Day 19 - 23 July Sibenik

 By the time we woke this morning we were already docked in Sibenik - only a short way up the coast from Split. There is a very narrow channel into the bay, but we had to wait for the evening to see this.

It is a very pleasant, smallish town occupying a hillside and seemiong to stretch out on the plain to the south-east. There were a constant stream of ferries to the port in from of us. We got going soon after breakfast as it was forecast to be yet another hot day, and it was just short walk along the seafront and we were in the old town.

According to the guidebooks there are a couple of things to see in the town centre. The Cathedral of St James is right by the water. It's not particularly big but historically significant in complicated ways. Although it was Sunday we were able to look inside briefly - there was a lot of scaffolding as they seem part way through some restorations.

Then we worked our way up through the old town. All of which was beautiful, in a way similar to the other old towns we have seen recently - narrow alleys of cobblestones between tall buildings,  a mix of shops, restaurants and homes. The main difference was that this was on a pretty steep hill.

Eventually we reached the Fortress of St Michael, the other main sight in the town (though there atre several other forts scattered around this is the most central). This was quite a walk and we were glad that we hadn't left it to latter in the day.

And they were the general highlights. The Fort was interesting but there's not a lot within it, it having been blown up several hundred years ago. Going back down the hill was much easier and much quicker than going up, and then we wandered along the foreshore past cafes boats back to our ship, arriving back late morning.

Our afternoon was spent reading and then sleeping, it being about 35 and too hot to go out again. By 5.30 we were underway and took the narrow channel out to sea, past St Nicholas' Fort, turning south to clear the local islands.