September 10, 2022: Coastal Romance in Zadar
We sat on the steps here and enjoyed this guitarist’s music and commentary while taking in the view and enjoying gelato from Eva.
First off, I need to send a huge thank you and shoutout to my former Spanish teacher, Annemarie Chase, for recommending Zadar. And allow me to pass on the recommendation to all of you. Zadar is the kind of place that they film romantic movies in. It’s the kind of place the releases the restrictions and binds of daily life, that lets some slack into the things that bind us. It feels like taking a deep breath after staying under the water a hair too long.
We took our time getting to Zadar, and reached our AirBnB later in the evening. It was a lovely apartment in a residential neighborhood of Zadar. We decided to stay in for the evening and explore the next day.
Musicians and wedding party outside Land Gate
We stopped for an excellent long lunch at La Pegla, and then wandered back through the old town. We quickly stumbled on a band playing in front of Duke’s Palace and Five Wells Square. I, of course, couldn’t resist stopping to dance for a while, and Nicole, excellent friend that she is, indulged me. More and more people in formal wear started showing up, and they followed when the band started walking off. Nicole suggested we follow them (I was hesitant, not wanting to intrude) and she was so right. They meandered down to the Land Gate, where there was a small harbor. As the music went on, I wandered down the steps to the water’s edge, and sat down with my feet over the edge, enjoying the evening and the music and the fantastic views, feeling utterly taken aback by how magical the moment felt, and then it got better.
A small boat glided into the harbor, and the people waiting for them unfurled flags and lit flares, cheering and singing. The boat docked thirty feet from me and a bride and groom disembarked. It was unbelievable.
After the wedding party went on their way and the excitement passed, we decided to walk along the narrow stone path rimming the harbor. It led us out to the sea, and more incredible views. This, apparently, was the “beach.“ There was a strip of sand, but people mostly laid out towels on the stone and laid about in bathing suits beside stone steps descending into the waves.
Eventually we meandered back into the maze of the old town, narrow walkways and pedestrian-only boulevards surrounded by beautiful old buildings filled with shops and cafes and gelaterias (which we couldn’t resist). Enjoying our ice cream, we wandered past the Benedictine Monastery of St. Marija when a guitarist was performing. We decided to sit and finish out ice cream, until I was once again seized by the need to dance (I definitely got my exercise that day), and again Nicole indulged me.
When the guitarist took a break, we went on through the Roman Forum and looped back around. By that time it was getting late, and we had a long walk back to the car, so we passed through the sea gate and headed home.
The next day we were reluctant to leave, so we went back to the old town area and got breakfast, then walked along the part of the peninsula we missed out on the day before to see the Sea Organ. With a long drive ahead of us, we reluctantly put Zadar in the rearview mirror.
