Zadar

The 30th of May was our last day with Magda, Michaeł, Basia and Tadzio onboard.  They were flying from Zadar airport at 6am the following day so we booked a berth in Zadar Marina.  Having read reviews I was prepared for the ridiculously tight manoeuvring required safely tie up inside the marina.

The Zadar rowing ferry, locally known as the Barkajoli, is a traditional 800-year-old boatman service connecting Zadar's mainland to the Old Town peninsula.  Our crossing was wavy and quite crowded.

We survived the ferry crossing and set out to find the 'Monument to the Sun' and the Sea Organ.  The first of which is solar powered and doesn't actually do anything until after dark. The sea organ however was putting on quite a performance as the water was rough and the waves confused.  The sea water motion draws air through large resonating chambers creating haunting but beautiful sounds.

Then there was a formation fly-by to celebrate our safe arrival (and Statehood day which marks the creation in 1990 of the first modern multi-party Croatian Parliament).

We returned to Dragonfly that evening and said goodbye to our friends as they had a 4am taxi the next morning (that didn't show up!) and would let themselves out without waking us.  Zefi and Theodore were sad to rise and find Basia and Tadzio gone the next morning -they loved having more children on the boat -as did we.

The marina helped to arrange for a diver (named Marino) to come the next morning and attach a new anode. The boat next door was in luck as they had just dropped some sunglasses overboard which he retrieved from seven metres down.

Crossing on the ferry the next day we chatted to the French owner of Spiip, a Swan 88 whose mast towered over the other boats in the marina.  We came across a small market as we made our way to the Museum of Ancient Glass -a fascinating museum with real glass blowing and sculpting demonstrations every day of the week ..except today. 

One of the curiosities of this town is the Sphynx of Zadar. Julia discovered it on a morning jog but sadly the children and myself will have to visit again to see it.
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The Sphinx of Zadar is a mysterious, 20th-century concrete sculpture located in Zadar, Croatia, recognized as the largest sphinx in Europe. Measuring approximately 5 meters long and 3 meters high, it sits within the seaside grounds of Villa Attilia in the Brodarica neighborhood.