Andrew and I in Split, Croatia

Settling in Split

These days small, ordinary things count as luxuries. Things like being able to sit down at a proper table everyday to write and having a kettle and four different types of tea within touching distance. This is where I’m sitting now, in our apartment in Split. Here the kitchen cupboards are stocked with food, we sleep in the same bed every night, watch TV programmes on our comfy sofa and have a washing machine at our complete disposal. For me, these temporary home comforts have become as wonderful as the moment we step off a plane in a brand new country – well, almost.

Andrew and I in Marjan Park, Split

Settling in Split, Croatia, for Five Weeks

The bus from Dubrovnik to Split took us along Croatia’s trademark Dalmatian coast, along a windy road with hulking, bald mountains on one side and the sea on the other, its brilliant blue blending into the summer sky above. On the way we passed through Montenegro and the bus paused at both ends so an official could step aboard and check our passports. After four hours we began to divert inland slightly and the roads became wider and busier as we approached Split, our home for the next five weeks.

Ancient buildings in Split, Croatia

Split is a very different beast to Dubrovnik. The harbour is more chaotic and from the Old Town by the sea, the city sprawls outwards in a modern mass of concrete apartment blocks, supermarkets and noisy highways. Our apartment lies in amongst this muddle of soviet-era buildings; we have a Lidl supermarket just down the road, a pebble beach within walking distance and a bus stop where we can catch a ten-minute ride into the heart of Split’s historic Old Town.

Collage of Split Old Town in Croatia

The setting might not be idyllic, but we love our apartment. It’s modern and equipped with everything we need. We stock up on groceries and cook every day; we poach eggs and make endless cups of tea. We hang our washing out on the balcony and use the super-fast internet connection to watch TV programmes and get some work done. We enjoy the peace of having our own space and being able to unpack all of our belongings – we’re happy in our temporary home.

Our New Vlog and Renting an Apartment in Croatia

To give you an even more in-depth glimpse into what it’s like to travel full-time, we’re going to start publishing a new Vlog every week about our current adventures. For the first edition we’re sharing a short tour of our lovely Airbnb apartment in Split; take a look and let us know what you think. You can head on over to our YouTube channel if you’d like to subscribe to our channel and keep up-to-date with our weekly Vlogs.

By the way, if you’ve never used Airbnb before but would like to give it a try, you you can get £20 free credit to spend on the site if you sign up using this link.

Boats in Split Harbour, Croatia

Exploring Split and the Dalmatian Coast

Split is a great base from which to discover some of the Dalmatian Coast’s most beautiful sights, so when Bonner, a friend from the UK, visited we rented a car and spent long days exploring national parks, seaside towns, hillside forts and Roman ruins. We went to the beach, caught the ferry to a nearby island and hiked up to the top of Marjan Park to get an aerial view of Split.

Brac Island in Croatia

In the evenings we wandered the narrow streets of the Old Town and along the Riva, the long promenade lined with bars and restaurants. We ate fish in Croatian Konobas, had drinks in tiny bars, gobbled crepes smothered in chocolate and sampled various flavours of ice cream.

Eating ice cream with our friend in Split, Croatia

On Bonner’s last night we sat on a bench overlooking the sea, watching the sun set over Split as people took selfies on a pier. We talked about how drastically our plans and lives had changed since we last saw each other in London in January. Back then we could never have predicted that we’d meet again in Croatia just months later, or that Andrew and I would have scrapped our life in Spain and booked tickets back to Thailand in August.

Sunset on the Riva in Split, Croatia

For all the uncertainty we’ve experienced this year, I’m glad that life has brought us here, to this beautiful ancient city by the sea with the promise of new adventures glistening on the horizon.

Settling in Split, Pinterest

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14 Comments
  • Gilda Baxter
    Posted at 20:29h, 24 June Reply

    Hi Amy /Andrew, I like your lovely apartment, it looks very spacious and comfortable. Great tea colection, like you I can’t live without tea. It is also nice to have a balcony for some outdoor space. Split will be an excellent base for exploring Croatia. Keep up with the Vlog it is great, I will subscribe to get your updates. Already looking forward to the next one?

    • Amy
      Posted at 09:09h, 25 June Reply

      Thanks so much for the support Gilda, I’m glad you enjoyed the video 🙂 We are now facing the last week in our apartment before we move on to Budapest so we’re trying to make the most of our home comforts and drink plenty of tea!

  • Patti
    Posted at 17:02h, 25 June Reply

    It looks as if you’ve really found yourself a sweet little nest for the next month! What a find, good for you.

    I think I’ve said before that Abi and I really need to travel to Croatia! I’ve read so many blog posts promoting the beauty of the country, so I’m looking forward to your perspective as well.

    Glad you have a kettle for a proper cuppa! 🙂

    • Amy
      Posted at 09:22h, 26 June Reply

      Thanks Patti, it has been a great base for us. We now have just a few days left and are looking forward to heading onwards to explore Budapest soon!

  • Melanie
    Posted at 03:27h, 27 June Reply

    That’s thing I miss most when I’m travelling – a washing machine! Glad you’re having a happy time, it will be interesting to hear about Budapest.

    • Amy
      Posted at 09:17h, 27 June Reply

      Hi Melanie, it has been so good to have a washing machine, we’re going to miss that when we move on in a few days 🙂 We’re very excited about Budapest now!

  • Victoria@ The British Berliner
    Posted at 08:00h, 30 June Reply

    ‘Love the video. Very sweet little place you have there, and I absolutely loooove the tea collection. I keep telling my clients how important tea is to us. They still think I’m mad, although my German husband now gets it, as we import PG Tips online, and whenever we travel, we take a stash of English teabags with us as the German version is simply awful lol!

    I’m glad that you’ve found somewhere to settle for the moment so that you can “live” a little. Welcome back!

    • Amy
      Posted at 08:34h, 01 July Reply

      Thanks Victoria, I love that fact that you import PG Tips online! We always travel with a stash of teabags and Marmite too, those are the only things we really miss from the UK (apart from our friends and family of course!).

  • Louisa Klimentos
    Posted at 01:00h, 05 July Reply

    Your appartment is so nice and i am glad you are enjoying yourself.Keep up your beautiful travel adventure love louisa

    • Amy
      Posted at 08:06h, 06 July Reply

      Thanks Louisa, the apartment was a great place to set up camp, we miss it now we’re travelling again 🙁

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