Up the ladder

 After a great nights sleep we were up and at it just after 8 am. We were both fully recovered from the travels and set for a full day of adventuring. Yesterday was hot and today as expected was hotter. It appears that each day is going to be hotter than the last as summer roles into the Adriatic. Plus every couple of days we move ever south into the Ionian, Mediterranean and eventually Aegean regions.After a quick breakfast on the patio we set out to climb “the ladder”. 

The ladder is a long stone footpath leading from the old town of Kotor to its defensive centre on the mountain. The fort of St. Giovanni. Started in the 9th century and only completed as a circuit in the 15th century the walls form a defensive loop around the old town to a height of nearly 1000 meters. We started early to avoid the heat of midday and wound our weary way up the uneven steps. We knew that the local authorities charge to walk the trail and I expected a token payment to climb to the fortress but 8 euros per person seemed a little cheeky. It took a chunk out of our budget for the day and it now seems probable that we will have to “eat in” tonight to try and recoup the monies. Joking aside we prefer to eat in when the option arises. If your travelling for any length of time eating in restaurants every night can get too much as well as expensive.  The views from the trail were, as promised, amazing. Kotor is spectacular from any angle but the views from the fortress equal any that we have seen anywhere and were definitely worth the effort of the climb.  It took us the best part of 3 hours up and down but that included many stops at strategic points to take in the view. At various points on the trail local vendors tried to tempt the unwary traveller from their hard earned euros by offering various cold drinks at elevated prices. At one point I tried to set up my own small business venture into the soft drinks trade but failed miserably. Probably due to the fact I only had two half drank bottles of warm coke cola to offer. Hey ho luck favours the brave.

The walk was incredible and we recommend that if ever you find yourself in Kotor with a few hours to kill you should give it a go.

Here’s some pictures to try and tempt you.

The walk down was an awful lot easier than the walk up. As I said before our little house is directly at the foot of the ladder so we called back in and showered to freshen up and rinse our sweaty clothes through in the shower. We travel to Albania tomorrow and the last thing people on a crowded bus want is a smelly back pack. The great thing about travelling in summer around the southern regions is every day is a great drying day. We hung our washed garb on the wall and set out for a swim.  On the way to the beach we found the auto bus station where we need to be tomorrow morning at 8am to move south. It’s only a maximum of 10 minutes walk from here so it should be no trauma. We sorted the tickets and are now good to go. Yesterday when walking along the bay we noticed an elderly lady swimming in the sea near a little tree covered jetty and decided to head there for our swim. Kotor has a small beach but it is busy with no shade or facilities and is close to the old town. As the temperature was 34 degrees today and the sun very fierce the little jetty seemed perfect. We retraced our steps from yesterday and soon found the little jetty. It must be a popular spot for the local aged community as today there were several of them in various stages of undress ready to take the waters. They were friendly enough but I guessed from their demeanour that they didn’t take kindly to there regular spot being infiltrated by Crispy and me. The water was perfect. Warm and crystal clear. We swam and chilled for an hour before heading back to the accommodation. On the way we called at the local farmers market and bought amazingly fresh salad veg and home made sheep’s cheese for our tea. It was delicious and was very pleasant whilst sat on our little patio.

After tea we strolled around the old town walls as the sun set over the mountains. We had found a little local bar tucked away up an alley in the old town so we headed back there for a night cap. It is proudly called the Invalid bar as the owner is a paraplegic guy that has been given a grant to start a business by the local authorities. It is the cheapest in the town and sells beer at 2.30 Euro per big bottle. Other bars close by charge between 5 and 7 euro for the same thing. His policy obviously works as it is always heaving with locals and tourists savvy enough to find it.  An early start tomorrow to catch the bus and head off to Albania. It’s going to be amazing. Crispy can’t wait.

Bare and Crispy signing off, still up a back alley, Kotor, Montenegro