[first off, blog doesn't want to post pics. Not sure why but the weather next week in Tirana could allow for a little down time - I'll work on it]
Today was a predictably long day - the Great Montenegro Tour!
We are a group of 12. Just me as the US representative. Some Germans, English, Poles, a girl from the Ukraine and an older gentleman from Barcelona by way of Santo Domingo. The idea is to try to cover a few major sites outside of Kotor and the Bay. (Ps: the Europeans are flying from second cities into the local Tivat airport for 25€)
Our first stop is the new cable car that rises to the top of the mountains surrounding Kotor. It's is slick and barely open. The views are amazing across the entire bay we toured by boat yesterday.
In the near distance is another mountaintop that is the resting place of one of the hero's of Montenegro - Peter the Second. Montenegro is orthodox catholic and closely align with Serbia due to that. Montenegro was a series of medieval tribes that were loosely affiliated. Then it gets a little murky. There was a king Nicholas who died without an heir. And then there were 200 years were there was no leader except the church. Which is where Peter comes in - he was a monk. Then came the loose affiliation of the South Slavs and the the formal Yugoslavia. Montenegro didn't gain its countryhood until 2006.
So Peter - who our guide is a big fan of - died of Tb and has this, in my opinion Nazi inspired mausoleum on this second hilltop. In fairness, the original site was a small Orthodox Church that was reimagined after WW1.
You walk four hundred steps up to the site - already on the second largest mountain. Once there it is an imposing stone structure with two enormous status of women that support the roof. (The support of women) and then inside a reclining black granite statue of Peter, contemplating a book and backed by a huge eagle. The ceiling is a a billion gold mosaic tiles. The actual tomb in one level lower.
It is grand and odd. And the view is pretty incredible and maps out our next steps.
There is a lovely cafe in the parking lot where we initially stop for breakfast! While the tour cost was only 55€, there are a lot of extras - the cable car, breakfast, entrance fees and lunch. Unfortunately the cafe is terrible and not a great start. Although I am able to have a few chats.
(The Ukrainian girl is from Kyiv and says things are quite normal there. However she has been working remotely from wherever she can set up shop for two years.)
Our next stop is the former capital of Montenegro - Cetinje. And it consists mostly of a monastery which was used as the by the ruling authority. The exterior is sort of gothic and we are only allowed into the small very orthodox chapel.
There is a bit of a Templar feel to the place and there are some pretty serious religious artifacts here. Like the first Madonna and Child, a mummified priest and a piece of 'the' cross.
[Kotor was only recently added to Montenegro as it was part of the Venetian empire. And cut off the bays and the tribes are pretty isolated. ps: as demonstrated in every photo, all the mountains are white limestone - so where Monte - 'negro' came from, I have no idea)
Next up was a hairpin cowpath with a bus to the river that feeds Skoder Lake which is shared with Albania. We have a lovely lunch of fish soup and fresh trout and then take a nice boat ride on the river. Amazing how much color there is in the trees. Especially as it has been so warm.
I won't make Skoder in Albania, so it is nice to see a small part of it.
During our chats at lunch I discover that four of us are on the 8am bud to Tirana. I only wish I had known earlier, we needed four for the private and decidedly shorter transfer.
Our final destination is due to be the coastal city of Budva. It is well know to be how not to let development happen. Thankfully due to some fog and the early sunset, we do a quick view point while the sun is setting. It's pretty but also depressing with high rises surrounding the old town.
We wind up getting back to Kotor and hour and a half early. Which is great to a few minutes with the feet up and then packing for an early departure.
I finally made it to the pasta place and had a spicy red sauce with big chunks of pancetta. And I plan to stop by the lazy bar around the corner that has a live singer.
(I guess it is getting close to Halloween as the background just did a Muzak vocal rendition of 'Thriller'!)
Albania has been a bit of a bugaboo in my planning for a few years. Mostly because it is very new to the tourist trade and even as recently as 10 years ago was somewhat of a no go country - from an infrastructure perspective.
While it is Balkan country it was not part of Yugoslavia and had its own dictator.
I think, and hope, I will be pleasantly surprised.
Stay tuned.
[bang bang: Nancy Sinatra. Great song, I've heard about 10 times on Naxi radio. And the jazz trio just covered it.]
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