Bring on the Balkans (Part I)

Fact: Montenegro is gorgeous.

I admit I knew almost nothing about the country other than that some of Casino Royale was filmed there. I simply visited one weekend on a whim with some adventure-thirsty friends. 

As our plane made its descent into Podgorica airport, I peeked out the window and glimpsed a windy green coastline, a vast blue sea, and rugged snow-capped mountains looming all around. That's when I said to myself, hot damn, this is going to be amazing.

We piled into the rental and sped off towards Budva. Along the way, we stopped to stretch and admire the natural beauty around us...and to take a group selfie, of course.

Getting to Budva took about two hours. We immediately made a beeline for the beach.

Rocks were skipped. Fun was had.

For dinner, we chose a restaurant right next to the water and along the boardwalk, which ended up being the perfect people watching spot. It was the off season so we were the only tourists around. The locals seemed happy and relaxed - walking their dogs, chatting in groups, drinking wine. I was grateful to get a glimpse into life in Budva when it wasn't swarming with foreigners on vacation as it is in the summer months.

Following my Italian colleague's lead, I ordered fish soup for a starter. And oh boy, I sure am glad I did. The soup was ladled out of a steaming pot and aroma filled the air with tomato-ey, fishy goodness. Though we had only ordered two portions, there was enough for everyone to try some. The verdict: fish soup is delicious.

My entree was fish, cooked very simply to enhance the fish's freshness and natural flavor. A few cats wandered by our table for scraps. Among them was a tiny tortoiseshell kitten who was blind in one eye...talk about a heartstring tugger. I tossed him pieces of my leftover fish until he had eaten his fill.

After dinner, we drove to the town of Kotor and settled into our airbnb, which was conveniently located right in the middle of the medieval Old Town. Old Town by night was absolutely beautiful (I'm kicking myself for not taking more pictures) and wonderfully preserved. No wonder it is a UNESCO world heritage site.

We explored the narrow streets, oohed and aahed at the lit-up churches, and had a run-in with a frog (or was it a toad?) that we encountered along the way. After a few hours of wandering about, we eventually ducked into a bar and nursed a few nightcaps before heading to bed.

The next morning was an early start, for there was a mountain to be climbed and a fortress to explore!

The fortress of Saint Giovanni has certainly seen its fair share of history. It was forged as early as the 6th century and reconstructed again and again as different groups came in and left their mark in Kotor - the Byzantines, Ottomans, Bulgarians, Austrians, Italians, French, and even the Axis forces during the second world war. If that wasn't enough drama, the fortress has also gone through and been rebuilt from seven earthquakes dating as far back as to the 1500s. In spite of all the turmoil it has seen, the fortress still stands atop the city of Kotor and overlooks its bay. Seeing it in the off season was a treat. Not only did we not have to pay the usual fee that is charged to visitors, we had the whole fortress to ourselves.

On the way down, we encountered a pomegranate tree and reaped the rewards of our find.

We spent the last of our morning wandering around in Old Town, this time seeing it by day.

At one point, the boy bought a really, really large slice of pizza...

He devoured the whole thing. I was slightly alarmed but mostly impressed.

At last, it was time to leave and head onwards to the next adventure. As we left the country, we enjoyed stunning views of the coastline and mountains as we wound through the Bay of Kotor. Pure magic.

Montenegro was an absolutely underrated gem of a country. And Kotor was one of my favorite places that I've ever visited. All the thumbs way, way up.

Next up on the blog: adventures in Dubrovnik, Croatia!