Trip 1 Day 3 Šibenik-Krka-Skradin

After a restless night fuelled by the fear of oversleeping and missing the bus for my planned excursion today my alarm goes off at 615am. Quick shower and an application of sun screen later I’m off to find a street that I remember seeing yesterday without really remembering where it was and to make things worse Vodafone cannot seem to get my roaming data to work so no google maps to help my quest. I had some apprehension about going on my own with potentially a group that could be all groups of lovers, friends and co-workers on an extra curricular business trip whilst partners at home are none the wiser. I got to the meeting point with 7 minutes to spare to be greeted by Donko the tour guide who speaks English with a slightly American accent. I’ll blame TV for that. Others arrive shortly after and we are ready to go. First stop Šibenik.

On first impressions Šibenik looks a quaint little town. However on listening to Donko it’s clear that this little place is big on history. Šibenik has a medieval heart which radiates white against the placid waters of the bay where the river Krka meets the Adriatic. The labyrinth of steep stoney backstreets and winding alleys are a joy to explore. Šibenik is in fact a city and a very important one historically. Turns out Šibenik was a very strategic place for the Croatians as they traded with the Venetians and other empires and there was even documentation showing trade with India. The Venetians acquired Šibenik in 1409 and stayed for 300 or so years.

The main sight to see in Šibenik is the cathedral. Here we go again me looking around churches yet again. As like yesterday still no further forward as to why I find myself like a moth to flame around these pillars of Christianity. Uniquely the structure made entirely of stone, took 104 years to build and its marries various different styles of architecture. When construction commenced in the Gothic style and was completed in the Renaissance style, including the famous stone dome. The structure is listed in UNESCO’s World Heritage register. Inside was as garish as it was godly but these cathedrals certainly show the wealth of the church from days long gone by.

Afterwards I grab a quick coffee before heading back to the meet-up point before getting back on the bus. Krka up next!

After about 30 minutes of navigating some steep inclines and sharp turns the minibus arrives in Krka National Park and it’s looks an amazing place. Donko takes the group to a point where he explains the rules and timings for the time here and it was important to listen as he explained where the boat left from and time of the sail and the meeting point on arrival at Skradin. He will be taking the minibus the road way so he will not be in the park.

It feels a somewhat enchanting and magical place of waterfalls and gorges, and the heavy rain overnight causes the river to be gushing. The area has desolate remoteness which is shown by the fact it has attracted monks who constructed their monasteries in and around this area. Here you feel almost insignificant to the vastness of nature and you feel humbled in it’s presence.

Walking round the path you feel transported to a fantasy novel. I half expected to see elves and trolls on the paths and dragons in the sky but unfortunately just other tourists. Skradinski Buk is the main waterfall that I came to see and that’s what I will do. I don’t think you would get the scale of the in the photograph especially from the point on high where you first observe this.

That video is why I’m here. It’s idyllic and peaceful despite being a tourist hotspot. Breath in the clean air fill your lungs with all the good stuff before you leave Croatia and head back to your city life. Quite spectacular. Going down the gorge to bottom to see Skradinski Buk from the bridge at the bottom was scattered with rock pools and charming flora and fauna. It’s believed that bears roam the forests but thankfully no such surprises.

Made it! The view from here is still spectacular as shown above but it doesn’t quite capture the enormity of the surroundings. This is why I travel, why I want to travel more and how I wish I had chosen travel journalism as a career instead of the office work I have succumbed to being chained to a desk for 10-11 hours a day. Never too late I guess but this could be best I’ll get writing my blog.

The sail to Skradin was lovely. Steep rock faces adorn the route with great vast forests blanketing the the landscape. Can see why the monks love it here. Nothing to see but the beauty of nature and inner peace would soon follow. Half an hour arrival in Skradin. The harbour is littered with rich people’s playthings. Not quite super yachts but not far from it.

Here the group are reunited with the affable Donko. Who will be taking the group to a winery for some tastings. I’m not really a wine drinker but I am keen to see how my palate has changed since my adventures in beer especially having acquired a taste for sour beer. There are 13 in the group and as I fear I was the only one travelling alone at least in person anyways. I was sat at table with 3 German women (my lucky day) and a couple of software engineers from San Francisco. Always liked German women they have a certain natural quirkiness and not afraid to be different. They are from Stuttgart it turns out. I think one of them took pity on me as I was on my own as we started to talk about everything and anything and she told me her parents were Croatian and moved to Germany for a better life but they both passed away recently so she is getting their old house just outside Split renovated so it can be used for a holiday home to supplement the income she has as a midwife.

The wine on offer I wasn’t overly sure if it was good bad or indifferent really but I could drink it even the rose but I would be lying if I said I enjoyed it. The cheese however was great and did seem to pair well with the wines as did an extra dimension.

The group are now offered the chance to purchase some of the produce they sampled and some of the other products made on site such as liqueurs and olive oil. I didn’t per take but the Americans seemed to go in for it. Journey back to Split was nice as I had someone to talk to now on the bus and we chatted about my visits to Germany and she asked me for some advice about things to do in London and Scotland. We say our goodbyes on the promenade. Thank you for taking the time to talk today Tourina.

Day 4 coming soon