Across Montenegro to Kotor

Into Kotor’s Walled City

View from Up The Mountain

All roads in Montenegro are two-lanes and most are curvy and mountainous so speeds over 70 km/h (43 mph) are rarely legal, and rarely safe. Locals drive aggressively. Worth the drive I hope!!! It was as curvy, scary and pot hole filled as promised.

Kotor is perched on a narrow ledge of granite filled land above a beautiful bay on the coast of Montenegro. A city steeped in tradition and history, with remarkable scenic views Kotor is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The old city, built between the 12th and 14th centuries, is filled with medieval architecture and historic monuments. City walls that have protected Kotor for centuries extend about four and a half kilometers and lead up to the fortress of Saint Ivan. We will earn bonus Fitbit points climbing up the 1350 steps to see a spectacular e view of the city and the bay from St John’s fortress. We have been encouraged to get out early morning to avoid the tourist crowds. It is raining today so we may have to forgo 1200ft ascent which looks steep and slippery.

Path Up the Hill

Kotor is situated in a most secluded part of Boka Kotorska bay, in the northern part of the Montenegro coast. It has developed around Stari Grad (local language for “old town”), the city’s old town and best known landmark, which is listed with UNESCO World heritage sites. The bay is the deepest natural fjord in the Mediterranean Sea, and the scenery around it (including the steep mountains which come almost to the waterfront) is spectacular.

Montenegro Flag Added to the Collection

Upward Alley

Pump for All

California Ex-Pat

Main Square

Mountain Water Runoff

Ferry Trip Across the Bay

Wikipedia travel invitingly describes Sarajevo as one of the most historically interesting and varied cities in Europe. Set in a mountain valley, it is astounding to look out over the city and realize that for 1,300 days between 1992 and 1995 the city was under a medieval-style siege determined to cut off food, water, electricity and telephones. It was the longest lasting siege in modern European history. Then its population was about 300,000 and today it is still not a huge city.

We came in after a very long drive out of Bulgaria, across Serbia and into Bosnia finally climbing down alpine mountains and through narrow valleys into a city under lock down traffic control–the City Hall was opening after renovation and repair from the siege–all of Sarajevo was turned out to celebrate!! Redirected by the police and helped many times by locals we are in and settled surrounded by the buzz of celebration.

For the most part, the city has physically recovered from the majority of the war damage caused by the Yugoslav Wars. About 400.000 people live in its very livable, vibrant and busy urban areas. The bridge in Sarajevo is directly across the street from where Archduke Franz Ferdinand was killed by a Serbian assassin, setting in motion the beginning of and World War I.

Last Stretch of Road into Sarajevo

The View from our Room

Today we drove from Bucharest to Sofia (София), capital of Bulgaria and is its largest city. We crossed the brown Danube and easily negotiated the border crossing. The drive was primarily through vast and thriving agricultural valleys with nestled villages and small towns some distance from the highway. The entire 250 miles was unblemished by industry or the urban sprawl that we had noticed in Romania. Development or industrial presence seems to be specifically confined to planned areas which for such small pocket sized country on the quilt of Europe seems wise.

Sofia is a bustling and busy government capital as well as the economic heart of the country. According to locals it is not a tourist destination. The blend of 19th century European and Communist-style architecture sharing neighborhoods with beautiful onion-domed orthodox churches and Ottoman mosques and entrenched Red Army monuments has a kind of shabby charm. The central government and historic district is dotted with lovely parks enjoyed by families and elders. The people hurrying along the busy streets are frequently very stylishly dressed in the latest American and European fashions and appear healthy. We are staying in the heart of the old city in a hotel that is built upon 4th century A.D.Roman ruins evident in open spaces in the hotel lobby and restaurant as an archeological site.

Church of St. George

Bozko Mural

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

Around the Corner from our Hotel

National Theater

Guards Outside the President’s Building

Guards Change on the Hour

St. George Rotunda Began as a Roman Bath

St. Sofia Patroness of Sofia

A Icon Shopper

Borisloff, Icon Painter and Vendor

Sun Glinting of the Domes of the Memorial Church

Alexander Nevski’s Memorial Church Cracker Barrell