Fitness Plan

When we arrived in Trogir we took a look at Google Maps and saw that our accommodation was only about a 10 minute walk from the bus station. It was overcast and so we felt like we could walk it easily with our packs. We soon realized that Trogir is possibly the place where stories about having to walk uphill both ways originated. Holy Hills. Trogir is home to what I have named the 4F Fitness Program. Forced Fitness For Fatties (We’ve been eating a lot of cheese and bread). If you’re not in shape, you’re going to get in shape here. After only a few minutes on foot the rest of our journey was uphill. It took us about 20 minutes and by the time we got to our accommodation we were a sweaty mess. Our place was divine though and our hosts (Nives and Goran) were awesome. They even had a bottle of homemade wine waiting for us. And the view was great!

Stormy Weather

The first night there was a big storm and like in Zagreb it was incredible. I woke up in the night to flashing light and heart stopping cracks of thunder. The light show from inside our bedroom looked like a crew of paparazzi must be right outside our window. The storms here are fantastic.

The next morning everything was bright and beautiful and quiet. Except for the planes. Trogir happens to be right in the flight path and planes were literally flying directly above our place. I enjoyed how incredibly close they were. Andre was glad that I enjoyed how incredibly close they were. It reminded me of the Australian movie The Castle (a cult classic). You’d be mid conversation on the deck and have to pause while the plane passed.

People Make the Place

Our hosts suggested a place for dinner called Pizzeria Kristian. This turned out to be our favorite restaurant and we ate there almost every night. The food was fantastic but what really compelled us to keep going back was the staff. I’m sure there were plenty of other delicious places (so many beautiful courtyards within all the cobbled street) but we loved the energy of this place so much we had to keep returning. The owner is super friendly, greeting and farewelling everyone with a handshake. He actually reminded me a great deal of Lino who ran Piccolino Bistro in Edmonton. He’s just a really personable guy and a smart business man. And the waiters are superb. Everyone treats you like a part of the family and they take time to chat so we got to know them a bit. The place was always packed but the wait was never really long. Our one waiter told us that it’s packed all season for months and months. He said in the first four months of work he lost 12 kilograms.

On our last night I got to chat with the owner a little more and learned that he had two sons. One of which his restaurant was named after. His wife had passed on four years ago and now it was just him and his boys. Each night after dinner you are served a shot of cherry liquor in ice and I had asked him were we could buy some. He told me it was homemade and that many families in the area make their own. As we went to leave he stopped us and gave me a small bottle to take home.

Getting Around

One thing we loved about our stay here is that our hosts had bicycles we could use to get around and explore the island. It was awesome to be able to ride to the nearby beaches rather than walk in the blazing heat. The beaches were the typical pebble with crystal clear water. I still have yet to spot any sea urchins so I have continued to stumble my way into the water barefoot.

The beaches have been quieter, especially with the local children having now returned to school for the year. Now it’s more older retirees set up in the shade. We did see the occasional family during the week but it has definitely died down now at this point in the year. We saw a really interesting monkey-like family one afternoon. The father was picking at the mother’s hair and the teenage daughter was sitting behind her dad picking his back… it was a gross but captivating scene of public grooming. It brought to mind a question I have asked many times that is related to beach behavior I often saw in Sydney, Australia. It’s not of the public grooming nature, but still in the vein of social norms. What is acceptable clothing to wear in public? Specifically the Speedo. How far from the beach is too far to wear only a Speedo and a t-shirt?

In Bronte (Eastern Suburbs Sydney) I would see this all the time. A guy would throw on his t-shirt and flip flops and head across the street into a cafe to grab a coffee or snack. No shorts or pants. Just a t-shirt, a tight tiny Speedo, and flip flops (thongs) to walk into a place where people were dining. It always seemed strange to me. I get it’s not the same as walking into a fine dining restaurant, but still, to me it’s like wearing your briefs and a suit jacket into the mall. I’d also see guys walking home from the beach like this, just their t-shirts and dick stickers, through main streets with grocery shops and small businesses. How many blocks away from the beach can one go before pants are required?

For instance, how far do you suppose this guy in Rovinj went in this unique ensemble?

Festive Feel

There is a lot of fun energy in Trogir and plenty of places with live music. We also got to experience a wedding party driving through the streets one evening. At first I had no idea what was happening and actually thought that maybe there was some sort of accident as a bunch of cars were stopped and emergency flares were lit. But as I looked around in the darkness I realized that everyone was happy and there was a festive vibe with tons of people cheering and honking. The entire bridge crossing into old town was at a standstill. It was wonderful.

Check out the excitement

 

The Final Storm

In the early morning hours before our departure there was another good storm that went on throughout the evening and woke me up. I knew the walk to the bus was all downhill, but if it was pouring it would suck. We would have to cave and get a taxi, even though it was a complete rip off. The taxi’s wanted 100kn (20 Canadian) for about a five minute ride. At four dollars a minute I expect my ride to include a tarot card reading and a bit of dirty talk. I was fairly certain this would not be the case.

Uber was asking only about 3 Canadian dollars, but we have learned it’s really unreliable for short rides. Basically a driver will accept a ride and then cancel 20 seconds later because of the distance.

Farewell to our Host Family

Before the storm on our last evening we got to chat more with our hosts. We learned that the family had been in Trogir for 250 years. Goran’s father grew up in the house just across the road and began building the family home in 1971, which is now a multi generational family dwelling. Goran, Neves and their daughter live on the top level, which they split in half to create the Airbnb as it was so large.

We asked them about some of the trees on the property and found out that they had figs, which they peeled for us to eat. Neves told us that you often find fig trees along the side of the road, even on private property, and that everyone is welcome to eat off of them. She also warned us not to drink water right after. Apparently it will really clear you out. So of course I had to see for myself. Maybe I didn’t drink enough water, or eat enough figs, but nothing happened to me.

On the topic of water, Andre asked about something he had heard about. That you are not meant to drink water with fish. Goran explained that fish are meant to swim three times. First in water, then in olive oil and then in wine, so you are always meant to drink wine while eating fish.

Before we said goodnight they were kind enough to give us another bottle of their wine. It is made the traditional way. No additives or preservatives. All natural. And delicious.

We could have easily spent the evening visiting with them, but we had to get packing and had to make a phone call to Andre’s parents on the East Coast of Canada to find out what was happening with Hurricane Dorian, which was heading their way.

Clear Skies

It turns out that weather was not going to be an issue. By the time we woke up the sky was blue and sun was shining. We had booked an Uber the night before anyway and decided if they showed up great and if not we would walk. As we got ready we had eight drivers consecutively accept and then cancel. By number nine we figured we would cancel and walk. But after a few minutes there was no cancellation and it looked like he was on his way. We decided to take a gamble. All looked good for the first few minutes. He wasn’t far away. But then the car stopped moving… Should we speed walk? Then, after what seemed forever there was movement again. He pulled up just in time.

Zdravko was the loveliest man. He told us he never cancels a ride and that if we missed our bus he would drive us to our destination. I will point out that he had no idea where we were actually going. The Uber was fourteen Kunas. We tipped him twenty.

64 days in…

Now to the Island of Broč and town of Bol