20 July 2018

Montenegrin Road Trip

The road is really narrow.  Meeting a bus or even a car meant backing up and a tight squeeze with a sheer drop or a snuggle up to a rocky cliff.  The Gulf of Kotor was our constant companion at every turn.  Stunning views.  I have not photoshopped!
Sometimes we feel that we only see the coast.  We do our best to take local buses - fun - and occasionally rent a scooter or a car.  Montenegro has a road, featured in a dangerous roads.org website, "the most challenging part of the road is a short 8.3km stretch with 16 hairpin turns called Kotor Serpentine. It’s one of the most famous hairpinned roads in the world."  Of course, it was on our must-do list.  We rented a car with three Aussie/Kiwi fellow cruisers.  Peter kindly drove.  Not quite a Lotus - a Renault Cleo - but he still had fun while three of us in the back seat swayed to and fro and the passenger seat navigator directed.

More stunning views.  A bit repetitive but very hard not to post!

Milly is down there.  Yes, Peter took the picture of his favourite subject but what a backdrop!



The trail on the hill opposite was our hike up beyond the ladder crossing avalanche runs - a bit tricky.  



A mausoleum to Petar Petrovic Njegos (1813-1851) Prince-Bishop of Montenegro, philosopher and poet, perches on the top of the second highest peak in Lovcen National Park at 1657 m above Milly and reached by 461 steps through a long tunnel.  Guarded by two granite giantesses.  Njegos requested to be and initially was buried in a humble chapel he had built before his death.  Damaged during a war, the grand mausoleum was built in 1974.  

The mausoleum from the viewing platform which gave a 360 degree eye-popping view.


Peter and I walked over the tunnel instead of returning on the stairs where inukshuk's marked the spot of thousands of tourists.




We also went to the old royal capital, Cetinje.  Lunched and strolled around the largely tourist-empty, charming, provincial town viewing previous embassies, yet another monastery, several more churches, the national museum, the king's palace etc.  No pictures - it's landlocked :)

A great day.  

2 comments:

  1. Your pictures are beautiful. What an amazing part of the world one never hears about.

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    1. Thanks, Mary. I'll let the photographer know. He'll be pleased. Montenegro is definitely worth putting on your must see list.

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