The city of Split is the second-largest city in Croatia. It is a modern city of about half a million people. But right in the middle of the city, on its boardwalk which borders the sea, is a palace that was built over 1,500 years ago by the Roman emperor Diocletian. While this palace is a tourist attraction and contains several archeological sites and museums, it is also a functional area. There are apartments and buildings within the palace that are still in use today, and part of the palace complex is host to an open-air market where many people go to buy their daily groceries. You can see this represented in some of my photos attached.
Just a few miles to the east is the town of Omis. While Omis is now part of the Split metropolitan area, it was once its own independent republic. It is history like this, as well as the act of living in and around buildings that are thousands of years old that can give rise to a different, slower, more relaxed and more sedate outlook on life. As the old saying goes: in Europe 100 miles is a long-distance, while in America, 100 years is a long time.
During my time in Croatia, I can reflect on the differences between some cultures of time and age, and it is both very fascinating and instructive.
