KOTOR

Montenegro

This country is only 12 years old. But it has been inhabited since before the fifth century BC. 13 years ago it was part of Yugoslavia. Montengro means black mountains. Kotor is surrounded by mountains that used to be covered by black pines.

Kotor is a triangular fortress port nestled between the Monteregrin mountains and a beautiful inlet of the Adriatic Sea. It has a normal Mediterrean climate.

We were told before arriving that it the most beautiful port to sail init really was. to and we should get up early so as to not miss it. Perhaps because of rather than in spite of the fog it was quite spectacular.Our Lady of the Rocks seemed to appear out of nowhere.

We tried. The location of Kotor is rather amazing. As the ship made its way into the port there were times when I wondered if the captain was going to scrape the sides.

You can see by this map how amazing the entry is

This was a tender port which case as a surprise. Our tour was a princess tour so we met in the theatre and departed the ship with our group. Besides the Princess tenders there were local tenders which made the trip fast and no waiting for a boat.

Our guide greeted us and told us her name which I could never pronounce even if I remembered what she said. She told us some things about the history of the country as we drove that half hour to Budva. She supplied us with head sets so we could follow her narriative. Budva is a city which has an old town with soaring walls and narrow streets and even narrower lane ways. Like other old town parts of a city cars and buses are not permitted even if the streets were wide enough. We left our bus and followed our guide to old houses and church.. We were given some free time to roam around. I especially enjoyed the parts of the city that bordered the sea.  We did enjoy a Gelatto. Before long it was time to return to the bus.

We made our way back to Kotor. Here we also visited the old city. This area is larger than the one in Budva. Like many other places they have become the victims of real estate speculators. The older historic apartments have been bought by people who live there only weeks of the year and they stand empty during most of the year while housing is in short supply.

This city has a cat museum which is certainly a new for us. Because it was such a busy port and a major ship builder the area was subject to many mice and rats. The cat was their savior so the cats were special. They are still highly thought of. We did not go to the museum.

We did go to the Maritime museum which displayed Kotor’s rich naval history.

A special part of the tour was a visit to St.Tryphon Cathedral. This ornate church was completed in 1166 and it boasts fascinating Romanesque and Byzantine architecture.

A special feature of this city is the high wall that surrounds it. A walk to the top involved over 1300 steps and there were passengers who climbed it.

At the end of the official tour we roamed a little and then headed for the tenders. Again they were fast and we did not have to wait long.

Because this was Halloween we had to spend time getting ready for our big night. It was a lot of fun.

After dinner we changed back into regular clothes because it was so cool in the ship.

The evening entertainment featured a Scottish soprano singing Celtic songs.

Another day drew to a close and we looked forward to Thursday… a sea day…yeah!!!