I stayed at an Airbnb in Split for 11 days, but this almost didn’t happen. I took an Uber from the airport and upon arriving, the driver and I were looking for the building numbers. But in the meantime, he was removing my luggage from the trunk. I began to panic because I have been dropped off before (Lisbon, Portugal) in an area that was not the actual drop-off. So I ask the driver where do I go (he speaks very little English). He was just as baffled as I was; however, I noticed that he was staying with me. A guy walked by and the driver spoke to him in Croatian, but he was just taking a short-cut. Next the driver spoke with a person getting out of a car and they told him where to go. The driver tries to tell me where to go but I’m not understanding so he walks me to the area. We then come upon a group of young girls, and they told me (in English) where to go and how to find the building numbers. The driver begins to leave, and I couldn’t thank him enough! God knew I would need this particular driver. One who was more concerned with my safety than the next fare. (I prayed a blessing for him.)
I begin to walk to the front of the buildings thru a tunnel that had a LOT of graffiti. I already knew that graffiti was part of the European flare, but this was the first time I’ve seen it on a building I was to stay. I get to the front side of the buildings and I’m not feeling any better. The buildings are old and dirty. I find building #5 and stand there a minute or two thinking I’m going to need to find a hotel (the bougie girl inside of me was screaming!).
I realized I need to go upstairs to tell the host that I’m not staying. So I drag my HEAVY suitcase up 6 steps and go into the building and see what I guess is an elevator. You have to open the door and as I get myself and suitcase in the square box, the door closes and another door comes from hiding and begins to close. I’m thinking… what is this!!! As I feel the elevator moving I begin saying… Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!!!!! I reach the 12th floor (long scary ride) and as I’m getting out, a guy opens his door and begins talking. I don’t hear anything he’s saying because I’m in shock and need a minute. He introduces himself as the host (apt owner). Once I get inside the apartment, it looks exactly as the pictures, and my nerves start to calm. The guy laughs and says he has seen my expression several times from other guests. (Note: there were no pictures of the outside building.) He gives me a tour (3 bedrooms, bathroom, and laundry room; kitchen with microwave, stove, oven, etc.) and provides a lot of valuable info (e.g., grocery store, bus stop and restaurants). I decided to stay but I’m now thinking to myself, you need to get back into that elevator because you need to get groceries. It was a little easier since I knew what to expect but I’m still feeling a little apprehensive.
I settled in and within 2 days I’m riding the elevator like a pro and catching the bus like a local. It’s funny that I would almost never ride a bus in the U.S., but since being in Europe I have ridden so many buses and trams to get around a city.
The city center is bustling with people from cruise ships. Walk past there to the Old Town and you’re in a different era. As you step straight from the historic streets of the old town, you walk right into the ancient Roman walls of the Diocletian’s Palace. It was built at the end of the third century AD by the Roman Emperor Diocletian as his retirement residence. About half of the complex was for Diocletian’s personal use, with the rest housing the military garrison. I learned that Diocletian was the last well-known emperor to persecute Christians. And a few centuries after his death, his body was tossed out of his mausoleum and has never been found. The Christians transformed his mausoleum into a cathedral devoted to a man he had beheaded, St. Domnius, who became the patron saint of Split. The cathedral is the oldest Catholic cathedral in the world that is in its original structure.
I would recommend you visit Split and venture out to the other islands, if you have time.
