Montenegro! We got off the bus in Budva, an ancient city (we’re talking 500 BC) on the Adriatic Coast. Immediately it felt very different from where we had been in Croatia. Bus stop had no ATM (although it turns out they’re on the Euro), tons of taxi drivers pushing around, honking horns in the street, crazy motorcyclists sipping around. And it was hot! We had to take a taxi to our BnB because the owner told us we’d never find it by walking; the house is on a pathway more than a street. But as soon as we got there, paradise. Lush garden, shade, grape trellis, kind family.

We went to see the Old Town and were happy. Inside the walls it was so
calming. Tons of little alleyways to get lost in, little garden cafes squeezed into tiny plazas.

We went up to the citadel wall and were trying to imagine what it would have been like to be posted on those walls a thousand of years ago, watching an oncoming army. How many people had died on those walls? How many people have swam on that beach? The time is incredible to think about.

Yesterday we took a boat to Saint Nichola island in the bay, which they call “Hawaii” for some reason. Hiked around the scrubby ridge, spotted a secluded beach nestled between some cliffs, and circumambulated until we could get to it. Warm water, great swimming, and even a little cave for me to hide in out of the sun. Perfect day.