The sleek hull of Sea Cloud sliced through the glass calm waters of the famous Montenegro bay, Kotorfjord. The limestone mountains rise up so sharply from sea level that it gives one the sense that they have formed in such a manner as to shelter the idyllic town of Kotor and Perast. The striking blue of the placid water contrasts perfectly against the now familiar orange of terracotta roofs, now complimented by a lush background of evergreen trees. It is not difficult to see why this location was ideal for a medieval city, guarded by land with its back to steep peaks that rise 3,000 feet and port as protected as could be asked for. To add further security from the very real threat of piracy the narrow neck of the bay in historical times had a massive iron chain that could be raised or lowered to prevent the passage of ships.
After docking directly next to the fortified walls of the old town our first activity of the day took us into the bay by small boat to the rocky island of Gospa od Skrpjela, the Church of Our Lady of the Rocks. So the story goes two fishermen discovered an idol of the Virgin Mary in the shallows and determined it was a sign that a church must be built at that very spot. At that time however the only exposed ground was a very small outcropping barely above the tideline. Over several centuries local seafarers and fishermen would drop large rocks, and allegedly the occasional stone filled pirate ship. Eventually an island of significant size was formed and a church built, with an altar of marble shipped all the way from Venice itself. This feat of engineering and determination is truly impressive and is a fine accompaniment to the other 22 churches that also existed in the very nearby Kotor, several of which we tour through after returning to the mainland.
The afternoon saw us take to buses and place our trust in the steady hands of the expert drivers as we embarked on a sightseeing tour up and over the lip of the mountain bowl. The sheer fjord walls have a narrow road with 25 thrilling switchbacks that we maneuver with steady skill. Once at the top the view is worth the white-knuckle journey and then any lingering fluttering from butterflies in our stomachs is quenched with a tasty treat of smoked and cured hams in the small village of Njegusi. Further fortified with a splash of wine we descend back down to our waiting ship and the much more comfortable altitude that the ocean brings as we set out down the Dalmatian coast onwards to Albania.
