A Park for HOW MANY Years?

Ghosts and ghouls are not my thing so let's see  more pictures instead. The city of Split, Croatia, sits on a peninsula on the Dalmatian Coast of the Adriatic Sea. On a recent visit to celebrate our fortieth wedding anniversary, my husband and I hiked along the ridge of the Marjam hill, set aside as a park by the Roman Emperor Diocletian in the fourth century.The hike began with ninety-nice steps to this look out point--and that was only the beginning.

Cruise ships and ferries ready to embark for the islands wait in Split harbor in the early morning.

Medieval hermits were fond of the caves in the cliffs on Marjam Hill, so there are several chapels. (More steps.)

Even I didn't climb to this hermitage.

The views of the islands from the hill were breathtaking.

This cross at the highest point with the islands in the distance (another 100+ steps) made me think of Jesus, the Hope of the Nations, the Hope of Croatia.

The views made us dream of taking one of those cruise ships someday.

When we reached the tip of the peninsula, having met only a handful of joggers and dog-walkers, all locals, we walked back along the shore of the bay through an area that proved to be popular with families and bicyclers.

"The best part of the city," the girl in the information office said, and by the time we returned to our hotel, footsore with aching muscles (did I mention the steps?), we could almost agree with her. No crowds, no tourists. Only the beauty of the amazing world God created on a gorgeous blue-sky day. Tomorrow I'll show you pictures of Silona, a Roman city of 70,000 people in Diocletian's day.