Started today the same as yesterday, no alarm clock and another great breakfast at Ladovina. Wanted to make sure I was rested and fed for the day ahead, as I would be biking the 36 kilometres of the Bay of Kotor, making stops along the way.
Since this was a long, self-propelled physical activity, all of it beautiful, I’m going with subtitles on this one to keep things organized. Here we go.
Dobrata
Mostly a stop to take some beautiful pictures of the churches along the way, the Church of St. Matja was particularly stunning, perched up on a platform above the bay. First swimming stop in the Adriatic came afterwards, a “hidden beach” I missed the stairs to, but found by backtracking a bit across some rocks.
Grota
Nice bayside bar with a good vibe where I had my first beer of the day.
Perast
With 17 grand palazzos and 16 churches and 1 main road, Perast is a visually interesting place, fitting in with the natural beauty, but looking like it came form a different time or country. The big draw here are the two islands, one featuring Gospa od Škrpjela, Our-Lady-of-the-Rock Island, featuring a beautiful church from the 17th century lined with beautiful Venetian paintings and silver icons, including one of the Madonna that was also woven with the hair of its maker. St George’s Island is a few hundred meters away, but is closed off, currently only accessible to the monks who work there.
To get to Lady-of-the-Rock, you have to take a water taxi if you’re not on a tour, and that was a bit dicey on the way back, as the schedule they said they were on was off by about 20 minutes, which had me a little worried I’d be abandoned, but it all worked out. Grabbed some ice cream in town and pedalled past the palazzos and old buildings.
Fashion Beach
Nothing super fashionable about it, maybe the gas station that was nearby, but more great swimming and relaxation.
Sopot
DEEP cave that supposedly leads to an underwater lake, but I was ill-equipped to go too deep with my iPhone flashlight, so I went as far as I could before the darkness and apparent depth got the best of me.
Tramontana
Great restaurant with good portions for the prices, where I finally had the regional Black Risotto, risotto made with squid ink, which also had shrimps.
Ferry Ride
At the narrowest part of the bay, you can see the cruise ships squeezing though, and for a Euro, you get to ride across.
Prčanj
Didn’t stop here per se, but did see a lot of nice churches on the way to and from it. Had my last swim in the Adriatic as well.
Overall, it was a great, beautiful day. I miss my bike, my ugly, ugly Frankenbike, just for the freedom it affords. Today was all about freedom.
Montenegro has been beautiful, and today was it. Tomorrow, I begin the long, staggered road back to Canada. I could spend a few more days here, don’t know how monumental they would be, but they would definitely be beautiful.