No floaties allowed in Dalmatian Islands

No floaties allowed in Dalmatian Islands

Clear skies over the Dalmatian Islands in Adriatic Sea, off the coast of Croatia.

Provided

Island hopping, usually done by boat, can also be accomplished with a little more exertion.

When friends Marci Grady and Sonja Koppenwallner asked Sherie Berk if she would like to join them for a week-long swim in the Dalmatian Islands, she agreed without a second thought. With an itinerary mapped out by STREL Swimming Adventures, from June 15 to 21, they swam for up to five hours each day.

Berk learned to swim during childhood summers in Sharon, Connecticut, but did not take up the sport competitively until age 55. She went on to become a United States Masters Swimmer with four world rankings, 16 top ten rankings, and an All-American Honor. For Berk, swimming is a total release of tension. “It’s like meditation,” she said.

Her weekly training – three or four sessions at the YMCA in Canaan, Connecticut – did not change in anticipation of the island swim and Berk worried that she had not adequately prepared.

Regardless, she boarded a plane to Split, Croatia, consoling herself that it was not a race.

The Dalmatian Islands are located off the coast of Croatia, in the Adriatic Sea. The crisp, blue waters are some of the cleanest in the Mediterranean. “I can’t even begin to describe how beautiful this place is,” said Berk.

Sherie BerkProvided

Her days in Dalmatia commenced with breakfast spreads of fresh fruit, eggs, and European pastries. After fueling up, Berk, Grady, Koppenwallner, and twelve or so others boarded boats for rides to their morning starting points. They set off swimming around 10 am, boats following to provide water and rest if necessary.

At noon, they stopped for lunch, usually on the boat, with gorgeous buffets assembled by a private chef. Once, the midday interlude included a hike (just in case they cared for some additional exercise). Then back into the water for a few more hours of paddling, to cover a daily distance of approximately four kilometers.

Active travel allowed Berk to fully immerse in her environment. Instead of admiring the glittering sea from afar, she felt the salt soak into her skin. By four pm they returned to the hotel, utterly exhausted, but drenched in awe.

Evenings were time to unwind, dining at restaurants along the water and marveling at the expanse of rocky coastline. A meal of fresh fish and a few glasses of wine repeatedly revived the swimmers and readied them for another day.

Over the course of a week, a multi-generational community formed through mutual struggle and appreciation of natural beauty. The oldest in the group, 70-year-old Berk is not slowing down. She has her eye on an island hop in Greece next year.

Latest News

Barbara Meyers DelPrete

LAKEVILLE — Barbara Meyers DelPrete, 84, passed away Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, at her home. She was the beloved wife of George R. DelPrete for 62 years.

Mrs. DelPrete was born in Burlington, Iowa, on May 31, 1941, daughter of the late George and Judy Meyers. She lived in California for a time and had been a Lakeville resident for the past 55 years.

Keep ReadingShow less
Shirley Anne Wilbur Perotti

SHARON — Shirley Anne Wilbur Perotti, daughter of George and Mabel (Johnson) Wilbur, the first girl born into the Wilbur family in 65 years, passed away on Oct. 5, 2025, at Noble Horizons.

Shirley was born on Aug. 19, 1948 at Sharon Hospital.

Keep ReadingShow less
Veronica Lee Silvernale

MILLERTON — Veronica Lee “Ronnie” Silvernale, 78, a lifelong area resident died Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025, at Sharon Hospital in Sharon, Connecticut. Mrs. Silvernale had a long career at Noble Horizons in Salisbury, where she served as a respected team leader in housekeeping and laundry services for over eighteen years. She retired in 2012.

Born Oct. 19, 1946, at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, she was the daughter of the late Bradley C. and Sophie (Debrew) Hosier, Sr. Following her graduation from high school and attending college, she married Jack Gerard Silvernale on June 15, 1983 in Millerton, New York. Their marriage lasted thirty-five years until Jack’s passing on July 28, 2018.

Keep ReadingShow less
Crescendo launches 22nd season
Christine Gevert, artistic director of Crescendo
Steve Potter

Christine Gevert, Crescendo’s artistic director, is delighted to announce the start of this musical organization’s 22nd year of operation. The group’s first concert of the season will feature Latin American early chamber music, performed Oct. 18 and 19, on indigenous Andean instruments as well as the virginal, flute, viola and percussion. Gevert will perform at the keyboard, joined by Chilean musicians Gonzalo Cortes and Carlos Boltes on wind and stringed instruments.

This concert, the first in a series of nine, will be held on Oct. 18 at Saint James Place in Great Barrington, and Oct. 19 at Trinity Church in Lakeville.

Keep ReadingShow less