GLACIER NATIONAL PARK & CANADIAN ROCKIES, DAY 6: AN UNPLANNED SURPRISE VISIT TO MORAINE LAKE, BANFF NATIONAL PARK

Posted on September 17, 2022 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

This was our longest travel day, a journey taking us from the U.S. back into Canada to visit Banff National Park. I’m not a fan of long bus rides, but the scenery was stunning. Entering Canada required stopping at their border patrol station to have our passports processed. Although Canada had dropped its mandatory Covid testing for everybody entering their country, a random testing policy was implemented, resulting in one of every 8 travelers being required to take a self-administered Covid test and send it via FedEx to the processing center.

Before crossing the border, we stopped for a restroom break at a duty-free store with this banner greeting us at the door:

At the station, three members of our group were selected; however, it was a Saturday. They had 72 hours to self-administer and FedEx the tests back, so our guide figured he would hold off sending them in until we got to Jasper, on Monday. Since the backlog for processing tests had reached 4-7 days, (and it had taken almost a week for others in our group to get their results back after entering Calgary at the beginning of the tour), I shook my head as I did the math. It was August 27th, and our trip was scheduled to conclude on September 1. The tests weren’t going to be turned in until August 29, and they would take one business day to arrive at their destination. The guys would be home in the U.S.A. before receiving their test results! What the…? If they had tested positive, they would have already spread Covid to a bunch of people! What’s the point? We all had a good laugh about that, but what a waste of resources!

Onward we traveled along Canada’s western edge of the Canadian Rockies, entering Banff National Park. Along the way, we noticed that all of the road signs in the park were in English and French, a federal law.

The original itinerary stated that we would check into our hotel late in the afternoon, and then go for a walk at Lake Louise; however, our guide, Scott, and driver, David, had another idea in mind. Since we were going to see Lake Louise the following morning anyway, how about trying our luck at getting into the parking lot at Moraine Lake before continuing on to the hotel? Scott explained that the car parking lot would already be full, but since we were in a bus, we would possibly have a shot at getting into the bus parking lot. Besides, Lake Louise, originally named the “Emerald Lake” was green, and seeing Moraine Lake would give us an opportunity to see an azure blue lake. Were we game? We voted unanimously in favor.

The day had been gloomy, and when we arrived, we couldn’t even see the ten mountain peaks surrounding the lake, due to the cloud cover. We made it into the lot, though, so at least we could see some bright blue water. Good enough for me; blue is my favorite color!

To get the best view of the lake, Scott suggested climbing the 79 feet up the “Rock Pile,” a popular hiking trail leading to one of the most photographed locations in all of Canada. I bolted up ahead of everybody in the group, so I would have the most time to spend up at the top. I anticipated the clouds hiding all ten peaks in the distance, but seeing the lake was better than nothing. Surely, it would be beautiful and photogenic, regardless.

Just as we made it the top, the sun broke through for a spectacular view! A few of the ten peaks appeared just in time for our arrival, and the brilliant blue water of the glacially fed lake shined.

(For all pictures, click on the image to see full screen view.)

Until I saw the lake with my own eyes, I thought the pictures I had seen of the lake were Photoshop-ped to-the-max. No way could that water be such a bright shade of blue! I was wrong; it really is that blue!

Rock flour is what causes Moraine Lake’s water to be so blue, and Lake Louise to be that pretty shade of emerald green. Also known as “glacial flour,” it consists of fine-grained, silt-sized particles of rock caused by glacial erosion. The super-fine consistency becomes suspended in the melted snow and ice, causing the water run-off to appear cloudy.

We were all in awe and snapped a bunch of pictures, along with the other tourists. This was definitely the highlight place for a photo with Bruce; I always make sure to get one from each trip.

Log jams are caused by winter avalanches that sweep trees off the slopes onto the lake ice. When the ice melts, the trees drift over the stream outlet.

The nine-mile bus ride to Lake Louise Village, was buzzing with chatter about what we had just seen. We all agreed the climb up the Rock Pile was well worth it!

Back down at 5,200 feet, we arrived at the village of Lake Louise, Canada’s highest community. After checking into our room at Lake Louise Inn, I braved the cold air and biting wind for a look around the village and a walk along the river, while Bruce rested. Beautiful!

The glacier in the upper left mountain is pictured below.

These beautiful stained glass windows were in the attractive visitor center in Lake Louise Village.

Next up: Lake Louise & Columbia Icefield

GLACIER NATIONAL PARK & CANADIAN ROCKIES, DAY 3: ST. MARY LAKE & MANY GLACIER

Posted on September 9, 2022 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Except for this day during our cruise of St. Mary Lake, it was amazing how the sun came out during the best possible time during our sightseeing throughout our travels. Mother Nature worked her magic the previous day when we were enjoying the views of Waterton Lake from the Prince of Wales Hotel. As the afternoon progressed, the clouds enveloped the area when it no longer mattered. The same thing happened as our tour through the Canadian Rockies progressed, and we were amazed at the timing of the weather changes—all in our favor!

(For all pictures, click on the image to see full screen view.)

Located on the eastern side of Glacier National Park, St. Mary Lake is about ten miles long. Taking a narrated cruise was a wonderful way to see it and learn about the area. It was breathtaking to be surrounded by the steep mountains that began forming 170 million years ago, and to be on one of the park’s more than 130 named lakes. In all, the park encompasses more than 1 million acres!

I never saw Stanley Kubricks film, The Shining, but the opening scene was filmed at the lake. Scott showed us the beginning of the movie, so we could see the lake from a different perspective. Of course, the weather was perfect when they filmed the movie, but the low-hanging clouds did add drama to the gloom we experienced.

Halfway through the cruise, we docked for a short hike to see a beautiful waterfall:

White Twisted Stalk- The flower that blooms from this plant is white and hangs from kinked twisted stalks. Towards the end of the season, it produces a berry that starts out green, changes to orange, then bright red.

During the afternoon, we headed out to Many Glacier Hotel, located in the northeastern area of Glacier National Park. Built by the Great Northern Railway in 1914-15, the hotel is situated overlooking Swiftcurrent Lake. The area is known as “Switzerland of North America,” and it was beautiful! A hiking path circles the lake with great views of Many Glacier, the lake, and the hotel. If you are lucky enough, you will also see a lot of wildlife. Along with Linda, one of the other group members, we hiked ahead at a faster pace and just caught a glimpse of a female moose with her baby as they ran across our path and headed into the woods. I tried to capture a photo, but all I got was a blurry shot of Mom and the butt of her baby. It all happened so quick! As it turned out, that was our only moose sighting of the trip; and, other than elk, we never saw any other large animals, such as bears or mountain goats. It became a joke with our group as Scott’s confidence in seeing wildlife resulted in spotting nothing but small rodents. That was where our luck ended…

A gloomy view during our walk near the Many Glacier Hotel

I thoroughly enjoyed all of our walks and hikes, though, and savored the fresh air and gorgeous (“gowajus”) sites. (That was another joke with the group. Linda, her friend, Wanda, and their husbands were from New Jersey; so, Scott playfully poked fun at their accent with his Kiwi/Australian/Canadian/British accent—a melting pot of some of the places he had lived since leaving New Zealand at the age of 19.) We laughed a lot on this trip!

The evening was spent back at St. Mary Village where Bruce and I thoroughly enjoyed using our dinner vouchers for a repeat of the night before, except for a change in Sweet Peaks ice cream flavors. We even had the same nice waitress!

Next up: Riding the Red Jammers along Going-to-the-Sun Road

GLACIER NATIONAL PARK & CANADIAN ROCKIES, DAYS 1 & 2: FROM CALGARY TO MONTANA

Posted on September 8, 2022 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Bruce and I headed back up north again, this time on a small group land tour of Glacier National Park and the Canadian Rockies. We had never done a 100% land-based tour, and it was our first time traveling with Odysseys Unlimited, a company that specializes in small group tours of 12-24 people. Like everything else in travel this year, the tour was sold out, and 24 is the largest group size we would travel with in the future. Fortunately, we had a good group, though. Everybody was punctual; and, amazingly, nobody even caught so much as a cold. We returned home from our 11-day trip on September 1, and we are happily Covid-free.

Let’s get the trip review out of the way first, so I can move on to what I like sharing the most. Would I travel with Odysseys Unlimited again? Absolutely! The tour was excellent, and our tour director, Scott Robertson, did a fabulous job. Buyer beware, though: The Covid-19 policy in place when you book (and pay for) the trip may not be the same by the time the trip actually occurs. We booked with Odyssey expecting mandatory masking on the bus (as stated in their policy); however, Canada dropped that policy right before we arrived, so it was dropped for our tour. The majority of our group still masked; however, some did not. As a result, us maskers tended to gravitate towards each other during group dinners whenever possible.

Having said that, I’m sure glad we booked a group tour and paid for it before the prices went up! The prices of everything up there has skyrocketed, so we would have probably paid more for the trip had we done the exact same things on our own. In addition, when car parking lots were full at the highlight spots, our bus/ “motor coach” was able to drive right on in to the separate bus parking area without a problem.

Otherwise, my only other recommendation would be to avoid flying with Air Canada if at all possible. Ranked as one of the worst airlines in the world, they lived up (or down) to that reputation. Our flight to Calgary was canceled, and we ended up arriving seven hours later than we were originally scheduled, missing our only day in Calgary. The silver lining was being re-booked on Delta Airlines and through Minneapolis rather than Toronto. Our experience flying home on Air Canada reminded me of uncomfortable past flights on old United Airlines planes with cramped seats, and that’s not saying much.

Now that I have the negativity out of the way, it’s all positive from here on out.

Since Bruce and I arrived at the Hyatt in Calgary too late to join the group for the welcome dinner, we didn’t meet everybody until the following day when we set off for Glacier National Park. As it turned out, at 60, I was the youngest of the group by ten years; however, most of the group were active enough to handle the walks and hikes.

Before our lunch stop at Waterton Lake, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which adjoins Montana’s Glacier National Park, we took in the views from the Prince of Wales Hotel. The wood structure was built in 1927 and perched high above the lake. Thankfully, it survived a fire in 2017, because it is a beautiful hotel with spectacular panorama views!

(For all pictures in my blogs, click on the image to see full screen view.)

Our group lunch was in town, followed by enough free time on our own to walk to Cameron Falls, see the town, and walk along the lakefront. This was the first of many beautiful waterfalls and lakes we enjoyed during the trip, and my first opportunity to test out my hip after having a second surgery on it last spring (the first was in 2014). SUCCESS! Eleven days of hiking and a lot of walking with zero pain. Thanks, Dr. Andrachuk!

After crossing the 49^th parallel into Montana, we arrived at St. Mary Village, our base for two nights. This is where we had the gloomiest weather; however, it rained while we were enjoying our dinner, and then stopped before we left the hotel’s restaurant and were greeted with this:

We saw both ends of the rainbow, but just missed seeing the middle, due to the cloud cover. Scott happened to capture the rainbow in its entirety on his phone and was nice enough to share it with the group:

Beautiful flower baskets hung from every hotel and in every town we visited.

What an amazing first night in the Rockies! That beautiful sight followed what proved to be a big surprise for dinner. Our voucher covered a three-course limited-menu dinner at the hotel’s Snowgoose Grill, which was fabulous, even though it is rated only 3.5 of 5 on Trip Advisor. I should have photographed the massive and delicious marinated strawberry, goat cheese, and candied pecan salad that was served on a bed of mixed greens. It was as large as a main course salad I would order in a restaurant for lunch. Bruce’s soup was tasty! We both ordered salmon, which we ended up choosing for our main course every night, when dinner was included during the tour. Fabulous! When dessert arrived, I had to break out the camera for this giant-sized brownie and Bruce’s apple crumble with huckleberry sauce, both served with delicious Sweet Peaks Montana ice cream. How we made room for it, I’ll never know…

Dinner also included any glass of wine or beer from the list, or a non-alcoholic drink. Bruce’s local huckleberry lemonade was awesome!

We didn’t expect this, that’s for sure. As (mostly) non-meat eaters in beef and buffalo country, we were prepared for 11 protein-craving days of “you’ll-have-nothing-and-like-it.” Oh boy, were we wrong about that!

Our upstairs room at the lodge had rustic mountain décor too cute not to make me laugh. The highlight, however, was the balcony looking out over the river flowing by. We kept our sliding glass door open until we got cold, so we could enjoy the mesmerizing and thoroughly relaxing sound of the water. Ahhh!

Next up: Glacier National Park: St. Mary Lake & Many Glacier

ITALY: DIAMANTE, THE CITY OF MURALS

Posted on October 28, 2019 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

For my final post on Italy, we visit the historic town of Diamante, a small tourist town in the province of Cosenza that dates back thousands of years. Strategically located between the Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas, it was an important trade point through history.

Today, the town of less than 6,000 people relies on fishing and agriculture as well as their main industry: tourism. The big tourist event of the year is the Chili Pepper Festival that takes place in early September each year and celebrates the locally-grown pepperoncino.

In addition to the Chili Pepper Festival, Diamante is known as the “City of Murals,” thanks to painter Nanni Razzetti who pitched his “Operazione Murales” idea to the city’s mayor in 1981 and won approval. That paved the way for established and emerging artists from all over to come to the town and paint murals on the city’s buildings. Each year, more murals are added, and there now more than 150 of them. I would have loved spending more time there and seeing them all, but we did discover several of the murals as we walked up and down the charming streets with narrow cobblestone walkways.

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CLEVER!!! By the way, “Diamante” translates to “Diamond.”

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Our journey home was much like our trip over to Italy, but in reverse. Instead of planes, trains, and automobiles, it began with returning our rental cars, and then taking a train back to Rome. The next day, we took a flight home.

Some of our group on the train ride back to Rome.

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Ciao!

ITALY: SCALEA

Posted on October 20, 2019 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Located near San Nicola Arcella (where we were staying) and along the Tyrrhenian Sea coast, the resort town of Scalea is a big draw for tourists. The old part of town on the hill has been inhabited since prehistoric times, but the lower business district dates back to World War II. As a result, it’s a strange mix.

I didn’t particularly care for the business district, which I found to be quite drab and nondescript. It didn’t have the charm of Maratea, and the shops weren’t particularly interesting. Just one block up the hill; however, was another story. More on that later…

At the far end of the beach, past the lidos, was a nice wading area in between the rocks in the shallow water that was perfect for those who wanted to play or take a dip and cool off. I opted, instead, to go for a swim along the sandy area of the beach. It was beautiful! At about 79 degrees with no current, it was a perfect beach to get in a good open-water swim.

There were also plenty of lidos along the beach of Scalea from which to choose for sunbathing or a beach side lunch. We followed our swim with a delicious lunch at a lido owned by friends of our friend.

On another day in Scalea, our group split up. The other gals went shopping, the guys took a drive to check out the view of old Scalea from other vantage points, and I went for a hike in the old town to explore and do photography.

The old town of Scalea is behind Bruce. Over his right shoulder are ruins dating back 1,000 years.

I was delighted (and excited!) that just one block up from the business district, the feel of Scalea completely changed as I climbed the hill. Asphalt and concrete gave way to ancient cobblestones. I was in my element, and I could feel my somewhat apathetic mood towards Scalea lift as I explored the narrow, winding walkways filled with homes that were built hundreds of years ago. Everywhere I turned, there was something unique to admire and photograph.

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At the very top of the hill, there were ancient ruins that were just begging to be explored. I found a very narrow and steep pathway that required careful footing, but I was determined to hike up and take in the spectacular views of the old town and coastline below.

Other than the disappointment and disgust I felt at the sight of graffiti that had been carelessly painted on the ruins, the hike up was well worth the effort.

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Soon, it was time to meet back up at Jeni’s, a restaurant owned by the good friend of our friend we were traveling with who had once lived in Scalea. Making my way back down the winding walkways, I realized I had put in a pretty good workout and was craving the chocolate gelato I would soon be enjoying.

Jeni makes the best gelato! She sources the best ingredients, including a high-quality single origin chocolate from Ecuador. Her gelato was dairy-free, but it still had a very creamy texture. It was pure heaven!

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That’s Jeni, between me and Bruce.

If you are curious to see more of Scalea, the new James Bond movie is being filmed there.

My final post on Italy will be about Diamante. Stay tuned!

ITALY: THE ANCIENT TOWN OF MARATEA

Posted on October 16, 2019 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

During our stay in San Nicola Arcella, the seven of us in our group hopped in our two rental cars (we were unable to get a hold of a rental van) and headed up to the old town of Maratea, in the province of Potenza, which is in the Basilicata region of Italy, along the Tyrrhenian coast.

Known as the “Pearl of the Tyrrhenian,” Maratea dates back to 15^th – 14^th century BC (based on archeological findings). That’s old!

It is old towns like Maratea that keep us returning to Europe, time and time again. There are always so many interesting things to see and photograph, and fun places to explore.

While the rest of the group relaxed in the plaza at a café with their coffee drinks and gelato, Bruce and I hiked up and down and all around, poking in and out of the twisting, narrow walkways. It was exhilarating!

Here, then, are scenes from the old town of Maratea:

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Hey, Delta Airlines gang, how’s this for “Passport Plum”?

Or, how about this? David, your shorts are so well-coordinated!

ITALY: THE COASTLINE OF SAN NICOLA ARCELLA

Posted on October 14, 2019 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

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When I first stepped out on Villa Crawford’s sundeck and took in the view of San Nicola Arcella’s coastline, all I could say was, “WOW!” It was absolutely gorgeous. Sure, I had seen pictures (like the ones below), but it wasn’t until I saw it in person that I could fully appreciate the beauty of the place.

I had hoped our visit in Italy would be part “swimcation” and part vacation; however, as I mentioned in my first post on Italy, the logistics didn’t allow for a daily morning swim. When I was able to get in a swim, though, it was fabulous! The water temperature was about 78 degrees—perfect competition temperature, and the water visibility was good.

My plan was to swim around the rocky point to see the Arco Magno rock formation and photograph it with my waterproof camera; however, the currents were too strong to risk it. Instead, I joined a gal from our group and hiked over to see it. The views back down to the beach and across the coastline were spectacular! For me, this was one of the highlights of the trip, and the most beautiful scenery of the area.

Our hike began by climbing the stairs all the way up to the top, and then back down the other side. The next two pictures were taken from the stairs. The orange and white umbrellas are at Lido Nettuno where our group relaxed in the shade.

Villa Crawford, our home away from home, was located on the hillside at the far end of the beach. Lido Nettuno is down below.

That’s Bruce (blue shirt) standing next to David (dark shirt), our friend who lived in the area for four years.

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Darshana snapped this shot when I wasn’t looking!

If you plan a beach visit in the Calabria region of Italy when the air temperatures are warm, budget 10 Euro for an umbrella and lounge at one of the lidos that line the beachfront. Each lido has a café in back where you can grab some lunch and enjoy the breeze and views of the beach. If you choose to patronize a lido with a parking lot, they include free parking as well.

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Our group enjoyed our time at Lido Nettuno and had lunch in their café. Check out their nifty cell phone charging station:

The best way to follow up a day at the beach is to enjoy a delicious Italian gelato. There is no shortage of gelaterias in Italy; they’re everywhere! We happened to stop at Dolce Vita for a scoop, and the chocolate that I savored was amazing—dark and rich. Yum!

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Nutella is popular throughout Europe, so most of the gelaterias offer it as a topping on their gelato and waffles. I chose that option on a scoop of chocolate gelato at another gelateria one evening after dinner, and this is the huge jar they pumped it from:

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The European Nutella is darker and tastier than the Canadian-made Nutella we get in the U.S.A., so I brought a jar back with me to enjoy at home. I’ll be sad when that’s gone!

In my next post, come along with me to the town of Maratea.

ITALY: SAN NICOLA ARCELLA

Posted on October 13, 2019 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

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San Nicola Arcella, in the province of Cosenza, and the region of Calabria, has a history dating back 1,000 years; so, it was quite photogenic and fun to poke around. It was small (less than 1,400 residents), so the entire town could be seen on foot. It was quite hilly, though, so it would not be the easiest to navigate for those who are less mobile. The cobblestones also would make it difficult for those confined to a wheelchair.

For me, this is just the type of town I love to explore. I got a good workout in while doing photography and enjoying the visual stimulation.

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There were murals throughout the oldest part of town depicting San Nicola Arcella’s history, which I found to be quite unique and charming.

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At night, the town comes alive with tourists and locals strolling the streets and dining in the cafes. I especially enjoyed how pretty the old, colorfully-painted buildings looked with the lights shining on them.

We were fortunate to be there at the time of a festival celebrating Saint Nicola. As it so happened, while we were exploring the town on foot, we turned a corner and saw the procession coming our way from the church above and headed for the stage set up in the plaza. Talkin’ about being at the right place at the right time!

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Our timing was perfect as well for our 7:30 PM dinner reservation at Johnny’s Pizzeria. After the blessing for Saint Nicola ended at the plaza, the procession continued down the pedestrian street, so we followed along with the crowd. When we arrived at Johnny’s, it was exactly 7:30 PM!

We hadn’t done any research on restaurants in San Nicola Arcella, but we liked the ambience of Johnny’s (and the great smell of the pizza!) each time we had walked by, and the menu looked enticing, so we gave it a try. As it turned out, it’s the top-ranked pizza in town (on Trip Advisor), and we enjoyed our pizza and appetizer very much!

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By the time we left the restaurant, the blue and white festival lights were glowing above. Beautiful!

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Everything about that night in San Nicola Arcella was magical. Just the two of us, exploring on our own, observing the town’s festival, dining on delicious pizza, and enjoying the nightlife; it was perfect!

Next up: San Nicola’s beautiful beach and coast.

ITALY: PLANES, TRAINS, AND AUTOMOBILES

Posted on October 7, 2019 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

We have a friend, a Delta flight attendant, who used to live in southern Italy and returns each year to visit friends. He books the Villa Crawford, in San Nicola Arcella, and then aims to get all of the rooms rented by friends. When he asked if we wanted to join him and rent one of the five bedrooms, it sounded like a great opportunity to be shown the area by a former local who speaks the language and would be able to show us around. It sounded like a great adventure!

Even though we live near Atlanta, Delta’s hub and the busiest airport in the world, we knew getting to San Nicola Arcella, in Calabria, Italy would not be easy. It would require a flight to Rome with an overnight stay near the train station, and then a four-hour train ride the following day to a town where we would be renting two cars for the seven of us. We would then drive to the villa, which (thankfully!) wasn’t too far away.

A plane, train, and then an automobile. After our week at the villa, we would be doing the same thing in reverse.

What we didn’t realize last year when we made the commitment was just how much flights to Europe had gone up in price! A September economy-class flight from Atlanta to Rome was almost $3,700 for the two of us before purchasing travel insurance. Our Delta friends got to fly free.

In all, between the cost of flight, rental car, trains, and accommodations; the per-day cost of our ten-day trip was quite a bit more than a small-group tour with a highly-recommended company such as Vantage Travel (which we have traveled with and would recommend) or Overseas Adventure Travel (which several of our friends have traveled with extensively).

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If you do go to Rome and need a comfortable accommodation at a reasonable price (for Rome), stay at the Aelius Guest House, conveniently located within walking distance to the train station. At about 100 Euros per night with continental breakfast, it was a great value.

The view out our window at the Aelius Guest House, in Rome.

Another view from our room.

Upon arrival, we walked around the neighborhood near our guest house, so we could stay awake and get on Rome time.

Villa Crawford, in San Nicola Arcella, was beautiful, reasonably priced, and had breathtaking views. It was even less expensive than our Rome accommodation and included a fabulous breakfast that we enjoyed each morning out on deck with incredible views. Andrea, the owner, was also very accommodating and couldn’t have been a nicer guy.

That’s Bruce waving from the sun deck (below).

The view from our room

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The most enjoyable thing about staying at Villa Crawford was enjoying the sunsets. Wow!

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The villa’s location did present some challenges, however, due to the extremely steep road leading in and out of the villa and down to the beach. Knowing that ahead of time, we agreed to go only if we would not have to do any of the driving. As it turned out, though, the location also made it difficult for us to be more independent. My hopes of a daily morning swim in the beautiful Mediterranean Sea below were also logistically not practical.

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Our neighbor’s house down the road from us. Cool gate!

A very steep climb back up to Villa Crawford!

Our first dinner was on the patio at Fa Tu, where we enjoyed delicious pizzas that were reasonably priced at about 8 Euros each (see below).

Fa Tu’s inside dining area.

In my next post, I will show you around San Nicola Arcella, a charming town that I really enjoyed exploring on foot.

ADRIATIC COAST: DAY 18 (FINAL)- BUDVA, MONTENEGRO

Posted on February 4, 2019 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

The final two nights of our trip were spent in the coastal town of Budva, the center of Montenegro’s tourism industry. Between the Adriatic Sea, beaches, its well-preserved medieval walled city, restaurants, and night life; Budva attracts all types of tourists, especially the 1% jet-setters.

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Just outside of the walls of Old Town was a row of very expensive luxury yachts owned by wealthy visiting tourists. As we turned away from the docks and entered the walled city, it was like stepping back in time. Sure, there were gift shops and restaurants to remind you that it was the year 2018; however, the architecture and cobblestone pathways were historic reminders that Budva is, indeed, old—2,500 years old!

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Budva is one of the oldest settlements on the Adriatic Coast. Archaeological evidence proves that fact, and we were able to see where some of that evidence was discovered.

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The walled Old Town is situated on a rocky peninsula, and it was beautiful to explore during our private morning walking tour, before it was overrun by tourists. We looked forward to returning in the late afternoon, following our driving tour into the mountains to see Cetinje, the former capital.

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The views were spectacular! We were fortunate to have sunny skies, so we could enjoy the view of the city below.

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On our way to Cetinje, we stopped at a restaurant up in the mountains where we were treated to a local beer, and a “snack” of a delicious sandwich of prosciutto and cheese, after being shown their smokehouse where we learned about the smoking process.

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Following our tour of Cetinje and its museum, our little group had a nice lunch together at a restaurant. We then headed back to Budva to enjoy the remainder of the afternoon on our own. This was the highlight! Exploring the Old Town and coastal walking path during the golden light of the evening was the exclamation point to cap off our visit to Montenegro.

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Dinner the previous night was enjoyed with our guide, Sinisa, and our new Canadian friends; however, this final night was just the two of us enjoying a fabulous buffet while dining on the patio of our hotel. It was a lovely evening, and a perfect way to relax and reflect back on our amazing experiences in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and, finally, Montenegro.

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Thank you, dear readers, for hanging in with me until the end—nearly five months after our travels concluded. I hope you will join me again later this year when I return with more traveler’s tales!

Elaine-iaK's Travels: A Traveler's Tales of People, Places, Photos, Pools… and CHOCOLATE!

Category Archives: International Travel