Day 9 (July 20, 2017): "So where is Montenegro, anyway?"

This morning, we got up extra early and enjoyed the over-the-top breakfast buffet at the Sheraton. A quick swim before hopping in a taxi to the Dubrovnik bus station for our trip to the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro. The border line up to get out of Croatia and the line up to get into Montenegro almost doubled our two hour travel time. 

We ended up dragging our suitcases almost a kilometre from the bus station  through the 32° heat to our hotel in the walled old town. We are in a lovely hotel that is built into the city walls of the main square. The setting is idyllic.

The afternoon and evening was spent wondering the tiny streets of this UNESCO world heritage site.

Like many places these parts, every 40-50 years there is an earthquake. And every few hundred years there is a REALLY bad earthquake. Well, in 1979, one of the really bad ones happened in Kotor. Much of the historic center was destroyed, including much of our hotel. The reconstruction has been remarkable. 

To sum up Montenegrin, I can't say it better than the Lonely Planet guide has already put it:  "Imagine a place with sapphire beaches as spectacular as Croatia’s, rugged peaks as dramatic as Switzerland’s, can- yons nearly as deep as Colorado’s, palazzi as elegant as Venice’s and towns as old as Greece’s. Then wrap it up in a Mediterranean climate and squish it into an area two- thirds the size of Wales, and you start to get a picture of Montenegro."

A map of Montenegro: we arrived in Kotor today (See blue circle 1). On Saturday we will go to the capital, Podgorica, for our last stop on our Balkans tour.

That's me standing there poolside -- had the entire Sheraton pool to myself this morning!  One last dip before heading to Montenegro.

We had heard that forest fires were burning in Montenegro.  It didn't take long after crossing the border to see them burning on the mountains.  Water bombers, like this one, were hard at work to douse the flames.

We passed through the small town of Perast enroute to Kotor.  In the bay, just off Perast, are two popular sights, both containing a church:  this one is an artificial island called Gospa od Skrpjela...

...and this one, called St. George's Island.

The clock tower in the main square, as soon as you enter the Old City.

Tiny St. Luke's Church and square

St Nichola Church is a Serbian Orthodox Church

St. Tryphon Cathedral, dating back to 1166. We ate dinner with this view as our backdrop.

Just call me Archbishop Dave.

Pima Palace

The Gurdich Gate is the smallest of the three gates.

The Sea Gate -- the most important entryway to Old Kotor.  Above the entrance is the date in 1941 that Kotor was freed from the Nazis by the Communists.

The North Gate

The Incredible Shrinking Pam?

Kotor's fortifications started to head up the mountain in the 9th century, and by the 14th century, a protected, fortified loop had been constructed above the town. It takes 1350 steps to get up there, and in the heat of summer, we decided against it.

The City Walls, by day and by night.  Note that the various points in the city wall extending up the mountain are lit up at night to show the path of the wall.