Day 1 - Transit and arrival in Split, first night in Trogir.

The itinerary includes two nights' stay in Trogir, a historic town not far from Split where the cruise launches from. So the plan is to land at Split airport, find my way to Trogir, and see what's what.

The views out of the window are varied and I may be repeating myself, but it is only in the last 75 years of the entirety of human history that such views have been available to ordinary citizens. 100 years of any human period. So I appreciate how privileged I am every time I look down on the planet from an airplane.

Deplaning in Frankfurt is by airstairs, gives a good perspective on the size of the engines.

As does the prop size for the last two legs flights. The connection in Zagreb is only half hour layover, and the plane is half hour late. I'm told not to worry.

Once we deplane we take a bus to the terminal, walk to the next gate, get on the same bus which takes us to the same plane. Ah, makes sense. Next flight couldn't leave until we got there.

Seeing different countries from above is also educational - it shows how cities/towns interact with the terrain and vegetation.

In the shot below is something that looks like a stone quarry, and later I learn that is exactly what it is. Stone from this area is highly prized, and I'm told it covers the exterior of the White House in Washington (coming not from this specific quarry but one on an island not far from here).

Next picture is of the Piaggio Avanti, one of my favorite airplanes. It is the fastest and most efficient business turboprop, owing the performance to its intelligent design. Which is what engineering as an artform is all about.

The Split airport is modern, compact, and uncrowded. Google tells me there is a bus to Trogir so I walk to the bus stop and take the 25 minute ride.

It's a short walk from the bus terminal to the hotel, maybe half mile, that takes me through the old city. I'm glad that I travel with only a single backpack as luggage. Lugging multiple bags around would not have been much fun. Temperatures are in the high 80's.

Old city streets are narrow, pedestrian-only, and paved with same stones that buildings are are made with. It looks cool and is cool literally - light color reflects the sun instead of absorbing it like asphalt does.

There are multiple shops and eateries throughout.

Outside the walls is a long waterfront promenade where a lot of ships are docked. They seem to be of similar size to the one I'm going to be on. I later realize that this is part of a booming tourist industry. Small ship cruising is a big thing here - the ships are all about 120-150ft, with 15-20 cabins and carry 40 or less passengers. Most have been built in the last 15 years and they are designed to be tied ('rafted') together when docked.

The hotel is nice, clean, and makes for a great base to explore from for today and tomorrow.

The hotel lets me check in early so I drop my bag and go walking about.

There is an open air market where I end up buying some prosciutto and a peach on the way back. Both turn out to be delicious.

There is a beach where I could (and later will) swim, but today I take a several mile walk along the coast to another one, just to see what's there.

Past the old city there is a ferry terminal, some residential areas, an old church with a cemetary, and a boat yard/marina.

It's cool to see the large boats out of the water.

Further on is another small set of old buildings, and then some restaurants and residential areas along the beach that is at least half a mile long.

There are a few cats lounging around, most looking like this one. Fairly small, slim, grey with dark spots. They are not keen to interact with humans.

The beach itself is all sharp pebbles. No sand, and the pebbles have not been rounded by waves so it's a bit painful to walk. Fun for a bit, quickly becomes less so. Will need to get water shoes if I'm going to visit beaches.

I then reverse the trip, buy the aforementioned food items, grab a bottle of prosecco from the supermarket, and head back to the hotel.

Good start to the trip.

>> Day 2