Trogir, Seget

A few miles west of Split, the beautiful town of Trogir, is really a surprise. It was recommended by a German we met a few days earlier, and it’s really not to be missed. Perhaps we overuse the word unique, but here again, it really applies. Trogir is located on a small island (maybe a few hundred yards in either dimension), and is reached by a short bridge. We first drove here and there on the island, then parked and walked awhile, bought bread and groceries in several stores, and fruits and vegetables in the outdoor market.

How do we say this little town, whose buildings are fashioned of large stones, is different from some other little town whose buildings are constructed of large stones, but it is. While Trogir is dissimilar to Budva, just down the Adriatic coast, somehow it did remind us of the town of Sarlat, in central France. An airport is located a few miles east along the shore, and as the airplanes skimmed the water at rooftop level on their way to the airport, we could almost see Trogir’s old stone buildings cringe as they were hammered by all the noise.

We spent the night in a campsite a few kilometers west, in the exquisite little beachside village of Seget. The sidewalks are patterned with paving stone in pink and concrete colors, everything neat and clean. Seget consists of maybe 30 or 40 stone buildings, lining neat walking streets. Some buildings contain stores, but most are homes. Right in the center of town the sidewalk surrounding the little stone church, was made of a more special stone than the other walkways. Really very nice. We watched some people playing games, some who were working, and others who were sitting near their homes.

Next to a restaurant, men were playing the game of “Boule,” or whatever they call it in this country. We have seen that game elsewhere, especially in France and Italy. It’s played on grass, on dirt, on rough roads, in rain or shine. The condition of the playing field is not important, usually there are no preset boundaries, no specific dimensions, and often it seems the rules are flexible, made up as they play. It’s sort of a combination of lawn-bowling, horseshoe, and shuffleboard.

A little further along the shore, several boats were being repaired, and one was being built of oak or walnut or something that smells like good wood.