Šibenik, Croatia & Krka National Park
With a rosy glow in the eastern sky, we approached the coastal town of Šibenik . It is a well hidden gem along the Croatian coastline and was historically well fortified and vigorously defended. On approach to the port we could see the ridge above and behind the town lined with a row of sleek modern wind turbines, a few turned in lazy pin-wheel fashion with the slight morning breeze.
Our first stop was the watery refuge of Krka National Park. Fresh, cool, clear water tumbled down stair-stepped travertine waterfalls squeezed between banks lined in pines, figs, oaks and bamboo-like giant reeds. Fig season has just passed and all along the boardwalks following the Krka River were squashed figs, the bounty too abundant for birds to consume all the seedy sweet morsels.
We heard creaking along the waterways. Well-camouflaged somewhere in the vegetation were frogs calling to one another. We knew they were there by their voices, but they remained unseen by our probing eyes. Motionless butterflies, with delicate pink wings swept back in a perpetual stance of readiness for flight, littered the forest floor. But these were not butterflies, they were fall blooming cyclamen. Delicate flowers that had pushed their way through the soil and pine needles from their small “tortoise” shaped bulbs underground. The shape of the bulb earned them the name of “chelonian” from ancient people.
Upon leaving the Park we came back to the town of Šibenik and had the opportunity for a walking tour in the old town area. The falls and the grinding mills we visited earlier were a main reason for the prosperity of the town historically, as grains were brought to the Krka River for milling from all along the Croatian coast.
As we walked up, down and around the narrow streets and alleyways of the old town, we came upon a true treasure of architecture, the Cathedral of Saint James. It is built entirely of stone, the work starting in 1431, not to be finished until 1536. Hidden away inside is an impressive baptistery. Along the walls and ceiling are many statues and reliefs sculpted by Juraj Dalmatinac, Nikola Firentinac and Andrija Alesi.
A most curious and captivating part of the building is on the outside. A line of 74 faces outside on the cornice of the apse reflect faces of the past. Each stone face is an individual personality. Perhaps friends, officials or patrons of the building efforts, some caught in expressions of perpetual surprise and others placidly staring back at you. Walking along you find yourself studying each one, on the off chance of recognition of ourselves, or maybe a friend back home.
For the afternoon we repositioned to the quiet protection of some small islands just off shore from Šibenik for another brisk dip in the Adriatic. In the early evening, Michael Dobbs gave a presentation entitled “East Meets West, Balkans 101.” This was an informative and interactive discussion on the complexities of the region’s cultural, religious, ethnic and political borders.
The diversity of our day, from waterfalls to cathedrals to political discussions to the salty blue waters of the Adriatic, left us satisfied we had made the most of our sunny, balmy time in Croatia.
