Montenegro: From Podgorica to Sveti Stefan

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01.08.2015 Podgorica (Montenegro)

[Stefy]: "After a long and tiring bus journey we leave Kosovo to enter Montenegro and reach its capital: Podgorica. Marko, a local couchsurfer, hosts us. We have dinner in a small restaurant run by the Orthodox Church, I try a local dish, a sort of potato purée with pieces of cheese (kacamak). Marko is very kind, and with him we explore this sultry town all night on foot (hot because the heat coming from Lake Shkoder stays in this hollow surrounded 360° by mountains). We wander at night, even though at 11 pm it is still 33°...

Passing before our curious eyes: the Clock Tower, the Osmanac Mosque, the Doganjiska one, the ruins of the Ribnica fortress, the statue of Nicholas I as far as the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ: wonderful! We crossed several parks and were struck by seeing families and children playing carefree even at midnight, there is no crime here! What a lovely evening!"

02.08.2015 Kotor (Montenegro)

We arrive at the bus station of Kotor (Cattaro for Italians) on a sultry August morning... Along the pleasant route from Podgorica to Kotor we pass many local and non-local holiday resorts; Budva, the Montenegrin Rimini, immediately struck us with its frenetic life and holiday chaos... We climb along a little road that skirts majestic rocks, come down one side, a few bends and here we are in the welcoming arms of this delightful little town... We stay at "Vicky's", an old house from the 1500s set into the timeless rocks of Kotor, and suddenly it feels as if we are on the set of "Mamma Mia"! Crossing the wrought-iron gate along the grey wall made of large stones, I would not have been surprised if Meryl Streep had come out to meet us...

Instead there is this little Montenegrin woman, Vicky, who immediately endears herself to us and, showing us our cosy room, tells us that she met Pertini and that she misses Tito... This nostalgia, we noticed, is a bit common to many... even the Albanians described him to us as a great man, and when you asked how he had managed to keep together such different geographical areas in terms of ethnicity, religion and politics, everyone shrugs and answers that this remains a mystery. What we know is that on his death the Yugoslav empire irreparably crumbled, giving rise to the civil war we all came to know... When Tito was around, life was much better! We cross the "Sea Gate" and immediately step into the Square of Arms, a huge space all in polished cobblestone...

Inside, a thousand little alleys branch off in all directions, very narrow and long; every time you walk down one you remain spellbound by the discoveries you make: here a little Christian church, an Orthodox one, a romantic little square, a picturesque view, a stone staircase leading up to the castle at the top of the mountain, a view of the bay of Kotor... how wonderful! The sun sets and we take the chance to walk around the little harbour that hosts yachts from all over the world...

03.08.2015 Kotor (Montenegro)

We spend the whole of today in complete relaxation! After an abundant breakfast we go straight to the beach until late afternoon!

04.08.2015 Sveti Stefan (Montenegro)

[Stefy]: "In a short time we reach Sveti Stefan... a little paradise perched on a hill, famous for the spit of red shingle that connects the mainland to a small island, now turned into a luxury resort (a night can cost up to 3000 euros). We arrive at our destination: "Casa Milutin", we meet this big Serb transplanted to Germany and we hit it off immediately! He makes us laugh a lot when he says: "Katastrofen"! He speaks neither Italian nor English, only Serbian and German, but we have a great laugh! We meet Bernd, a German friend of his staying here, and we immediately form a nice group! Time for a refreshing swim, the water is transparent and clean... we are really happy! A little dinner in the sitting room of Milutin's house with a breathtaking view over the little island of Sveti Stefan!"

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