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.
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| 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!
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| Olive Festival booths |
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| 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
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