Budva Montenegro

Budva Montenegro

We left the monastery this morning on a small bus that took us back down the mountain and dropped us off on the side of the highway to flag down the next bus going our way. Where we stopped there were two police officers using the mobile radar. They were quite adamant that we not take their picture so here are all of us on the side of the road!

Here we are police officers as well

We headed south again through the mountains to the coastal town of Budva which is located on the Adriatic Sea. We are now across from southern Italy. We are spending two days here in the sun and enjoying the ocean view and the seafood.




Budva as we came over the mountains


Budva has a population of 11,000 and is believed to be 2,500 years old which makes it one of the oldest settlements in this area. It is a cute little town showing signs of prosperity as the Russian elite have discovered the place, building huge homes and storing their yachts here. I saw lots of fancy women with lots of fancy plastic surgery!




Yacht anyone???


This was a great place to relax by the ocean so we did just that, no hiking or strenuous activity for this place. We ate well, lots of seafood and again drank the local beer and wine.




A great place for a lunch



We were lucky enough to get a small boat to take us for a two hour ride on the bay during which we had a good view of the town and coastline. The rock formations here are quite beautiful and in the small boat ( no life jackets) we were able to get quite close to some caves as well.




One of the views as we went in around the rocks

Budva from the sea,it is well protected with the high mountains behind



The water is a green blue color

 


  
We also had nice accommodation but again no internet. It was located in a quiet neighbourhood not far from the beach with great views up the mountain. We also had a terrace with a clothesline so it was laundry day which dried quite nicely as we had two hot days and warm evenings. Don even used the ironing board in the hallway to iron his pants.



View from our terrace



Since this is so far south there were great flowers, trees and fruits growing everywhere. Just outside our window there were lemons and kiwis, not quite what we see at home.





We ate our meals on tables by the ocean that were easy to get as the peak season is over and the town is much quieter. We can imagine what it must be like in the peak of summer with all the boats in the bay and all the bars and restaurants full as it seemed like a great resort area. There were a few people on the beach and in the water, but we didn’t go in. Don is just getting over a two week long cold and I am getting it so we passed on the swimming this time.




The beaches were almost empty





Grilled calamri stuffed with risotto



Always a complimentary ending...sorbet or a local shot. Guess who chose what?

 

A very nice break indeed…

Ostrog Monastery Montenegro

Ostrog Monastery Montenegro


Another early morning and we are on the move again, this time driving south through Bosnia and into the neighbouring country of Montenegro. We took three buses each smaller than the last and went through really high mountains, many tunnels and very narrow roads. This scenery was even more stunning then yesterday. Through the countryside runs a beautiful turquoise blue river that is a world class rafting river, the only houses we saw for miles were little rafting cabins along the river.




The river running through the mountains



Going through one tunnel and then through more.These were all cut though the mountains at very high angles.

Another view of the river with a row of rafting cabins.Excuse the quality of these pics as they were taken from the bus window on a rainy day

Our destination was Ostrog Monastery which is the most famous religious shrine in the country and the third most famous in the world for Muslims, Catholics and Orthodox religions.It is situated high in the mountains in a very rural area of the country and is visited by millions of people because of the miracles performed here. People come from far and wide to seek a miracle and give thanks.

An old woman tending her cows

There are many religious icons here that are blessed and kissed by most of the people who journey here. We saw people praying, kneeling, crying and writing notes to St. Vasilije, the founder of the monastery. Others were sleeping in the courtyard on simple mattresses with wool blankets provided by the monks.

The monastery built in the mountain.It has been here for centuries



The pilgrims' blankets laid out to dry


We hiked the mountain along with others who had come on this holy day as it was a special day for John the Baptist so there were lots of people lined up for the blessings. We lined up as well to view the fossilized remains and be blessed by the priest in attendance.



Our washing facilities



The location provides quite a view of the countryside and our accommodations as well. We are staying in simple dormitories with the rest of the pilgrims, in same sex dorms of course. No hot water, limited electricity (I am writing this using a headlamp) and a long trough to wash in. It is an experience to be sure but you never know with Don lighting his candles it all helps.



Here we are halfway up the mountain, you can see the twisted roads



One of the many different flowers I captured on the hike,

We ate at one of the two restaurants here and retired early as there is not much activity on a Monday night in a secluded monastery.

Mostar B-H

We left early this morning to take the train to Mostar which was 3 hours away in southern Bosnia. It has a population of 45,000 people and is the fifth largest city in Bosnia. It was named after its' old bridge and Mostar means " keeper of the bridge".It has a divided community with Muslims and Catholics living on different sides of the river that runs through the town. In fact during the war the Croat forces engaged in mass execution,ethnic cleansing, and rape on the Bosniak people of West Mostar.

How about the train art??



The beautiful countryside


The town was heavily bombed in the Yugoslav war and was under seige for 18 months.It was made famous when the landmark centuries old bridge, Stari Most, was destroyed.The event was widely publized and received international attention as it was such a symbol of the town. After the war with help from many countries the bridge was restored as well as a lot of the town.It is now a UNESCO heritage site.It has also become a tourist destination with too many souvenir shops and too many tour groups following their tour leader's umbrella.





A view of the Old Bridge

 The town was also almost totally destroyed with many buildings still not restored.The town is mostly Muslim withmany mosques which is also true of Sarajevo.During our trip we passed through beautiful countryside with huge mountains and wide green valleys.

A view of the town

When we arrived the town was totally deluged with a sudden rainstorm so the electricity was out and we were soaked to the bone looking for coffee and tea. No luck so we had to drink beer and of course a pastry or two. I have never seen so many pastry and cake shops where the fare is both delicious and cheap. Everywhere you look someone is walking around with a paper bag munching on a pastry or sweet.

Don and Kris enjoying their morning beer

Another event Mostar is known for is the bridge divers. They are young men who stand on the bridge collecting money from tourists before diving off the bridge way down in the Drana river.

The bridge diver collecting his money

We spent a few hours in Mostar and then took the bus back to Sarajevo.It was definitely worth the trip to see the countryside and the town.It was another brief glimpse in to the history of this region.

Oh yes, we thought we saw CeeCee again,she even came over and lay right down on Don's shoes

When we got back to the city we cleaned up and went for our last meal in Sarajevo, at a small local restaurant that our guide recommended. It was one of the best meals that we had and that is compared to a lot of great ones. I had rolled veal, stuffed with smoked beef procuitto and local cheese. It was then coated with bread crumbs and fried,yes fried! It went down so well with the local white wine that there was no room for dessert.

Sorry no picture will look and post later! Here it is...

Sarajevo Bosnia - Herzegovina Day 1

Sarajevo Bosnia- Herzegovina 






The impact of war is everywhere

 We arrived in Sarajevo after a long bus ride from Belgrade through some stunning scenery, large rivers, high mountains and deep valleys. The countryside is very lush this time of year with lots of different types of farms, there were vegetable farms, sheep farms and cattle farms along the way.

The Bosnian countryside taken from bus window

Since we were on the go by 6am we didn’t do much after we arrived…checked into our pansion which is quite nice, very clean as well. It is a custom to remove your shoes when you enter a house in Bosnia and the hosts will offer you slippers. We have a little room with a small kitchenette with breakfast supplies so we are quite comfortable. The pansion is located about 15 minutes’ walk from the centre of the city so we went for a walk through the Old Town, got some money and of course a Bosnian meal. cevapcici




Our first glimpse of Sarajevo, many homes built high on the hills



Our little kitchenette



 Cevapcici,minced meat in a flatbread with onions and cheese, served in a Muslim restaurant with yogurt drink.This is Sarajevo's version of fast food. It is eaten by everyone.


Sarajevo is the capital city of Bosnia – Herzegovina with an estimated population of 400,000.This number is hard to verify because of the huge numbers of people who moved after the war in the early 1990s. This war lasted almost 4 years resulted in a divided city with Serbians on one side and the Croats on the other. Sarajevo was under siege for over 1200 days and 11,000 people were killed.



The city is separated by a river with many bridges joining each side



The impact of the war is also seen in the buildings and streets of the city. There are still many bombed out and crumbling buildings, lots of shrapnel marks and bomb craters on the streets. Both Don and I feel it is a city with a pall over it, with a long road to recovery to the glory days of 1984 Winter Olympics. However the people we speak to are hopeful and optimistic that this will come but realize that it is most of all an economic issue as the economy was completed destroyed during the war and has not rebounded.


The old tram cars that were donated by other countries after the war since all their cars were destroyed



Tea sets from the marketplace.Bosnian tea is much like Turkish tea...very strong and served with sugar cubes and turkish delight.



Everything is quite cheap here compared to the other countries we have visited. The currency is the Bosnian Mark with our dollar buying 1.5 of theirs. As an example Don bought four large bottles of beer for 4.6 marks. Food is also cheap as you can buy a meal for less than 5 Canadian dollars. A ticket to the National Theatre with the National Ballet and Orchestra cost me 20 marks.



Inside the National Theatre where I saw a performance of Carmen with the National Ballet and Orchestra.Great performance with great seats.



Today we also took a tour to the greatest example of the spirit of the people and it was the War Tunnel. Sarajevo is located in a bowl with high mountains all around it so the Serb army set up in the mountains where they continually shelled and bombed the city. There was no way in or out and the city was cut off from basic supplies so the army built a 800m tunnel under the airport to find a way for both military and civilians to get supplies in order to survive. Our impression is that the Sarajevians are a very proud people who feel because of their courage they still own their city.




Don going into the tunnel.It was built 5m underground and was often filled with water and dangerous supply cables.


Another piece of Sarajevo history is that it was the place where the event that allegedly started the WW1 took place. We stood on the corner where Gavrilo Princip assassinated Prince Ferdinand and his wife. This was the trigger for the beginning of the war. As all our guides tell us the history of the Balkans is quite complicated and we cannot understand it, but somehow there is always war.




The plaque marks the spot



Belgrade Serbia Day 2

Belgrade Serbia Day 2


Today was another beautiful day as we awoke again to clear blue skies and sunny weather. We have been blessed with good weather for the last week or so since leaving Budapest.

Today we took the tram over to the other side of the river to Zuma which is where the craftspeople and artists live. It is also much smaller than the city center and it sits right by the River Dunav so there are lots of fishermen going about their work. We met up with Boijana again as she had invited us to her new exhibition. Her husband is a well-known archaeologist and historian so they had put together an exhibit of the crafts of the last century in Zuma. It was very interesting and they both obviously had a great passion for their work.




Fishing boats on the Danube



Going down the gangway to the Fishermen's Club



The catch of the day was perch



She then took us the local fisherman’s bar where they sit, talk and drink after the catch of the day is brought to market. We use the phrase. “It’s 5 o’clock somewhere.” but if we follow the Serbian line we need to change it to “It’s 12 o’clock somewhere” as the beer flows here much earlier in the day.The place was right on the river and we really enjoyed the atmosphere with the fisherman bringing in their catch and the luxury river cruises going up and down the Danube.



Don enjoying a beer with a guy who used to live in Toronto

 We then walked to the top of the hill to have a great view of this part of the city and then down through the local market before heading back to the hostel. Then Don and I decided to spend the rest of the day at a café watching the world go by. We met up with the others for supper.

A view from this side of Belgrade

Washing off our grapes in the market fountain



Don enjoying a piece of catfish.It was delicious!



An old guy enjoying the morning


Kris, our guide, made reservations at one of the Serbian restaurants in the Skadarlija which is Belgrade’s Bohemian Quarter. It has a very vibrant café and art scene. Kris ordered and we started off with grilled red peppers in oil and garlic, homemade local cheeses and baked beans. We then had a mixed grill and dessert which consisted of a pastry plate. The dinner was chased down with shots of the local drink, one was pomegranate based and the other pear and apple based; both quite strong as well.




The local cheese plate, the base was goat and cottage cheese



The mixed grill, meat eaters would love these countries!


On the way back we took a leisurely stroll through town which just seemed to be coming to life after dark. We didn’t stay out too late as we had to be up early to catch the 6:15am bus to Sarajevo.




One of the outdoor cafes