Kotor

We were up for the sunrise for the sail into Montenegro. The captain had said that this country had Europe’s southernmost fjord. It is 30 kilometres long and spectacular. It did remind me of the fjords in Norway. The only thing missing on the towering mountains and sheer cliffs rising up on either side were the snow caps.

The water was smooth as glass and the ship parked as we prepared for the tender process. We had great plans for a boat tour today but yesterday’s activity had taken its toll on these two oldies. Montenegro is one of the few places in the world where you can swim in a fjord, a lake, a river and the sea. It’s a shame because if we had the energy we could have had a chance of a refreshing swim.

Instead, yes, you guessed it, we headed for the old town. This was easily accessible and very much smaller than Dubrovnik. Just as I was thinking we were having a quiet day, Ruthie spotted an ancient church halfway up a sheer cliff. It was 1475 steps up and would cost 8Euro. Luckily I convinced her that they would have to pay me to go up there!

A nice walk instead along the water promenade topped off with a delicious iced coffee. We sat in a cafe taking in the view. The still ocean/fjord waters surrounded by the mountain cliffs and the pebbled beach beside us. That was very relaxing. In the meantime, a further 2 cruise ships had arrived and the streets had become chaotic. Time to return home to the sanctity of our ship.

Montenegro is a small country and Kotor within is a small city. If we returned we would visit the towns up in the hills and also take a boat tour to the Blue Lake. We’ve had a very busy 10 days of port visits and will enjoy a much needed day at sea tomorrow. Not an old town to be visited anywhere!

The sail into and out of the fjord takes over an hour. It was certainly a special sail away. We sat on the deck enjoying the balmy weather with lots of waving by the locals either on land or in smaller boats as we passed. We passed an islet made over centuries by local seamen. Upon returning from each successful voyage, they laid a rock in the Bay. Over time, the islet gradually emerged from the sea. Hence the name Our Lady of the Rocks. It is a long standing Seafaring tradition to blast the horn 3 times so on our return journey the captain let it rip as we passed (I’m sure the locals would have objected at 6am but 6pm was very special and a lovely memory!)