We flew into Split. The old centre of the city is based in and around Diocletians’s Palace, built by the retiring Roman emperor. Over time the palace has been overtaken by shops, apartments and cafes, making a really interesting warren of narrow streets, squares, stairs and passages.

We went white water rafting on the Cetina River, which flows through a gorge and into the Adriatic. It was a bit tame, but very pretty.

Next stop was Krka National Park, and the beautiful waterfalls at Skradinski buk. The water was so clear and blue-green.

Final stop before we caught the ferry to some of the Islands was the UNESCO world Heritage site Trogir.

The island of Hvar.

Korcula Island.

And finally, Dubrovnik, Pearl of the Adriatic. The whole old city is enclosed in thick, high walls.

While we were there I was lucky to catch two fantastic photography exhibitions. At the Fotographiemuseum- Amsterdam was a retrospective of work by famous fashion and portrait photographer Richard Avedon. This american photographer shot celebrities, royalty and news stories from the 60′s until his death in 2004. Most are very simple square format, white background black and white. This simplicity really allows you to focus on the person and Avedon had a real skill for showing the personality and reality of his subjects.

It was also a treat to see the winning entries from world press photo award. I admit I pay little attention to news photography, but to see these blown up and exhibited really allowed you to stop and look at the images, and see how pictures can really tell such a powerful story. There are some amazing photojournalism of events through the year, from the Beijing Olympics to wars, social commentary and nature. Really inspirational stuff.

Here’s some less inspriring snaps from our weekend…