Nosher's bedroom in Desenzano
Hauling Boats to Croatia: Desenzano to Split, Croatia - 13th April 2026
It's the final - and longest - leg of the trip with Sean hauling ILCA 6 dinghies from Palma Mallorca to Split in Croatia as we leave Desenzano on Lake Garda for the 900km or so drive to the final destination. The journey also takes us through Slovenia, although it turns out that it's not for long as by the time Sean's thinking about stopping we have crossed the border into Croatia. About 50 hours later, we arrive at the marina in Split to discover that as it's a Sunday, of course nobody knows we're coming and so there's no-one there to open up, which leaves us potentially looking for a random car park to leave the boats and van. Eventually though, some dude turns up on a bike and sorts out entry, although even then we end up having to leave the boats right round the back of the marina in what looks like a cement works. We then get a taxi to the apartment - in the Palace Walls - which is somewhat "quirky" and amounts to a small room with beds and a tiny kitchen, but it's nice and the location is excellent. We then have a whole day to explore the old town of Split and to find a bar with beer, which we successfully manage, even tbough it means drinking three 500ml bottles each of 7.3% Tomislav dark beer and meeting local legend Pedro, the Instagram cat.
next album: Hauling Boats to Croatia: The Journey Home - 15th April 2026
previous album: Hauling Boats to Croatia: Toulon to Desenzano, Lake Garda, Italy - 11th April 2026
Another look at the apartment's kitchen
We're definitely in wine country
We pick the boats up from Alessandro's gaff
An Italian church
The last toll plaza in Italy
We cross the border into Slovenia
The Domača Pekarna café near Podgrad
Picturesque roads through Slovenia
A random shed-based Bureau de Change
A view of possibly Rijeka
The quiet roads of Croatia
Ponies in a field
Pine trees and mountains
A small house with a great mountain view
A spotty cat roams around opposite the marina
We drop the van and boats off in a cement works
Walking back through the marina
Marina Kaštela just outside of Split
We find a bar and drink 7.3% Tomislav beer
Our new 'local'
Sean checks his phone
Pablo the Cat chases an insect
A view of Ulica Obrov past the Corto Maltese
Pablo Cat is quite the celebrity
Amusing pub toilet art
The bog walls and ceiling are covered in cartoons
Sean on the back streets of old Split
Narodni Trg Pjaca in the morning
The peristil of Diocletian's Palace
Some sort of tour group does a group photo
Near the Katedrala Svetog Duja
There's a street market on Stari Pazar
A sale in progress
Outdoor market in Stari Pazar
Stacks of boxes, and some graffiti
Fruit and vegetables for sale
Sean wanders around the outdoor market
The Riva Promenade
Fancy cafés on Riva Promenade
There's a nice vintage tuk-tuk
Prokurative Square
Street art on Marmontova Ulica
A silver statue outside the theatre
The Hrvatsko Narodno Kazaliste theatre
More Croatian street art
Posters and mopeds
A decorated telecoms cabinet
Sean wades into a load of pigeons
More street art
An ancient Zastava Yugo
Croatian dereliction
Graffiti tags
Two teddy bears outside a café
Old wall sign and new graffiti
Piles of pallets somewhere
There's a big crowd near a statue of Grgur Ninski
Gregory of Nin has a very shiny toe
A Wolf rider in the backstreets of Split
A little shrine in a wall
A statue of Marco Marulić in Trg Braće Radić
Braće Radić square
More back streets of old Split
The fish market, or Ribarnica, on Marmountova Street
In Split's famous fish market
Graffiti for a football supporters group from 1950
Irreverent socks in a shop window
Another view of Trg Braće Radić
A giant egg on Riva Promenade
Sean checks his phone
At Mama burger bar, where we've stopped for a beer
A view of Split's old town
We wander down to the marina at Uvala Matejuška
A giant metal Split sign
Flowers in the market
Railway dereliction
Urban decay near the bus station
Stickers all over disused phone booths
There's a wedding photo shoot in Narodni Trg Pjaca
Food's up at the restaurant near the apartment
The apartment has a nice shared waiting room
Sean checks for phone updates
Squid-ink pasta and fried seafood arrives
Muma Buzarija in Prioria Petra
Graffiti on the wall from fans of Muma
Narodni Trg Pjaca at night
Shiny paved streets of Split
There's musical entertainment at the restaurant
We stop off at Corto Maltese, where Pablo's about
Seans heads off to the apartment
Some sort of offertory box in a wall
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Nosher's bedroom in Desenzano
Nosher's bedroom in Desenzano
Another look at the apartment's kitchen
We're definitely in wine country
We pick the boats up from Alessandro's gaff
An Italian church
The last toll plaza in Italy
We cross the border into Slovenia
The Domača Pekarna café near Podgrad
Picturesque roads through Slovenia
A random shed-based Bureau de Change
A view of possibly Rijeka
The quiet roads of Croatia
Ponies in a field
Pine trees and mountains
A small house with a great mountain view
A spotty cat roams around opposite the marina
We drop the van and boats off in a cement works
Walking back through the marina
Marina Kaštela just outside of Split
We find a bar and drink 7.3% Tomislav beer
Our new 'local'
Sean checks his phone
Pablo the Cat chases an insect
A view of Ulica Obrov past the Corto Maltese
Pablo Cat is quite the celebrity
Amusing pub toilet art
The bog walls and ceiling are covered in cartoons
Sean on the back streets of old Split
Narodni Trg Pjaca in the morning
The peristil of Diocletian's Palace
Some sort of tour group does a group photo
Near the Katedrala Svetog Duja
There's a street market on Stari Pazar
A sale in progress
Outdoor market in Stari Pazar
Stacks of boxes, and some graffiti
Fruit and vegetables for sale
Sean wanders around the outdoor market
The Riva Promenade
Fancy cafés on Riva Promenade
There's a nice vintage tuk-tuk
Prokurative Square
Street art on Marmontova Ulica
A silver statue outside the theatre
The Hrvatsko Narodno Kazaliste theatre
More Croatian street art
Posters and mopeds
A decorated telecoms cabinet
Sean wades into a load of pigeons
More street art
An ancient Zastava Yugo
Croatian dereliction
Graffiti tags
Two teddy bears outside a café
Old wall sign and new graffiti
Piles of pallets somewhere
There's a big crowd near a statue of Grgur Ninski
Gregory of Nin has a very shiny toe
A Wolf rider in the backstreets of Split
A little shrine in a wall
A statue of Marco Marulić in Trg Braće Radić
Braće Radić square
More back streets of old Split
The fish market, or Ribarnica, on Marmountova Street
In Split's famous fish market
Graffiti for a football supporters group from 1950
Irreverent socks in a shop window
Another view of Trg Braće Radić
A giant egg on Riva Promenade
Sean checks his phone
At Mama burger bar, where we've stopped for a beer
A view of Split's old town
We wander down to the marina at Uvala Matejuška
A giant metal Split sign
Flowers in the market
Railway dereliction
Urban decay near the bus station
Stickers all over disused phone booths
There's a wedding photo shoot in Narodni Trg Pjaca
Food's up at the restaurant near the apartment
The apartment has a nice shared waiting room
Sean checks for phone updates
Squid-ink pasta and fried seafood arrives
Muma Buzarija in Prioria Petra
Graffiti on the wall from fans of Muma
Narodni Trg Pjaca at night
Shiny paved streets of Split
There's musical entertainment at the restaurant
We stop off at Corto Maltese, where Pablo's about
Seans heads off to the apartment
Some sort of offertory box in a wall