I love the beach. After a trip to Greece too early for beach weather, I decided I needed to find a way to get to Croatia for some Adriatic Sea beach-going. I headed all the way to Dubrovnik and then on the return trip I stopped in Split, where Roman Emperor Diocletian was from.

He lived in a sea-side palace that is now mainly shops and apartments, bordering a lovely promenade.

This is the Croatian National Revival Embankment, or Riva for short. It was a great place for people-watching any time of day, with shaded benches, restaurants and cafes, and plenty of palm trees.