We woke up entering the beautiful Kotorfjord, which is on the Dalmatian Coast of Montenegro (recently independent from the former "Serbia and Montenegro"). Technically it is not a true fjord because it is not carved by ice, but the 3,000 foot mountain peaks surrounding the 10-mile indentation is unquestionably spectacular, and has served as a strategic and defensible Dalmatian port throughout history. We were out on deck at about 6:30 am to take in everything as we entered the inner reaches of the fjord and passed the beautiful religious rocks of Gospa od Skrpjela, a picturesque church dedicated to mariners.
After breakfast, we took a short bus ride from Kotor along the edge of Kotorfjord to the seafaring town of Perast. Perast shows its disproportionately wealthy history and privilege in Venetian times, and it is also the launching point for the small local boats that visit the little religious island of Gospa od Skrpjela (Church of Our Lady of the Rock) in the middle of Kotorfjord. Legend has it that a stature of the Virgin Mary was found floating at the site of this man-made island, after a great seafaring tragedy. Fishermen then rowed their boats from Perast to this locale, carrying one rock after another to drop into the sea and create the island on which the present church stands. It is a church dedicated to seafarers, and it profoundly fits the spirit and reverence of maritime expedition travel.
We returned in the late morning to the medieval town of Kotor for a short walking orientation of the fortified Venetian town that has been an independent city-state for most of modern history.
In the late afternoon we took an exciting drive up the 25 serpentine switchbacks of the fjord walls up to the rim of Kotorfjord. Montenegro means "black mountain", and the views of the mountains and fjord below were spectacular. We entered a Montenegrin wold quite different from the lower fjord, and stopped at the small village of Njegusi to sample their renowned mountain cured hams, cheeses and wine. We returned to PanOrama around 5:30 and sailed for Albania in the sunset light.
1 comments:
So very, very beautiful!! I loved Montenegro so much but never saw this part of it. :-) Now you've given me a reason to go back one day. :-)
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