DAYS 72 & 73 – Where is Montenegro?

May 30 & 31 – Rugged Mountains + Turquoise Sea + Our Own Private Flat = FUN!!

We had another travel day by bus taking us to Montenegro and the city of Budva.  Discovered in the 5th century BC, Budva is 3,500 years old, which makes it one of the oldest settlements on the Adriatic sea coast.  It is well known for its sandy beaches, diverse nightlife, and examples of Mediterranean architecture.  Budva has seen many turbulent years in its history and was devastated by an earthquake in 1979 which destroyed much of the old town.  The city has been built back up to its original form, however, and tourism is high.

Shari like to collect seashells and/or rocks.  She is trying to get something from every sea on our journey.

 We met our host at a cafe shop.  He was a good looking young man named Vlado.  He told us that he still lived with his parents at home, but he loved to gamble and had won a flat in Budva in a poker game.  So he took us to his flat where he hosted couch surfers.   We were again thrilled to be alone where we didn't have to tell "our story" and didn't have to stay up late talking and had our own key.  Don't get me wrong - we've really enjoyed that!  But, every now and then, privacy is very welcome!

A spacious living room and bedroom...with a big screen TV.  A balcony was located behind the sliding glass doors with a table and chairs and clothesline to dry your clothes.

A very compact bathroom - Note the extra toilet in the middle with a faucet ...very common in the Balkan countries.  I never used it, but I guess it was to wash your fanny off after you used the toilet.  **Too much information**  :)  It's called a "bidet" - thank you Marda!

A very nice kitchen

...and that was it.  Very small, but comfortable flat.  The problem was that the minute we walked in, the place smelled like a musty and dingy old basement.  It reminded me a bit of my grandmother's old dirt floor cellar, or our house in Broomfield after a big flood when I was about six years old.  (I lost my Raggedy Ann doll in it....such a sad day).  Evidently there was a drainage problem behind the walls so there was mildew and mold in many places.  The place was not very clean either, so I took to cleaning it up after he left.  Oh boy...another adventure!  We never saw our host again, but we were very grateful for a place to stay and his hospitality.

The first day it rained quite a lot, so we stayed indoors, but the second day was gorgeous, so it was time for a trip to the beach.

Beautiful rock formations along the coastline's path to a hidden cove.

The sun bathers were out, but why didn't we bring our swim suits?

Maybe it's because we didn't want to show off our "winter fat"

I LOVE BLUE - blue Eiffel Tower shirt, blue sky, blue water

WOW...cool statue!   I used to be able to do that before my double hip replacement.

OK - I'll try it again, if only I could get my balance and not fall off this rock into the water.

Here we go!  Is my leg up as high as hers?

What a gorgeous Spring Day in Montenegro.

 Now we enter yet ANOTHER OLD TOWN.  I never tire of the history, but I think Rich might like to see a Science Museum or something.

There is always a wall around these medieval cities.   This little cubby hole would have been fun to hide it while searching the ocean horizon for invaders.

It's amazing that these rock walls have stood up so well, but remember...there was a terrible earthquake in 1979, so much of this old town was rebuilt.  Well done!

The sun has definitely been enjoyable today in Budva, another Balkan city with we have thoroughly enjoyed visiting!