September 25, 2022

September 25, 2022

We left Dubrovnik, Croatia early this morning for a day trip to Montenegro. We drove south down the beautiful Dalmatian Coast along a narrow highway on the sea cliff. It is not long before we reach the Montenegro border and enter the Bay of Kotor. This inlet consists of several winding bays with sheer cliffs that look strikingly like the glacier-carved fjords of Norway and Iceland. Instead it was formed from the dissolution of the Karst limestone mountains that make up the Dinaric Alps here. Its geological birth is more like Halong Bay of Vietnam.

We worked our way for miles around the edge of the bays going in and out. At one point we stop in the little town of Perast where we board a small boat that takes us out to two tiny islands. We pass the first one that holds St George Monastery and land at the one with the blue-domed Our Lady of the Rocks Chapel.

A volunteer gives us a tour and history. Apparently a painting of the Virgin Mary was found washed up on this rocky shoal. It was considered a miracle so the faithful, mostly seamen and their families, come here with offerings to protect their next voyage. The interior of the highly decorated church is beautiful, especially the colorfully painted ceiling. The chapel is a common venue for weddings and baptisms even today.

Back on shore, we continued around the shoreline to the World Heritage medieval city of Kotor. At one time it was an outpost for Venetian Traders. They built a defensive wall completely around it and high up the cliff. We started with a walking tour by an uninspired local guide. Kotor became rich supplying salted beef to inland caravans. Hard times eventually ensued leaving the city as a time capsule. Walking around the small city, most of the palatial buildings are of medieval Venetian architectural design.

The weather forecast called for afternoon rain. It is not here yet so Aimee and I paid the fee to hike the Stairs of Kotor. This is a trail that follows the defensive works up the steep hillside. About halfway up we encounter Our Lady of Health Chapel that makes a cool backdrop for the very scenic bay and its fjord-like cliffs. We continue further up but the views don't seem to be getting any better. We stop short of the San Giovanni Fort that sits at a crest of the mountain. The weather has warmed up considerably so we are sweating profusely by the time we return to the bottom.

Aimee and I head directly to a little pizzeria where we are able to get a quick slice and a sample of the local Montenegro beer. Afterwards we have twenty minutes to window shop the tiny city while having our desert of gelato. We then have to make the long drive back to Dubrovnik. The most painful part of the trip was the long lines at the customs border in both directions. It is raining as we pull up to our hotel.