Distant thunderstorms throughout the night heralded a change in the weather, and this morning we entered Boka Kotorska, or Kotorfjord, under overcast skies. Our first excursion in Montenegro took us to Gospa od Skrpjela, the Church of Our Lady of the Rocks, a charming island church off the maritime town of Perast. The island was built stone by stone, each deposited by local sailors and fishermen in honor of a 15th-century icon of the Virgin Mary found in this location, floating in the sea. Despite sporadic rains, we continued on to the medieval city of Kotor, admiring its well-preserved Venetian baroque architecture on a guided walking tour.
After lunch, on the ship or in town, many of us chose to join the afternoon bus trip to the small mountain village of Njegusi, famous for its smoked hams. The thrilling journey to this village, located 900 meters above sea level, included a series of 25 narrow switchbacks, expertly navigated by our Montenegrin bus driver. Along the way, we stopped on the old road for photos of Kotorfjord below, as wispy clouds, clinging to the steep hills surrounding the waters below, lent an air of mystery to the entire scene.
