Collecting Stamps

Our Express Shipment arrived! It was so fun to unpack and get reacquainted with our linens, bedding and clothes. I had a great time adding some personal touches to our new home.

We ventured out again to new countries with new friends this weekend. First we took another beautiful drive along the windy roads through the mountains, up and up and up until we reached the tiny town of Trpezi. Along the way we stopped at several beautiful overlooks. All the while winding along a river that had Jim drooling for his fly rod and reel!

We also stopped in the town of Kolašin. In the winter, Kolašin is a popular tourist destination for the skiing community. While there we had lunch at a delicious local restaurant that boasted many national dishes. One of the dishes, called kačamak, is a combination of boiled potatoes, local cheese and cream. It was as decadent as it sounds! Local folklore is that if you don't finish your portion of kačamak, your significant other will leave you! (Don't worry...we polished off two orders of it with no problem!)

 By the late afternoon we made it to our destination of the Etno Selo Vrelo hotel in Trpezi, Montenegro. It was a lovely new B&B nestled in the mountains. The owner's property also had a beautiful trout farm that is fed by a fresh mountain stream. It was a family run business and we were the only guests so we were made to feel like part of the family! The homemade food was absolutely amazing. All of the veggies were straight from their garden and the trout was on our plates mere minutes after leaving the stream!

 The friends we were with are in a competition with their family to see who can collect the most stamps on their passports so our mission for Sunday was to acquire two more. We left Trpezi and drove across the border into Serbia for a pit stop and then headed back into Montenegro. While this was just a taste to help them accomplish their goal, it made us excited to return some day soon. Next we crossed the border from Montenegro into Kosovo. I have to admit that I wasn't terribly excited about this venture. My small view of the world had given me the impression that Kosovo was going to be a scary place to visit filled with abandoned streets and shelled out buildings. I was quickly proven wrong as we crested the mountain and viewed the thriving town of Peč, Kosovo. We stopped in town for a delicious lunch and to wander around a little. I was quickly reminded that a large part of this experience for me is to open my mind to what the world has to offer. It doesn't mean that we shouldn't be smart and cautious about where we visit, but there's a way to do that and also experience new places that we would never have otherwise.

This week we're focusing on all that is involved in preparing for the application process at the university.  No part of this has been impossible but it has involved lots of return trips, struggles with the language, additional official translations and multiple cups of coffee at cafes.  Turns out it is quite an ordeal!

Until next time,

The Adventuring Armstrongs

Summer in the City

We've been in our new home in Podgorica for just over two weeks and are coming to love it here more and more. The city itself is full of life and youth and families. At any given time, day or night, we can look out our window or balcony and find mothers with their children licking an ice cream, teenagers chatting on park benches, old men having an espresso together at the cafe... it's Summer and the city shows it. We have no less than 30 outdoor cafes within a couple of blocks from our apartment building. Because we're still trying to figure out the grocery stores and the cheap prices of food here, we have frequented almost all of them. We've already decided which ones have the best salads, sandwiches, ćevapi and espresso.

Last weekend we ventured to Dubrovnik, Croatia with some new friends. Our drive took us out of Montenegro, through Bosnia and into Croatia. Adding up stamps on that passport! This drive provided us with some of the most spectacular views.

Once near Dubrovnik, we found a little hotel on the water in Plat, Croatia. The hotel that our friends had booked turned out to be all full but they had a recommendation of a neighbor who rents a room in his house. We're all about the Olmsted experience so we went for it! It ended up being the most charming little place. We definitely plan to stay there again! Not to mention the beautiful scenery...

After an afternoon on the beach and some time exploring, we drove the 10 minutes along the coast into Dubrovnik's Stari Grad (or Old City). It was FULL of tourists as this is their peak season but still just as charming as everyone says. We can't wait to make it back soon and spend more time exploring.

On our way back to Podgorica, we made a stop for the afternoon in Perast, Montenegro. It is a tiny little charming town with great restaurants and even better views and swimming. We spent the afternoon in the water and had a late lunch of fresh fish straight from the Bay!

Wednesday night we went exploring about a half hour outside the city to a tiny town called Rijeka Crnojevića to a restaurant that boasted rave reviews called Stari Most (Old Bridge). Although the road to get there was an adventure in itself, it proved worth it. The views were fantastic and the dinner even better. We dined on local homemade wine and fresh roasted trout and eel. I know the eel sounds scary but it was in fact, delicious!

We continue to be amazed by the wild beauty of this place and feel so very blessed to have this experience!

Until the next adventure...

The Adventuring Armstrongs

We have arrived!

It's been entirely too long since I've posted. Now that we're here in Podgorica and starting to get settled, I'm really going to try to keep up better!

The Adventuring Armstrongs have had an event packed past couple of months. After packing up our lovely house in Monterey and dividing all our stuff into Express Shipment, Household Goods and Long-term Storage we had a few opportunities to say goodbye to the wonderful friends we made during our time there. We are certainly going to miss this place and these people! The Lord truly blessed us with an amazing community while we were there.

After we left Monterey, we had a much anticipated 4 day layover in DC. It was a wonderful time full of friends, family and fun! We were even the guests of honor at a fantastic Fourth of July party at 2225! Many thanks to the lovely ladies of 2225 for hosting!

Upon our arrival in Podgorica, we were picked up from the airport by two of the wonderful staff from the embassy. They drove us to our apartment and helped us settle in a little before we had our first house guests. We're not sure if the Olmsted Foundation gives awards for this or not but we'd like to apply for the award for fastest turnaround from arriving in country and hosting a fellow scholar! Brian and Lucas Krietlow arrived at our apartment about an hour and a half after we did! Brian was the former (and first!) Olmsted Scholar to Montenegro. He and his wife, Liz and their son, Lucas lived here from 2009-2011. Brian was in town to defend his thesis at the University of Montenegro and finish up his masters. We were glad to have them not just to be able to meet these fine people but also to have someone staying with us that could show us the ropes a little.

This weekend we rode with Brian and Lucas in a cab to the coast. We drove through Budva and along the bay to Kotor where we stayed the night. The drive through the mountains provided some of the most amazing scenery that we'd ever seen. Once we got to the coast it was just breathtaking, even though it was rainy! Fortunately the rain cleared for a couple of hours and we were able to enjoy the water and even eat dinner at an open air cafe in Old Town Kotor right amongst beautiful buildings and ruins. One beautiful church was built in the year 803!

So far we are loving our new city and can't wait to get more and more comfortable here. We also have our guest rooms all set up and Hotel Armstrong is accepting visitors!

We love you all and miss you,
The Adventuring Armstrongs