Around Split, Croatia

At the time of writing this we are 1.5 hours out of Split, on the good ship MF Regina della Pace (Motor Ferry Queen of peace), on which the internet is currently dis-functional.
We have on board a travelling party of italian happy clappers, accompanied by several very earnest looking priests. It's a crying shame that what is going on within the Roman Catholic Church at home can so predudice “one”, but I have to say I look at these young people, some of whom are clearly physically and / or mentally handicapped, and wonder – just wonder.

Yesterday, (by the time you read this we should be off the ship and en-route from Ancona to Gualdo Tadino.) we had another wander around the “Palace” of Split's old town. We climbed the Bell Tower, viewed the mausoleum of the Founding Father, Disomethingorother, which doubles as the Cathedral, crept into the crypt dedicated to Santa Lucia, patron saint of eye surgeons, and inspected the Baptistry which is actually the sole remaining pre-Roman temple, of Jupiter. (See Jesus bronze from Baptistry, stairway to bell tower, and Saint Someones head in a silver Jar, with viewing windo, from the treasury. in composite. There was a tiny lead saint's coffin in the treasury. I suppose once the head is in it's jar and the leg & arm bones are in their glass viewing casket, there's not much need for a full size coffin!)
Captured some Japanese tourists being Japanese tourists. Fun Guys ;-)
All quite different from Dubrovnik. Greater Italianate and Roman architecture, more restaurants tucked away in interesting corners, and, allegedly, more shoe shops than any other city in the world. Certainly there are more T shirt shops than I have previously spotted in any European city This year's vogue seems to be nautical, with blue & white horizontals being much in evidence.

After checking out of our hotel, we retired to the beach, via a superb veggie take away. 3 hours roasting at just under 30 deg C was enough, so we headed for the ferry terminal, checked in and 2 hours later,& only 1 beer each, we boarded. 2 more hours, several small expenseve bottles of VR and one beer later and it's Blip scribe time.

ETA Ancona 08:00 hrs ramorra.

SalutarVi, I;. nostri amici.