This place is a little reminiscent of Portofino, Italy. It's quiet in the mornings and evenings but bustling during the day as day-tripping boats ferry their guests to the shores of this charming bay.
I'm finally letting myself stop and just be, not walking hundreds of kilometers a day. Okay, that's a slight exaggeration, but you get it.
I really can’t believe I'm in Montenegro. It seems crazy, super surreal... nuts! Letting myself just stop and be is a bit of a challenge but a glorious one. Sitting here on my own sun lounge, on the harbour wall, swimming and soaking up the sun, observing. It's fabulous.
The water is soft, kind, and so salty. It holds you up while it gently caresses your skin. There's nothing like it. I relish water I can swim in without fighting rough and tumbling waves and navigating rips and swells. The only swell here comes from the wind or a passing boat creating a wake in their travels.
Joan Wilder: Writer! (If you know, you know) I don't know why that just popped into my head. I always loved that character and that movie. Maybe it set the scene for my adventures. I always was attracted to that genre of film. I love an adventure, and I'm definitely living some of them out now. There was always a part of me that was a little scared (not that you’d know it), craving it but holding back.
I think after the end of my marriage, it was a gift I gave to myself and to my children. Yes, I'd traveled before, but I feel I was almost still playing it safe. I really began to push myself with that first backpacking journey in Asia at the beginning of 2011, and then really went for it on the second trip, followed by the move to Bali in 2016. Each time a bigger step, a bigger leap into the unknown.
And now I'm here in Montenegro, having traveled around Europe for the last three months and running retreats in Spain and Sardinia. I mean... what the!?
I’ve also noticed my priorities have shifted. Once upon a time, I'd be spending big on beautiful mementos like the Lacroix ring I bought in Cannes years ago. However, now the money goes on experiences, not on collecting things. And then there’s the whole ‘I don’t currently have a home to put anything in anyway!’ Choices, I guess. So many for us to make each day.
This place has been good for me. My face looks the best it has in ages. It's clear, youthful. Maybe it's the relaxing, the swimming, and the sun.
Although I did have to have one BIG exploration day! I’d heard about the submarine bunkers along the coastline from the Yugoslav regime in the '70s, so I set off on foot in sweltering heat, but prepared (for once). You can still access them, but I have to say, I found them a tad creepy, so I retreated after 10 meters or so.
I then stumbled upon and explored the old Austro-Hungarian abandoned fortresses of Kabbalah and Lustica. And when I say abandoned, I really mean abandoned. Ta Prohm (Cambodia) style.
Felt very Raiders of the Lost Ark or Lara Croft, dodging spiders and cutting through bush. Backtracking after hitting impasses and finding it so absurd that these places are completely abandoned with no upkeep or management.
But then, I guess it adds to the mystique. And why should they look after something that was built during a previous occupation?
It was then on to Dobrec beach. But as I was descending the windy, barely used path, I saw that it was also abandoned with pockets of litter and rusting metal. So, I decided it wasn't worth the return climb back out and came back to the road for the much quicker walk back. A collapse into the beautiful waters and a late lunch and snooze in my room followed.
I haven't seen much of you, Montenegro, but you've definitely captured my heart. There's a warmth here that reveals itself gradually, as people get to know you. You were slow to reveal yourself beyond your obvious stunning beauty. You hold back, unveiling yourself little by little. Your warmth takes time to uncover, but once it does, it's genuine and profound. The people here are not as demonstrative as in places like Italy; they don't wear their hearts on their sleeves. They reveal themselves bit by bit. And because of this, I want to stay longer.
Hmmm... maybe there's even a new retreat venue 😉
A Few Little Recommendations:
Where I stayed: Highly recommend these apartments.. like, Amazing!!
Where I visited: Water Taxi to Herceg Novi (it was just a quick & cheap water taxi ride and absolutely worth exploring! Beautiful town)
Wines I drank: You have to try the local Balkan wines... I particularly enjoyed the Grasevina (white wine).
Food: Lots of fresh seafood like grilled Octopus, whole fish and delicious salads but I also tried the local dish of Njeguški stek - defintiely not an 'everyday dish, but it's delicious! One for the days when you've been active and need something filling.
Safety: Yes, it’s safe here, although I hear other areas may be more of a problem. The most unsafe I felt was when my Aussie upbringing kicked in and I was looking out for anything that could kill me in the water! As a solo female traveller - I never felt unsafe.
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