Back to the Coast
The Compton’s had flights to catch out of Zagreb so they were up and packing by 9am and were ready to roll by 10. We followed suit and by 10:30 were packed and ready as well.
Tom and Tyler did a drone flight while Sue and Evie walked the road down past the river and along the fields. After their flight they shared the videos and panorama with Ivonic who was completely blown away “I feel like I’ve never seen the beauty of my place fully until now.” When we transferred the files to his Thinkpad his gratitude exploded and he went to the kitchen and gave us ice cream. Then when the local vegetable salesman stopped by, he gave us a fresh watermelon. And as we packed up to leave he kept telling us “when you come back you can stay for free. Stay as long as you want. I’ll show the caves and many, many places people never go.” He hugged Tyler tight “you are a special boy. I saw it when I first met you.” A photo from the sky can do that to people!
Our hearts filled with his gratitude we began the 2 hour drive to Trogir, an ancient city 50km from Split, the second biggest city in Croatia.
We had intended to visit a national park near the coast that is famous for its rock climbing but with Tom’s dislocated shoulder we decided to give it a miss. Krka National Park was also and option with the main draw being able to swim near waterfall similar to Plitvice but the water level was too high to swim and the entrance fee was $100 for a family of 4. As a result we made a detour to the adorable town of Sibenik.
A coastal town that, like many towns in Croatia, was founded in ancient times and has evolved to be part Roman, part Greek, part Hungarian, and now is all tourist destination.
Cute and compact we had lunch along the waterfront watching the boats come and go. Afterwards we explored the cobblestone alleys and it’s crown jewel, St. James Cathedral. Originally built in the 14th century it is one of the largest all stone churches in the world. There is no wood or metal holding the walls together and it was partially damaged during WWII and restored shortly after.
After some ice cream (still excellent and still $1.50 per scoop) and some shopping we continued our journey around 5pm. An hour later, we were checking in at our adorable hotel across the bridge from the old town of Trogir.
Unbeknownst to Sue and the kids, Tom had booked hotels exclusively with balconies. While this hotel was a tiny family run 3-star hotel, one of our rooms had an adorably narrow balcony perfect for sitting in the warm early evening and enjoying a Radler and watching the world go by.
Radler is a brand of drink that is basically carbonated grapefruit juice with 2% alcohol. It is a close cousin of the British shandy, 1/2 beer and 1/2 lemonade. It is a remarkably refreshing alternative to beer or wine.
Trogir is a highlight on the Croatian tourist circuit and our balcony was just across the narrow straight from old town. We could hear the marching band playing classic hits for the throngs of tourists pouring into the town. Like them, we gawked at the massive yachts docked in the waterfront.
Around 8pm, as the sun dipped beyond the mountains in the distance we made the 5 minute walk across the tiny bridge to town where Tom had discovered a highly regarded burger place. After a few wrong turns, we managed to find it and the tables that spilled out into the alleys around a hidden kitchen. Next to our table musicians played a range of Croatian hits and US classics, wonderfully mangled in their pronunciation.
The burgers were huge and delicious and the sweet potato fries were especially good. Around 10pm we made a slow stroll through town which was still buzzing. Like many ancient coastal towns in Croatia, the town is 100% pedestrian and every possible nook and cranny is a cafe, small shop, bar or konoba (trattoria). The narrow alleys that don’t hold one do those are so adorably quaint that you feel like you are transported into a Fellini movie complete with old men hanging out their windows gazing down on everyone below.
As we walked past the massive yachts on our way home we issued ourselves a challenge – get invited on to one before the end of our stay in Croatia.
Back on the coast, as predicted by our cab driver in London, the landscape had turned from lush green to dry brown, rocky and deep blue. And the quiet of Plitvice has been replaced by flashing lights and noisy open air cafes. Welcome to the Trogir riviera.