Little Italy
Trip Start
Sep 12, 2006
1
24
100
Trip End
Sep 08, 2008
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Kotor, Montenegro
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
It was a beautiful two hour journey along Montenegro's stunning Adriatic coast from Bar to Kotor, passing a number of small towns and the small city of Budva. The sun was still shining, and I was glad we made the journey during daylight hours. We arrived in Kotor late afternoon, and immediately went into the old town (stari grad) to find some accommodation. One of the tourist offices helped us find a private room in a doctor's home, situated right on the shore of the fjord, about a 20 minute walk from the old town which suited us perfectly. After checking in and having another long overdue shower following the night train from Belgrade we went back into the old town for the evening.
The following day was very relaxing, the first without any travel on our trip! It was spent wandering around the cobbled lanes of the atmospheric old town stopping on more than a few occasions to have some of the best cappuccinos I'd tasted in Europe. The city had once been ruled by Venice, and I think that may have been the reason why it felt so Italian. Not that I'd ever been to Italy, but Kotor was exactly what I imagined much of Italy to be like. Most of the people in the old town were quite stylish and well dressed, and the common greeting here was 'Ciao'. Money was abundant, obvious from the luxury yachts docked outside the city walls and we even saw a man sitting back and having a chat with a friend in his Ferrari. I couldn't quite figure out where the money was coming from though, as nobody seemed to be doing anything! I felt a little out of place in my unwashed jeans and t-shirt, but nevertheless I socked up the atmosphere, glad to have spent 12€ on a pair of sunglasses which were an absolutely necessity in the strong sun.
After lunch Chris and I made our way up the steep hill to the old fortification protecting Kotor's stari grad. Kotor had once been a Mediterranean naval power, and I imagine the fortification was once an integral part of that. A regret of mine was not visiting the maritime museum, however with the sun shining and an incredible view awaiting us at the fort I wasn't going to spend the afternoon indoors. We took our time climbing the steps, and it took around an hour in all to reach the old fort at the top. The reward for the slog was stunning views of Kotor fjord, and the huge mountains looming over the fort. We spent some time here, gazing out over the incredible vista and simply laying in the sun.
Kotor was to be our longest stopover on the trip, with three nights to be spent there, however we planned to do a little exploring the following day in the touristy city of Budva, which we passed on our journey from Bar, and to the former capital of Cetinje, located in the mountains. Kotor, and all of the Montenegrin coast for that matter sure were a far cry from Belgrade, and it was hard to imagine that it had been embroiled in the conflict of the 1990's. Nonetheless I enjoyed the opportunity to visit the region, sip on innumerable cappuccinos and down a few Nik beers in Kotor's small cafés and pubs, and the spectacular setting was one I wouldn't be forgetting in a hurry.
