Bay of Kotor, Montenegro

On Sunday morning we docked in Kotor Montenegro, a small city none of us had ever heard of prior to this cruise. We first sailed into a bay surrounded by mountains -- actually Europe's most southerly fjord. We came into port early in the morning, while the lights were still on in the villages we passed and along part of the walls built on the mountains that surround the town of Kotor. Those walls were 1000 years in the making! We met our guide and boarded a bus for a 15 mile ride to a village named Perast that dates from 300 BC. There we boarded a small boat to sail a few hundred yards off-shore to a man-made island. On the island there is a lovely small church called Our Lady of the Rocks, built by the local people to house an icon they believe has miraculous powers.
Throughout our trip we have enjoyed gorgeous weather. Each day the sun has shown on us, and the temperature has been in the 70s. On Sunday morning our weather-luck ran out. The skies opened with torrential rain. As we scooted back to the mainland on a little boat lightening flashed and thunder crashed around us. Soaked, cold and weary, we voted to scuttle the rest of the tour. The rain continued through much of the rest of the day, and only as we sailed away did we see a few minutes of sunlight.
Most of us did wander in the afternoon into the village of Kotor, where the ship was docked. Taking cover under large umbrellas provided by the ship, we were able to continue our tour for an hour, and to enjoy wandering through in Kotor, our guide assured us there are none in the entire country of Montenegro. We're glad! There were many outdoor cafes under large umbrellas which were more in keeping with the atmosphere of the ancient village.