Hungary to Croatia: Aug 27- Aug 30

Hungary to Croatia: Aug 27- Aug 30

We left Hungary almost a week go. Lingering memories of soaking in water, romantic and neo classical architecture, paprika and desserts to die for. The landscape we saw reminded us of the mid west US. It was hot and humid, we were happy for air conditioning. We learned about life in a country where many forces have come and gone yet the culture and language has endured.

Our last day we took the bus from Eger to Budapest. We spent the day in the national gallery which exceeded my expectations, which were low. There was a special exhibit on the Surrealist Movement and the 20th and 21st Century Hungarian art was really interesting. That evening we got on the night train to Split.

                                                       Hungarian Train Station

I have always wanted to take a train and have a sleeping car. It was not fancy but comfortable and clean. We had a little table that turned in to a sink. Dave slept great, I was too keyed up. Much of the night I felt a sort of glee thinking, “I’m on the night train from Budapest to Split, how romantic sounding is that!” Sometimes as the train surged along it felt like an amusement ride or maybe that convenance that took the visitors in Charlie and the Chocolate factory from one place to another. I loved it.

Our Compartment on the Night Train

In the morning we arrived in Split, stowed our bags and explored the old town. We spent a good deal of time in Diocletian’s palace cellars, not because the lady from Game of Thrones kept her dragons there, (which apparently she did), but because it was so much cooler than every where else. The landscape surrounding Split is mountainous and rocky, the Adriatic sea dazzlingly blue, the buildings, in the old town, layers of ruins, pieces from different eras of architecture built one on top of another. The palace is a maze of narrow walkways, old stone, easy to imagine history happening as you walk along. The empires and states of Roman, Byzantine, Venetian, Austria - Hungarian, and Yugoslavia all leave their mark.

In the mid afternoon we got our stuff and found the bus to our hostel about ten miles south on the coast. We were very happy to chill there and enjoy the easy access to the sea from their back patio. 

We relaxed deeply inspired by this:

So we rested until Paula and Ward arrived which will be in the next Blog episode.