October 3/16

What a day!  We were happy to see the sun shining after last night's rain! We actually lucked out last night as the rain stopped while we were at dinner so we got to go for a walk by the marina to see some amazing boats!

We had a leisurely start this morning as we didn't leave until 10:00, it was a nice break!  We travelled up the coast and inland along a fiord to Kotor.  Unfortunately there were three cruise ships in port so there were people everywhere!  Our guide took us on a tour of the old city and it was pretty crowded. After the tour we had an hour and a half of free time so I was determined to make the most of it!  Carl, Ron, Roy and I decided to hike WAY up the mountain to a church to get a good view of the bay.  A few others were going to join us but just when we were about to leave it started to rain so they bowed out for fear of slipping on the wet rocks.

It was certainly a bit treacherous but well worth the effort.  Luckily it quit raining shortly after we began but the rocks were certainly slippery. Hiking up to the church gave us the most amazing views of Kotor bay.  We would have continued up higher to the fortress but we just didn't have the time!  By the time we got back down we had 45 minutes left. The guys sat and had a leisurely beer while I managed to shop, drink a beer and eat a sandwich!!  Phew, mission complete!  Those that didn't hike up had a nice time grabbing lunch and hitting the shops.

We regrouped and got back on the bus and travelled all around the bay to the town of Perast.  It was a lovely little town hugging the mountainside.  Situated off shore are two man made islands with churches on them.  We took a boat out to "Our Lady of the Rocks" to tour the ornate church and museum.  The island with the Church of St. George is no longer open for visits.

When we got back to Perast we had free time to take pictures and check out the picturesque village.  Grace and I found some narrow stairways that allowed us to get up high for better pictures.  My Fitbit really racked up the steps and stairs today! 😄

Just as we left to drive back to Bidva the sun burst out, giving us beautiful vistas as we travelled back along the coast of the Aegean Sea!  When we got back to the hotel we gathered for a drink on one of the room balconies on the 5th floor, where we had an amazing view of the sea!

At 6:00 we gathered with some of the rest of the group and our TD and we walked down to the old town of Budva.  Once again we found ourselves in little narrow alleys, surrounded by beautiful buildings.  It was a perfect evening so it was wonderful to just stroll. Once it got dark we found a lovely garden restaurant that was tucked away, a well kept secret.  There was only one guy doing the cooking but when we got it, the food was amazing!!  We had a few laughs and drinks while we waited for our food, so we weren't in any hurry!  The stroll back to our hotel was lovely and well timed, as it started to rain about ten minutes after we got back!!

As I said to the group, the only way this day could have been more perfect would have been if there were three less cruise ships in Kotor and if the rain would have stayed away! It was a fantastic day!