The gleaming waters of the Adriatic Sea, the crème de cacao spires of the Split cathedral, it's a warm day and the cafés that line the streets surrounding the 15th century walls are filled with customers sipping espressos and nibbling on plates of freshly caught calamari. It's a divine experience or at least one befitting the great Roman emperor Diocletian whose stone palace dominates the coastline.

This is the second stop on our trip down the Croatian coast, certainly the most breathtaking panorama in Eastern Europe. As we sit in the shade of an ancient cobbled building, there's time to savor the experiences we had in Istria. We are on a whirlwind trip traveling south: first Istria, then Split with stops on the Islands of Korcula and Mljet, and finally Dubrovnik.

It's been nearly a decade since the Serbo-Croatian conflict (although many confuse Croatia with Bosnia and believe travel here may be dangerous) and there are still traces of the war on the facades of the buildings and the contours of many cliff sides. But the country has rebuilt and is on the brink of rediscovery by international tourists.

The rugged coastline lapped by gentle turquoise waters extends some 600 km in a boomerang shape. Starting at the border with Slovenia at the Istrian Peninsula and continuing through Dalmatia it provides a journey through history, natural beauty and the embrace of the welcoming Croatian people.

During this trip we have collected recipes passed down from generations for seafood stew, bottles of brandy distinctive to each picturesque town and plenty of friends we intend to keep in touch with by e-mail.

We have learned that if you attach a Brussels sprout to your knee you may rid the joint of arthritis, that you may skinny dip off the shores of Mljet and that Croatia is where the zinfandel grape comes from -- knowledge gained through DNA research commissioned by Miljenko Grgich who has vineyards in both Trstenik, Croatia and Sonoma, California.

We have met the unsung heroes of the regional war and the passionate museum directors who present the culture in the cities along the way. We met two formidable women on Korcula: one who owns a candy store and fed her people during the war, the other who runs the island's tourism office now known as the woman who consoled her people.

Istria is just south of Trieste, Italy and retains an Italian flair and a number of Roman ruins. In Porec, the 6th century basilica, a World Heritage site, still sparkles with the Byzantine gold mosaics carefully placed centuries before. In Rovinj the 17th century Cathedral of St. Euphemia holds the remains of the martyred saint brought from Constantinople in 800 in an exquisitely carved tomb.

Pula is renowned for her Roman ruins -- a 1st century amphitheater built entirely from local limestone where gladiators demonstrated their skill to the satisfaction of 20,000 spectators is the jewel in her crown. The 30m-high wall contains two rows of 72 arches all in remarkable condition. There is also the Sergian triumphal arch and Augustus's temple.

We drove south along the Adriatic coast to Split, stopping at the sparsely populated beaches to bathe in the clear waters. If we'd had more time, we would have tried some diving -- the Croatian coast considered a prime spot for viewing underwater life, is known for its cave diving. But instead we meandered through small towns built around 9th century churches and gorged ourselves on the cultural variety of every outpost.

The great walls of Diocletian's Palace shimmered in the soft Mediterranean light of the late afternoon as we approached the largest Croatian city on the Adriatic coast. The spire of the cathedral is a cream-colored obelisk lit from below in high contrast with the midnight blue sea.

This is the heart of Dalmatia, which makes it all the more fitting that in the heart of the emperor's palace is a modern city crossed by marble streets and inhabited by yuppies who have carved out creative living spaces within the World Heritage shrine.

Sheltered from the sea by several islands, Split was an ideal retirement home for the emperor best known for persecuting Christians. The mild climate, the supreme port and the high coastal mountains provided the perfect place for his palace built from 295 to 305.

The tour through the palace is fascinating -- the vaulted ceilings of inner chamber rooms, the carved stone images and statuary, the excavated Peristyle, a colonnaded square anchored by a neo-Romanesque cathedral and the Temple of Jupiter now a baptistery.

There are cafes, like the one we are enjoying now, in the colonnade and plenty of up-scale shopping. In the summer months, there are performances with the palace as backdrop and if you are lucky you may be able to take in an opera with the great Teresa Kesovija in the leading role.

But people-watching is an equally satisfying activity. Split is known for her beautiful people and in fact there have been two Miss Universe finalists from the area. And lingering before a great statue by the sculptor Ivan Mestrovic, a Croatian treasure himself, you see all of humanity pass by and the unmistakable meeting of east and west.

The seafood in Split is fresh and prepared in many cases Italian style. There are pizza parlors everywhere with pies covered with local cheeses, vegetables and meats and should you take the ferry to Mljet, you may be able to arrange for a fresh lobster pulled moments before from surrounding waters and prepared in lemon and garlic.

From Split it is possible to take the ferry to any of the nearby islands. We decide upon Korcula, the largest island in the archipelago. We check into the Hotel Korcula and find ourselves not only on the water but also back in time. A shady terrace with tiny tables covered in periwinkle damask greets us, a very welcome sight after the sun-soaked ferry ride.

There's no elevator at the hotel but plenty of help to lug the bags up the stairs to the beachside rooms that are just above the esplanade. Large shuttered windows are opened wide to the mild "maestral"-- warm winds that soothe the soul -- and the sheets on the bed are bright white and starched and folded into hospital corners.

Korcula marinates in her history and the people here are the warmest in the Mediterranean. We are invited into homes and everywhere we go we are offered remembrances of our trip to the island. We hook on to Stanka Kraljevic from tourism who takes us to see the Gothic Cathedral of St. Marks with its Three Saints and Annunciation by Tintoretto. And later at the town museum, in the 15th century Gabriellis Palace, she introduces us to the 90-year-old herbalist who gives us her cures for everything from arthritis to menopause.

Anything seems possible as we walk through this medieval stone city of 3,000 residents. At the town museum, we see precious Greek pottery, early Roman ceramics and home furnishings. In the harbor, we examine the catch of various food-fish boats returned early to supply the restaurants on the limestone island.

We shop for damask and wine and Korculan brandy. We eat a seafood feast of crustaceans at the charming Marco Polo restaurant while the family who owns the establishment enthusiastically takes in a soccer game in-between our courses.

We drink beers with Stanka and the woman who owns the candy store and they tell us about life during the war. And we fall asleep that evening with the herbal aroma of the ocean and the sweet breeze of the maestral on our cheeks.

The next morning on our way to Dubrovnik, our final destination we decide to stop on Mljet. It's impossible to resist a hike through the national park which covers the western third of the island or a visit to the inland salt water lakes or a late lunch of sweet lobster at the 12th century Benedictine monastery now a restaurant.

But nothing can keep us from Dubrovnik, perhaps the most romantic post on the planet -- the 15th century city glowing from within, the 21st century hotels with every conceivable convenience, the music, theater, and wonderful museums and shops and of course, the food. Dubrovnik's relationship with tourists goes back to the 14th century when the first hotels were built to accommodate visitors to the Southern Croatian state. She's come a long way since then, without losing any charm. The city is a cosmopolitan combination of old and new set on an exquisite shoreline alive with visitors from throughout the world.

Our destination here is the Pucic Palace, a new hotel once one of the finest noble homes of the Renaissance. Situated In the center of the old town directly across from Gundulic Square (named for the 17th century poet Ivan Gundulic) the palace was originally the favored residence for senators, artists and other distinguished personalities. And from the crowd gathered in the lobby it appears that has not changed. The rooms are dramatic and the experience, dare I say ecstatic?

After walking around the old city, we slip back to the hotel for a bit of a siesta then straight to the Hemingway bar to chose from their 30-page cocktail menu. We settle on Mojitos and some local cheese, sitting back in comfy wicker chairs we enjoy the view of the sea.

It's great fun walking the pedestrian promenade through the old city stopping by the Sponza Palace and St. Blaise's church. We haven't made a reservation but are lucky enough to find a table for two at a relative new comer to the restaurant scene, Proto.

On a side street with a view of the plaza from the open dinning room on the second floor, we enjoy an excellent meal made from traditional recipes of Dubrovnik fishermen served by waiters and waitresses in native dress. Proto is owned by Mato Durovic who was the manager at the popular Nautica and Konavoski Dvori restaurants.

The surroundings are luxe with walls expertly painted to evoke Roman ruins and the strains of ancient songs perhaps as far back as the city's 13th century roots play in the background.

In the morning we swim and walk the city some more. It will not only be hard to leave Dubrovnik, but all of Croatia. Sitting in the morning sun on the balcony of our room, we drink small cups of strong dark coffee and vow to visit again.

For more information, click: www.croatia.hr

In the U.S. you can contact:
Croatia National Tourism Office: 350 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10118
1-800-829-4416; (212)279-8672
Nena Komarica, Director. Ms. Komarica, is a native of Zagreb and in addition to an excellent ambassador for her country an art.

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