Halfway along the Dalmatian Coast is the sleepy town of Šibenik. On Louise's whistle-stop tour we had four destinations in mind - the capital, the central parks and two coastal towns for her introduction to Croatia. Our third stop was also the third largest city in Dalmatia and is the oldest native Croatian city on the Adriatic.

We visited the Cathedral of St. James which was built entirely from stone and is currently having its first clean! Apparently, to freshen up a 15th century limestone and marble building the walls must undergo a laser treatment. We could see the various clean patches and the difference 600 years of grime, wars and incense can make.

A few locals were enjoying the brilliant sunny day sitting on benches along the waterfront and sipping fresh coffee.  We took a stroll up to one of the four fortresses at sunset and discovered the two guards had clocked off an hour previously and locked the gates. Still, there are plenty of places nearby to watch the sun hide behind the islands.

At midnight we walked along the promenade.  The sea was calm and there was a light breeze in the air. The incandescent street lamps give the walkways and back alleys a peachy glow, it makes the streets feel somewhat magical.