Today we toured Perast and Risan, two beautiful towns in northern Montenegro. They were both very charming and had some impressive histories that we were able to learn a little about. We also enjoyed their lovely views over Kotor Bay.
We are winding down our time in Montenegro as we'll be leaving for Croatia in the morning. It has been a wonderful 11 days. Montenegro is a laid back country that seems to differ between north and south. Ulcinj, which is far south and next to Albania had a less polished feel to it. Mixed among the beautiful beaches and views of the Adriatic there were some run down areas. Fewer men felt the need to wear shirts and some that did would roll them up into a mid-drift style. This was not always a good look. The upside to this is there was very little need to dress to impress!
The area around Ulcinj is very relaxed but we did feel a bit like outsiders. This is probably due to the fact that we were outsiders. Most of the people in our neighborhood seemed to know each other and have positive relationships. We frequented the same restaurant a few times. It was at the bottom of our driveway and frankly we did not have the energy to walk any further at the end of the day. The owner and staff could not have treated us any better. On the third night the owner asked if we wanted to sit at our regular table and made recommendations for food and wine I would not have normally ordered.(Joette-he suggested a Chardonnay that I really enjoyed) I also had the sea bass, head and all, which was a little intimidating but very good.
As we have traveled north, we found the buildings a little less chaotic in their arrangement. They are still close together but have a more quaint old feel rather than a haphazard, we don't have any building regulations feel. The people in both areas have been nice when you have direct contact, in a restaurant or store for example. They have some hesitancy with initial interactions but with repeat contact people are very friendly. Passers-by do not acknowledge you on the street. Our hosts from both Air B&Bs have been very nice and helpful.
We are currently staying outside of Kotor Bay which has a less touristy feel to it than Kotor. Kotor Bay, Old Town, gets busy with tourists but since we are tourists, I won't complain about that. The historic sites are interesting in Kotor, Perast and Risan.
We have discovered that Montenegro is a pretty laid back country to visit and from our experience, not high-end. I'm sure there are ways to experience it that way but that isn't the path we selected. I am so glad we started our journey here. The physical training from all the hills and stairs will hopefully help us deal with the hills and stairs in our future! The views of Kotor Bay, Skadar Lake and the Adriatic have been the best parts of the trip so far.
Risan
It’s all so gorgeous! On to the next stop! (Laura)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos!
ReplyDeleteGreat photos. You both look like you're enjoying.(Helen)
ReplyDeletefabulous!
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