Hungary & Croatia -- Day 8

While a few people in the group stayed behind to enjoy the pleasures of the resort and spa, most of us left on the bus to travel for 45 minutes to Trogir Old City. It is set on an islet between the mainland and the island of Ciovo

and is reached by a pedestrian bridge.

The city was established in 380 B.C. by the Greeks as Tragyrion and became Tragurium under the Romans in 78A.D. In 1123 it was attacked and destroyed by the Saracens and abandoned for 70 years. It later was revived and artistic growth occurred under the Kings of Hungary and from 1420 under Venetian rule. In 1987 Trogir was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

We spent several hours wandering the city. Although there are many small, and confusing, streets and lanes,

eventually one will come out at an “edge” and be at the sea where one can easily walk to the pedestrian bridge. The island IS small. It’s also comforting to know that one can find a “Sexy Shop” everywhere.

The two primary attractions of the town are the castle and the cathedral. The “castle” known as the Camerlango Fortress was built in the mid-15^th century for defense and had a well and other amenities for withstanding sieges. It deteriorated in the 19^th century but was restored after WWII. It is notable that the Mongolian invaders got as far as Trogir which was under siege for awhile, but the Mongolians never attempted to attack the city, instead folding up their tents and returning to the east.

One can climb to the battlements and then to the top of St. Mark’s Tower (seen here) on stairs that would give an OSHA inspector apoplexy. But the views are lovely.

From the top of the Fortress one could see a tourist attraction for children.

The Cathedral of St. Lawrence is, like so many churches in Dalmatia, sited where a previous church had been. Its construction began in the late 12^th century in Romanesque style but wasn’t completed for decades so has Gothic and Mannerist styles as well.

The portal by Radovan is the best remaining feature of the 12^th century building.

The church tower

is directly across the square from a city building with its own bell tower.

I was in the square at 12 noon when both bells, very different in style and sound, proudly rang 12 times but then the church tower continued with more ringing.

I went to a small museum that contained a variety of Greek and Roman remains from the monastery site as well as religious art from the monastery and town. Not great art, perhaps, but interesting. It met my “small” requirement and was supporting the religious orders. A nun in full regalia was the ticket seller. No pictures allowed inside, but the entry courtyard was quite attractive.

I exited the walled city via the North Town Gate and ate some lunch while awaiting the time to get the bus.

We arrived back at the hotel at 2:15. I rested for a few minutes before attending an impromptu concert by the four saxophone players in the band. A fun session.

I then hurried to my 4 p.m. Hot Rock Massage at the spa, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Swam for half an hour in the indoor pool. I didn’t get a picture of it, but it was similar to the outdoor pool except for being warmer and filled with hundreds (it seemed like) of children.

After dinner I relaxed and worked on my blog in the lobby (where the WiFi was) which was relatively noisy with music and the sounds of many children. Obviously this resort caters to families.

I elected to miss the final concert of the trip. I would have liked to see the town of Sibenik which was first documented in 1066 as Castrum Delenici, a triangular fortified tower. It became a lively cultural center during the Renaissance. The recent war at the break-up of Yugoslavia resulted in the collapse of local industry and mass unemployment. It’s working on recovery. But despite being interested in the town and the final concert, I needed some down and catch-up time.

Although the rain, pouring heavily when the bus arrived in town with the band, stopped in time for the concert, and the band played very well, the hour of the concert (10:30 p.m.) with a reception with the local band following was enough to make me glad I’d decided to skip this one. As it was, I didn’t get to sleep until almost 1 a.m. as I heard about the evening when Helen returned just after midnight. (She’d skipped the reception; those who attended got back about 2 a.m..)