Side Trip: Kotor, Montenegro

Jen here. Given how close we were to so many other interesting (or interesting sounding) destinations, we dragged ourselves out of Dubrovnik for several side trips. One of them was to Kotor, Montenegro, about a two and a half hour drive south from Dubrovnik. Passports and rental car keys in hand, we set off to check it out.

I can't describe exactly why I didn't embrace it, but this was probably my least favorite of places we've visited. This is a town with a lot of history set upon a long pretty bay. The old town within the walls was beautiful and quaint (aren't they all?) but it felt like a long drive to get to somewhere that was significantly less interesting and appealing than where we were staying. You know at this point to check in when even sunny-side-of-things Lonely Planet are using terms like "brooding" and "moody" to describe the town. While Otis and I stayed down in the old town and walked around checking out cats (there are a LOT of cats in Kotor), learning about drinks called Sex on the Beach and asking for/being denied gelato, Chris took a hike up along the medieval wall. He liked the town the best of the all of the three of us. He felt that the old town area was super charming, the views were unprecented in how amazing they are ("the mountains going into the bay...that was pretty bonkers!") Otis felt like there wasn't anything that different about it compared to Dubrovnik.

Let me conclude by saying that before we drove home, we had dinner in a mall in a sports bar. Ha. Ha.

Here are some photos so you can see for yourself how perfectly adequate Kotor is.

Bay, with town in distance

Outside view of walls

Heading into the old town

Checking out the drinks list outside of this bar. World travel engenders family discussions!

Chris's view... walking up

...and having walked up

Outside of the walls

This pigeon is being stalked by a cat in the tree branch. Such drama!

Inside of the walls

St Lukes: both tiny and previously used by multiple religions simultaneously. Probably my favorite thing to see.  

Belltower, wall and mountain

Waiting for Chris to descend, some of us feeling bored

View of the bay and mountains