The early start gave us the unexpected treat of stumbling upon the fish markets which are only open for a few hours of the morning till about 10 am. Just through the open doorframe you'll find giant slabs of stone acting as rows of tables, all covered in glistening plies of squid, buckets of prawns and huge tunas being sliced into steaks right in front of you. The markets are officially located on Neretvanska Ulica and following your nose towards the pungent smell of the sea that wafts through the far side of the old town is definitely worth it.
Amazing seafood was a theme that continued throughout our stay and Split absolutely delivered some of the best meals of the entire trip. If you're on a budget and looking for a quick delicious meal, Fife was the recommendation of almost everyone we spoke to. Packed with locals and with massive portions of a range of simple and fresh seafood, it definitely lived up to its reputation with our waitress even running across the road to buy us a block of local chocolate (free of charge!) when we found out they were out of dessert.
Our next amazing discovery was a more hidden restaurant called Konoba Varoš which we found on Ban Maldenova just out of the old town where Fife and most of the cheaper and less touristy places were located.
This is definitely a place for sharing which is perfect because the menu is filled with so many delicious sounding possibilities that making a decision, as an already indecisive person, was torture. But despite my food envy of the massive seafood platters around us, and the boys' stuffed veal snitchel, my cuttlefish risotto was possibly the best thing I've ever eaten. While dinner was slightly pricier than our usual picnic meals, it was still amazing value for the insanely good Dalmatian specialities that you get.
When we weren't eating, we found ourselves exploring Split's beautiful coastline, whether it was climbing up to Prva vidilica look out point, or following the trend of avoiding the harbour side man made beaches and instead lying out on the rocky cliffs' edge, lounging in the sun with a few of the stray cats that seemed to own the city.
Wandering through the old town was also a perfect was to spend an afternoon. Climbing to the top of the bell tower provided perfect panoramic views of the city and harbour below but was seriously challenging, especially if you're not comfortable with heights, thanks to the combination of the ancient, slippery stone steps and the new rickety metal ladders that shock with every step we took.
With the abundance of other holidaying Aussies, curious kittens and crystal clear water, there was something about Split that felt comfortingly like home, while still being completely different to anywhere I've ever been before, making leaving just as hard as I'd thought it would be.
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