A view from the wall above Kotor. (I borrowed this image from Wikipedia Commons)
Kotor, Montenegro was another tendered port which meant I could look but I couldn't get off the ship. This time, for a reason to be revealed later, I did not mind as much. Kotor is referred to as the "Hidden Gem of the Adriatic" and they aren't exaggerating. UNESCO has named it a world heritage
and cultural sight and it is considered one of the top 100 most romantic places in the world!
and cultural sight and it is considered one of the top 100 most romantic places in the world!
The fortified wall above Kotor.
The Bay of Kotor. Imagine driving the road (yellow) in a convertible! It took about forty-five minutes of zig-zagging for the ship to get to the city once we entered the inlet to the Bay of Kotor. The entire way the view was "fairy tale beautiful!" It is located at the very end of the bay and the whole way in was filled with fortifications dating back to the Venetian period (though it was founded by the Romans around 500 B.C.).
The entrance to the bay has three sets of imposing looking fortifications built in the Middle Ages.
St. George's Island (left) is a natural island and contains a Benedictine monastery dating from the 12th century. Our Lady of the Rocks (right) is a man made island with a Roman Catholic Church dating back to the 1400's on it. It was built by sinking captured ships loaded with rocks. Each year locals take there boats out to the island and throw rocks at the edge of the island which has helped it to grow in size over the centuries. There are beautiful churches located on islands and little towns tucked into every cove. Directly above the city of Kotor there are protective fortifications that rise over half a mile above the city (refer to the picture at the top of the post). I wouldn't have been able to go up the 1300 steps to the top if I had made it to shore but I would like to think I would have run them in 2010 (my daughter says I'm dreaming). Though Deanna said the climb was the second hardest thing she has ever done (after childbirth).
Halfway there honey!
Jackie and Alex, don't let this be your last visit to the Balkan's! There is a two lane road, right at the waters edge which stretches the
60 plus kilometers of shoreline that surrounds the bay, connecting all of
the towns. I would have liked to take a weekend, rent a convertible, and enjoy a leisurely drive from one end to the other stay the night and then drive back so I could see all the sights from the other side. Hopefully, some day, Deanna and our kids will get to do it.
60 plus kilometers of shoreline that surrounds the bay, connecting all of
the towns. I would have liked to take a weekend, rent a convertible, and enjoy a leisurely drive from one end to the other stay the night and then drive back so I could see all the sights from the other side. Hopefully, some day, Deanna and our kids will get to do it.
The reason I am glad that I had to stay on the ship was what happened at noon that day. I was sitting by myself on a hidden deck in the front of the ship, when all of the church bells started to ring (there were several dozen). All of the sound echoing off of the hills and water in the valley sounded beautiful. Then the sound waves converged at my location on the ship one hundred feet above the water anchored a quarter mile off the shore. I don't believe anyone on land or elsewhere on the ship could experience the sound waves like you can from that position. It was a perfect acoustic moment and an amazing sensation that I felt resonate deep inside my body. At first it was surreal but as I listened and became enveloped by the sound I became lost in the moment. I felt the sensation of floating until the ringing stopped. I took a moment, breathed deeply and felt normal again. It was a moment that I was able to experience and appreciate because of my disease and the "incapacities" that accompany it. If I had left the ship, I would not have had this experienced and for that I am both thankful and glad that I had to stay behind.
Deanna pining for me as I experience the bells of Kotor!
My family exploring the town
Even though I didn't get off the ship, this stop was deeply memorable. Both Kotor's natural and antiquital (made that word up) beauty along with its history made a deep impression on me that I will never forget. If you are ever planning a trip to the Mediterranean make this place one of your destinations. You will thank me!
Next stop Naples the birthplace of pizza!
Next stop Naples the birthplace of pizza!
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