What? another rest day? Team Anderson is mutating into Team Slug!
It’s true, but well justified. Šibenik is a remarkable city and worth a day off to wander around and explore at a leisurely pace. being road-weary has nothing to do with this, we can assure you.
As I said yesterday, Šibenik is one of my favorite cities. I love its narrow, glistening white stone lanes and alleys that have a maze-like feel that make you think of an Arabic town in southern Spain. When we first arrived and walked out to dinner yesterday, I had the same reaction I’d had two years ago - how does anyone keep their bearings and find their way around this place? It feels at first like you’d have to live here a long time to learn your way around. That’s not really the case though. By our second day here I was feeling guardedly comfortable that I could find my way back and forth between the waterfront and our apartment.
On the other hand, I wouldn’t want to live here. It’s a spectacular spot to lay over for a day or two, but it’s hardly what I would call bike friendly. So many of its streets are broken up by staircases and uneven surfaces that it must be hard just making your way around town; and there really aren’t many good riding options from here once you leave the city either.
Perfect for a two day visit: arrive, take a day off to walk around town, and then move on.
People do ride bikes here, but it’s really a town best explored on foot.
As usual, Rachael and I went our own way to explore the town. Rachael planned a more energetic walk, intending to hike along the waterfront to the opposite side of the bay. She turned back short though when the route took her through an unappealing industrial zone, and returned to the room for a nap instead. While she was doing that, I poked around the old city and then climbed up to Saint Michael’s fortress to take in the spectacular views over the city.
In the afternoon we both went out a second time. On my recommendation, Rachael went up to Saint Michael’s fortress herself and then continued beyond that to Barones fortress; while I made good use of my time by walking down to a waterfront bar to enjoy a beer and the ambience.
In old Šibenik. The neighborhood is a mix of streets broken up by stairwells and ones without stairs that are suitable for bikes and scooters. A few of the wider streets can also accommodate small cars, but I only saw one in the whole time we were here.
Šibenik‘s most important monument: the Cathedral of Saint James. It’s regarded as the most important renaissance monument in the country, and is on the UNESCO world heritage list.
The facade of the Cathedral of Saint James. The structure is noteworthy for being constructed completely of stone - primarily limestone from nearby quarries and the island of Brač.
We walked down to the waterfront for dinner, enjoying our meal as we took in the modest passagio and the sunset. As usual, we were almost the only diners in the restaurant. It was a lovely evening, but a bit chilly and breezy by the end. We’re running down the days when we can comfortably dine outdoors this autumn.
