It is perfectly okay if you are currently Googling "Where is Montenegro?". (I just Googled what littoral means and it has to do with the shore.) Montenegro regained its independence from Yugoslavia just thirteen years ago. It is just south of Croatia, and shares boarders with many countries including Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia.
I discovered the country in my searching, months ago, for places to visit in this area. Photos were stunningly beautiful, but there did seem to be some concerns about stability in the country, so we opted for a day trip rather than staying overnight. I'm confident that we only got a very general, quick glance, at the country and that there was much more to be seen, but the day trip was also the perfect taste.
Montenegro, translated from Italian, means black mountain. The opposing mountain sides form a dramatic edge to the coastline, and it appears that nothing lives above sea level besides the pine trees that dot the mountainside. The country is a little smaller than Connecticut, and most of the population, under 700,000 live along the coast or the magical fiord. The mountains appear to be truly stunning, and deserve a pilgrimage of their own, but we only drove around the fiord.
Montenegro has a history, somewhat similar to Dubrovnik, yet it is not as stable as this small town. The country, more precisely, the city of Kotor, has a wall over a thousand years old and was once controlled by the all powerful sea-faring nation of Venice. The city, and the country, have been ruled by many different groups of people over their long history and have seen their fair share of conflict, even in recent years. Even the vote for independence in this century was achieved by a small margin in the voting polls. But the people are kind, proud and hard-working.
We drove along the fiord, surrounded by beautiful scenery, but Kotor was our main destination. I was in awe by the protective wall that climbs up the rocky mountain side, and fascinated by the multi-colored stepping stones throughout the city's squares and narrow streets. Like Dubrovnik, there are no cars inside, nor is there room for them. Homes, churches and businesses have been built, reconstructed and added onto for centuries. Just like Dubrovnik, streets were clean and felt safe. But, unlike Dubrovnik, we saw a few people begging, and felt that merchants were pushier about selling their goods.
Our personal walking tour was led by a man who let us call him Johnny, as that was the English translation of his name, and we have struggled immensely with forming the sounds that make words in Croatian (and the very similar Montenegrin). He had grown up in the small city of Kotor, and on our walk was even able to point to his primary school window, the window of the office where he had worked for a number of years, and he even took us into the museum where his wife works. She is in a small a cappella group that has won national recognition, so she even treated us to a song! It was evident, in his wide grin, that he took pride in his small country, and was excited to teach us more about it.
Our lunch consisted of prosciutto, cheese, fresh bread, grilled vegetables and something called "local meal with gnocchi" that tasted kind of like goulash. The carrots, beef and gnocchi were divine, and the added sweetness of a few figs in the gravy, perfection. I had to stop myself from licking the bowl.
Kotor had one other major appeal for me. It is known as the "City of Cats." Now, I thought Dubrovnik was full of cats, but I was so very wrong. You could not turn a corner in Kotor without seeing a cat. They were not fighting, nor starving, nor begging and appeared relatively healthy. Stores sold souvenirs adorned with all sorts of cats, and there is even a cat museum (although, when I heard there were no cats there, I decided it was not worth our time)! The city seems to nurture and care for their cats. Why? Well, it appears that much of it is legend. One man told us that the cats were said to have saved them from the plague by killing off all of the rats, so they were honored in the city. Another idea is the domesticated connection to the Venetian symbol of a lion. It is also said that, as a major sailing port, sailors would dock their boats and the cats on board, from all over the world, would set up a new home in the city, which is why it is believed that the cat population is very diverse. As the city is up against a mountain, there is no doubt that the city could have been overrun by snakes, rats and mice, if it were not for the prolific cat population. No matter the reason for it, I appreciated the appreciation of cats! (Feel free to read up on the topic Cats of Kotor)
What I enjoyed even more than the cats of Kotor, was spending time with our driver for the day, Petar. I had found him through the wonderfully knowledgeable Rick Steves, and we were in no way disappointed. (You can find him at www.dubrovnikrivieratours.com.) Petar was very professional, very friendly, open, and knowledgable. I think what I enjoyed most from him was his candid picture of politics in the area and first-hand experiences that he was open and willing to share.
He talked about how good life is in Croatia. Sure, taxes are high, but there are a lot of benefits to those taxes, including universal health care. People feel safe here. Despite the fact that I seen less than a handful of police officers, I have felt entirely safe and Petar said that people leave their homes and cars unlocked. The streets are clean and we have encountered not a single person begging, or appearing to be homeless in the Old Town of Dubrovnik. Petar gave a good, strong reason for this, that went along with our experience in the countryside yesterday. He said you don't see that in the whole country because family is so strong, and holds such importance. No one will be homeless, because their family will support them. He said this with pride, but also conceded that in a way, he felt there was a generation of lazy people out there, knowing that mama would also look after them.
Petar had first hand experience from the war in the late 20th century. He was a refugee, just as others we have met here were also. He and his family lived just south of the city in an area that was invaded by the Serbian and Montenegrin armies. His family home that his father built was raided, lived in and used by the enemy. The family fled to the Old Town where they stayed in hotels, since they were government owned. Then, when the hotel was bombed and destroyed, they ended up living in a monastery and he missed most of fifth grade. My vocabulary is not extensive enough to describe the feelings I have speaking to people, close to my age, who look seemingly similar to myself who have gone through such atrocities. This happened in my lifetime, in a community that seems not all too different from my own. The weight of this knowledge is heavy. I feel ignorant and unjustly fortunate. (He said there was a great documentary called Two Hours from London that I hope to find and watch soon!)
Petar's knowledge of the history of the area was extensive and fresh. He also told us that Croatians didn't worry with being politically correct, but were instead politically direct. It was with this knowledge that I enjoyed Petar even more, and also with a listening ear that knew I was listening to someone with strong opinions. Croatia has a very interesting shape, somewhat like a golf club in an upside-down, backwards sort of way. Croatia is in charge of much of the coastline, but in some areas, it is less than a mile wide, while the northern part is wide and extends inland a good deal. It seems this country, for centuries past has been trapped between the East and the West, Islam and Christianity, Russia and Western Europe. At one time, the Croatians ran from the Turkish Empire, running toward the Adriatic coastline, forming the long skinny handle of the golf club. It seems that Christopher Columbus is actually to blame for the fall in power of the area. Remember that the area thrived in the 15th and 16th century as a trading mecca? Well, that was because it was between the East and the West. But, then the West started trading with the Americas, taking the wealth away from this area. Thanks, Columbus.
Petar talked a lot about how many Croatians were living elsewhere in the world. As conflicts grew, Croatians fled, but took with them their strong pride in country. Petar said there are now more Croatians living outside of Croatia as there are inside the country. He said that these people were the countries' biggest allies and assets. It was these groups of people who lobbied their own, new homeland governments to pass legislation that supported Croatian independence.
Our day to Montenegro was crowded with rain and clouds, but it did not dampen our spirits. As such, though, Petar decided that instead of seeing the resort town in Montenegro, we might instead enjoy a panoramic view of Dubrovnik, and oh, how right he was! Despite the lack of blue skies, the overview of this Old Town is stunning, and I am quite certain I enjoyed that more than I would have enjoyed wandering the resort town on the coast.
I have some good news for you. I hope you've been intrigued by this part of the world and your desire to visit it has piqued. It was quite complicated and difficult to get to, as there are no direct flights from the US to this part of the world, but knowledgable Petar said that in a week, a direct flight from Philadelphia is supposed to open! Go ahead, book your flight and pack your back, and perhaps even plan a day trip to the beautiful Montenegro!
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