Montenegro
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As part of our summer adventure in Croatia, we had planned to visit other countries within the Balkans too; namely Montenegro and Slovenia.
From our apartment in Dubrovnik, we set off on a day trip, via coach, to Montenegro . . .
Bay of Kotor 
The coach took us on a road trip along a winding road, which showcased the absolutely stunning Bay of Kotor.
Situated in the southern part of Montenegro, the bay of Kotor beautifully highlights the Adriatic Sea, which is rather reminiscent of the Norwegian Fjords, with it's never ending blue waters and majestic mountainous background.
Although we did not do this, I think it would be wonderful to be able to go on a boat cruise around the Bay of Kotor!
Our Lady of the Rocks (Gospa Od Skrpjela)
Whilst travelling along the bay, we stopped briefly in the Venetian-like town of Perast. From here, we went on a small boat trip to the man-made island, Our Lady of the Rocks (Gospa Od Skrpjela).
This legendary island, was built specifically on the 22nd of July 1452 - laid on the foundations of shipwrecked remains and rocks. Even now years later, there is still a tradition (called fasinada) whereby on every 22nd of July, people will sail over to the tiny island and throw rocks.
On the island, stands a church which overlooks all of the waters surrounding it, taking care of sailers. The church was built here on a very special rock, as two fishermen brothers discovered a painting of the Virgin Mary stuck on a rock in the middle of the sea. Legend goes that when they took the painting home with them, one of the brothers who was sick, was miraculously cured. Thus, they decided that they would build this man-made island to celebrate the Virgin Mary. In the church, there is an iconic painting of the Virgin Mary.
Opposite this island is another tiny neighbouring island, which is home to a monastery. However, according to our tour guide it is forbidden to visit this other island, and can only be viewed from afar. It is called 'Island of the Dead' (which is not the most welcoming of names!), and legend has it that this island is cursed.
Kotor - Old Town
We then traveled on further down along the Adriatic coast line to Kotor Old Town. Surrounded by pine covered mountains, Kotor's Old Town is like stepping back in time. It has a very medieval feel, intertwined with Venetian architecture. Similarly to Dubrovnik's Old Town, it has defensive walls surrounding the city.
The cobbled Old Town is full of churches, quaint restaurants, bars, cute cafes and little gift shops. After a rather long coach journey we needed an ice-cream and a cocktail, so we sat outside in one of the restaurants just underneath the town's clock tower. After our little break, we walked along the city walls and discovered one of the Old Town's many churches, St. Nicholas.
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| The Domes of St Nicholas' Church |
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| St Tryphon Cathedral |
There is also a rather large feline population living in Kotor, and so there are a lot of stray cats wandering and roaming the Old Town's streets. As it turns out, Kotor is somewhat famous for its cat population, and is even home to a cat museum - so if you like cats it is definitely a place to go!!
Notably, it is also extremely easy to get lost here in the Old Town, it is like a medieval maze - and we even had a map! There is many narrow streets which all intertwine, and ultimately all look the same after a while. Needless to say, we got lost on the way back to the coach and ended up having to ask several waiters along the way for directions out of the Old Town.
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