Day 17. A drowned valley with a baroque feel.

In 2004 our eldest son Tim did a year of voluntary service on the book ship MV Doulos. He joined the ship in Kotor, Montenegro. Today as we visit this beautiful place, we imagine how amazing it must have seemed to an18 year old Aussie on his first overseas adventure.

The walled old city is well described as a smaller version of Dubrovnik. Like Dubrovnik, Kotor has a fort positioned above it, guarding the old town. Unlike Dubrovnik the fort’s walls are linked to the town below. As Tim did eleven years ago, we climb the 1350 stone steps to St Giovanni’s Fort, 255 metres above the town. The view of the man made structures is epic. The view of the natural landscape, deep blue green water framed by rocky snowcapped mountains, is divine.

In the radio comedy the Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy there is a fascinating discussion between Arthur Dent and a guy called Slartibartfast, who was allegedly responsible for designing the fjords in Norway.  Slartibartfast came up with an ingenious idea of adding fjords to Africa because… ‘they give a continent a sort of baroque feel’. The place where Tim sailed, on his first voyage, was once known as Europe’s southernmost fjord. In fact the Bay of Kotor (known as Boka) is a winding bay of the Adriatic Sea and is actually a ria (a drowned river valley), just like Kilindini Harbour in Kenya (Africa) and another famous ria, Sydney Harbour. 

Geography aside,  our wonderful experience is heightened by walking in Tim’s footsteps.