Split, Croatia April 14 Slowing down and learning how to be local

I will be in Split through May 11 so I’m approaching the next 30 days a little differently and will learn how to navigate as a local so I can test drive Croatia as a possible country to retire in eventually.

I was a little terrified of the apartment I had rented sight unseen on booking.com when the taxi pulled up and I saw endless tagging and a broken window on the outer door to the lobby. Once inside, I found a very spacious one bedroom, super clean and with an overflowing fruit bowl to welcome me.

The good news is the apartment is a couple of miles from the heart of touristy Split and on a main bus line that goes back to the ferry landing across the street and to both malls in Split if I stay on my side of the street. It’s been grey and overcast the last few days so I thought getting to know the malls might be a good start.

As with Warsaw, both mega malls, the Mall of Split and City Center, include a large grocery store as well as a food court each. The small Tommy’s grocery store across from the apartment is average by EU standards but has just a few choices for most of the items I buy, so I will most likely bring my grocery bag along on all mall days.

Unlike the mall in Warsaw, both Split malls have a few unique features. Directly outside the equivalent to a Walmart Supercenter-sized grocery store, there are specialty shops for cheese, honey and fruit, as well as sweets and even a butcher shop.

The top layer is turkish delight but I haven’t figured out what these rolled confections are. They seem to be a type of fondant or fudge with different fillings.

I’ve never seen chocolate baklava before and may need to try it.

I’m not sure how Mango would feel if I tried clothes on with a Tommyhawk steak hanging out of my shopping bag, so this must be a shop you stop at on the way out.

Another big difference with the Split Malls is they serve gourmet food in the food court, along with McDs and mall-standard Chinese food. The first day I visited Mall of Split I had a legit chicken and mushroom risotto, finished off with white wine. My plate-of-the-day special for 12 Euros included the main along with a salad and soup. I tried two kinds of red cabbage salad as well as a very brothy spinach soup, also delicious. This would easily be a $40 dinner in Seattle.

The final big difference in the Mall of Split with U.S. Malls is they have a large bar in front of the movie theater that is open to the public. You can partake in the coffee culture that is so prevalent in this part of the world or have a double shot to get through the Minecraft movie full of tween boys, the bar was fully stocked for just about anything you could order.