Arriving back on the coast
at Šibenik, we wondered, given our recent experience at a very large campsite,
whether ‘Holiday Resort Solaris’ might be another bridge too far in pursuit of
a decent site close to a town we wanted to visit. Turning off the main road and
heading past a series of Solaris branded hotels, an aqua park, low-rise apartment
blocks, and eventually, the campsite (we missed it and had to turn back) it was
the absence of a perimeter fence that swung it for Mrs B!
Once we had chatted to the
reception staff (with Mr B’s Hrvatski winning some smiles) and waited for the
now familiar count down of available ACSI pitches, we set off on foot to survey
what was on offer. There weren’t many pitches available, we knew we were still
in the two week German holiday period, and there were vans stacking up behind
us at the reception area, so, keen to seek some shade as well as a pitch we
could stay on for a few days if the urge took us, we opted for what is probably
one of the most difficult access challenges so far: a pitch with trees in the
middle and bounded by two cars – one of which was hanging over the boundary
just to make it more interesting!
After a well-practised combo
of hand signals and slow manoeuvres, and with a building crowd of onlookers and
advice givers (a common feature of campsite life it seems), we managed to get
in without any damage – phew!
The beach side site allowed
us to kick back for a few days and continue to admire the amazing colours of
the sea and the spectacular coastline – as well as swim and laze about in the
toasty temperatures and cooling breezes, under the careful watch of the Croatian
Navy one day!
And as if by some form of advance
preparation for our trip to Dubrovnik, (still at the planning stage and where
we had been warned of the impact of huge cruise liners mooring up and
disgorging thousands of passengers at a go), a slightly smaller cruise liner (i.e.
only 3 upper decks rather than 5 or more) hove into view one morning off the
coast where we were camped and proceeded to shuttle boat, after boat, after
boat of Šibenik-bound tourists around the headland and into town.
We’d opted to explore
Šibenik as it offered a chance to wander round the old town, famous for being
typically mediaeval, as well as more fortresses… But rather than follow the
usual tourist trail of the three that lie behind the town, we decided to
explore by bike the Venetian era St Nicholas fortress which, according to our
Rough guide, was derelict but could be wandered around, after crossing a stone
causeway…
Choosing a partly cloudy day
as a good time for some exercise, we mounted up and cycled up the coast to
explore. After a 45 minute ride through some lovely un-touristy old villages,
some offering Peka (a sort of charcoal roast) which we were keen to try but which
was only on offer for four or more people and needed to be ordered a day in
advance, we arrived at a wooden causeway that led to a small island, with the
fortress accessible via a very interesting causeway of boulders and stones…
Nearly turning back because
of the sketchy nature of the stone link to the fortress and with the tide
clearly rising, we were shamed into action as three elderly Dutch peeps hiked
past and made it look (relatively) easy. After picking our way across the
slippery boulders, we arrived at the impressive walls only to find that access
was via a couple of planks arranged at rakish angles, leading to a scramble up
through part of the battlements. Not to be put off by what would have looked
more at home in an outdoor adventure park, Mr B valiantly had a go, but after
sliding back down the first plank for the second time, we decided that this was
one fortress that would remain unexplored for the moment!
The route to the fort was
continued round the bay and into the St Anthony channel – the main shipping
route into Šibenik, and from a bike, a beautiful succession of coves leading
eventually to the viewpoint atop a hill that overlooks the channel and Šibenik
itself. This was where we had to turn back though, as it would have been a
challenge even on bikes with full sized wheels and three times as many gears!
One quirky part of the ride to
the viewpoint was an abandoned barracks of the Yugoslav National Army (JNA) –
stood down after the homeland war and a sight we are becoming familiar with in Croatia.
The barracks were not quite
as quirky however as this ambiguous sign we saw along the mainly cobbled route
we had taken…
The next day saw a return to
the usual blue skies and rising temperatures, and with loins girded by our ride
to St Nicholas Fort, we decided to cycle from the site into Šibenik. Arriving
hot and sticky after 45 minutes of hilly terrain, we decided to simply wander
around, with the only clear plan a visit to the St Lawrence’s monastery herb
gardens. This is a small and orderly garden with aromatic and medicinal herbs,
fruit trees and roses, and was recreated from plans of an original garden
tended by the monks in mediaeval times. Apparently, it is now looked after by
children from the local school… An oasis of shade and tranquillity, we decided
to extend the sensory experience of herb sniffing by having lunch in the garden
bistro – yum!
Having spotted the lower
walls of the famous St Michael fort from our lunchtime vantage point, we
decided to climb higher and see what views over Šibenik we might get.
Unfortunately, the really panoramic views were the preserve of the fort and not
having the time left to explore it properly, we turned around and made do with
a series of less grand but still interesting views over the town as we made our
way down.
It’s a lovely place to
wander and somewhere we’d come back to – perhaps to see some live music in the St
Michael Fort – and get those views at last!
Back at the campsite we
decided to leap down the coast via the motorway the next morning, leaving Spilt
for another visit and head instead for a visit to the fortress at Klis (the
scene for some Game of Thrones filming), before heading into Dubrovnik.
S&J.
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