NO GO MONTENEGRO!

Saturday, November 18, 2023—my father’s birthday

The Ionian Sea

Aboard the Enchanted Princess

Room Aloha 212

About 6:30 a.m. the captain’s voice came over the speaker system to tell us that because of weather conditions later today we could not disembark at Kotor.  I did not catch the name of the area, but we were somewhere off the coast of Montenegro.  This is a port where tender boats are used to transport passengers to shore. We understand if the weather is going to be bad later it could be a very uncomfortable, even dangerous situation. Because TK was a charter captain on Lake Erie for ten years, we know the difficulty in cancelling something so many are looking forward to.

TK captured these photos from our ship--the beautiful blue waters, the mountains, the prosperous looking coastal town: 

Montenegro--2023

Montenegro-2023

I think this image hints at the fjord that we would have anchored  in.

Stunning beauty.

The captain also said that in a very windy situation, 

passing through the fjord would be difficult for the ship.

Montenegro--2023

Not only the passengers are affected today, but the tour guides, the bus drivers, the shop owners, and on and on are surely disappointed.  We are fortunate that we visited Montenegro in 2022. It has a very beautiful landscape and the country, formerly part of Yugoslavia, had much culture and history to share.

Montenegro is a small country, 5333 square miles, the size of Connecticut, and 70% of it is mountainous.  The population is 640,000. From 1420 to 1797 it was part of the Venetian empire and there are signs of Venice everywhere. After 1797 it became a part of the Empire of Austria, and after World War I it became part of the new country Yugoslavia.  Since 2006 Montenegro has been an independent country. According to the port lecturer the Roman Catholic churches and the Eastern Orthodox church were harmonious, even sharing churches.

Last year I spotted these firearms in a museum in Montenegro. It is the first time I have seen one like the one I have, originally belonging to my father. I have tried to find out more about the one I have to no avail. I hoped I could do research on it today, but not this year!  Beautiful mother of pearl stock, and etched barrel.                                                                                            

Thus another sea day.