SPLIT, CROATIA – Arriving anywhere close to Split’s Marjan by car was an impossible mission. Citizens of Split left their cars even several kilometres from the location of the main city celebration near the zoo for Labour Day on Friday. 

Citizens of Split thrilled with turnout

Thousands of citizens of Split were on top of Mount Marjan where Vinko Coce, Neno Papic and the male choir Filip Devic entertained them. The motives that took Split’s citizens to Marjan were various:

- I decided to take a walk. I am retired, so I suggested to my wife that we go to Marjan. I used to come up here with friends as a child. It is nice here – Ante, 57, said.

- I heard that free bowls of gnocchi are handed out here every year instead of bean stew, so I came to see that wonder. It has been a long time since I’ve seen so many people. I live on the other side of the city and I haven’t been on Majran for a long time. The air is clean, nature, why not – Jurica said.

- I should have worked today, but I changed shifts with a colleague and I will work her shift next Saturday when she has to go to a wedding. My husband and I made a terrible mistake when we tried to come to Marjan by car. In the end we left the car at home and walked to here. I have not tried the gnocchi because we were too late. I heard people waited for the gnocchi for several hours – nurse Anita, 54, said.

PHOTO: Split Citizens at Marjan for Labour Day

- Honestly, I came here to finally eat some gnocchi with sea food. I do not earn much, so I cannot afford such meals. But I must say that this year the number of portions dealt out lessened in relation to last year. Looks like this recession has really done its part – Ante, 48, said.

The tradition of going to Marjan is being lost over the years. This and similar events are cause for people to gather anew, even rarely, and is nice to see them dancing, singing and smiling. Too bad it happens mostly one a year, on Labour Day.