doesn't complain.)  The first one we entered was the Barmherzigenkirche on the west side of the Mur River which runs through the city.  Painted yellow and trimmed in white on the outside, with Baroque ornamentation, the church's exterior does not hint at the glorious Baroque style that lies within.  Intriquately carved surfaces, rich-hued paintings, and gilded statues and decorations vie for attention within the sanctuary.

Baroque interior of the Barmherzigenkirche 

Crossing the Mur River, we encountered the church of the Franciscan Monastery.  Once again, we entered into a jewel, with the sun through gorgeous stained glass windows throwing luminous colors on the shiny floors.  We also walked around the quiet cloister and visited a small chapel off of it.

Stained glass windows in the Franciscan Monastery Church

From the sacred to the secular we went, arriving in Hauptplatz, the main town square, surrounding by facades of various architectural styles and dominated by the enormous, ornate Town Hall at the southern end.

Graz Town Hall

Local shops and chain stores abound around the square and on the streets radiating out from it.  We strolled down Herrengasse to see some of the most striking edifices, including one known as the Painted House.  The frescoes dating from the mid-18th Century depict Greek and Roman gods.

Painted House

A few block down the street, we shopped at H&M for shorts for Katya and then went into the City Parish Church, the Stadtpfarrkirche.  The outside is Baroque in style, but the interior is both Baroque and Neo-Gothic.  (It originated as a Gothic church.)

Stadtpfarrkirche

The next church we visited, after grabbing a snack on the street, is the oldest parish church in Graz, dating from the mid-15th Century.  Enclosed within a former Augustinian monastery, the Stiegenkirche can be found up a couple flights of stairs.  Unlike anything else we have seen on this trip, the interior is plain and modern.

Stiegenkirche

Leaving this church, we started the ascent to the Schlossberg, a large, quiet, tree-filled park on a hill where a small fortress and castle were built over 1000 years ago.  This fortification was extended into a huge Renaissance fortress in the 16th Century.  Unfortunately, not many of the fortifications are left, but the bell tower and the clock tower were saved from destruction by aggressors by the citizens of Graz.  The clock tower is the traditional landmark of the city and can seen from many vantage points.

Schlossberg Clock Tower

The bell tower, further in the park, was built in 1588, and houses Graz's most famous bell, named Liesl.  The remains of gates, cannon bastions,  a powder house, prisons and a well lie throughout the expansive park.  A beautiful formal garden can be found on a plateau below the clock tower.  There are many paths to and through the park.  We left the park after walking through the formal garden, by descending 260 steps through the hillside Herbersteingarten, a series of terraces that was built and planted with Mediterranean plants between the two world wars.

We crossed back over the Mur River by the footbridges which connect to the Murinsel, a distinctive floating shell housing a cafe and an amphitheater in the middle of the rapidly flowing stream.

Murisel

This took us to Mariahilferplatz and the 17th Century Mariahilferkirche, yet another wonderful Baroque sanctuary with adjoining cloisters and monastery.  Particularly striking are the large crystal chandeliers.

Chandeliers in Mariahiferkirche

Katya and I both agreed that our feet could not endure any more walking, so we got dinner and came back to the hotel well before sunset.  In the morning, we catch a train at 5:45 a.m. for Salzburg, where we will spend one night.

We are truly enjoying our time together.  We love the architecture and style of Europe, and almost everyone has been extremely friendly and helpful.  We could do with less cigarette smoke and I would enjoy ice in my drinks, but who's complaining?  Not us!  We feel so lucky to be having this wonderful experience.