Fifth Journey Day 154: Unheard Song of the Promenade

"Unheard Song of the Promenade" — a quiet study of Split’s harbor light and the patient rhythm of the Riva.

Date: October 9, 2025
Location: Split, Croatia

In Split, on Croatia’s Adriatic coast, mornings gather slowly along the Riva promenade and the ancient stones of Diocletian’s Palace. Fishing routines, sea haze, and warm limestone set the cadence for the day — a gentle conversation between water, light, and the people who move with them.

The Harbor Before the City Wakes

This morning, I walked to the harbor. I followed the sound of water before the streets were fully awake. The boats were still tied together in rows that glistened like wet paint. Fishermen moved quietly among the boats — not in a hurry, doing things the way they usually do — tightening ropes, coiling nets, and checking the weight of things. I stood near one corner of the dock for almost an hour, watching the movement and rest of the fish.

Patience in Practice

Their patience felt familiar — like a gesture that becomes invisible when it's done over and over. It reminded me of the slow process of adding color, when nothing seems to change but the surface deepens. I sketched loosely, not to capture shapes, but to note textures — the frayed rope, the dull shine of wet wood, the way light rests unevenly on metal.

Along the Riva Promenade

Later, I sat by the promenade with a cup of coffee that had cooled too quickly. The air changed — the smell of the sea breeze mixed with the smell of frying bread from somewhere behind me. A man walked past, singing quietly to himself. For a moment, the city felt like it was in between moving and stopping, like it was listening to its own breathing.

Textures That Stay

Even now, my hands still smell a little bit of salt. I feel tired from focusing on something rather than from physical effort. The day has left a kind of imprint — not a memory of events, but of textures: the stone under my palm, the weight of the air, the sound of water against the pier.

Choosing Stillness Over Sketching

Some days, you need to translate what you see. Other days, you just need to sit and observe. Today was one of those days.

Travel Notes

• Weather: Mild and damp, 21°C; a thin morning haze drifting off the sea that cleared into slow, golden afternoon light. The air held salt, dust, and the warmth of sunlit stone.
• Scents: Sea breeze mingling with frying bread and cooling coffee; the faint mineral smell of wet wood and rope.
• Sounds: Water tapping the pier, quiet footsteps on the dock, nets being coiled, and a passerby singing softly along the promenade.
• Reflection: A day of textures over events — letting patience do its work until the surface deepens.

Continue the Journey

You may also enjoy another quiet moment in Split: Second Journey Day 94: Luka Kovacic, or follow the Dalmatian coast south to Second Journey Day 95: Marko Ivanković in Dubrovnik.