Moving from Serbia into Montenegro, we know we are moving into a small country, only some eleven years independent from Serbia, that has just joined NATO and is also ambitious to join the EU, so we are fascinated to try and understand how this country works.
We drive through Serbia to Mojkovac in northern Montenegro, noticing that the quality of the roads improve as we cross the border. They become increasingly steep and winding before we stop at a mountain campsite. As in Serbia, we notice unfinished houses as we travel; we later learn how families tend to provide extensions or additional houses for their sons as they mature, building as they can afford, daughters moving away to live with their partners' families; unsurprisingly, some modern women are railing against tradition, it seems
From this campsite we all take a 4x4 trip in convoy to visit the national park which proves to be a quite breathtaking experience, revealing a country with remote inaccessible parts and canyons 1.3 km deep. The campsite is run by a family who have lived here for generations and make it clear that they want us to feel part of their family; it certainly gives us warm feeling, which is not a bad start in Montenegro.
The 4x4 trip
Yes, it's snow
The Tara Bridge
A small monastry church near the campsite
After three enjoyable nights here, we journey south to a site on the coast Petrovac.
........
We take an all-day coach trip from the site to explore the nearby National Park and the surrounding Lovćen mountains, only some 5km from the sea but rising rapidly to 1.5 - 2 km. The coach journey is an education, not least in how to negotiate narrow roads with dozens of hairpin bends with traffic in the opposite direction. Terrifying.
See for yourself
We see the old city of Kotor and Cetinje, the original capital. A long but brilliant day, rounded off with a drink at a beachside café.
Sveti Stefan - holiday island
Cetinje
The seat of religious power....
Looking down to Tivat from on high
.........
It's Saturday, a free day.. so it's up later, buy ant killer (don't ask), chat, relax, beach, lunch... then we explore the coast a little in the Touareg. We arrive at the unique St. Stevan (see above), park the car and then the lightening flashes and the heavens open. After sitting it out for a while we head further north to brighter skies and, after a supermarket shop, arrive at Budva, where we visit the wonderful old town.
Sitting in a beachside café, the six o'clock church bells call the orthodox Christians to prayer and we have the chance to see and experience this in the old town setting; another memorable moment.
We eat in a restaurant just outside the town wall, next to the marina, with wall to wall with luxury yachts: interesting indeed. In the high season, this town is swelled by a considerable number of holidaymakers from Europe but most travel from Russia and the Ukraine. We like it as we see it now...
We make it back to the campsite at dusk and pick up details of tomorrow's itinerary from the tour leaders; no lie-in tomorrow, then.
........
So, it's tomorrow now, if you see what I mean, and we take a group coach tour to lake Skadar and the town of Bar. We take a boat trip on the lake, visiting one of the lakeside monasteries, which includes a personal tour of the church by a resident monk.
Lakeside
Happily photogenic monk
The town of Bar is our last town visit in Montenegro and is, therefore, tinged with a note of sadness as we explore this historic Muslem settlement.
Mosque from old town Bar
Old Ottoman aqueduct (well, it would hardly be new, would it...)
So, we're off to Croatia tomorrow, visiting Dubrovnik for three days and that means goodbye beautiful Montenegro and goodbye from this post.
See you soon.
We drive through Serbia to Mojkovac in northern Montenegro, noticing that the quality of the roads improve as we cross the border. They become increasingly steep and winding before we stop at a mountain campsite. As in Serbia, we notice unfinished houses as we travel; we later learn how families tend to provide extensions or additional houses for their sons as they mature, building as they can afford, daughters moving away to live with their partners' families; unsurprisingly, some modern women are railing against tradition, it seems
From this campsite we all take a 4x4 trip in convoy to visit the national park which proves to be a quite breathtaking experience, revealing a country with remote inaccessible parts and canyons 1.3 km deep. The campsite is run by a family who have lived here for generations and make it clear that they want us to feel part of their family; it certainly gives us warm feeling, which is not a bad start in Montenegro.
The 4x4 trip
The Tara Bridge
A small monastry church near the campsite
After three enjoyable nights here, we journey south to a site on the coast Petrovac.
........
We take an all-day coach trip from the site to explore the nearby National Park and the surrounding Lovćen mountains, only some 5km from the sea but rising rapidly to 1.5 - 2 km. The coach journey is an education, not least in how to negotiate narrow roads with dozens of hairpin bends with traffic in the opposite direction. Terrifying.
See for yourself
We see the old city of Kotor and Cetinje, the original capital. A long but brilliant day, rounded off with a drink at a beachside café.
Sveti Stefan - holiday island
The seat of religious power....
Looking down to Tivat from on high
.........
It's Saturday, a free day.. so it's up later, buy ant killer (don't ask), chat, relax, beach, lunch... then we explore the coast a little in the Touareg. We arrive at the unique St. Stevan (see above), park the car and then the lightening flashes and the heavens open. After sitting it out for a while we head further north to brighter skies and, after a supermarket shop, arrive at Budva, where we visit the wonderful old town.
Sitting in a beachside café, the six o'clock church bells call the orthodox Christians to prayer and we have the chance to see and experience this in the old town setting; another memorable moment.
We eat in a restaurant just outside the town wall, next to the marina, with wall to wall with luxury yachts: interesting indeed. In the high season, this town is swelled by a considerable number of holidaymakers from Europe but most travel from Russia and the Ukraine. We like it as we see it now...
We make it back to the campsite at dusk and pick up details of tomorrow's itinerary from the tour leaders; no lie-in tomorrow, then.
........
So, it's tomorrow now, if you see what I mean, and we take a group coach tour to lake Skadar and the town of Bar. We take a boat trip on the lake, visiting one of the lakeside monasteries, which includes a personal tour of the church by a resident monk.
Lakeside
Happily photogenic monk
The town of Bar is our last town visit in Montenegro and is, therefore, tinged with a note of sadness as we explore this historic Muslem settlement.
Mosque from old town Bar
Old Ottoman aqueduct (well, it would hardly be new, would it...)
So, we're off to Croatia tomorrow, visiting Dubrovnik for three days and that means goodbye beautiful Montenegro and goodbye from this post.
See you soon.
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