Trolls, Ogres and Ston - Dalmatian Coast

Tuesday, July 12th, Split, Trogir and Ston

By 8:15 A.M. we are sipping cappuccinos at the local café bar adjoining the farmer’s market. The coffees cost 21 kunas which is just under a dollar each. Art walks up to a market bakery and brings back three sandwiches, two salami and cheese and one ham and cheese that we eat with our coffee. It is already hot as we cross through the market to the waterfront and wait in line for the 9:15 ferry to Trogir. We buy the 24 Kuna tickets each as we board the ferry and settle into our seats for the hour ride to Trogir.

Ferry to Trogir

Morning market in Split

We are amused by the town's name of Trogir and I anticipate seeing both trolls and ogres in this medieval walled city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After disembarking the ferry we cross over the bridge to the medieval Venetian style walled city. After strolling around the perimeter of the walled city we enter the old town through the back and wander the maze of narrow stone streets paved with an ivory colored travertine limestone, polished smooth by centuries of foot traffic.

Trogir Waterfront

Trogir Castle

Fortress guard tower

The temperature is in the high 90’s but gratefully, it is ten degrees cooler within the stone walls. Nevertheless, all three of us are somewhat lethargic either from the heat or the pace that we have been on for the past many days. We find a café in the center of the town and sit for drinks. Art orders an aperol spritzer, John a gin and tonic and I order a local prosecco which is basically a sherry over ice. Two rounds of drinks lifts our spirits briefly and we walk on to visit the village cathedral.

Are we having fun yet? Tired tourist in Trogir

Art and John climb to the bell tower but the day is sweltering and simply don’t have the leg power to make the climb and sit in the relative cool of the shaded stone entrance and wait for then to descend.

Trogir Cathedral

Lion guardians, Trogir Cathedral

After their climb we wander the small town in search of lunch and enjoy a surprisingly good meal in a shaded café. Since arriving in Italy and throughout Croatia, we have learned that when you order chicken or fish, that all you will get is the main entrée. If you want potatoes, salad or vegetables, you must order them separately. Today’s lunch comes with all the accompaniments and although the service is painfully slow, the hard working waiter lets us know that we are not forgotten and that lunch is worth waiting for.

By 2:15, we are in line for the return ferry to Split. The ferry leaves promptly at 2:30 and I doze on the hour return trip.  We drink afternoon Cappuccinos at the market before heading to our car, safely parked inside the gates of our hotel apartment and begin the drive to Dubrovnik.

Rivera Drive along the Adriatic Sea - Split to Ston

The traffic is terrible as we navigate our way out of Split and search for the coastal road leading South to Dubrovnik. Once out of sprawling Split, the traffic eases and the late afternoon drive along the coast is breathtakingly beautiful. Art drives for the first two hours; the road winding past one picturesque beac cove after another. Families swim in the cordoned off sections of each “resort,” and many of the beaches have elaborate inflatable floating waterslides and play structures. There are countless “apartments” for rent along this “Rivera” stretch of the Adriatic Sea. Eventually the road winds higher and the resorts thin and we look down on sparkling aqua jeweled coves far below. This single lane road winds precariously along the cliff side and the guard rail doesn’t look all that sturdy so we drive mindfully and hope that no one chooses to pass on a blind curve and meet us head on. This stretch of road is as breathtaking as our California Big-sur Coastline or the Amalfi Coast that we toured just last week. At one of the many view points, Art asks me to drive and even though it’s been many years since I’ve driven a stick shift, I soon have the hang of it and thoroughly enjoy being at the wheel.

Oyster beds of Mali-Ston

Cliff faces on the drive to Ston

Our plans are to stay the night in Mali Ston, recommended to Art by Robert at the Split Tourist Information office as the place to eat oysters. We see the oyster beds in the inlets below and arrive at the picturesque village of Mali Ston at 7:30 P.M. There are two upscale restaurants with outdoor tables and Art examines the menu while I walk to find a hotel. There is only one hotel in town and they have just one expensive junior suite remaining so we climb back into the car and drive another half mile to Ston. After Art and John figure out how to pay for parking, we walk into the tiny stone village and ask about accommodations.

Stan's ancient castle wall

Street in Ston

The first private accommodations we ask about is fully booked but the helpful young woman makes a call on her cell phone, points to a restaurant on a narrow side street and within minutes the waiter escorts us to an upstairs apartment just steps away. We enter an immaculate two bedroom apartment with an efficiency kitchen and when Art asks the price we try not to laugh with relief. It is only 55 Euros for the night or about $65.00. We stow our minimal luggage and return to the restaurant where Art and John order fresh oysters and we share an elaborate fresh fish platter with piles of mussels and shrimp. The food is affordable and delicious and we share two bottles of wine before climbing the stairs to our apartment and collapsing into bed.

We are happy tourists tonight! Seafood dinner in Ston

A delicious dinner: oysters & mussels

Five Island Cruise

Monday, July 11th, Five Island Cruise.

I stuff John’s pack with sunscreen, snorkeling gear and changes of clothes and the three of us walk to the waterfront making a quick stop at the local market for strong cappuccinos and breakfast sandwiches. The cappuccinos here cost just .90 euros and are strong and served in small espresso cups. When we arrive at the dock our tour group is gathering and John and I quickly board our boat and wave good bye to Art who is staying in Split for the day.

Pontoon Boat - Five Island Tour

John and his octopus ring

There are just 9 passengers plus captain and guide and our pontoon boat has minimal shade. John and I get the bench seat under the canopy,  probably because of my age. We take the coveted seats happily and begin the trip out to the blue cave grotto. The trip to Biševo island takes 1 1/2 hours and we are one of the first tour boats to arrive at the staging dock for the visit the Blue Cave Grotto. Each person in our group is handed a numbered ticket to board a smaller motor boat that will take us out to the cave. The system is well organized and within 15 minutes we are onboard one of the smaller boats and motoring around the island to the cave entrance.

Entrance to Blue Cave Grotto

Dock staging area for the Blue Cave

John, enjoying the ride

The tide is high and the opening low and I wonder how many tourists have suffered concussions or death entering the cave. We all crouch down and glide through the cave mouth opening. The interior opens up and the water below glows a brilliant turquoise, illuminated only by the natural sunlight seeping into the cave from outside. We are inside just ten minutes, duck again to exit the cave and return to our pontoon boat.

Looking down in the Blue Cave Grotto

Blue Cave entrance from inside

We continue to onto Vis Island and anchor at the entrance to a narrow cove flanked by tall cliffs. There are many other boats anchored here and John and I slip into the water and snorkel for an hour, swimming along the rock walls and into the beach cove, although neither of us are compelled to go onto the pebbly beach.

Vis Island Cove

From here we motor to the Green Cave where outside, the white sandy bottom shimmers a near emerald green and a beam of light penetrates the interior of the cave through an opening in the roof. The cave is crowded with boats and swimmers, some with inflatable floats. I am especially amused by the pink flamingo.

Pink Flamingo in the Green Cave Grotto

John - Green Cave

Our group is not allowed to swim inside the cave and we continue towards Vis Island where we have two hours to relax, swim and to eat lunch.

Beach at Vis Island

Vis Island Folaige

The path to the other side of the island

John’s and my tour includes lunch and our captain walks us up and over the tiny island, through lush foliage to a small harbor on the other side of the island. Our lunch is at the Yacht club and we take advantage of the showers to rinse off the salt water before sitting down to enjoy our lunch. Beer and wine are included and we return to our boat feeling relaxed and in island mode.

Island harbor

Drinks at the island's yacht harbor

Drinks overlooking the harbor

We have another snorkeling stop along and around several submerged sand bar islands. The water is extremely shallow and sea grass is the main attraction. John dives down and comes up with a large and perfect crab carapace and as we motor onto Havar, we discuss jewelry design possibilities for the crab shell.

Havar Island Town

Havar is our last island stop and the day is brutally hot and blindingly bright. A fortress sits atop the island and I stroll the shaded town streets in the sweltering heat while John sprints up to the fortress to take in the views of the Pakleni islands and Havar city below.

The center square, Havar Town

Narrow street of Havar Town

Rooftops of Havar City

Narrow street of Havar Town

Our island tour started with the farthest island stop first and we have circled back to islands closer to Split. it is only a 30 minutes ride back to Split. When we arrive, Art greets us at the dock and recounts his day in Split, at his own pace and we share the adventures of our day with him.

Returning to Split harbor

Art greets us at the dock

We wander the streets of the old city and after examining many restaurant menus finally settle on one and enjoy a relatively good meal.

Reading restaurant menus to choose where to dine.

Night cafes on the waterfront

After dinner, we wander the waterfront and dance to the music of the outdoor band. The heat of the day has abated and we join in the festivities and relax in the cool of the evening.

Nighttime waterfront festivities

Live waterfront music

Medieval Zadar and Split - the Dalmatia Coast

Sunday, July 10th, Plitvica Lakes to Zadar  and onto Split

After a breakfast of cappuccinos and plates of cold ham, cheese and bread we leave Plitvica Park and speed along the modern highway towards Zadar. Signage is clear and we make no wrong turns and Art is confident and happy behind the wheel of our new rental car.

Breakfast at Plitvica Lakes

We arrive in the outskirts of Zadar at noon; find a pay parking lot just outside the walls of the old town and enter into the picturesque walled city. The pedestrian artery is lined with ice cream shops, restaurants and cosmopolitan boutiques.

Ice-cream shop, Zadar

Zadar Old City

The guidebook advises that we head for the waterfront promenade. The sun is brutally hot and blindingly bright, reflecting off the creamy stone of the waterfront plaza that features Nikola Bašić’s Sea Organ and Sun Salutation Dial. Sunbathers cool off in the Zadarski Channel and we hear the mournful wail of the sea organ as the tide sloshes into it’s pipes.John takes a quick dip before we continue our promenade across the plaza of the Sun Salutation Dial, a 22 meter circle of inlaid glass plates that collect the sun’s energy and power the harbor front lighting and the Sea Organ. After a quick lunch we climb the castle walls to visit a glass museum before returning to our car to drive on to Split.

Zadar waterfront promenade

Designer, Nikola Basic's, Sun Salutation Dial 

Sun Salutation Dial

We arrive in Split late afternoon without hotel reservations. After getting our bearings in the picturesque walled city, we stumble upon a hostel and inquire about accommodations? The hostel has no availability but within minutes the desk attendant has made appropriate phone calls and a young woman arrives and escorts us several blocks away to two ground floor rooms that she rents. The price is about $70 for a simple three bedded room with gated parking for our car. We settle in quickly and return to the walled city where we stroll the waterfront promenade with the intention of booking a five island tour for the following day. The expansive waterfront is lined with countless kiosks selling a variety of island tours. Choosing which one of these to book is confusing and stressful. Both the types of boats and the itineraries vary and Art is soon in a grumpy mood and tells John and me that he does not want to go to the islands but will spend the following day in Split alone.

Waterfront promenade, Split

Unable to make an island decision we leave the waterfront and meander the back streets of Split. Without too many disagreements we find an outdoor cafe where we eat a light dinner. Refueled we return to the waterfront, choose an island tour and pay the hefty deposit for John and me.

Narrow streets of medieval Split

Narrow streets of Medieval Split

The many outdoor cafes are filling up quickly with patrons wanting to watch the soccer tournament and we hurriedly find three seats at one of the restaurants, order drinks and relax in the cool of the evening.

Relaxing with a beer in Split