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.

"Franz Josef Stairs" hike to Vrmac fort, Kotor 🇲🇪

 On my hike yesterday I met an Australian couple who recommended the Franz Josef hike and they pointed the switchbacks out to me from one mountain to the next.

This morning I did my washing and then headed off for the hike.  Rain forecast and actually only sorted right at the end which was a blessing as the limestone pretty slippery when wet.  

View from my hostel window ❤️

Breakfast bar at the hostel 

I was warned that the path is a bit tough to find and they were right.  Up a road to a construction site, up some stairs and more stairs and more, then behind houses and people's backyards. 

I struggled to find the official start but scrambled over some rocks that looked walked on and found a track.  I was standing wondering where to go and a cute beagle dog appeared and seemed to guide me.  I decided to follow it and came to a rock slide which the dog walked up.  So I followed again, conscious not to make a further rock slide and then saw the path above.  I thanked the dog 😂 and he turned around.  Really was quite hilarious if anyone was watching.  

Another Austro Hungarian switchback road and this one had a plaque saying built in 1860. 

The hike today was through pine forests and lots of wild pomegranates too.  The views to the water were a bit obstructed and a lot more rock.  Towards the top it opened out to forest by

and I had been given a tip by a girl at the hostel to take the left option for a few hundred metres for an excellent view before doubling back and continuing to the fort. 

She was right!  The views to the bay and steep mountains gorgeous.  I could see fresh snow, and snow clouds at the top of the mountain I climbed yesterday.  I had my picnic lunch with the view and had some fun with my camera timer.

Then on to the abandoned Fort Vrmac and views to the Adriatic sea.  

I had a little look around the fort and went inside but pitch black, dripping from the rain and bats and so after a small explore, turned back.  It was interesting to see all the spikes in the moat type area around the fort and also up the walls.  Lots of deterrents there!

As I started to walk back I heard squealing and a mumma pig was coming for me 😂 as must have thought I was after her piglets!  A quick jog for me and then back on the trail!  

Found a bakery with delicious items down along the lake and sat by the lake with a snack before it started to rain.  12kms of beautiful scenery.

Pizza for dinner!