We decided to treat ourselves, and stayed at the Raddison Blu in Split, which was definitely a good choice. The resort was beautiful, and had all the comforts and luxuries of a top resort. We had a room with a balcony which had a sea-view (and we actually received a free room upgrade when we arrived - bonus!) and overlooked the deck and pool of the resort - I immediately felt relaxed when we arrived! The resort also had its own private beach were they have built a deck with day beds, loungers and umbrellas, and there is a bar and a restaurant. Most of the beaches in Croatia are pebble beaches, so it was nice to have the deck with the loungers with direct access to the sea!
Our days started with the most amazing breakfasts - fruit, cereal, yoghurt, waffles, bread, all different types of pastries, eggs, omlettes, bacon, mushrooms, sausages, tomato, potatoes, fresh juices and an endless supply of tea and coffee! Then we would choose a sunny spot either by the pool or at the beach, cooling down by taking a dip in the pool or sea, and finding some shade when the sun got too hot! We enjoyed lots of drinks and snacks by the pool or from the beach bar - it is funny how eating by the water is such a holiday treat! Some days we went to the gym, had naps on our bed or tried out the spa. Dinner each night was either at the buffet (where the food was really good!), the a la carte restaurant, or at the bar. One night we bought some snacks and wine and sat on our balcony enjoying the peace and the view, and another evening we had burgers on the beach!
We chose one day to visit the town of Split, and I am glad we ventured out of our resort. We started off with a bus tour which took us a bit out of the town, which was not somewhere we would have been by ourselves. Our tour guide pointed out these small churches built into the rock face which are only accessible by climbing up a steep flight of stairs for 30 minutes. Apparently it is a popular wedding destination - can you imagine! On foot we walked along the port, and the old town which is built around the Diocletian's Palace (which is actually more like a fortress). Split is an old city, more than 1700 years old, but Croatia only declared it's independence in 1991 and only joined the European Union last year.
It really was a relaxing vacation - it was so good for me to switch off completely, to enjoy the peace, to rest and get lost in a few good novels! I would love to go back one day and do some more exploring - there are amazing islands in Croatia and lots of other cities that I would like to visit.
The whole trip made me think of the wonderful beach holidays we had a family and all that my parents did to make those trips possible. I think that spending our holidays at the beach growing up, now means that the beach will always be the place that I associate with rest and happy times!
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