postcard 39: a postcard from Topher
Topher goes on a solo excursion to Sibenek
Topher here this week. As happens only occasionally in life I have something to contribute. Among the pristine waters and mountain escapades of Europe there exists a lasting melancholy of the people back home in America. That’s why it’s always means so much to us when, as is the case this week, we are able to see some familiar faces. Before coming to Croatia my dad said, almost in passing, that my uncle Toni (his brother in law) is Croatian. This was quite revelatory as it meant that we weren’t in fact moving to a complete desert location but one where I did have some ties. Toni and his family, my aunt and cousins, came out to visit extended family this week, and I tagged along for the ride while Mikaela and Hazelnut had to stay home and work.
Toni’s family is from Dalmatia. A region we have been to only twice and one that I notice on my way down is quite a bit warmer than what we are used to. And even what we are used to is quite a bit warmer than where we are from. Two steps up from comfort and 4 hours from home I arrive in the small Dalmatian town of Sibenik. (there’s a symbol missing from my keyboard and I believe the town is pronounced she-beh-neek) The sun would be oppressive down here if it were able to penetrate the fog of a Saharan sand cloud blown in from north Africa. Delayed and canceled flights means I'm the second one here and meet up with my cousin Mia I have not seen in maybe 10 years. We settle into a easy conversation as if the time had not passed so far. The rest of the family shows up commenting on the almost 40 degree heat outside and it’s good to see them. It really has been too long. The rest of the afternoon is passed in good company and a trip to the water to attempt to alleviate the day’s heat. Its not actualy the ocean here but the banks of the Krka river. For dinner we go a konoba down the road that was recommended by our Airbnb host and where my aunt Jody has her first Aperol spritz.
Wednesday is spent in good spirits flitting between the beach and the bakery trying to avoid the oppressive southern heat. Croatia is playing today in the Euro 2024 tournament and we settle down in a bar to watch the game. I’ve never been big into sports but I love watching them with people who are. The sense of comradery and community is very welcome, and beer never hurts. After a disappointing draw with Albania we go for dinner with one of Toni’s cousins. A restaurant right by the water, and later a walk around the old town of Sibenik. It’s a very pretty town. And very Croatian in a way that’s hard to explain if you’ve never been. White stone streets and tightly packed stone buildings winding their way up the hill in an impossible maze of life, old and new woven together over a very long time. Dogs and cats wander around here as in the rest of Croatia, but apparently they are very well cared for here, as down low on the outside of an old stone building has an alcove has carved into it. Amore D Cani these love letters to the dogs and cats of old would have been filled with water or scraps of food for the local furry friends.
Thursday is my last day with my family and their family. It’s been a fun thing to think about this whole trip: that my family’s family is not my family. The family we are visiting are the relatives of my uncle Toni. And while I share blood with his kids, my cousins, and while they share blood with their Croatian counterparts, I do not. But I’m not sure I’ve ever really believed that family is only blood and they welcome me all the same. We drive to Split and spend the day with people that Toni grew up spending his summers with. I love the idea that everyone on earth has lived a life exactly as complex and intricate as my own. And being with family here and listening to them reminisce let’s me peer into that life. An experience I am grateful for. After way too much tasty food and goodbyes and promises that it won’t be another 10 years until I see my cousins, I head back north to Pula. It’s been a fun trip and fun to tell you about it.
-Topher