Split, Croatia – August 6

Once again clear skys, 32 degrees, still not too humid

Much of seasons 4 and 5 of Game of Thrones was filmed at 2 locations in Split. Apparently this is where the Meereen slave rebellion and the dungeon that held fire-breathing dragons were filmed. Also, where

view from the fortress

Daenerys Targaryen (the Mother of Dragons) freed the slaves in season four.

I have no idea as I didn’t see any of the show, but Chris and Dad seemed to say the guide knew what

from inside the fort

she was talking about.

The guide was totally enthusiastic! She even wore a dragon on her shoulder and a Jon Snow shirt! She was one of the best guides we have had. The first location we visited was at a fort in an ancient village of Klis. This fort was very picturesque with the mountain on one side and the sea on the other. It was also very strenuous to get to the top of the fort…up steep inclines and many stairs! For me and Mom it was a good tour, but I’m sure for fans of the show it was pretty cool to see locations you could remember from the show. The guide did a great job

dragon

of describing scenes and showing pictures from the show filmed exactly where we were. She also did a good job sharing other stories about the actors…where they stayed, played and other little tid bits of gossip. In real life, the fortress, dates to the 7th century.

Next we drove about 30 minutes back to Split to visit its Diocletian Palace - built at the turn of the 4th century for Roman emperor Diocletian the palace is a sprawling complex of temples, cathedrals and

residences facing the sea. This place was packed, but there wasn’t much for stairs or inclines. It was non-stop walking though. At one point there was a re-enactment of Diocletian addressing his people. We were also treated to an a cappella performance by 4 singers.

a cappella

The Game of Thrones part of the tour kept going. More scenes were shot here – apparently where Daenerys’ dragons are chained in the dungeon. I hope that makes some sense to those of you reading this who watched the show.

Today’s tour almost makes me want

to watch Game of Thrones…almost!

Diocletian