Railway Dog

By train it is a 1.5 hour journey from Split to Šibenik. However, after the first train, there was a daily scheduled 3.5 hours to wait in the one horse town of Perković.

Rather than causing this place to perk up and provide a place to be, the vibe maybe is what stops anyone but Interrail travelers and a handful of locals from using trains through there at all. This is despite a cute train station and a good clean toilet.

There are no concerns about wandering across the train tracks. If any trains do come they tend to go very slow and stop, sometimes for lengthy periods.

On a lovely sunny day, Perković still managed to give me the creeps. This was despite wild flowers, a helpful if gruff signal operator who looked after my pack, and a very kind trainee train conductor.

During the 3.5 hour wait Baspie dog and I walked over the limestone karst scrubland with deserted small stony fields, dumped rubbish and perhaps destroyed houses. Yet lovely Spring flowers.

A forlorn place of scowling people, daytime drinking and even a swastika and other fascist graffiti. Wondering what happened here in the Balkan War, and whether that’s what destroyed any feeling of community. (A Šibenik local later told me that it may be more long term than this)

I took many photos, so here’s a collage of old TVs and wild flowers, another of home made gates and items in the landscape. All non ferrous metals and electronics had been removed from dumped materials, so probably reused and recycled, a little plus 💕

The limestone karst must have been in a tropical climate once as it has red soil development, with some impermeability in places allowing puddles to form, which Baspie dog drank out of, and allowed for a scattering of productive, well-tended veg patches. There was clearly once much more grown here in the mostly abandoned fields, and around the rubble of more houses for people to live in.

The village was mainly deserted, but we were occasionally greeted the Perković way. Not just elderly locals scowled at us. I wasn’t sure how long this not so friendly dog’s chain would go, so we rushed past.

I had been told by the apologetic ticket office person in Split that there is a small shop, by way of entertainment and lunch, in Perković. Inside I was met with scowls and averted eyes from people my age. The perky younger shop assistant was much more pleasant and did much better in English than me in Croatian.

There was alcohol and more alcohol, lots of snacks but also some fruit and veg, fresh bread and basics. A jar of pureed roast vegetables caught my eye and much improved our bread and beans lunch. Other shoppers just bought beer. It was midday on a weekday.

After shopping, I was running low on entertainment ideas. Luckily an Interrailing couple from the British Isles turned up. They had also jumped on the half price tickets a year ago, and left the UK the day of the 11 month deadline to start using them. On their journey they had their own personal trainee train conductor, who looked after them during their wait, between popping around her various jobs. Baspie dog gave his chilled out vibe it’s all.

At last we were on our way to Šibenik.