I told my guide to come early next morning if it was fine and warmer, but the piercing wind still prevailed, so we waited till nine, and I drew the pretty view from my window. I was longing to draw the gate which I had kept in view from my earlier trip down this coast and for which particular reason I came to Sebenico, however we had no luck, and again I could do nothing but wander in the streets. I saw some wonderful Easter offerings, chickens made of a sort of yellow bread, with two red paste eggs reposing in their breasts, one cock’s feather in the tail and another in the head.
I took a few photographs of the fruit market, but the non-picturesque people were very tiresome, coming immediately in front of my camera at the most critical moment. One man’s waistcoat was covered with embroidery and masses of silver buttons in clusters down the front and others at the sides; they were very handsome buttons, large, round, and filagreed, and others were flat. Those I have on my coat were a source of great interest, and as the natives talk Italian, they were a subject of much conversation between them and myself.
The bread market is very quaint, rows and rows of long loaves of bread, which my guide says is sold very cheap to the poor people. The vegetable market is close to the bread market, but vegetables are few just now; where anything green came from I was at a loss to know, as a fresh blade of grass even was nowhere to be seen, all is bare rock and thoroughly winterly in appearance.
On the second day I sallied forth to paint my gate at 12-30, so as to sit in the sun and avoid the crowd of natives who had gone to their mid-day meal, and luckily did not seem in any hurry to come out after it. On account of the cold I left early next day, instead of by the evening train. There are only two trains, so I decided to leave by the 7-20 a.m. I had hoped to be able to go to Knin, but we found it took too long for me to reach the yacht in time. Of course, as usual, we arrived ages too soon at the station. A small boy carried most of my luggage and my guide the rest. The station was about a mile from the hotel, there are no carriages in the town, so walking is compulsory. The train was already in the station, and I naturally wanted to get into it, but I was waved back by an official, and was told I must wait till the appointed time. At Petrovic we changed trains, and I had time to sketch one or two natives, the woman wore very thick dark blue cloth with stripes of red applique, and green and orange pipings and strappings, with patches of wool embroidery at intervals, and an apron of many colours, edged with a hair fringe; her head was covered by a white embroidered cotton kerchief. Also a fine old man made an imposing figure with his long brown coat, blue trousers hooked tightly at the ankle, his many coloured embroidered waistcoat and his silver buttons, and wide leather belt, in which were tucked weapons and pipes. He was smoking a long wooden pipe, holding the bowl in his hand, chatting to me while I was sketching him.