September 27, 2022

September 27, 2022

We left Split, Croatia heading north again. It is pouring rain. My lucky charm traveling companion is needing to work extra hard this trip. An hour north we stop at the island of Trogir and see sunshine. We meet our local guide and walk across the canal to this World Heritage Site. Like much of the Dalmatian coast, this city was an outpost of the Venetian maritime Republic. For protection this canal was dug to make this peninsula a true island. A fort and defensive wall were built around the whole island. Today only the fort and a few gate entrances remain standing.

Our first stop was the main square which is dominated by the Cathedral of St Lawrence with its lofty bell tower. It has a very intricately carved Romanesque entry portal. The figures tell lots of Bible stories. Across the plaza is the Gothic City Hall. On a third side is a clock tower and a colonnaded loggia (porch) that was used as an open courtroom.

Afterwards we walked through the winding narrow alleys of the town admiring the maze of medieval buildings. It is like Split on a smaller less crowded scale. We ended at the south side of the island on the Riva waterfront promenade. It is lined with boats of all kinds.

We left our tour guide and continued strolling the Riva. At the far end is the small Fortress Kamerlengo. We don't feel the need to climb any more castle walls so we just peek inside the inner courtyard. We also walked by St Mark’s Tower which was another bastion of the defensive walls.

We are feeling a need to embrace Croatia's cafe culture so we stop at one along the Riva. Aimee has a cappuccino and I have a beer. The weather and scenery are both beautiful. I am so glad we are not still working and can do this.

Afterwards we wander the back alleys for twenty minutes. We accidentally peak inside the City Hall and find a hidden gem. A very cool Gothic stairwell in the courtyard. On our way out we meet a bride and groom coming in to get married. That always makes Aimee smile.

Back on the road we continue north. After crossing the Novsko Gorge, we take the 3.5-mile Sveti Rok tunnel inland and emerge in the wetter eastern side of the coastal mountains. It is much more lush. We eventually arrive at Plitvice Lakes National Park. We settle into our hotel inside the park. It is also noticeably colder.

We have dinner at a restaurant outside the park, where we are serenaded most of the night by a musical trio playing traditional Croatian folk songs.