I have had a fiddle with Google Maps and we now have a map of the trip. You can use the tools to move around, zoom in or out, view a satelite image of the map and much more, but it may be a bit slow depending on your connection.
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3 Months, 4 Countries 
It feels like a bit of a watershed. We have now been living onboard for over 3 months and we are in our fourth country, Montenegro. I love the name, "Black Mountain". It is the newest country in the world with a population of about 700,000. It has an air of mystery as it is far less travelled than where we have been. In fact, everyone we have met coming up from the south has avoided Montenegrin waters.
Our first night was lovely. We were in the first basin of the Gulf of Kotor (Boka Kotorska), U. Krtole. The day had been a long one with checking out of Croatia, good sailing for about 30NM down the coast, checking in to M
ontenegro (which was very straight forward, the officials even gave us a Montenegrin courtesy flag as it was impossible to get one in Croatia - see the pic of Ross raising our Q flag; a Q flag indicates that we seek entry and that we are free of disease and that sort of thing) and then the search for a suitable anchorage.
When we finally anchored, the weather was fine and we took the bimini and sprayhood down so that we could fully appreciate the panorama. We had dinner in the biggest dining room in the world. The skies were huge, with 360 degree view of islands with dramatic mountain back
drop in this waterway known as the fjord lands of Southern Europe. We were the only yacht in the bay.
It feels like a bit of a watershed. We have now been living onboard for over 3 months and we are in our fourth country, Montenegro. I love the name, "Black Mountain". It is the newest country in the world with a population of about 700,000. It has an air of mystery as it is far less travelled than where we have been. In fact, everyone we have met coming up from the south has avoided Montenegrin waters.
Our first night was lovely. We were in the first basin of the Gulf of Kotor (Boka Kotorska), U. Krtole. The day had been a long one with checking out of Croatia, good sailing for about 30NM down the coast, checking in to M
ontenegro (which was very straight forward, the officials even gave us a Montenegrin courtesy flag as it was impossible to get one in Croatia - see the pic of Ross raising our Q flag; a Q flag indicates that we seek entry and that we are free of disease and that sort of thing) and then the search for a suitable anchorage.When we finally anchored, the weather was fine and we took the bimini and sprayhood down so that we could fully appreciate the panorama. We had dinner in the biggest dining room in the world. The skies were huge, with 360 degree view of islands with dramatic mountain back
drop in this waterway known as the fjord lands of Southern Europe. We were the only yacht in the bay. I found this lovely image of near where we stayed: http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Europe/Montenegro/photo551359.htm
It was, in some ways, a relief to be out of Croatia. The last month had been rather harrowing with the volume and often franticness of boat activity. Also, we have been on the move since leaving Vis as there were a number of places to visit and our 3 month visa period rapidly drawing to its end.
After the wonderful Kut quay on Vis (if you click on the photo there is a w
hite house in the middle and Mike, who was mentioned in the last entry, standing on the top balcony waving us off) we planned to go to Korcula Otok, Lastovo Otok, Mljet Otok and finally to Dobrovnik then out of the country. All ‘not to be missed’ destinations and all in 12 days - not our usual pace!
Korcula
The approach to Korcula from the west was very impressive with the mountains of the Peljesac Peninsula to the left and the fortified town of Korcula to the right. Apparently it was a
favourite holiday location for the Greeks 2000 years ago. It was certainly the greenest island that we had seen. If you are interested you will find some information about the architecture and design of the town here: http://www.korculainfo.com/arhitecture/korcula-old-town.html.
I have been generally amazed throughout Croatia by the Venetian architecture and the preservation of the mediaeval towns, the Roman ruins but these southern islands and Dubrovnik are just incredible. If we had anything like this in Australia it would be cordoned off and opened to limited numbers of experts one day a month. Here there are derelict Roman ruins with animal hutches in them, medieval houses lived in and next door roofless with trees growing through the windows and left to decay – renovators delight! – walks along tumbling down fortress walls, but you can go almost anywhere exploring: occ health and safety nightmares for Australia.
We anchored amongst some small islands at the eastern end of Korcula, south of O. Badija on the oorstep of a Monastery which we explored in the evening. The next day, we dingied i
nto Korcula town for a bit of exploration, to get a feel for the old town with its very impressive Venetian architecture. It claims to house the birthplace of Marco Polo although there is no real evidence for this, nonetheless we payed 15 kuna to see the old family home and climbed to the top of the tower where the view was very nice. There was the inevitable food shopping to attend to and on return to the boat we swam in the clear waters.
The following day we moved a bit further south to a lovely spot near Lumbarda. In the evening we walked through the old residential area of the town which folds around the bay. The views to sea were gorgeous; the inevitable church on the hill, big old houses along narrow windy roads, gardens lush, lived in terraces, yards with the standard and substantial Croatian brick barbeque in each, the smell of ripe figs heavy in the air and on the inland side acres of grape vines filled the valley.
After a night in an uncomfortable swell we made an early start for Lastovo. As we rounded the south eastern corner of the island we looked back to a very picturesque view of green hills, coves, the golden sun waking Lumbarda village and scattered islands. Korcula, the island was deserving of more exploration but you have to save something for next time. We were keen to make our way out to the more remote Lastovo Island.
Lastovo
After a very gentle morning sail we tied up to a quay in a small bay on the
north side of the island, Zalopatica (see pic). There were a few restaurants, houses and holiday apartments; no shops. In the coolness of the evening we walked about 5km to Lastovo town which is a fantastic hidden away, amazingly preserved, mediaeval town surrounded by vineyards, olive groves, fruit orchards and vegetable plots.
Many of the towns in the outer islands are inland, hidden away from pirates and other invaders and this one is truly tucked away. Like so many of these island towns Lastovo is mostly derelict as the population has moved away, but still lived in and incredibly intact and now foreigners are buying and renovating classic buildings as holiday homes and getaways.
Miraculously we found Kornoba Bacvara, hidden in the twisty windy lanes at the bottom of the old town. In an ancient building, it felt rather like a cave; acoustically and visually with its hefty raw stone walls, the rustic tables and decoration. It felt authentically Croatian and the food and wine were good.
The next day, the woman in the tourist office said that the people of the island were pirates, so I guess they had the best strategies for dealing with same. She also pointed out the unusual chimneys on the houses, unique to the island. Horns were sometimes put on the top to ward of evil spirits and if you fell out with a neighbour the horns get tilted in their direction. We immediately went in search of a horned chimney and, yes, they continue to exist.
Apparently this island was also where Odysseus was held captive by the nymph Calypso. I could think of far worse places to be stranded with a nymph, but it is a long way from the hustle and bustle – as one of the tourist brochures says, “for those who do not mind silence of the closest hamburgers being over 100 kilometres away!”
We hired a motor bike to further explore the island further and it was lovely, hardly any vehicles and the road wound through forests and coast, few people, secluded bays with crystal clear water, a smattering of small islands and the oldest light house in Dalmatia. Unfortunately the bike ran out of puff going up hill so we did not get to the top of the highest mountain to check the view (no we have not been piling on weight). Apparently on a clear day you can see all the way to Dubrovnik – another thing to save for next time.
Mljet
Mljet Island is mostly national park. Whilst quite a small island, it especially known for the wild life and its picturesque two lakes, one with the island Benedictine Monastery of St Mary which is very remote (and would have been more so in the 12th century when it was first established) and has an exquisite church. We did a big walk the next day around the lakes and to the other main bay (Pomena) and saw many butterflies.
We anchored at the head of the very protected Polace bay, a serene spot, mostly surrounded by forest but with the village activity visible. It would have been good to stay for a few days to do more walking and generally lap up the peace and quite.
It was nearing the end of the month and there were far fewer boats than we have been used to, so that made this island all the more relaxing. There were, however, some amazing cars and motorbikes available for hire - reminiscent of Zafari Art. Here is the white cat car but my favourite was the tabby motor bike with matching helmet with ears.
As we left for Dubrovnik in the morning there
was an amazing super yacht anchored in the outer bay. Its back end was open and on one side the standard deluxe tender was tethered and on the other a hard top speed boat modelled on a classic Rolls Royce - forgot to mention the super yacht in Korcula with its own helicopter – what ever takes your fancy! 
Dubrovnik
Initially, we anchored in Slano Bay, north of Dubrovnik. After being out in the islands we thought we would slowly transition in to the hustle of a big town. The 20 minute bus ride into town provided an excellent tour of the dramatic coastline from the cliff tops and we checked out the river and marina alongside Dubrovnik where we intended to base o
urselves next for refuelling and restocking.
Dubrovnik is a beautiful intact and substantial fortress town; a world heritage site. It was sooo busy. Tour groups galore, back packers, the wealthy, the glamorous, fashion tragics, the regular all nation assortment of families and people speaking all languages; a people watching feast.
This town is largely built out of white stone with marble streets, large elegant plazas, baroque palaces, churches, cathedral, fountains and monuments. The finely carved stone recalls an eventful history and a cultivated artistic tradition. It is amazing to imagine that the town sustained incredible bomb damage (over 2,000 bombs and guided missiles) during the war with Serbia and Montenegro in 1991/92. It has been immaculately restored, although the scars are there. We walked all the way around the town along the top of the fortifications and viewed from all angles the infamous orange tiled roof line - yes, that is us smiling and sweati
ng like mad on the walk, it must have been 38 degrees. With the bomb damage it has been difficult to replicate the traditional roof tiles so the re-roofing of the town has been a restoration project in its own right. Interestingly the town has been rebuilt on a number of occasions most notably after an earthquake in 1667.
Much more time could be spent exploring this amazing place but in cooler weather and with fewer tourists would be best.
We ticked Dubrovnik off the list and headed down the coast to Cavtat, our port of exit. It is
a picturesque little town on the site of Epidarium, a Roman town destroyed in the 7th Century. We thought we would be spending one night only and had a bit of a farewell dinner at a nice restaurant, but in the morning the wind came up and then blew relentlessly for the day. The next day the wind was slightly milder but coming from where we wanted to go so again there was no point in leaving until it calmed. Incredibly, to anchor in the Cavtat harbour incurred a 20 euro per night fee, so we were not keen to hang around. We moved to the next bay and spent another night on the boat on anchor watch as the hold in the bay was unreliable.
Kotor, Montenegro
So here we are in Kotor at the head of Southern Europe’s deepest fjord. Another walled town but far more rustic than Dobrovnik, and in many ways I prefer this. It is more modest but has many eye catching architectural features; from the middl
e-ages to the days of the Austro Hungarian Empire, former aristocratic mansions, a Venetian arsenal, an award winning restoration of the elegant St Tryphon cathedral originally built in the 11th C and a city wall which scrambles up the mountain under which the town is nestled – yes, we did climb to the top and the views were spectacular.
Montenegro feels further east. There are more Albanian looking people, less English is spoken, more eastern European languages which
I cannot distinguish take its place, the people look like they have worked hard and that life is tougher here, the cars are older, the churches are a mixture of Catholic and Orthodox, the towers no longer have spires but are onion shaped, the signs are in Cyrillic and roman, our first coffee out was Turkish. The beer is good and reasonably priced and the wine is good (yay!). The Croatians have a noble history
in wine making going back over 2,000 years, but I think the methods may need a little updating. Ross describes it as cat’s piss. The Montenegrins are leaps and bounds ahead on the wine front.
I have spent the last two nights staying in the Hotel Marija, finally indulging my urge to spend some time on land in a room that does not rock. It felt terribly decadent but it was great. My sister was going to be in London for work and I had planned to catch up with her there for 4 days at the end of August, but at the last minute it fell through. I was so looking forward to it and we were both terribly disappointed. So, I think this took the place of the cancelled trip in a small way. I could get up in the morning and have a hot shower and not worry about the amount of water being used. I could read until late and use my computer at any time and not worry about using up the power. I could go for a walk without wrangling with the tender. I didn’t bang my head or elbow on anything – not once! Breakfast was included and here they know how to do a cooked breakfast. That being said I am very happy to be home again, replenished. Do you think I will now be forever excluded from Amazonian ranks?
It was, in some ways, a relief to be out of Croatia. The last month had been rather harrowing with the volume and often franticness of boat activity. Also, we have been on the move since leaving Vis as there were a number of places to visit and our 3 month visa period rapidly drawing to its end.
After the wonderful Kut quay on Vis (if you click on the photo there is a w
hite house in the middle and Mike, who was mentioned in the last entry, standing on the top balcony waving us off) we planned to go to Korcula Otok, Lastovo Otok, Mljet Otok and finally to Dobrovnik then out of the country. All ‘not to be missed’ destinations and all in 12 days - not our usual pace!Korcula
The approach to Korcula from the west was very impressive with the mountains of the Peljesac Peninsula to the left and the fortified town of Korcula to the right. Apparently it was a
favourite holiday location for the Greeks 2000 years ago. It was certainly the greenest island that we had seen. If you are interested you will find some information about the architecture and design of the town here: http://www.korculainfo.com/arhitecture/korcula-old-town.html.I have been generally amazed throughout Croatia by the Venetian architecture and the preservation of the mediaeval towns, the Roman ruins but these southern islands and Dubrovnik are just incredible. If we had anything like this in Australia it would be cordoned off and opened to limited numbers of experts one day a month. Here there are derelict Roman ruins with animal hutches in them, medieval houses lived in and next door roofless with trees growing through the windows and left to decay – renovators delight! – walks along tumbling down fortress walls, but you can go almost anywhere exploring: occ health and safety nightmares for Australia.
We anchored amongst some small islands at the eastern end of Korcula, south of O. Badija on the oorstep of a Monastery which we explored in the evening. The next day, we dingied i
nto Korcula town for a bit of exploration, to get a feel for the old town with its very impressive Venetian architecture. It claims to house the birthplace of Marco Polo although there is no real evidence for this, nonetheless we payed 15 kuna to see the old family home and climbed to the top of the tower where the view was very nice. There was the inevitable food shopping to attend to and on return to the boat we swam in the clear waters.The following day we moved a bit further south to a lovely spot near Lumbarda. In the evening we walked through the old residential area of the town which folds around the bay. The views to sea were gorgeous; the inevitable church on the hill, big old houses along narrow windy roads, gardens lush, lived in terraces, yards with the standard and substantial Croatian brick barbeque in each, the smell of ripe figs heavy in the air and on the inland side acres of grape vines filled the valley.
After a night in an uncomfortable swell we made an early start for Lastovo. As we rounded the south eastern corner of the island we looked back to a very picturesque view of green hills, coves, the golden sun waking Lumbarda village and scattered islands. Korcula, the island was deserving of more exploration but you have to save something for next time. We were keen to make our way out to the more remote Lastovo Island.
Lastovo
After a very gentle morning sail we tied up to a quay in a small bay on the
north side of the island, Zalopatica (see pic). There were a few restaurants, houses and holiday apartments; no shops. In the coolness of the evening we walked about 5km to Lastovo town which is a fantastic hidden away, amazingly preserved, mediaeval town surrounded by vineyards, olive groves, fruit orchards and vegetable plots.
Many of the towns in the outer islands are inland, hidden away from pirates and other invaders and this one is truly tucked away. Like so many of these island towns Lastovo is mostly derelict as the population has moved away, but still lived in and incredibly intact and now foreigners are buying and renovating classic buildings as holiday homes and getaways.
Miraculously we found Kornoba Bacvara, hidden in the twisty windy lanes at the bottom of the old town. In an ancient building, it felt rather like a cave; acoustically and visually with its hefty raw stone walls, the rustic tables and decoration. It felt authentically Croatian and the food and wine were good.
The next day, the woman in the tourist office said that the people of the island were pirates, so I guess they had the best strategies for dealing with same. She also pointed out the unusual chimneys on the houses, unique to the island. Horns were sometimes put on the top to ward of evil spirits and if you fell out with a neighbour the horns get tilted in their direction. We immediately went in search of a horned chimney and, yes, they continue to exist.
Apparently this island was also where Odysseus was held captive by the nymph Calypso. I could think of far worse places to be stranded with a nymph, but it is a long way from the hustle and bustle – as one of the tourist brochures says, “for those who do not mind silence of the closest hamburgers being over 100 kilometres away!”
We hired a motor bike to further explore the island further and it was lovely, hardly any vehicles and the road wound through forests and coast, few people, secluded bays with crystal clear water, a smattering of small islands and the oldest light house in Dalmatia. Unfortunately the bike ran out of puff going up hill so we did not get to the top of the highest mountain to check the view (no we have not been piling on weight). Apparently on a clear day you can see all the way to Dubrovnik – another thing to save for next time.
Mljet
Mljet Island is mostly national park. Whilst quite a small island, it especially known for the wild life and its picturesque two lakes, one with the island Benedictine Monastery of St Mary which is very remote (and would have been more so in the 12th century when it was first established) and has an exquisite church. We did a big walk the next day around the lakes and to the other main bay (Pomena) and saw many butterflies.
We anchored at the head of the very protected Polace bay, a serene spot, mostly surrounded by forest but with the village activity visible. It would have been good to stay for a few days to do more walking and generally lap up the peace and quite.
It was nearing the end of the month and there were far fewer boats than we have been used to, so that made this island all the more relaxing. There were, however, some amazing cars and motorbikes available for hire - reminiscent of Zafari Art. Here is the white cat car but my favourite was the tabby motor bike with matching helmet with ears.
As we left for Dubrovnik in the morning there
was an amazing super yacht anchored in the outer bay. Its back end was open and on one side the standard deluxe tender was tethered and on the other a hard top speed boat modelled on a classic Rolls Royce - forgot to mention the super yacht in Korcula with its own helicopter – what ever takes your fancy! 
Dubrovnik
Initially, we anchored in Slano Bay, north of Dubrovnik. After being out in the islands we thought we would slowly transition in to the hustle of a big town. The 20 minute bus ride into town provided an excellent tour of the dramatic coastline from the cliff tops and we checked out the river and marina alongside Dubrovnik where we intended to base o
urselves next for refuelling and restocking.Dubrovnik is a beautiful intact and substantial fortress town; a world heritage site. It was sooo busy. Tour groups galore, back packers, the wealthy, the glamorous, fashion tragics, the regular all nation assortment of families and people speaking all languages; a people watching feast.
This town is largely built out of white stone with marble streets, large elegant plazas, baroque palaces, churches, cathedral, fountains and monuments. The finely carved stone recalls an eventful history and a cultivated artistic tradition. It is amazing to imagine that the town sustained incredible bomb damage (over 2,000 bombs and guided missiles) during the war with Serbia and Montenegro in 1991/92. It has been immaculately restored, although the scars are there. We walked all the way around the town along the top of the fortifications and viewed from all angles the infamous orange tiled roof line - yes, that is us smiling and sweati
ng like mad on the walk, it must have been 38 degrees. With the bomb damage it has been difficult to replicate the traditional roof tiles so the re-roofing of the town has been a restoration project in its own right. Interestingly the town has been rebuilt on a number of occasions most notably after an earthquake in 1667.Much more time could be spent exploring this amazing place but in cooler weather and with fewer tourists would be best.
We ticked Dubrovnik off the list and headed down the coast to Cavtat, our port of exit. It is
a picturesque little town on the site of Epidarium, a Roman town destroyed in the 7th Century. We thought we would be spending one night only and had a bit of a farewell dinner at a nice restaurant, but in the morning the wind came up and then blew relentlessly for the day. The next day the wind was slightly milder but coming from where we wanted to go so again there was no point in leaving until it calmed. Incredibly, to anchor in the Cavtat harbour incurred a 20 euro per night fee, so we were not keen to hang around. We moved to the next bay and spent another night on the boat on anchor watch as the hold in the bay was unreliable.Kotor, Montenegro
So here we are in Kotor at the head of Southern Europe’s deepest fjord. Another walled town but far more rustic than Dobrovnik, and in many ways I prefer this. It is more modest but has many eye catching architectural features; from the middl
e-ages to the days of the Austro Hungarian Empire, former aristocratic mansions, a Venetian arsenal, an award winning restoration of the elegant St Tryphon cathedral originally built in the 11th C and a city wall which scrambles up the mountain under which the town is nestled – yes, we did climb to the top and the views were spectacular.Montenegro feels further east. There are more Albanian looking people, less English is spoken, more eastern European languages which
I cannot distinguish take its place, the people look like they have worked hard and that life is tougher here, the cars are older, the churches are a mixture of Catholic and Orthodox, the towers no longer have spires but are onion shaped, the signs are in Cyrillic and roman, our first coffee out was Turkish. The beer is good and reasonably priced and the wine is good (yay!). The Croatians have a noble history
in wine making going back over 2,000 years, but I think the methods may need a little updating. Ross describes it as cat’s piss. The Montenegrins are leaps and bounds ahead on the wine front.I have spent the last two nights staying in the Hotel Marija, finally indulging my urge to spend some time on land in a room that does not rock. It felt terribly decadent but it was great. My sister was going to be in London for work and I had planned to catch up with her there for 4 days at the end of August, but at the last minute it fell through. I was so looking forward to it and we were both terribly disappointed. So, I think this took the place of the cancelled trip in a small way. I could get up in the morning and have a hot shower and not worry about the amount of water being used. I could read until late and use my computer at any time and not worry about using up the power. I could go for a walk without wrangling with the tender. I didn’t bang my head or elbow on anything – not once! Breakfast was included and here they know how to do a cooked breakfast. That being said I am very happy to be home again, replenished. Do you think I will now be forever excluded from Amazonian ranks?
Today it is quite cool, the coolest in months and the atmosphere with dark clouds whisking the tops of the mountains is quite Wagnerian. It has rained so when the sun comes out everything sparkles. Apparently it has snowed in Croatia so we expect that it will cool further over the next couple of days. And, yes, there has been more storms. Thank goodness we are heading south where it is still warm, well, hot – I hope.
And from Ross…
Another Fairground Attraction. 23/8/07
A bit melancholy as it’s my mother’s birthday today and now almost seven years since she died. I’ll make sure to have a drink to her tonight.
Life on a boat isn’t filled with the relentless activity, diversions and distractions that you normally have when living at home (e.g. we haven’t watched TV or listened to a radio for 3 or 4 months now) so there’s plenty of time for reflection – there’s mostly good but some challenges in that.
So, an inter-island run of around 25 nautical miles (45 kilometres) today. We head south with Dubrovnik the goal in a couple of days time. The wind was bang on the nose s
o we motored into it. A swell was running and I spent an hour or so in a favourite spot on the boat in these conditions – sitting on the pulpit, a wooden platform that slightly overhangs the front of the boat.It’s reminiscent of an amusement park ride. The bow gently rises and falls around six feet or so through the swells and you go with it up and down. A couple of cushions make for a comfortable seat and an enjoyable ride.
Meanwhile Carolyn reads a book in the cockpit and - after we dialled up the course - the autopilot steers the boat. We like the autopilot! After crewing a boat to New Zealand from Australia earlier this year that was not fitted with any self-steering system, I have an all too intimate knowledge of just how arduous hand steering a yacht for hours on end is.
Of course whilst we sip gin and tonics and let the auto pilot do the work we still need to be cognisant of its limitations and that it will quite happily steer the boat straight onto rocks or into a collision with another boat if we don’t program the right course into it or omit to keep a lookout.
It was an unusually eventful hour on the bow today with sightings of a pod of dolphins, a turtle, flying fish and some weird fluorescent green/yellow jelly fish the likes of which I hadn’t seen before.
We are now anchored in a protected bay within a national park on the isle of Mljet, with Roman ruins on the shore.
After a few beers ashore, dinner was a great seafood pasta on the boat made with fresh prawns given to us this morning by a Croatian/Australian woman, Maria, that we met on the Isle of Lastovo. She was born in Melbourne and migrated to Croatia 19 years ago, when in her late teens, to live on the island her father migrated from post WW2. It’s an interesting reversal of the normal migration pattern. All of her family have now returned to Lastovo and although Maria has not been back to Australia for 10 years she still had a strong Australian accent and turn of phrase – “see youse later”.
Fortunately for us she now owns/runs a little marina on the quay of the bay where we stayed and a wholesale seafood business – hence the prawns.
29/8/07
Leaving Dubrovnik today and when we arrived a few days ago we s
ailed adjacent to rampaging bushfires which have ringed the city on and off for the last few weeks. It has been so hot, dry and at times windy here. That, combined with regular shortlived storms that produce a lot of thunder and lightning and little rain no doubt produce ideal conditions for the fires. A British guy we met told us of fires a couple of weeks ago adjacent to the marina we stayed at that were close enough for the locals to be taking their boats out of the marina and heading to sea. He did the same. The aftermath was certainly evident with a ring of charred hills around us.
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1 comment:
Carolyn... we need to talk about your tax. The tax office are saying you duped them 20 grand!!! just kidding... I saw your mum the other day and she gave me your blog address. your adventure sounds amazing, I am very jealous. Keep enjoying and dont worry about anything back here... Im sure youre not! Cheers Darren
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