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!!!
