title	Hauling Boats to Croatia: Desenzano to Split, Croatia - 13th April 2026
intro	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 though it means drinking three 500ml bottles each of 7.3% Tomislav dark beer and meeting local legend Pedro, the Instagram cat.
imgp7474	Nosher's bedroom in Desenzano
imgp7476	Another look at the apartment's kitchen
imgp7487	We're definitely in wine country
imgp7491	We pick the boats up from Alessandro's gaff
imgp7494	An Italian church
imgp7499	The last toll plaza in Italy
imgp7500	We cross the border into Slovenia
imgp7501	The Domača Pekarna café near Podgrad
imgp7503	Picturesque roads through Slovenia
imgp7504	A random shed-based Bureau de Change
imgp7505	A view of possibly Rijeka
imgp7506	The quiet roads of Croatia
imgp7511	Ponies in a field
imgp7513	Pine trees and mountains
imgp7521	A small house with a great mountain view
imgp7522	A spotty cat roams around opposite the marina
imgp7523	We drop the van and boats off in a cement works
imgp7527	Walking back through the marina
imgp7529	Marina Kaštela just outside of Split
imgp7530	We find a bar and drink 7.3% Tomislav beer
imgp7531	Our new "local"
imgp7532	Sean checks his phone
imgp7535	Pablo the Cat chases an insect
imgp7536	A view of Ulica Obrov past the Corto Maltese
imgp7537	Pablo Cat is quite the celebrity
imgp7538	Amusing pub toilet art
imgp7539	The bog walls and ceiling are covered in cartoons
imgp7541	Sean on the back streets of old Split
imgp7544	Narodni Trg Pjaca in the morning
imgp7546	The peristil of Diocletian's Palace
imgp7547	Some sort of tour group does a group photo
imgp7551	Near the Katedrala Svetog Duja
imgp7558	There's a street market on Stari Pazar
imgp7559	A sale in progress
imgp7561	Outdoor market in Stari Pazar
imgp7562	Stacks of boxes, and some graffiti
imgp7563	Fruit and vegetables for sale
imgp7564	Sean wanders around the outdoor market
imgp7568	The Riva Promenade
imgp7569	Fancy cafés on Riva Promenade
imgp7571	There's a nice vintage tuk-tuk
imgp7574	Prokurative Square
imgp7575	Street art on Marmontova Ulica
imgp7577	A silver statue outside the theatre
imgp7579	The Hrvatsko Narodno Kazaliste theatre
imgp7580	More Croatian street art
imgp7584	Posters and mopeds
imgp7585	A decorated telecoms cabinet
imgp7586	Sean wades into a load of pigeons
imgp7587	More street art
imgp7588	An ancient Zastava Yugo
imgp7590	Croatian dereliction
imgp7592	Graffiti tags
imgp7593	Two teddy bears outside a café
imgp7594	Old wall sign and new graffiti
imgp7595	Piles of pallets somewhere
imgp7599	There's a big crowd near a statue of Grgur Ninski
imgp7600	Gregory of Nin has a very shiny toe
imgp7602	A Wolf rider in the backstreets of Split
imgp7603	A little shrine in a wall
imgp7604	A statue of Marco Marulić in Trg Braće Radić
imgp7605	Braće Radić square
imgp7608	More back streets of old Split
imgp7609	The fish market, or Ribarnica, on Marmountova Street
imgp7610	In Split's famous fish market
imgp7612	Graffiti for a football supporters group from 1950
imgp7616	Irreverent socks in a shop window
imgp7617	Another view of Trg Braće Radić
imgp7618	A giant egg on Riva Promenade
imgp7620	Sean checks his phone
imgp7621	At Mama burger bar, where we've stopped for a beer
imgp7622	A view of Split's old town
imgp7625	We wander down to the marina at Uvala Matejuška
imgp7626	A giant metal Split sign
imgp7628	Flowers in the market
imgp7629	Railway dereliction
imgp7631	Urban decay near the bus station
imgp7632	Stickers all over disused phone booths
imgp7636	There's a wedding photo shoot in Narodni Trg Pjaca
imgp7640	Food's up at the restaurant near the apartment
imgp7641	The apartment has a nice shared waiting room
imgp7643	Sean checks for phone updates
imgp7646	Squid-ink pasta and fried seafood arrives
imgp7647	Muma Buzarija in Prioria Petra
imgp7649	Graffiti on the wall from fans of Muma
imgp7650	Narodni Trg Pjaca at night
imgp7651	Shiny paved streets of Split
imgp7653	There's musical entertainment at the restaurant
imgp7658	We stop off at Corto Maltese, where Pablo's about
imgp7661	Seans heads off to the apartment
imgp7662	Some sort of offertory box in a wall