Travels with Tricia

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February 12, 2022

Photo du Jour: The Sphinx Under a Moon-Lit Sky – Split, Croatia

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Tricia A. Mitchell

Croatia, Photos du Jour (Photo of the Day)

About 1,700 years ago, Roman Emperor Diocletian spirited away a set of granite sphinxes from Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. The mythical creatures found a new home in the emperor’s retirement palace in present-day Split, Croatia, where we are lucky to be enjoying the winter months.

A few nights ago while strolling the streets of Split, we found ourselves captivated by the sight of this sphinx illuminated by moonlight. The sculpture, which guards the palace’s Peristyle, is the only intact one that remains in Split. A headless version can be found in front of the Temple of Jupiter (which was later converted into a Baptistery), whereas another is housed in the city’s museum.

We remarked that today the palace is roughly the same age to us as the sphinxes were to the emperor who so coveted them.

Where in the World?

About the author

Hi! My name is Tricia Mitchell. I delight in telling stories about my slow travels through more than 65 countries. Some of my highlights have included sharing meals with locals in Armenia, Cambodia, and Tunisia; sipping sparkling wine with French cousins in Alsace; milking goats in a sleepy Bulgarian village; and training with a Japanese mine-clearance team in Laos. My husband, Shawn, and I are based in France’s Loire Valley.

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20 responses to “Photo du Jour: The Sphinx Under a Moon-Lit Sky – Split, Croatia”

Browsing the Atlas

December 28, 2013

What a gorgeous picture! I love the angle you chose to highlight the moon. So artistic. I would have never thought to do that.

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1. Tricia A. Mitchell
  
  December 28, 2013
  
  Thank you, Juliann. I loved how mystical the scene looked – a full moon over a 3,500 year-old sphinx. What a neat city this is!
  
  Hope you’re enjoying the weekend; somehow I suspect you have another trip up your sleeve? :-)
  
  Reply
Kat at travelgardeneat

December 28, 2013

Amazing photo, Tricia! Looks like a travel poster advertisement.

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1. Tricia A. Mitchell
  
  December 29, 2013
  
  Flattering words, Kat – thank you. :) It was moments like this that I wish we’d had the tripod along. But then, we couldn’t have strolled so freely in this beautiful spot.
  
  Wishing you a Happy 2014 just around the corner!
  
  Reply
Gerard

December 29, 2013

Thank you for sharing that. You took a great picture at the right moment and you reflected deeply. That’s really cool!

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1. Tricia A. Mitchell
  
  December 31, 2013
  
  Gerard, thank you! On this New Year’s Eve, I wish you a bonne année et bonne santé. Will you be ringing in the new year in the city this year, or somewhere quieter? :)
  
  Reply
  1. Gerard
    
    December 31, 2013
    
    Hi Tricia. I’ll be ringing in the new year at home. I went to the city yesterday. Times Square was already getting set up. It was very crowded all around that area.
    
    Have a happy New Year!
  2. Tricia A. Mitchell
    
    January 3, 2014
    
    Gerard, we also had a relaxed – but very memorable – New Year’s Eve with new and old friends here in Split. I think those are often the best. :)
    
    Happy 2014!
ruthincolorado

December 30, 2013

Tricia, this may be your best photo ever. Definitely in your top 5. Awesome!

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1. Tricia A. Mitchell
  
  January 3, 2014
  
  Manmade beauty and Mother Nature in great harmony here. :) Thanks for the flattering praise, Ruth – and Happy 2014!
  
  Reply
corneliaweberphotography

December 30, 2013

This is macic, Tricia. Wish you that the new year of 2014 may be filled with blissful adventures and happiness on your wonderful journeys.

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1. Tricia A. Mitchell
  
  December 31, 2013
  
  Cornelia, thank you! Evening strolls around here can be magical – especially with a full moon overhead to illuminate this great architecture. :)
  
  Here’s hoping that our paths will cross in 2014! Ich wünsche Dir einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr!
  
  Reply
the eternal traveller

December 31, 2013

Wow, that is a gorgeous photo. You should enter it in the HItchhikers Handbook photo competition. https://www.facebook.com/HitchHikersHandbook

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1. Tricia A. Mitchell
  
  January 7, 2014
  
  Many thanks for your compliment and for the suggestion, Carol; I’ll check the competition out. Hope the new year is off to a wonderful start for you!
  
  Reply
gallivance.net

December 31, 2013

Well Tricia, you’ve done it again – totally knocked my socks off with this stunning photo. Wow! I have great difficulty capturing a decent photo of the moon, and you did it flawlessly. Just beautiful. Happy New Year to you and Shawn. We have so enjoyed getting to know you this year and look forward to more of your wonderful posts. :) ~ Terri & James

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1. Tricia A. Mitchell
  
  January 4, 2014
  
  Terri & James, thank you, or as they say in Croatia, hvala! :) This was one of those nights where we wish we’d brought the tripod along, but after almost forgetting it in India and deciding between yoga mats and the tripod for this limited-packing trip, we opted for the former. :)
  
  Shawn often hears me mention you, so we’ve both enjoyed crossing paths with you this past year as well. It would be fun if they could cross in person this year. Where are you off to next?
  
  Happy 2014!
  
  Reply
  1. gallivance.net
    
    January 5, 2014
    
    Tricia, we’re in the planning process and looking for good deals. Right now we have our eyes on anywhere that doesn’t have Dengue Fever. :) ~Terri
  2. Tricia A. Mitchell
    
    January 5, 2014
    
    Terri, the planning stage is always a fun one. Do you ever employ the spin the globe and point technique? (On a serious note, our friend once had Dengue Fever and said the pain was excruciating; travel does make one thankful for medical cures, and at the same time makes one so much more aware of the plight so many of the world’s citizens do, but shouldn’t face.)
    
    I just connected with a fellow traveler named Frank (co-author of blog BBQboy) who was inquiring about apartment hunting in Dubrovnik & Split after reading my mammoth Split walking tour post. :-) I offered him advice for Split & Trogir, but sent him your way for pointers on Dubrovnik. Hope you don’t mind and that you’re having a splendid weekend.
Prem Virdi

January 1, 2014

Tricia, absolutely ethereal. What a perfect picture, great composition, perfect lighting and delightfully delicate outcome.

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1. Tricia A. Mitchell
  
  January 11, 2014
  
  Prem, it’s very nice to hear from you! Your compliment about this image is especially appreciated since I know that you are a gifted and accomplished photographer. Thank you for your kind words.
  
  Reply