A Summer of Visitors, Part I

This summer, we have been very blessed to have lots of visitors! It means so much to us that we have had friends and family travel all the way to come see us while we're living this adventure in Eastern Europe. Here's a little account of them in reverse order. And this is only a start! We've still got three groups of visitors yet to come!

Most recently, my Mom and Dad visited us for a week. They took the opportunity while crossing the pond to stop in London and Paris before they joined us. I was so proud of them for taking this travel adventure and for exploring new places. I think this little taste of Europe has given them the travel bug. Hopefully their love of travel will continue for years to come! They left us only yesterday and will spend the upcoming week in Venice, Florence and Rome for the Italian leg of their European tour. I know they will have a wonderful time. It was so great to spend a week exploring Montenegro with them!

We ate lots of yummy food and showed mom and dad the best of Montenegrin traditional cuisine and culture!

Our dear friends from DC, Christie and Mark, came to visit us at the end of June. I have always been inspired by their love of travel and commitment to a regular adventure, even after having precious twins! We had a great two weeks with them and had a blast showing them the mountains and the coast.

Beautiful day for a hike at the Black Lake in Durmitor National Park in Kolašin, Montenegro.

My younger brother and sister-in-law, Brad and Lillie, came to visit at the beginning of June. They were here for two weeks and we went on a grand Italian adventure together. We drove from Podgorica to Split, Croatia and on into Italy where we visited Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples and Bari. In Bari we caught an overnight ferry across the Adriatic Sea to Dubrovnik, Croatia and then we drove back to Podgorica. While in Italy, we met up with my older brother, sister-in-law and two nieces and spent three awesome days exploring with them! Overall, it was such a fun trip filled with fantastic memories made with family.

Brad, Lillie, Jim and me in Rome.

L to R: Chris, Virginia, Abby, Ashley, me, Jim, Lillie and Brad at the Spanish Steps in Rome.

Our friends from DC, Jon and Kristina came to visit us in May. We had a blast showing them some of the best Montenegro has to offer. From the mountain town of Kolašin and the beautiful national park, Biogradska Gora, to the coastal towns of Perast, Petrovac and Kotor, and a peaceful stay just outside the ancient walled-city of Dubrovnik, a great time was had by all! We were so thrilled to have the opportunity to catch up and just spend time together in this beautiful part of the world.

Kristina and Jon at Our Lady of the Rocks church on an island made by local fishermen called Church Island in the bay off of the coast of Perast, Montenegro.

Brian and Christine Devlin were our very first visitors this summer. We met Brian and Christine while we were living in Monterey. They were both students in the Serbian/Croatian language program at the Defense Language Institute while Jim was there. They now live in Ljubljana, Slovenia where Brian is a Foreign Area Officer (FAO) in the Army. Unfortunately, we somehow didn't get a picture with the four of us while they were here but we will always remember their visit as our first guests!

Christine and me near Bar, Montenegro where we stopped to watch the sunset.

We have had such a busy and fun summer with friends and family and can't wait for more to come!  We hope this encourages you to get out and explore!

Until the next adventure,
The Adventuring Armstrongs