Solta

C & I got up to take a 6 mile run, and at 5.30am, it was already hot and humid. We were glad that last night, we decided to spend the day on the water, taking a day trip to nearby Trogir. Unfortunately, the boat to Trogir wasn't running today, so at the last minute, we booked a trip to Solta and the Blue Lagoon. The trip cost about $50/head and included lunch. At 9am, we boarded the boat and said goodbye to Split:

Goodbye to Split

 90 minutes later, we arrived in Solta, a sleepy island southwest of Split:

There wasn't much to do on the island, but we had three hours to kill, so we got a coffee, did some shopping, and went to the beach.  We found a shop that had some local-grown delicacies, and we bought some apple/rosemary marmelade and some honey bitters:

Then, we swam at the beach.  It was stunning. The bluest water I've ever seen.  Clean, clear, refreshing.  Awesome. The only downside was that you had to wear sandals in the water so that you didn't prick your feet on the sea urchins. Still, beat this: 

We swam this. Oh yes we did.

After lounging at Solta, we got back on the boat for a lunch of fish or chicken, and white wine. S had the chicken (two oily pieces, which she enjoyed), and I had the fish (six small grilled animals, which took a lot of time/effort to clean). While eating, we motored over to the Blue Lagoon, which, if you can believe it, topped the water at Solta. We moored the boat a few hundred feet offshore, and went swimming. C and I jumped off the top of the boat into the cool blue water, and we generally had a great time. S snapped this pic of E, C, and I near one of the abandoned islands.

Um, wow.

 Then, back to Split to get cleaned up and grab dinner. Along the way, I caught a few more shots of town:

Cathedral

The Riva (main promenade) full of diners.

Today was one of the best days ever. While it was sweltering in Split, we were comfortable onboard the boat.  Tomorrow, we leave Split and head north to the lakes. Excellent!