Mechanical issues take the cherry off the cake

After chilling with the dogs, cats and horses, we were in for some culture.

The Serbian Orthodox monastery of Ostrog is one of the most important pilgramige site in the world to followers of the faith.

Founded by Vasilije, the Metropolitan Bishop of Herzegovina in the 17th Century, it is situated quite dramatically against an almost vertical rock face, not far from the city of Niksic.

All these people are waiting to kiss the casket of St. Basil

It was dedicated to St. Basil of Ostrog, whoˋs remains are one of the things pilgrims come here for, to pray at his casket. The other is to pay homage to Mother Mary, who has a little chapel dedicated to her. 

Traditionally, pilgrims make the 3km way up the hill barefoot and make offerings of clothing or blankets (???) when they get close to the monastery. When my human was on her way up, she wondered about all the socks, scarfs, shoes and, yes, blankets lying along the path in the bushes. On her way down, she came across quite a few people walking in bare feet. Each to their own.

We stopped for a brief visit in Niksic. Brief, because there is not all that much to see. 

The most famous beer of the country, Niksicko, is produced here, but the brewery was closed for visitors.

King Nikola, the only king the country ever had, and ... another guy

There is an Oktoberfest everywhere

So my human had a stroll around town, walked up a hill for a view, had a very, very pretty cappuccino at the Propaganda Bar, and we were off again for a little stroll along a good-sized lake.

Just a few kilometers on was another lake, Slansko jezero, where we found a slightly elevated spot with a great view and thatˋs where we spent the night after having a few friendly words with the local shepherd.

We were looking forward to the following day, because, after all those mountains, we would get back to the ocean!

The excitement was fleeting, however. As soon as we got into the vicinity of Kotor, traffic thickened, and it became all stop and go, with plenty of stop and very little go.

So far, Montenegro has been really chill and friendly, but this vibe was gone in a second.

To be fair, we were both a bit worried. I had developed a weird noise coming from somewhere around the front right, maybe the shock absorber, but what do we know. This tension combined with mad traffic and the constant beeping of horns didnˋt do much to improve our general mood.

We tried five car repair shops and each sent us away again for different reasons. Too busy, too small (the garage, not me), no one there, etc. 

Since we couldnˋt get help here, it was no use to wallow in our gloom. So we parked close to a ferry, which my human took to get to the other side of the bay.

Kotor is the main city in the Bay of Kotor, others are Tivat, Risan, Perast and Herceg Novi. The bay cuts into the land for almost 30km, almost fjord-like, seamed by high mountains all around, a stunning setting indeed.

Once off the ferry, she took a bus to Herceg Novi and spent a pleasant afternoon strolling around the old town and along the ocean, walking off her frustration.

We secured a prime spot by a small cafe and right next to the water, where we would stay for the next couple of nights.

There is no bicycle lane around the bay, but outside Kotor and Tivat, the traffic is a lot more manageable. 

The loop is a bit over 50km and mostly flat, so my human had a good time on the ride.

The old city of Kotor

She stopped in Kotor to see the beautiful, if full, old city within the well-preserved town walls and climb up the hill to the old fortress, from where the views are splendid indeed!

The first fortifications on the hill of St. John, which provides the background for the city, were build in the Illyrian times, 1000 BC!

Since then, every new ruler improved, invested and strengthened the bulwarks of this important naval and economic trading center.

Just look at the traffic!

Since we were not able to get me into a repair shop here, my human contacted a guy in Shkoder, Albania, the next bigger city we would come to. 

He has great reviews from other campers and answered her message within the hour. 

Until then, whatever it is just has to hold on for dear life, and we will be driving very gently, as much as it is possible on the roads here.

On our way down the coast, we stopped in Budva and Bar, two seaside towns that will be extremely busy in a month or so. 

Not that they were empty now, by no means.

But you could see that they were arming themselves against the masses soon to come. 

The old center of Budva, also within walls, is tiny and very pretty, all small lanes and cobbled streets. 

You can walk along the sea front across some beaches, always with a view of St. Nikolas Island, the largest island of Montenegro. Which isnˋt very large, some 2km long and less than 500m wide. 

St. Nikolas Island

Fresh pasta for lunch

The new, modern port city of Bar was only constructed in the 80s of the last century.

Until then, and for roughly a thousand years, people lived around 5km inland and up the hill, in what is now Stari Bar, the old town. 

After many sieges, wars, explosions and earthquakes, the old town was finally abandoned and now lies in ruins. 

The current city of Bar lies towards the ocean

So as not to leave you hanging in regard to the weird noise I was making:

It was my shock absorbers. The right one was completely screwed, the left one wasnˋt far behind. And since those things are only sold in pairs anyway, the decision to replace both of them was an easy one to take. 

A very friendly English teacher turned car mechanic did the exchange for us in no time and for a rather good price. We had the choice between three different qualities of parts, but since I am her golden boy, my human didnˋt waste much time deciding on the best.

Two hours later it was all done, and we were back in the race - what a relief!