There are four ships in Zadar today, three around 600 customers each, and one with just 300, so guess which one gets to park in town and which ones are ostracised to the port? So first we walk the three miles from the port to the town gate. It’s a delightful walk along the costal path, we see locals enjoying a wonderful warm Saturday morning in the Adriatic.
Arriving at the southern gate, called the Land Gate, I presume because it’s the only side of the old town which isn’t surrounded by water. We decide to first make a circumnavigation of the old town in keeping with yesterday’s wall walk, although today we’re staying flat.
Once we have returned to Land Gate we start to explore the old town, which has no less that 16 churches and many museums, places of interest and several fascinating squares. Right in the centre, the largest square is the former site of a forum and numerous places of worship, some still remaining but others completely raised. We go into the round centre of what was previously a very large church dating back to 950 AD, but only this section is left. Later we climb the tower of the adjacent cathedral, but are unable to visit the actual cathedral because I’m showing some thigh. Most places with such particular expectations would have a wrap to loan, but not this one.
There are pillars going back to Roman times, like the forum, one of which has survived the ravishes of many wars, whilst many other buildings and infrastructure perished. We find nice garden built into the city walls, and wells in numerous places including five in one square!
Our return along the same coastal route is preferable to the shorter route, according to our Perth walkers-in-crime with whom we seem to swap notes each day, so we take the same route back, it really is a delightful walk.
Lunch is pizza, but we’ve decided it will be the last time as the dough on this journey isn’t really up to it – far too stodgy. The afternoon’s pool time is curtailed by preparations for the forthcoming last night event, on Seabourn always known as Epicurean. Despite being told the pool will close at 16:00 some people are selfishly still in there long after.
Epicurean is a cut-down affair compared to the good-old-days, like pretty much anything corporate in today’s straightened times, but it still showcases a few food-stalls manned by officers and as regular readers will know anyway, the wonderful staff parade where we’re able to say thanks for the amazing service to many incredible staff whom we might otherwise not come into direct contact with – engineers, KPs, laundry for example.
Our final dinner in week one is back downstairs in MDR and we enjoy a wonderful meal of raviolo, crab, vichyssoise, lamb, chicken, Eaton mess and soufflé – all fabulous.
