Regional Adventures

Belgrade

After spending the past several months getting to know Podgorica and the surrounding area in Montenegro, we decided that it was time to venture out a little further from home. We booked a last minute flight and contacted the Andersons in Belgrade, Serbia. The Andersons are another Olmsted couple that are a year ahead of us so they have been in Belgrade for a year and a half. They have been a great example and inspiration to us with our travels in the region. Caryn put together an awesome itinerary full of spots to see around their city. Unfortunately, it was rather cold and rainy while we were in Serbia but it certainly didn't stop us from exploring!

In front of a beautiful old church at Kalemegdan.

Kalemegdan is a park that contains a fortress and several churches in the heart of Belgrade on a hill overlooking the joining of the Sava and Danube rivers. The original fortress was built in 535 A.D. and was under the rule of many different empires over the years.

Jim posing with a tank outside the Military Museum.

Mmmmm...Mulled Wine.

We had lunch at a beautiful cafe that overlooked the river and part of the fortress. This is where we discovered what would come to be one of my favorite parts of this trip...mulled wine! It is so wonderful to come into a cafe out of the cold and warm up with a cup of steaming, spiced, citrus-y, cinnamon-y red wine. What could be yummier than that?! It turned out that just about everywhere we went on this trip served it. So of course we made it our mission to decide who had the best!

With Mike and Caryn at Kalemegdan Fortress.

Mike and Caryn were fantastic hosts. They clearly love their city and were excited to show it off to us. We look forward to coming back to see them again. Especially when the weather is a bit nicer!

Church of St. Sava on a rainy evening.

The church of Saint Sava is a Serbian Orthodox church in Belgrade. The exterior was completed in 1989 but the inside is still a work in progress. It was absolutely beautiful, even in the rain!

Serbian Radio and Television station bombed by NATO.

There are several buildings in Belgrade that were bombed by NATO in the 1990s during the war. Some of the destruction is covered in screens but many of the buildings still look like the one pictured above. In some way, the fact that the buildings have not been repaired serves as a reminder that they are yet to forgive and the wounds are still fresh. Because Montenegro largely escaped the majority of the bombings, this was the first physical proof of the war that we've seen. It provided interesting insight into our region and its troubled history.

Novi Sad

On Tuesday, we drove from Belgrade to Novi Sad, Serbia. Novi Sad also holds much history and boasts beautiful architecture. Despite the rain, we were still able to tour a little and know that this city still holds much more for us to see on our next visit.

Beautiful architecture in Novi Sad.

We did get to meet up with my wonderful tutor, Marina who lives in Novi Sad. She is the tutor who I Skyped with twice a week while we were in Monterey. It was great to meet her in person and let her show us her lovely city - and hear my progress in the language! We will be back to see her, and the city, again!

Marina and me!

Budapest

On Wednesday, we drove from Novi Sad across the border into Budapest, Hungary. Almost as soon as we crossed the border, the clouds parted and the sun came out! Although it was chilly, the weather was nice for the duration of our stay in Budapest. Budapest is the capital and largest city in Hungary and one of the largest cities in the European Union. The city is divided into two parts. Buda on one side of the river and Pest on the opposite side. The architecture was some of the most fantastic we've seen yet since living in Europe.

St. Stephen's Basilica

Our hotel was in the center of the city right next to Saint Stephen's Basilica. St. Stephen's is a Roman Catholic Church that was completed in 1905. It is as beautiful and impressive inside as it is outside. The square in front of the church was filled with a Christmas Market. Each of the booths had food, sweets, mulled wine (!) and lovely hand made Hungarian crafts. It was a feast for all the senses!

St. Stephen's Basilica with the Christmas Market in front of it.

Clearly, St. Stephen's made for some great photos!

Amazingly delicious cabbage and sausage in a bread bowl we had for lunch at the Christmas Market.

Heroes' Square

Heroes' Square is one of the main squares in Budapest. It has many statues of important figures in Hungarian history and also the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It is also the site of the first underground metro in Budapest.

Beautiful architecture overlooking a skate rink.

On our last evening in Budapest, Mike and Caryn took us on a Danube River Boat Dinner Cruise. They served delicious Hungarian national food and wine. Hungarian wine is fantastic! If we hadn't been flying back home, I would have bought several bottles! The views of the buildings lit up at night were breathtaking. It was cold on the deck of the boat but worth it to capture some photos!

Beautiful views from the Danube River Dinner Cruise.

Caryn and me on the Dinner Cruise with the Chain Link Bridge behind us.

Parliament from the Buda side of the Danube.

Fantastically beautiful church at Fisherman's Bastion.

Can you spot us?

Overall, this trip was a fantastic start to our exploration of the region. We are motivated and excited to continue to learn about the area and history. Stay tuned for our next trip!

Until the next adventure,
The Adventuring Armstrongs

Stari Bar Olive Festival

One cool day at the end of November, Jim and I drove south on the coast to the town of Bar. Bar is a port town that is mostly industrial. It is where you can catch the ferry that takes you from the coast of Montenegro to the coast of Italy. Off the beaten path a little, far up the side of the mountain, you will find Stari (Old Town) Bar. It is one of the most unique little Montenegrin villages we have come upon at any time of the year but every Fall they have an Olive Festival that transforms the village from quaint to magical. As you wander up through the cobblestone streets past vendors selling their crafts, olives, oil, cheeses, honey, soaps and other wares, you eventually arrive at the entrance to the ruins of a fortress.

Lovely and delicious marinated olives.

We bought about a half kilogram of marinated olives to have at home for snacks. They are very flavorful with herbs and garlic. Jim can't get enough of them!

Exploring the fortress ruins of Stari Bar.

The ruins had many pathways and tunnels to get lost in. We had a great time exploring all the spots and enjoying the view from the top.

Delicious restaurant at the foot of the fortress ruins.

We had lunch at the Restoran Kaldrama. It was clearly family owned and our waiter was a 12 year-old boy. He spoke fantastic English and was just such a pleasure to chat with. I ordered black tea and he responded, "we have black tea if you would like, but might I recommend our home-made domestic tea?" It had fresh herbs of oragano, rosemary, thyme and lavendar in the pot with hot water. The pot and cup came with a little strainer that you pour through to catch the herbs. It was the most interesting and delicious tea I've ever had! We also had him recommend some food for lunch and he put together a large plate of meats and vegetables that are traditional to the Southern part of Montenegro and Albania. It was amazing. He was a great little salesman. It was wonderful to watch him work. He clearly took pride in his family restaurant.

Olive Festival booths

View of the ruins of the fortress of Stari Bar from across the valley.

Even though the Olive Festival is only once a year, we look forward to exploring Stari Bar many more times. It was a charming little village!

Until the next adventure,
The Adventuring Armstrongs

Day Trips around Montenegro

One of the things we have loved most about living in Montenegro is its close proximity to so many interesting places. Within an hour drive you can be at several different coastal towns or mountain villages. And that is all while staying in the tiny country of Montenegro. Some of you may remember that Montenegro is roughly the size of Connecticut so short day trips are easy and fun.

Here are a few of the day trips (some of them we stayed a couple of nights) all within Montenegro and all within a 2 hour drive of Podgorica.

Petrovac:

Petrovac is one of the little coastal towns within the Budva municipality. It is located between Budva and Bar where the old mountain road from Podgorica reaches the coast. It is one of the parts of the coast that has a more sandy/small rocks beach rather than a rocky beach. It is considered one of the "calmer" resort towns than its bustling neighbor, Budva. Jim and I dove down here for a Sunday through Tuesday stay. It was one of the last warm spells in October and we were even able to lay out and swim in the Adriatic, although it was freezing water! Yet another reason why everyone there assumed we were Russians - we were willing to swim! One of the advantages of visiting these coastal towns in the off season is the amazing deals. Because they really cater to the tourists during the 6 weeks to two months of Summer, the prices for hotels and resorts plummet in the off season. Plus, it's much quieter and more relaxed.

Old Town Kotor:

Kotor is also a coastal town that takes a little over an hour to drive to from Podgorica. Kotor has one of the best preserved medieval old towns in the Adriatic and is a UNESCO world heritage site. It is home to numerous sights, such as the Cathedral of Saint Tryphon in the old town (built in 1166), and the ancient walls which stretch for 3 mi directly above the city. Jim and I went to Kotor for the day on a sunny Sunday at the end of October. Our main reason for going was to climb the stairs up the ancient walls to the fortification from the Venetian period. It was quite a hike and I know my legs felt like jello once we reached the top but the view made the hike well worth it. We finished our day with a glass of wine and piece of cake at one of the many cafes within the walls of Old Town Kotor.

Kolašin:

Kolašin is a town in the northern part of Montenegro in the mountains. During the winter, it is one of the premier ski resorts in the region. We look forward to going back once they have snow but for now it is a sleepy little town with a lot of charm. We found a restaurant that we've now been to twice. They serve a national dish called kačamak that is basically like mashed potatoes on crack. It is the most amazing combination of potatoes, cheese, cream and corn meal. There is an old wives tale that if you don't finish your portion of kačamak, your significant other will leave you! Yikes! If I get brave enough, I may try to replicate the recipe at home and write about it...stay tuned. These pictures are especially green because they are from our first trip to Kolašin in August. We went again just two weeks ago.

Herceg Novi:

Herceg Novi is also a coastal town at the entrance of the Bay of Kotor. It is as far North on the coast of Montenegro that you can go before reaching the Croatian border. Jim and I stayed at a resort here for two nights while he attended a conference about Organized Crime in the Balkans. It was the middle of November so the weather was in the low 50s but sunny and beautiful. While Jim was in the conference, I wandered around and took pictures on the grounds by the Adriatic and across the little bay into Old Town Herceg Novi. We went into the Old Town for dinner one evening and had a great time. We want to come back and explore when it is light out so that we can take more pictures!

Biogradska Gora National Park:

Biogradska Gora is a forest and National Park North of Kolašin. The park has 6 glacial lakes. Five are at an altitude of 1,820 meters! We enjoyed walking the trails and exploring a small part of this national park. We will certainly be back soon for more hikes! (We didn't stay long enough the first time because it was freezing and I wasn't dressed appropriately!)

I don't think we will ever tire of all the fantastic adventure spots just within a day's drive from our city. It will make it especially fun to have visitors to show around! Thank you for joining me on this little journey around Montenegro.

Until the next adventure,
The Adventuring Armstrongs

USMC Birthday Ball & Baby Shower

The past couple of weeks held two fun events! The 239th Birthday of the United States Marine Corps and a baby shower for two lovely friends I've made here in Montenegro.

The embassy in Podgorica received a Marine Security Detachment less than a year ago so this was the first Birthday Ball they have had here. It was a great time filled with the Marines, embassy staff and local contacts. Although it was very different than the huge TBS balls I went to with Jim in Richmond, it had it's own charm and stuck to the tradition nicely. Jim pulled out his uniform for its once a year wearing and even got a hair cut for the occasion!

 Jim, the Marines and other military staff at the embassy.

 Me with a couple of lovely friends I have made through the International Women's Club of Montenegro.

This Saturday, I attended and was the photographer for a baby shower for a couple of embassy family friends. We had a wonderful time celebrating Lejla and Jennifer. We were even fortunate enough that it was hosted at the home of the ambassador. It was a great time with new friends, local and American alike!

 Jen, one of the moms-to-be (and a sweet new friend) and me.

 Lejla and Jen, the moms-to-be!

 The cake was beautiful!

 All of the ladies in attendance. 

A few of my fellow members of the International Women's Club of Montenegro.

It has been an eventful couple of weeks here in Montenegro! We're looking forward to discovering the other activities that this Fall and Winter have to offer as we head into the holiday season.

Until the next adventure,
The Adventuring Armstrongs