Adriatic Cruise – Arrival and Montenegro

Our adventure began with driving to another London airport, Luton.  There, we checked in with Thomson Airlines and boarded our flight to Corfu, Greece.  On the final approach, we got to see the beautiful cliffs and turquoise water along the coasts of the island of Corfu. Upon arrival, and after customs, we were greeted by various Thomson representatives leading us to the correct bus going to the cruise liner.  We arrived at the Port of Corfu and checked in with the cruise guides, received our boarding cards and welcome package, and were shown the way to the ship.  On the ship, we were guided to our room and were informed of the options for our evening events.  Our ship had 10 decks, 2 swimming pools, 3 dining options, a theater, a game room, a shopping area, a sporting deck, and an auditorium where all the Broadway-style shows took place.  The rest of that day was spent exploring the ship, eating at the dining facilities, and retiring to bed after we watched our ship pull away from port.

The Thomson Spirit:

The next morning we awoke to a foggy Montenegro as we pulled into the clear, calm waters of the Bay of Kotor.  We decided to join an excursion group for the day to best see as much as we could during our visit.  Our local tour guide, Ryan, was very knowledgeable and informative throughout the day as he explained the history, culture, and life of a local Montenegrin. 
The fog lifting from the Bay of Kotor:

Our tour took us to the village of Perast, which guarded the inlet of the southernmost fjord in Europe.   While in Perast, we took a boat to see Our Lady of the Rocks, a small, man-made island in the bay.  For centuries, local sailors have dropped rocks on this spot in thanks to the Virgin Mary for returning them home safely, eventually building the island and its church.
Village of Perast:

Bay of Kotor islands in the distance:

The island of Our Lady of the Rocks:

Our Lady of the Rocks interior:

Us on the island:

Back on shore, we traveled anti-clockwise around the bay, then took a ferry over the inlet towards the city of Tivat.  We only saw Tivat from the bus, because our next stop was in the resort city of Budva (where the casino in Casino Royale was located).  There we visited the Old Town where the ancient city center was located and walked along the Venetian Citadel that guarded the city.  After our return journey, we toured around the Old Town of Kotor, which had a city wall built very high on the mountain cliffs to defend from ancient inland attackers.
A beach in Budva:

The Old Town of Budva:

Sunset from the Budva Citadel:

The ancient mountainside walls above Kotor:

Montenegro was a very friendly and relaxed country to visit.  I liked a quote our tour guide said, “If a Montenegrin sees another person working, they will keep walking and not help him.  They don’t want to bother him.  However, if a Montenegrin sees another person relaxing, they will join and help him in any way they can.”

~Blake