Kotorfjord, Montenegro
As reluctant as we might have been to leave lovely Croatia and the city of Dubrovnik behind, we quickly realized that the beauty of the Adriatic is certainly not confined within Croatia’s meandering borders. We sailed into Kotorfjord this morning as the sun first climbed up over the horizon, offering some exceptionally brilliant lighting to our transit through this small passage into Kotor, Montenegro. Another former member of the original six republics of Yugoslavia, Montenegro is now joined with Serbia to form the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. As Yugoslavia began to break apart in the early nineties due to separatist movements from within, Montenegro voted to remain in partnership with the Republic of Serbia, a decision which many in Montenegro now regret because of Serbian conflicts and the subsequent U.N. sanctions. And though their recent history has been tumultuous, Kotor greeted us with open arms and warm hospitality today; eager, it seems, to move forward and not dwell on the past.
Still, there are things of the past that Montenegro can take much pride in, as well. Along with the natural beauty of the ancient river valley and limestone cliffs, we also enjoyed the historic architecture of Kotor’s medieval layout. With its narrow alleys, the old town is entirely pedestrian and a joy to wander through amongst the myriad of shops, plazas, and lovely churches and cathedrals. Speaking of churches, I would be remiss in not recounting our morning visit to the island Church of Our Lady of the Rock, or Gospa od Skrpjela in the local dialect. The serene and intimate church was, according to legend, built upon a man-made island after a statue of the Virgin Mary was found by a local fisherman in the aftermath of a tragic storm. Now, often these legends are in fact just that—legends, but as our undersea specialist, David Cothran, confirmed with his dive upon the church’s foundations, the island was indeed man-made over centuries. What’s even more amazing is that the stones that make up the island had to be brought out only a few at a time by row boat and then dropped into the bay until enough had been placed to start laying the actual foundation for the church itself; a truly inspiring testament to the local determination in seeing the project through to completion.
We capped off our day with a climb, either by bus or by foot, high up the steep walls of the valley for an overview of the entire bay. Those of us who ventured up by bus went quite a bit higher and were rewarded with some delectable local smoked ham and cheese, not to mention this stunning view. Those who chose to tread under their own power gained a more personal appreciation for Kotor’s upper defenses…one step at a time, as the arduous hike rises dramatically above the city offering a lofty perch from which to gaze down upon the bell towers and tiled rooftops of the city below. Of course, they had to catch their breath first whereas those of us on the bus merely had to hold ours on the narrow road and its numerous switchbacks. And yet, in the end, we all returned safe and sound; content in the knowledge that yet another surprise awaits us tomorrow.
As reluctant as we might have been to leave lovely Croatia and the city of Dubrovnik behind, we quickly realized that the beauty of the Adriatic is certainly not confined within Croatia’s meandering borders. We sailed into Kotorfjord this morning as the sun first climbed up over the horizon, offering some exceptionally brilliant lighting to our transit through this small passage into Kotor, Montenegro. Another former member of the original six republics of Yugoslavia, Montenegro is now joined with Serbia to form the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. As Yugoslavia began to break apart in the early nineties due to separatist movements from within, Montenegro voted to remain in partnership with the Republic of Serbia, a decision which many in Montenegro now regret because of Serbian conflicts and the subsequent U.N. sanctions. And though their recent history has been tumultuous, Kotor greeted us with open arms and warm hospitality today; eager, it seems, to move forward and not dwell on the past.
Still, there are things of the past that Montenegro can take much pride in, as well. Along with the natural beauty of the ancient river valley and limestone cliffs, we also enjoyed the historic architecture of Kotor’s medieval layout. With its narrow alleys, the old town is entirely pedestrian and a joy to wander through amongst the myriad of shops, plazas, and lovely churches and cathedrals. Speaking of churches, I would be remiss in not recounting our morning visit to the island Church of Our Lady of the Rock, or Gospa od Skrpjela in the local dialect. The serene and intimate church was, according to legend, built upon a man-made island after a statue of the Virgin Mary was found by a local fisherman in the aftermath of a tragic storm. Now, often these legends are in fact just that—legends, but as our undersea specialist, David Cothran, confirmed with his dive upon the church’s foundations, the island was indeed man-made over centuries. What’s even more amazing is that the stones that make up the island had to be brought out only a few at a time by row boat and then dropped into the bay until enough had been placed to start laying the actual foundation for the church itself; a truly inspiring testament to the local determination in seeing the project through to completion.
We capped off our day with a climb, either by bus or by foot, high up the steep walls of the valley for an overview of the entire bay. Those of us who ventured up by bus went quite a bit higher and were rewarded with some delectable local smoked ham and cheese, not to mention this stunning view. Those who chose to tread under their own power gained a more personal appreciation for Kotor’s upper defenses…one step at a time, as the arduous hike rises dramatically above the city offering a lofty perch from which to gaze down upon the bell towers and tiled rooftops of the city below. Of course, they had to catch their breath first whereas those of us on the bus merely had to hold ours on the narrow road and its numerous switchbacks. And yet, in the end, we all returned safe and sound; content in the knowledge that yet another surprise awaits us tomorrow.
