Look how happy they look!

They were until they arrived at the airport and found out their flight was delayed for 2 hours causing them to miss their connection to Montenegro. \240Boo Hoo!

Don’t they look like a happy couple!

That’s because they haven’t found out that their flight was delayed 2 hours and they have missed their connection to Montenegro.

Still looking happy but……..

Wondering what they will do with us in Istanbul as there is no flight until Nov. 14 to Montenegro.

After arriving there at 8 pm their time we walked it seemed like miles in their huge but gorgeous airport terminal looking for the Turkish Air transfer desk, then on to the hotel desk for where they would put us up for the night then trying to go through customs and finding out we had to have a visa to spend the night in Turkey. So more walking to find that place. \240When we get there we find out that it is cash only and we have no Turkish money. \240We are really tired at this point but one of those incredible moments happened at this counter. \240There was a man and his son having to do the same as us and when he heard our predicament he handed us 60 US dollars and said he was happy to help us. \240He was from Memphis, Tenn. \240Isn’t is wonderful to know there are still good people in the world ready to help a total stranger.

\240 A baby Skoda Citigo

Off we went Virpazar and the first thing we realized is how close everything is.

Besac Heritage Retreat

Winery & Restaurant

We find out there is a beautiful old fortress near by that we can walk to. \240It is now a winery and restaurant. \240It sure felt good to walk.

View from our balcony

Mostly in this tiny town are restaurants and people wanting to take you for a tour on Lake Skadar.

Rustic furniture

We were the only guests and the owner Darko Dabovic, who spoke very good English entertained us for the whole meal

Quite the woodworker is Darko

This is one of his wines St. Thomas a lovely red.

Virpazar, Montenegro Lake Skadar

Made it to the waterfall

The Kiwi Tree

Tanya said the tree was 36 years old and she makes kiwi marmalade from all this fruit.

The Wine C

Country House Dajkovic

After lunch we hiked to the waterfalls. \240half mile there and back which felt like 10 miles with the ups and downs.

Dupilo Falls

We had actually read about this hike before coming to Montenegro. In a village this small everyone knows or is related to everyone. Zoran our host helped us with the organization. \240It was hard hiking but the views and food were well worth the effort.

Private boat tour Lake Skadar

LakeSkadar is part of a National Park in Montenegro and Virpazar is located on this lake. \240Our host Zoran arranged this private boat tour for us. \240It was absolutely amazing. \240So many different water fowl and we visited the Kom Monastery which is on one of the islands in the lake. \240There is one monk who lives there full time.

Gate to Kom Monastery

We walked around the grounds of the monastery and were able to go into the very old (1427) chapel complete with frescos.

Serbian Orthodox

Kom Monastery frescos and even outside the walls were beautifully painted.

Old frescos inside the chapel

Outer wall of the chapel.

End of Lake Skadar tour

Tomorrow we continue on to Bar, Montenegro. \240This place has been magical. \240Can’t wait to see what will be next!!

Balcony view of mountain side of Bar

I hope to get better photos of the Adriatic Sea on another day. \240Our neighbor straight ahead has an orange grove in their backyard. \240Many orange trees here in Bar. Our first goal was to get breakfast food at the local market Idea which we can walk to.

After David’s nap it was time for supper. \240It starts getting dark around 4 pm but we found a restaurant within walking distance called Berlin. \240It was like visiting a junk store of every kind of antique tools, plows, pots and pans, fishing nets etc. \240they did have a nice outdoor eating area and we were the only customers except for 4 old gentlemen who obviously were regular drinkers.

Entrance to Berlin

Really nice outside and the owner brought us each a tiny glass of liqueur made from quince fruit which is mostly grown in Turkey.

Outside garden at Berlin

Quince Schnapps

Very strong similar to what we were served in Dupilo.

Cepavi

Sorry to have this twice. \240Scroll on by.

This is a traditional Montenegrin dish with sausages, French fries and onion. \240We saved some for breakfast.

We also passed a little bakery on our way back to the apartment and purchased a Burek. \240A Montenegrin pastry that is a fast breakfast with meat or cheese. \240We are trying every food that we read about before coming. \240We are now near the sea so mussels are on the horizon.

Bedroom, living room, breakfast room and kitchen all in one space.

This apartment is new but it is like living in an IKEA display plus small bathroom BUT it does have a washing machine. \240Yea for clean clothes. \240David measured 260 sq ft. Ha ha. Very cozy!

Pedestrian Street Stari Bar

We found this wonderful restaurant that we had read about before coming. It said it one of the best in the old town. \240Now we are in olive oil country with olive groves everywhere and orange and pomegranate trees. \240Fresh juice squeezed right on the street.

Home of grilled octopus and squid

Started with tomato bruschetta

The restaurant makes their own olive oil and wine. \240This was outstanding with fabulous bsalmic vinegar.

We chose the Seafood mix

It was accompanied by a pesto risotto and eggplant and tomato plus grilled peppers and zucchini.

Olive garlic pesto

This was so very good with their home baked bread. \240This is a lot of food pictures but such an outstanding meal.

A magical moment in the restaurant

This is one of those things that happen to you when you could not have possibly planned it. \240As we are sitting at our table a large group came in and these 4 gentlemen sat near us. \240They were in Montenegro to learn about tourism at a seminar being held in Bar. \240From left to right, Alex whose degree and job is a geographer, Mattis, an electrical engineer, Bekim, an Anthropologist and the guy in white jacket, the bus driver! \240They all work in tourism in their countries.

They were from Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo. \240Well, believe me, they were more than happy to give us all kinds of good information and all spoke English as well as we do. \240It was a truly delightful and surprising time and now we have another side trip thanks to them.

David standing by the olive presses

This is in the entrance to the Fortress and Citadel that sits atop Stari Bar. \240I have way too many pictures to share but will put a few here.

One of many churches that remain

Many parts of the fortress date back to the 6th century. Next conquered by the Venetians and then the Ottomans. \240It was finally reclaimed in 1877 by the Montenegrins. An earthquake destroyed what was left after an explosion in early 20th century. \240People have moved back and it is thriving again but rather touristy.

Cold and windy at the top

Lots of climbing all over this fortress and places that would probably never be allowed at home.

Bar Aqueduct

This was build during the Ottoman Empire 16th century. \240Served as the water supply for Stari Bar. \240It brought water 3km from Mount Rumija. 17 large arches 18 massive pillarsThe water channel is formed on the upper surface where jointly connected stoneware pipes were placed. \240We think we are so clever now!

Glorious sunset

View walking back to our IKEA display home. \240Actually it is fine but a sofa bed is not that good for old people. Haha

Bar photo op

A gracious lady agreed to take our picture. The people could not be nicer and actually many speak some English.

By the seaside cafe

We decided to have pizza today. \240We had such wonderful pizza when we went to Croatia we hoped it would be the same. \240It wasn’t but it was yum and we will have again for our supper.

Sideways trees.

Never seen this and it was only in this area of the beach. \240The Adriatic is a beautiful blue (comparing to Galveston). The beaches were mostly empty. \240We saw one brave man swimming!

Orange trees in everyone’s yard

Since orange trees are simply every where we had to stop a get a few for the road. \240David has already tried and said they were very good.

Our orange sale

We tried to visit King Nikola’s Palace which faces the sea but it was closed. \240We will probably try tomorrow before we head on to Kotor.

St. Jovan Vladimir Orthodox Church

Thankfully this church was open and it was unbelievably beautiful. \240I am just including three pics but probably have 50.

Looking inward

This church was built toward the end of the 20th century but St Jovan Vladimir is the most historic of all Serbian saints and is known as the protector of Bar.

Looking back toward entrance

Every square inch was covered in the most beautiful frescos, gorgeous icons, mosaics, marble columns. \240So ornate. No pews so standing church. \240Wish we could have heard a service in there. \240We will try again next Sunday to find a service.

a beautiful Orthodox cross from their gift shop

All in all another perfect day🥰

Sheep on the hillside as we climbed

It was a beautiful winding walk up the hill to the Monastery and oh so beautiful the view at the top.

Beautiful fountain

David actually drank from the spigot. \240The water is very good here everywhere we go.

The chapel

So lovely inside and they had a little honor system gift shop right inside the door. \240It was such a great stop that we just decided on the spur of the moment to do. \240sometimes those are the best❤️

They also had bee hives and for sale inside beautiful beeswax candles. \240It was really lovely to be there.

No more IKEA

We were so amazed when we opened the door to our apartment in Kotor. \240Wow! \240Nice and spacious and…..

View from our balcony

We overlook the Bay of Kotor. \240Know where we are having our breakfast and coffee every morning! \240there was a cruise ship in the bay when we arrived but they have departed. \240Our host had given us some suggestions for restaurants and we tried one. \240We are high on a hill but were able to walk there and even get back in the dark.

When we arrived at The Galion

This place was amazing and since it was only 3:30 in the afternoon, we were the only guests. \240This was like our private dining room over the water, all glass walls. \240It was the best and the food was excellent.

Still at The Galion

It starts getting dark around 4 pm so we were definitely still there when you could see all the marina lights and the houses around the marina.

St. Tryphon Cathedral

Very beautiful but not as much as the Orthodox churches. \240The museum had so many silver relics and many icons.

Many of the artifacts in this museum were from Medieval times. \240The church was from 809.

It was raining so hard when we left the church that we decided to go eat at another place our hosts suggested. The Bastian. \240Sadly today because of the weather no fresh seafood but an interesting place. \240Supposedly the oldest restaurant in Kotor. \240And so it seemed only for men! \240However, we happened upon a group of men in costume eating there, I assumed were traditional dancers. \240After speaking with one of the men, who I found had studied English at Oxford! \240He told me they were the Boka Navy. \240He suggested that I Google it. \240So I did and am including the link for your enjoyment.

They have been in existence for over a 1000 years protecting the Bay and City of Kotor.

https://youtu.be/1mH3UlbRgQ8?feature=shared

We were damp and tired and came home to take a nap.

This is what it looked like at 4 pm.

Getting dark around 4 still rainy

afterwards we went back to the old town to walk around and find a place to eat. \240At least it had stopped raining and we found a nice place down another alley.

Finally got some mussels but we did not think they were as good as the ones on our choir trip in July.

Restaurant in the old town Kotor

Home again tonight and ready for rest. \240Looks like rain again tomorrow so more museums and beautiful churches.

Taraca restaurant

If it was summer the awning would be open and all windows.

Candle light burger

They served barbecue sauce with the potatoes and on the burger. really!!!

Montenegro Family Dollar!

On our way to the old town we wanted to grab another umbrella just in case and Lo and behold this store came in our sights. \240Everything 50% off woo hoo! \240Lots of Christmas decorations but lots of other stuff too. \240We may make another run through tomorrow. \240Don’t you love the Mrs. Santa dress! And hat !! Ha ha

The hike begins…..

Little did I know how many switchbacks we would take but thankfully they made this climb much less steep.

Every wall is a zig zag

The fortress seemed not that far away but it went on and on it seemed forever.

Shedding layers as we climbed

Thankfully we were able to break down our hiking poles and were we glad to have them. \240Especially me!

So near and yet so far!

Getting near the fortress but never will we reach it haha

Cutest donkey

Someone actually lives up here and has this donkey and a herd of goats which were roaming the mountain side we guess. \240The lady tried to give us water and was very friendly as we passed by. We met several older Montenegrin people on the trail and other hikers mostly younger. \240It was a hard hike in my opinion but I am still kicking at 75 and made it.

Quaint village by Bay of Kotor

As tired as we were after our hike we jumped in our car and drove 7.5 miles to this lovely place called Perast.

Perast clock tower

We knew we had to take advantage of the beautiful day. \240We had to miss our nap but the drive was gorgeous and the place we ate was fabulous. \240Restaurant Conte was our choice.

Right by the water

We are becoming rose wine fans here as the local rose is really good.

Ready for our Thanksgiving seafood

David ordered grilled octopus and I had the sea bass with fried squids. \240It was all so good. \240Their main side dish here is Swiss chard mixed with potato. \240So good. \240Another restaurant called it Dalmatian Stew.

Perast Almond Cake

This is something special from this village and we wanted to try it but I hope to try it at home and try for more moistness. \240They call it cake but it is in a pie crust???

Oh well we tried it and probably won’t again until I make it in Houston haha

Good bye Perast

Such a lovely afternoon and we will be back in our apartment before dark at 4:45 pm

Firemen fishing

This was right across the road from their fire department. \240guess this is what they do when not fighting a fire.

North gate of the fortress

We chose a different path into the old town this morning. \240We were dressed for the rain but luckily it pretty much stopped and we just dealt with puddles.

This river flows into the bay

The water is greenish but very clear. \240Rivers whose names change in different countries it seems are all connected throughout the Balkans. These flow into the Bay of Kotor. \240There have been so many earthquakes in this region that sometimes rivers disappear.

Boka Navy performance patterns

After watching a video on the performance of the Boka Navy, giving one of their 4X per year performances in the Maritime Museum in the old town Kotor, the above picture was hanging on the wall and next to it this music.

Traditional music of the Boka Navy performance

I will attempt to play when I return to Houston. They have a band as well, that plays this continually as they perform.

These specific patterns are reminiscent of my elementary music days and some of the folk song games I played with my children. \240It was beautiful to see and although women are allowed in this organization, only men do this dance. \240these old towns date back to Medieval times and this organization is that old. \240the Maritime Museum told the history of sailing in the Bay of Kotor and all the famous ship captains who were there. \240It was housed in an old palace.

Down every little alley

you will find a restaurant or shop of some sort. \240This one was recommended and it was like entering an underground cave. \240Just a few tables. \240The lady who helped us was so nice and spoke quite good English. \240David had pasta with clams and I had fresh bream from the Bay. \240she gave us a treat at the end of our meal.

Homemade cherry brandy

Here we happily sit for lunch

We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering about the old town going in shops and churches.

Altar of Orthodox St. Nichola’s Church

The angel Gabriel and Mary

Dobrota Lace

The lace on this table in the church is hand made in Dobrota a small town near the old town of Kotor. The lace is considered an intangible cultural treasure. It takes 5-6 hours to make 1-6 cm of lace and the eye end of the needle is used rather than the point. \240sure would love to see someone doing this. \240the women made this intricate lace as they waited for their men to return from the sea.

Remains of St. Juraj Church

A lot of people must have been going to church back in those times.

More remains of St. Juraj Church

David came back home pretty wet as it has started to rain again. \240If it lets up in the afternoon we hope to find St. Eustahije church in Dobrota where many examples of this lace and samples of authentic Middle Ages folk art are kept.

Since it is raining so hard we can hardly see across the Bay we decided a nap was good and maybe the rain would let up. \240It did with a 15 degree drop in temp. \240We found a restaurant to try and it was a 30 minute walk. \240No problem right?

Snow comes early

It was such an Artic blast as we were walking and the waves were splashing over the side walk. \240But we made it and the place was small, warm and snug and the food was wonderful. The waiters spoke English and were so nice and friendly. \240this time we tried a Serbian rose. \240It was excellent too. \240David had grilled shrimp and I had a wonderful homemade pasta with asparagus and hazelnut cream sauce. \240Spectacular!

Fireplace not real but nice touch

The owners of the house have retired to live upstairs and the son runs the small restaurant. \240Another reason to be here in the off season. \240No waiting.

Dobrota lace in their curtains

Tomorrow we leave Kotor for Herceg Novi and hope to stop by the church where the lace patterns are displayed.

My fabulous pasta dish

It was so nice to be in this wonderful warm restaurant. \240At least when we walked back home the wind was at our back.

Packing tonight and saying goodbye to the beautiful town of Kotor in the morning❣️ off to Herceg Novi about an hour drive by the sea.

St. Eustace bell tower

I peeked in the door and there were actually people worshiping so we had to drive on. \240You win a few and lose a few when it comes to special things.

View of the front St. Eustace

Beautiful cross in the courtyard

I thought it was so pretty with the mountains and the sea in the background. \240Back on the road again.

Roman Mosaics Museum

I had read about this before we came and since it was on the way to Herceg Novi in a village called Risan. We stopped and enjoyed.

Discovered Roman Mosaics

I can hardly imagine how long it took someone to make these mosaics. \240Each little square is 1X1 cm. Mind boggling!

Almost completely intact

The Roman mosaics in Risan are the remains of a villa from the 2nd century AD, \240Typical of the Roman architectural creativity on this coast of the Adriatic. \240Risan is the oldest town in Montenegro.

New Apartment Herceg Novi

After getting lost several times trying to find our street and apartment building we finally arrived. \240The owner of the apartment is a darling 80 year old woman and her grown son who lives with her. \240They live on the third floor but have made their attic space into the cutest little apartment with everything you could need for two people. (Including a washing machine) yippee! \240And the directions were in English!!

A smaller terrace but spectacular view

Between the two mountains is the Adriatic Sea. \240A gorgeous day. \240We are hoping for a good day tomorrow to explore the Old Town. \240It is very close by our apartment.

Snow on the mountains

Finally, I am cold!!! \240Everyone who knows me knows I am always hot, never cold but today I am cold. \240The temps have really dropped. \240I know northern relatives and friends but for us Texans this is cold and windy!

Unusual steps to our apartment

First of all there is no elevator in this apartment building so get ready to climb those stairs. \240Seven flights to get to our space and I just had to show the last flight. \240It is like the stairmaster. \240Never seen anything like this before. \240this would not be good to fall down these. Yikes!

Down by the bay

There is a beautiful promenade built right by the water so we walked until we found a restaurant. \240We did our best to eat outside but finally after the sun went down we had to bundle up in hats, coats and scarves to finish our meal

Waiting for our meal

We noticed that right beside the marina

Water Polo Stadium

and this promenade was a water polo facility with stands and lights. \240We also saw outside that teams from countries all over the world have played there. \240It must be really big here.

Just one of the many steps

We were trying to make sure we weren’t slipping on these wet walks and stairs, but even in the rain it is so beautiful.

Sausage & French fries for breakfast

Because it is the off season and winter, there are so few tourists. \240This morning we had to go to three different restaurants before we could find breakfast. \240The mustard was good with this. \240Don’t even think about ketchup for your FF. \240That doesn’t exist.

More icons

This little Orthodox Church had beautiful icons and some person was putting fresh flowers around the icons. \240I hope to get a picture of the outside before we leave.

I love the face on this icon

This church was quite tiny and is on one of the main plazas in Old Town Herceg Novi.

The angel Gabriel and Mary

This is a recurring theme on these gates. \240The cross is really beautiful.

The next thing we attempted to do was walk to the Savina Winery. \240A really pretty short walk if you were in flat Houston! \240It took about 30 min for us to get there with our umbrellas, but it was not to be. \240The gates were closed, we could get no one on the speaker at the gate. \240So thank goodness for WhatsApp where we could call them. \240We explained that we made reservations long ago for today. \240She had no record. \240We walked home in the rain and decided to take a nap before figuring out our supper plans. \240By the time we arrived back at our apartment the winery had texted that they found our email and could we come tomorrow. \240So it all ended well and you will hear and see more about that tomorrow.

Pizza place very near our apartment

Why is this important you ask? \240Well everyone living in this hilly, no place to park place must pay to park in the few places there are. \240We were lucky that we got a place near our apartment and since we arrived on Sunday, just like in Houston, it is free! \240But the parking patrol is out on the rest of the days from 7 am - 9 pm and you must have that paid slip of paper in you car or beware!!!

That pizza place call Pic Nic is where you secure you parking slips. \240Go figure that one. \240David had to rush down early this morning to make sure we had the slips in our car by 7 am for our stay here. \240We are not moving our car until we leave. \240You might never get a park close to your apartment again.

Our chef at Nautica Restaurant

This darling lady and her husband run a charming restaurant 25 yards from our building so since it is still raining we went there for dinner. \240I had a wonderful penne pasta Gorgonzola and David had a fruti de mare pizza and I had a glass of the Savina Winery white. \240they had no rose🥲

Gorgeous pottery

The lady chef came to talk to us after we finished our meal. \240We asked for dessert and she offered a special dessert that she makes from her grandmother’s recipe. \240It was called Nautica Kolač. \240It reminded us of Tres Leches cake but it was chocolate. \240I love when things like this happen. \240I asked her if she would give me the recipe to take home and she did. \240Written on a post it note in Serbian. \240I will get this translated!

Nautica Kolač

The colors are crunchy sugar crystals. \240The cake is soaked in milk or cream or I am not sure until I get it translated. \240But it was so good with espresso!

Who eats this candy bar?

This is crazy but neither David or I could remember ever eating one. \240But now we seem to be getting one every time we go to the market haha. We are usually dark chocolate snobs. \240I guess you do crazy things on a vacation. \240I doubt we will ever eat one again back in Houston.

Outdoor wine tasting

It was cool but such a beautiful setting. \240It is a smaller winery who only sells to local restaurants or from their shop to visitors.

Appetizers to accompany our wines

The cheese pies are made there at the winery, the prosciutto is local, as are the olives and cheese. \240Our guide told us the crackers shaped like pretzels and the square ones come from a local bakery. \240It was the perfect compliment to their wines.

Our three wines to taste

These are the remains of the three tastings (Rose, Chardonnay, Merlot)only each serving was like getting a glass of wine in a restaurant. \240Waaaay more than a taste so in the end since it wasn’t raining at the time we decided that we would walk back to our apartment. \240It all went well until we got caught in another \240downpour and were quite damp arriving back to our place.

Old wine bottles

She said they do lots of weddings and what a gorgeous setting it would be. \240These old bottles which are decorative now, used to be how they stored their wine in the beginning of the winery 2013.

The French Oak Barrel room

Now they have this room making about 25,000 bottles per year. \240They also make olive oil and grappa which we did not taste! \240That was once a fireplace where the owner would invite guests to enjoy his wine in this room before the barrels took over. \240It was a lovely afternoon but after all that wine and getting wet it was definitely time for a 💤 nap.

Our supper

No more going out tonight and hoping for better weather tomorrow to explore the Old Town before we head to Budva.

You knew we had to get that cheese with David playing the tuba! Ha ha

I would love being friends with her

We packed the car and climbed the many stairs one last time to get a look at the Herceg Novi old town without rain.

Church on the plaza

The clock tower

they said you could climb to the top but I tried and only got this high. \240The door was locked to the higher part.

View from half way up clock tower

Before David and I split we passed an icon shop. I had been looking diligently everywhere we went in Montenegro for a nativity scene to add to my collection. Never did we see one and I began asking people but no one was familiar with what I was asking. \240Their Christmas is December 31. Finally I found out there was a nativity icon and I actually found two. They are different scenes from most that we are familiar with. I tried to put the picture here but failed. The icons are at the end of this day 😞 sorry

David and I split up at this point. \240While I was doing clock tower, he went to Kanli Kula of Herceg Novi. To climb The Fortress!

Approaching the Fortress

Large amphitheater inside

View of Herceg Novi from Fortress

We met back on the plaza, walked back to our car and off we went to find the ferry.

Last car to make it on! Whew!

As we raced up to the kiosk to buy our ticket, David jumped out of the car, ran to get the ticket, then back to the car and we barely made it on. \240No waiting!

On the ferry

The trip is only ten minutes so the ferry basically turns around twice and you are there. \240All for €4.5 and we have crossed the Bay headed to Budva where our next apartment is.

Restaurant right on the beach

We decided to go to the old town Budva first as the weather was behaving and the day was glorious.

A new Montenegrin rose little darker

It was really lovely eating there where you hear the waves coming in and the water is so greenish blue.

Smoked salmon bruschetta

Squid and shrimp skewers

And always the Montenegrin Dalmatian Stew. \240Swiss chard with potatoes. \240It is so good. \240Every restaurant has this dish.

Budva Old Town

We took a spin through the old town,climbed the Citadel and headed for our apartment.

View from Citadel Budva

View from our balcony Budva

We are still amazed at the beauty of Montenegro no matter where we go. \240The people are lovely and friendly.

Balcony view Budva

We are only here for two nights and we have decided to take a side trip tomorrow to the old capital of Montenegro, Cetinje. About 40 minute drive. \240More tomorrow from there.

Welcome Montegrin Grappa

Whoa! This stuff is not for the faint of heart. \240So strong. \240We tried about a thimble full just to say we tried it. \240Not for us. \240Like drinking paint thinner. Haha

Here are the Nativity Icons

Very different but beautiful to remember our visit to this lovely country❤️

One of the larger spaces

It was something to behold and our guide was extremely knowledable about caves and all that is within them.

Interesting formation

Our guide, we found out, had two degrees in Orthodox theology and was just interested in religion but he wasn’t religious. \240He was so interesting.

Cetinje’s pedestrian street

Very nice but not much on it, not many shops and not many pedestrians.

Former Russian Embassy

this building now houses the University School of Fine Arts. \240There are only two Universities in Montenegro and here is only for Fine Arts. \240

Concert Hall

There were definitely concerts scheduled but was all in Serbian and we could read nothing. \240Wish we could have seen inside but it was locked.

It was a fun day and we decided that we should try to make it back to Budva before the rains came with so many curves and switchbacks to contend with.

Vista Restaurant

this beautiful place was a 50 meter walk from our apartment. \240We were eating in he outdoor part of the restaurant but it now was all enclosed with heaters and a roof. \240I can just imagine eating here when the weather is nice.

Salt baked Sea Bass

I had never seen anything prepared like this. \240Those are two big blocks of salt. \240The sea bass filets are rolled tightly and baked on these blocks of salt. Very tasty.

Coconut Cake??

That is what the menu said but then this came out. \240It is a coconut in looks. \240the top is pineapple jam, the inside was between pudding and mousse, coconut flavor and then dipped in chocolate and made to look like a coconut. \240wish I could see them making this. \240I will not try in Houston!

Well it started raining on us about the time we were getting back to Budva, so we parked our little red car, rested for a bit, then finished off our stay in Budva with this very interesting meal.

Tomorrow we head to our last stay in Montenegro, Danilovgrad which is higher in the mountains.

View from our balcony

You are really away from everything here but we were told as many as 10K tourists flock here for a pilgrimage on the day of St. Basil.

Another view from our balcony

The manager/owner is very nice and speaks excellent English. \240His hotel has only 7 rooms but a beautiful big restaurant upstairs with lots of deck seating. \240this will be a most unique experience for sure. \240Mostly travel today so not so much to share. \240tomorrow we go to the monastery. \240More about that tomorrow.

View from our balcony today

This is incredible to think they literally built a monastery in an opening in the side of a cliff. \240This mountain is named Ostroška Greda.

Entrance to the Monastery

It was built in 1662 and has many beautiful mosaics throughout.

Rustic iron cross

room where people came to light a candle for a loved one or for a problem. It was a separate room from the main monastery. \240They also had a meditation room. \240Our hotel host told us many pilgrims come for the weekend.

Angels Mosaic

A nice Montenegrin lady offered to take our photo in front of this and then she had us move to a different mosaic.

Saints Mosaic

St. Basil (in the middle) is the patron saint of this monastery

This is how the Monks dress

Long black robes and this type of head covering. \240We saw some of them at our hotel restaurant.

Beautiful example of the Gusle

The price was 500 euros!! Needless to say we did not buy. \240I have watched someone playing it and singing these long historical story songs on YouTube.

Mary and Jesus

I just loved the way Jesus was hugging his sweet mother Mary. \240this was a large icon in their very large gift shop.

David walking near our hotel.

You can see the remains of a structure which we were told the Hotel Sokoline (where we are staying) chose their name as this place was called the Sokoline lookout. \240What they were looking for I don’t know but must be something to do with the monastery.

The entire hotel in this picture

The entire hotel consists of 7 rooms all the the most beautiful views from their terraces. \240Well if the weather cooperates.

The rooms are down and this beautiful spacious restaurant is above. \240Mostly serving traditional Montenegrin dishes.

Lovely restaurant

In good weather it has a spacious outdoor seating area. \240Would have loved to be out there but you can’t have everything and we can’t control the weather. \240the food is quite good

tomorrow we take a side trip to Nikšić about a 20 minute drive higher in the mountains in the morning and in the afternoon when we come back we will visit the lower Ostrog Monastery.

View from our deck

Yes, at long last, that is the sun and blue sky. \24050% chance today so off we go.

Eating outside at the restaurant

It was really too cold but we put on our coats and they brought us blankets to have breakfast.

We had a change of plans for this morning. \240

We found out that the donkey farm was only open on Sundays and we definitely didn’t want to miss this. \240Trying to use Google Maps to find this lovely place turned out to be a nightmare. \240Below is a typical road we were wandering about on for over an hour.

Follow that silver car

Such potholes and mud holes we have never seen. \240David miraculously got us every where we needed to be. \240I lost count of how many times we had to turn around and no road was wide enough for two cars.

Thankfully this wonderful Montenegrin family in the silver car was lost like we were. \240They would call the donkey farm and would say follow us. \240We both turned around so many times. \240The last time we asked him, are we giving up? \240He gave us a resounding NO we are so near. \240It was really worth all the being lost when we arrived.

they were so sweet and gentle. \240You could go right up to them for a pet.

Look at that sweet face

The man who runs this operation has a wonderful set of goals for his farm. \240Protection of donkeys from extinction, education, Hypo therapy where he works with autistic children and children in wheel chairs are the only ones allowed to ride the donkeys, \240He is an animal shelter to take in abused donkeys, Donkey milk is taken and half the amount he gets is donated to ill children. \240And he recycles!

This man is doing his part to make this world better for sure.

They come to you for petting

Momma and baby

Finally figured out how to send the video of that cute little baby donkey.

10 on the cuteness scale

Donkey happy place

the donkeys have this wonderful field to freely enjoy their lives. \240The donkeys we were petting are only brought there on Sunday which is the visiting day.

We had such a good time as did the Montenegrin family who helped us. They had three darling children who loved being there. \240But so did we!

Now we must jump in our little red car and hope that we can find our way back to the hotel. \240this is what we saw on the way

Sheep herding dog

A man and his two dogs were expertly herding this huge group of sheep down the road and turning them down this road. \240Amazing. \240We were really out in the countryside.

So many sheep!

We tried to stop at the lower monastery today but it was raining and a very cold wind blowing so back we came to our hotel. \240When we went to dinner the rain had stopped and this is what we saw from the restaurant.

Beautiful sunset

tomorrow another side trip for hiking

Amazing tunnel

Our plan was to drive to Black Lake about an hour north of where we were staying and hike around the lake. These were incredibly narrow roads and David had the most stressful part of this trip being our excellent driver.

Our lovely hosts here at the hotel had packed us lunches for this trip and had them ready for us when we left this morning. \240But breakfast was not being served until after we left. \240I can go a long time without food in the morning but coffee is another matter. \240So we stopped on our drive at a caffe/bar (only drinks, no food EXCEPT… on every table was a bowl of hard boiled eggs)

,5 euros/egg

We bought two and salt shakers aplenty which we used and gobbled them down. \240I don’t think I will ever see that again!

Yep, that is snow

The more north and higher we traveled and we were still an hour away from Black Lake, we begin to wonder if maybe this was not the greatest idea driving in ice and snow. So………

Hiking in the snow

We parked the car, got our hiking poles out and took off down a snowy path.

David downhill

Sadly, after going down hill you must come back up. \240It was so cold at first and coming back up we were shedding layers. \240It was really beautiful with the sunshine, gorgeous white snow and cold air.

St. Basil’s Cathedral Nikšić

We stopped in this town on our way back to the hotel and visited this church. \240It was set way up on a hill and had these beautiful pines in front.

Inside St. Basil’s

Another view of St. Basil’s

We walked around the town square with lots of caffes on pedestrian streets. \240Lots of town dogs in this city. \240They were enjoying the sun as much as the rest of us.

Afterwards, we decided to drive back to the hotel and eat there. \240Our lovely host was in the restaurant and began to tell us the story of his family and the hotel and restaurant. \240His parents bought the land 20 years ago. \240It truly is sitting on a sheer cliff. \240It has been a labor or love for his family. \240We have enjoyed meeting both his Mom and Dad who you would think were just two old people (that is old like me) helping out around here. \240It is really a remarkable place and you feel like you are visiting someone’s home who has seven bedrooms!

Tomorrow we travel back to Podgorica and get ready to fly back to Houston on Wednesday. \240We are both missing home! \240We will try for one more adventure near Podgorica. \240If it happens great, but if not what a great bunch of memories we have made and met some of the nicest people you could imagine.

Fresh raspberry juice

Always homemade bread, two different kinds, and homemade raspberry jam. \240Raspberries must be more plenteous and much cheaper than in the US.

David liked the traditional breakfast

I preferred eggs and bacon

The bacon was definitely slices of ham. \240So good.

And the coffee!!!

Beautiful latte but I had already had a double espresso with hot milk. \240However many different coffees you wanted, just ask. \240

The lovely Anka co-owner of Sokoline

She was so delightful and worked just as hard as any of their employees. \240She and her husband both.

Their handsome son Danilo who could speak perfect English. \240He said he learned English spending the summer with cousins in London as a young boy.

A beautiful handmade wine bottle holder.

We noticed these on the restaurant tables and admired them. \240So he said, I will give you one and this is ours to bring back to Houston.

Holding our empty bottle!

This vineyard is in Podgorica and we thought we might try to go but we are pretty pooped so we just had one adventure here and it was so worth the time. \240We will look for Plantaze at Specs and see if they import. \240It is a huge complex with hundreds of acres of vines.

David & Ann at Niagara Falls

Yes, that is correct and you could literally walk right out to the falls. \240This is something I had read about before coming and so glad we took the time to find it.

The restaurant Niagara

It was right down by the river and was absolutely gorgeous.

Indoor porch of the restaurant

they had outside eating as well but we

Chose in by the fire

We were still not hungry from our huge breakfast but did have a coffee and enjoyed the ambience of this special place.

Fresh fish pond

If you chose fish for your meal not to worry about freshness!

Complete with waterfall

The waiter could turn it on and off with a switch. \240Pretty cool I thought and you can see the fish swimming down below. \240We thought about going back later for dinner but our last hotel has a restaurant and we are opting for that.

Hotel Aria

The best part, 5 minute drive to the airport! \240Woo Hoo! \240Homeward bound tomorrow morning. \240Trip of a lifetime almost over but glad to be coming home.