The Winter seas are on, according to our butler Dennis and we are really "rockin 'n rollin" now ......and we have been all night. Apparently you can get free boxes of Quells from the information desk on Deck Two....how thoughtful!
It's not very cold but there are rain squalls about and plenty of "white caps" as we look out from our balcony. We have been looking forward to our visit to picturesque Kotor located in a long fjord on the coast of Montengro, but given the weather, it was always going to be, well, "atmospheric."
On the way down from the fort in fast fading light.
Even with the rain Kotor was a revelation. We had never heard of it before, but, like our visit to Cesky Krumlove in the Czek Republic last year, it tuned out to be a memorable favourite. Tucked away at the end of the fjord, this ancient walled town consists of a jumble of houses and shops jammed between the mountain and the water. It's windy, crooked lanes punctuated with public squares, churches and little shops are towered over by the ancient fort of St John dating from Roman times.
A panorama of this beautiful fjord even in inclement conditions.
While the others explored the town ( famous for its cats) I took the challenge of climbing the 1350 rocky steps up to the fort overlooking the village. The fort is at the very top of the cliff and forms part of the ancient walls surrounding it. There are gun emplacements, ammunition stores and a labyrinth of tunnels and battlements that,with pouring rain and fading light I just didn't have time to really explore but did manage to get a couple of shots despite the conditions.
It was certainly worth the effort just for the view and even with the very low sky, rain squalls and terrible light, what greeted those of us who ventured to the top was quite a sight indeed.
Quite a view from the ancient fort of St John.
No one considering visiting this part of the world would be disappointed with a visit to this preserved but modern piece of Montenegro.
SPLIT - Croatia
Well, Dennis the butler was right....the Winter seas are "on" and so much so the ship is not stopping at Split, but heading straight back to Venice early. Apparently the conditions are worsening between Split and Venice with gale strength winds and very rough seas so they have, after careful consideration, decided it would be better to be in port than out at sea in a serious "weather event." It's a shame to miss Split which we were looking forward to visiting .....BUT.....we would really prefer not to take them up on their kind offer of "free Quells" so it's back to Venice for us and the beginning of the next section of our tour.....the Dolomites.
Dennis the Butler is so all-knowing.
ReplyDelete