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20 April 2015 Monday. Another beautiful day without a cloud in the sky. Mike and I left Split for our first stop, Trogir, which was just a half hour north along the Dalmatian coastline. Trogir, one of many jewels along the Dalmatian coast...which town isn’t?...is situated on an island about 100 feet off the coast; easily connected to the mainland by a bridge. The Greeks were the first to settle here in the third century BC, naming the town Tragyrion, after the local goats. The Romans arrived in 48 BC. The town was under the protection of the Byzantine Empire during the Middle Ages, until the Saracens attacked in 1123 and burned it to the ground. The population eventually returned and rebuilt the town; and did a pretty good job because in 1997 the city achieved UNESCO World Heritage status due to the perseverance of its citizens and the beauty of the town.
Our first order of business upon arriving in Trogir was the usual café au lait and croissant at the outdoor café on Cathedral Square…and people watching. This was followed by the usual visit to the cathedral, in this case the Cathedral of St Lawrence, who is the
patron saint of comedians because while he was being roasted on a spit, he told his executioners to turn the spit over since he was done on that side. We then walked around the small town to get a sense of the place. The streets are very narrow, just as all the ancient towns along the coast. The Kamerlengo Fortress, built in 1430 by the Venetians as the headquarters for their governor, was one of the highlights
Soon we were on our way north. The drive along the Dalmatian Coast has got to be one of the most scenic drives in the world, especially on a sunny day. Every few miles is an ancient city, such as Primosten, founded either by the Illyrians, the Greeks or the Romans, then occupied by the Slavs during their migration from the steppes of Asia in the sixth century, and then integrated into various empires from the Byzantines, to the Venetians, to the French (Napoleon), to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. They missed being invaded by the Ottomans; that privilege was reserved for inland, in present day Bosnia-Herzegovina. I didn’t notice any damage remaining from the war of 1991-1995; as the damage had pretty much
been repaired.
Our guide in Split had recommended we visit the St James Cathedral in Sibenik; a gothic and renaissance structure built between 1432 and 1555. I was beginning to get cathedral’ed out, but Mike, being a good Catholic, wanted to visit each one; explaining to me all the various alters and the purposed of the various silver objects. He also climbed the towers to get a good view of each city. I didn’t climb any towers. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be writing this blog as I would be dead from a heart attack. Unfortunately for Mike, the tower in this cathedral was closed.
We had lunch nearby at a waterfront bistro. Then it was northward along the coast to Zadar, founded by the Illyrians, improved upon by the Romans, served as the main Adriatic naval base for the Byzantine Empire, and sold by the Hungarians to the Venetians, etc. We didn't spend too much time in this larger city as we were averse to finding our way around in the car. So we drove by fortifications, gates, churches, and a cathedral on our way to the northern end of the peninsula where in the modern period, the city
installed a sea organ built into the quayside. As waves hit the quay, they forced air into 300 tubes and like a pipe organ produces music. Very unique!
We then left the coast, cutting inland to take a four lane divided highway, and then further inland along a two lane road, headed towards Plitvici Lakes National Park. We arrived in the vicinity of Plitvici about supper time, checking into a delightful country home just north of the park entrance. The hostess couldn’t have been nicer, and provided a huge breakfast the next morning for 9 euro. For dinner she recommended a restaurant about 3 kilometers north along the road, where we again enjoyed some local cuisine.
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JenGog
Jennifer Jones
Trogir
Glad you liked Trogir and yes Bob you are right there are jewels in Croatia around every corner . We are currently in Slovenia