Perast 🇲🇪

Today's adventure saw me catch the local bus to Perast, 30 mins away.  The road hugs the shoreline with soaring cliffs on one side and deep green ocean on the other.. rain, strong winds, low cloud and fog forecast and I would have had no view from the top today.

Perest is a significant Balkans town as a key shipping port in the 1600’s.  Successful maritime hero's and aristocrats built Palaces on the waterfront.  Most of these have been restored and are now luxury hotels and restaurants and I can imagine it would be buzzing in the peak seasons.

The Perast museum is housed in a Renaissance Baroque palace, designed by a Venetian architect and built for the two brothers Budjovic.

The museum has restored Diplomatic rooms, rooms used for entertaining etc.  A number of Maritime war medals proudly displayed, weapons and clothing.  Portraits of the key Maritime heroes of Perast on the walls. 

Interestingly, 2 artists were at work.  They are creating replica artworks for two pieces that are deteriorating and will be sent off for major restoration.  The artworks have been gradually painted over the course of 12 months (including drying time) with the total painting time of 2 months! 

I wandered the village climbing up the narrow steep steps to each of the levels of houses and palaces. 

Orange trees full of fruit and a very laden Kiwi fruit vine!  My watch says over 40 flights of stairs climbed.

Back on the bus with some rowdy guys at the back playing music and singing.  Sounded fun to me, but the bus driver kept yelling at them and then pulled over and told them off much to the amusement of the rest of the passengers 😂

I started to walk around the bay but the weather was threatening and so I turned back.  I've decided to stay another day here and finish my exploring tomorrow, plus they have been putting up the Christmas decorations and so I'm hoping they will be lit tomorrow night.

Dinner at a Vegetarian/Vegan restaurant owned by the hostel owners and patting cats on the way home.  Stopped to look at a little gift shop and heard Aussie accents from a couple of teens - from Jimboomba travelling in a camper as a family! 
Lovely cruisy day.