Croatia has a total of 1,185 islands, reefs and islets, of which only 67 are populated. Korčula is one of the largest islands, measuring 45km from east to west, and averaging 6km from north to south.
Phespirit based himself just outside the old town of Korčula at the eastern end of the island. Disappointingly, he did not have enough time to explore the rest of its terrain.
It's always the same story: so much to see, so little time.
It takes slightly less than an hour to walk around the perimeter of Badija. From the island's main dock, the unmade footpath is wide as far as the pebble beaches, ten minutes to the right, but quickly narrows to single file thereafter.
Phespirit took a water taxi from Korčula to Badija and passed the day on the beach facing Orebic, sunbathing and hand-feeding the wild deer with pine kernels.
Five things that Phespirit did in the National Park of Mljet:
And then he left.
Some cities on this Earth are such perfect capsules of art, history and character that they seem to transcend present times and the political geography of the day, to become angelic entities floating through eternity for all humankind.
Venice is the best and most celebrated example. Phespirit is now able to confirm that Dubrovnik, Venice's great rival on the opposite side of the Adriatic, is another.
This is indeed a special part of the world.
Split only exists because the Roman Emporer Diocletian decided it looked like a nice spot to build his retirement home. The palace he constructed had a 170m by 190m ground plan, with walls 26m high and vast underground chambers, making it the largest private residence in antiquity. Diocletian saw out his days here cheerfully slaughtering Christians.
Nowadays the palace is colonised with shops, houses, cafés and bars. The underground chambers remain, as do the Peristyle, the Vestibule and the Temple of Jupiter. Diocletian's mausoleum has, ironically, been turned into the Cathedral of St. Domnius.
Phespirit climbed to the top of the cathedral's campanile to survey the palace and the city that fans out from its walls. Ascending the metal ladder in the open-sided 60m high bell tower was one of the more nerve-wracking experiences for Phespirit in Croatia.
Phespirit explored the Neretva Delta by boat. As the boat motored along the narrow channels between reed beds, Phespirit knocked back shots of industrial strength local spirit, while a Croatian chap in a cap and striped jersey belted out folk songs on his accordian.
What could be better than that?
