Everywhere you go in Montenegro there are cats – by the time we left, the children had coaxed the ‘garden’ cat into the house by feeding it and they were delighted. All the cats were friendly, none looked scraggy or uncared for and we often saw saucers, bowls of food and even cat beds outside shops and restaurants. The shops are full of ‘Cat’ gifts to take home and remind you of your visit to Kotor! Needless to say not being a cat lover I didn’t bother with any cat tat!!
I have enjoyed being back in a fully stocked kitchen and have been kept pretty busy. I’ve made porridge, fresh pasta, 4 cakes, porridge, soup, picnics, porridge, bean burgers, vegan mac n cheese, more porridge, spinach pancakes, fajitas, Greek Feta salads, BBQ and Chocolate Fondue!
We were on friendly terms with the lady at the local shop and she got used to Bob going in there asking for different ingredients that they often didn’t stock and she would suggest alternatives that were often most unsuitable! For instance when we wanted marshmallows for the BBQ she ended up giving Bob the equivalent of Tunnocks Tea cakes!
The house was well equipped with kitchen gadgets and we were determined to use them all. There were no kitchen scales so there was a lot of guess work with the quantities required. My favourite was the process of making and rolling the pasta. We all got involved as it was a lengthy process rolling the dough through the roller numerous times on different settings. But this gave the end result a smooth thin pasta that was prefect and it tasted so much nicer than dried pasta.
And then there was the chocolate fondue on our last night, dipping in fresh red strawberries, banana chunks and juicy apple slices into the warm chocolate was a delight to the taste buds! Eating this way is so inclusive and such a big part of the enjoyment.
We found Montenegro had a lot to offer but it wasn’t always easy to research where to go. We had to search quite hard to find our walks but one walk that we did find turned out to be a wonderful Nature Walk along a marked trail on the side of the mountain that led you past two old churches and beautiful wild flowers and bay tree bushes.
The old towns date back to 15th Century were built by the Venetians and they are well maintained with their pale stone buildings, clean cobbled stoned lanes and often set on a peninsula that juts out onto the Adriatic ocean.
Other areas can give a different side – on one of our walks we had to pass through a small settlement where domestic and commercial rubbish was literally thrown around the streets, down the mountain sides and into the streams. Shocking to see…
Budva is a popular tourist destination on the Adriatic Coast and boasts a walled city, sandy beaches and diverse nightlife, even mid-week in March when we visited it was busy with visitors.
Montenegro is popular for hikers and climbers, there are 4 mountain ranges and we were closest to Lovcen Mountain Range within the pine forests of Lovcen National Park. It was an incredible drive up the Serpentine, a road that twists and turns up hairpin bends until you get 1650m up the mountains.
We were there to visit the Mausoleum of Njegos built in the 1970’s high up on a mountaintop. It was one of my most memorable days as it was unlike anything I have visited before.
The mausoleum is dedicated to one of Montenegro’s greatest leaders who at a tender of age of 17 used courage and cunning to unify a tribal Montenegro and then go on to defend them against surrounding armies. His remains are now interred in a tomb underneath the black marble (from the Bay of Kotor) sculpture of him with an eagle at his shoulder, with 200,000 gold tiles covering the ceiling .
The imposing building is a beautiful place to visit and not that easy to get to. When we visited snow was still on the mountain, and it was pretty cold climbing up the 461 steps to get to the mausoleum but the views on the way up made it worth every step. We were lucky to visit when it was very quiet and had the views almost to ourselves at the top.
Back at the bottom of the steps was a lovely Montenegrin restaurant selling local meals where you can sit and soak up the views of Montenegro, neighbouring Albania, some of Croatia and some say Italy on a good day.
We both loved our time in Montenegro and it came to an end all too quickly. I would recommend anyone to visit this beautiful country as it has a lot to see, an interesting history and quietly polite and friendly people once you break down the barriers.
Our next stop is Ireland again but not before we have a few weeks in Wiltshire and Dorset where we are catching with friends and family and I am doing some walk in my favourite spots.