By Land and By Sea
We left Split on a beautiful sunny morning and, surprisingly, there was not another boat in sight. We got under way and then both reclined up on the bow with our coffee, observing the day, the sea, and the birds. (One of the best perks of having an auto pilot!) We were making our way slowly south to Dubrovnik where we would check out of Croatia.
Dizzy yet?
We were anchored in Lovište Bay one evening and decided to go ashore for a fish dinner when we happened onto a local celebration. As we finished eating we watched two young men walking the shoreline depositing what looked like handfuls of mud. Half an hour later they were back lighting the little mounds on fire. We followed the firelight around the cove just as the music and dancing began. We never learned where the Lovište Fest originated or what it was about, but we enjoyed the cheering children, the traditional whirling dancers and the firelight.
We continued on the next day to a new-to-us bay in Mljet National Park where we’d heard about a fabulous restaurant. After picking up a mooring buoy we were called and asked what we wanted for dinner that night. They would prepare our “peka” in the traditional slow-roasted style over an open fire. It involves cooking some sort of meat or seafood slowly for 3-4 hours under an iron or clay lid that is shaped like a bell and covered with embers. There is no strict recipe to follow, different meats and vegetables can be used, and sometimes a drop or two of white wine. The traditional ingredients are very simple – potato halves, some spices (salt, pepper, rosemary, onion, garlic), and fat or olive oil, depending on the type of meat or fish that is being prepared.
We ordered wild boar - because we’d not seen it anywhere else. Later that evening a small tender picked us up and brought us ashore to a table on the terrace overlooking the bay. The food was aromatic and ever so tender, and after a satiating meal in which we were brought a complimentary dessert, we were delivered back to Meraki. A peaceful meal in an amazing setting - the perfect way to end our visit to Croatia.
We arrived at the Dubrovnik Customs Dock early the next morning to check-out and continued on to Porto Montenegro Marina in Tivat where we had reserved a berth for a couple of nights. A month earlier we had ordered some mesh shades for our back deck and also a sun awning to cover the bow. Our stay in the marina was to accommodate the installation of these additions which we were so excited about.
We were back in Prcanj when our new friend (and marina owner), Maja, told us that Boka Night was happening the next day in Kotor. She explained that it is an annual festival which began sometime in the mid 1900s. There is a boat parade in which the decorated floats ie; boats, compete for cash prizes. After the parade there is a huge fireworks display followed by music and dancing which continues late into the night. Eager to experience this local traditional we walked into the city early that evening. We opted not to take Raki into town after dark with a boat parade going on! After grabbing a pizza we wandered down to the waterfront. People were gathering along the shoreline and the cruise ship dock. We took a seat along one of the city piers and waited for the show to begin. An elderly woman sat down next to me and began chatting away in Montenegrin while I simply smiled and nodded. Next she rifled around in her sack and pulled out a couple of old, creased and yellowed black and white photographs of a woman on a parade float (boat) from a Boka Night probably 40 years ago. I assumed it was her in the photo and tried to congratulate her on the imaginative decorations. It was now wall to wall people as far as you could see. Young couples and local families jostled into whatever space could be found along the pier where we sat. Before I knew it five small children had squeezed in between me and the old woman ‘next’ to me. I held fast to the little girl who’d climbed into my lap, while their aunt (I later discerned) and I tried desperately to keep the rowdy kids from falling into the water.
The parade began just as the seas started to churn and the wind picked up. Maybe six boats had proceeded past us when a huge crack of thunder resounded overhead and echoed through the surrounding mountains. A giant spark of lightening burst a few seconds later and all hell broke loose. We were instantly deluged with rain and people began running for cover. We put on our raincoats (though we were already wet) and waited for things to settle down. What is there to do when you’re already soaked? The announcer eventually trailed off as the crowd tried to disperse - tourists racing for cafes and newsstands - anywhere to get out of the rain, families running for their cars. Eventually the congestion on the pier thinned out and we walked out to the mayhem in the street. We somehow managed to hail a taxi and took a very soggy ride back to the marina. So much for Boka Night 2023.
What a goof!
From our favorite anchorage in the Bay of Kotor - Morinj, we could watch the tiny cars on the mountainside disappear into the earth only to reappear, ever so briefly, on the other side of a tunnel before disappearing into another one. The mountains here have been calling to us for weeks, and with temperatures onboard hovering around 35°C (95°F) we thought it might be cooler at elevation. So we rented a little car with the intention of leaving all the maintenance and boat chores behind and touring the mountains, doing some hiking and cooling off.
Our first stop was Lovćen National Park just an hours drive from the Prcanj Marina where we left Meraki in Maja’s capable hands. It was perfect weather in the mountains with temperatures in the mid 70’s - what a welcome change. We walked through the surrounding forest and sussed out the options. The next day we rented a couple of bicycles and rode what we were told was an easy, wide, flat, loop trail through the woods with great views. Well, they got some of that right. The views were beautiful and the trail was wide (in most places), but flat and easy it was not. Ever tried riding a bicycle over loose cobbles? In truth, we pushed our bikes at least half the way around. It was a good workout, to say the least, and I’ve now learned exactly how to inquire about trails suitable for biking!
We visited the main attraction in the park - the Petar II Petrović Njegoš Mausoleum. Apparently it is the highest mausoleum in the world, sitting at 1,657m (5436 feet). While you can drive most of the way, you need to climb 461 steps to get to the top.
Njegoš (pronounced Nye-gosh), was a leader, diplomat, philosopher, writer/poet. He looms large over the history and culture of Montenegro both figuratively and literally - he was 6’8” tall! He came into power at 17 years old and found himself in charge of a country of feuding tribes surrounded by powerful armies. Other clan leaders began a plot to oust him but they didn’t figure on his courage, cunning and emotional maturity. He was able to outmaneuver his potential foes and solidify his power base, taking complete control of Montenegro by the time he turned 18. He was clearly no ordinary leader. He provided this mountain nation with the tools to develop into the modern state it is today, and did so while publishing several books of poetry that are still beloved nearly two centuries later. It’s no wonder his mausoleum is placed in such an epic spot, located on one of Mount Lovćen’s highest peaks.
We continued on to Lake Skadar National Park (Скадарско Језеро - easily recognizable on the road signs, eh?). This is the largest lake in the Balkans; two thirds in Montenegro and one third in Albania. It is 44 km (27 mi) long and 14 km (8.6 mi) wide at its widest point. On the Montenegrin side, 400 sq km (154 sq. miles) has been protected by a national park and is known as one of Europe’s top bird habitats. Surrounded by wetlands, it is home for 280 different bird species. The most important birds found at the lake are Red-necked Grebe, Ferruginous Duck, Grey Partridge and the Common Crane. While it is also home to a number of endangered and threatened species, like the Dalmatian Pelican which is found only in Montenegro, Greece and Albania. Since we were back at sea level and it was hot, we naturally decided to take a boat ride. It was a great opportunity to see more of the lake, spot unusual birds and go for a swim.
Our accommodation near the lake turned out to be similar to a home-stay and we were pleasantly surprised to learn that the family are vintners. They served us simple home cooked meals accompanied by their own wine. We enjoyed their small pool one afternoon and were given a tour of their wine cellar.
We headed further inland stopping at a couple of other attractions along the way. We took a tour at Lipa Cave, a cave system that is 2.5 kilometers long, which turned out to be fascinating. We both learned a bunch: I didn’t know that stalactites were hollow, and I learned about karst landscapes; rainwater percolating through limestone, the gradually widening and deepening cracks which become caves. Evidently many of the caves in Montenegro are connected and research continues to discover more of this vast underground system.
We stopped along the way at the Ostrog Monastery which is built, miraculously, into a cliff face. It is an important site for Orthodox Christians, attracting up to a million visitors, pilgrims, and tourists annually. How this feat was accomplished is beyond me, but the beauty of the mosaics was captivating and I was moved by the palpable reverence of the visitors.
We had rented an “apartment” on a much smaller lake which turned out to be a funky cabin tucked into a pear orchard. The owners spoke no english and we had some interesting miscommunications - mostly about food (thinking we’d ordered french toast just like the table next to us but being served grilled prosciutto and cheese sandwiches?). We took a walk and I, naturally, swam in the lake. We borrowed our hosts’ kayak and did a little paddling, hung out, read books and enjoyed freshwater fish for dinner.
Our final destination was Durmitor National Park - the one I was most excited about seeing. We’d been told by a Turkish friend living in Tivat that it was his favorite holiday spot. There is so much to see and do in Durmitor it was hard to choose how to spend our time. As it was our last few days in the mountains we totally went for it!
We hiked to a lookout in the afternoon after arriving. The next morning we rafted the Tara River Canyon, the deepest canyon in Europe, and second deepest in the world after the Grand Canyon in Colorado. The water is emerald green and being late in the season the water level was quite low so it was a gentle float with only occasional rapids - thrilling never-the-less!
In the afternoon, after river rafting, we took a jeep tour around the Ring Road which is an 89 km long, super narrow, twisting mountain road that circles the Durmitor Mountain range. Our guide was a college student who was born and raised on a small farm pitching hay and stacking firewood. He was full of positive energy, appreciative of the natural beauty around him and loving his summer job in the National Park where he met interesting people and could hike each day that he didn’t have a booking. He explained the lifestyle of the villagers living in the “katuns” - an enclave of mountain huts used by shepherds and their families in the summer months. These katuns allow them to graze their animals on the high mountain grasses while cutting village grass to make haystacks for winter survival. This traditional farming method allows these families to survive in these remote mountain regions cut off from the valley for 7-8 months each year. We learned a great deal from him about the people and the countryside and he showed us some incredibly wild hidden gems along the way.
The next morning we rented e-bikes and rode a 39 km (24 miles) loop through rolling farmland and dense pine forests. This time I made sure that the route would be doable on an e-bike! Later that afternoon we each had a massage and mellowed out on our last evening in the Park.
It was only 168km (104 miles) through the mountains back to Prcanj Marina yet it took us 4 hours to get there! Never-the-less we arrived home invigorated and fully refreshed.
It was so great to feel the forest floor beneath my feet, smell the woods, bicycle through rolling farmland, and swim in fresh water. The mountains were calling and they did not disappoint.
Mere moments after returning home to Meraki and we were graced with this!
Note: Photo captions do not appear if viewing on a cellular device.