My trip abroad would not be right without a few funny food items. The markets in Croatia and Montenegro had a few gems. I didn’t try any of them, but of course, I had to snap a few shots. There’s no shame in my game!

Chocolate bar filled with… punch?

What about ice?

Giant wafer - about 16″x16″!

Interesting

OK, not weird or funny, but their Milky Way has very different packaging.

Corny Big

Chocolate bar with rice, with Oriental packaging. This candy bar is nothing like a Crunch bar with crispy rice. Instead, the rice is more like puffed rice. I like Crunch better.

Enthusiastic fruity drinks - Yippy!

I posted a bit about lovely Perast while I was still abroad, but since this was easily one of my favorite parts of my journey through Montenegro, I wanted to share a little more of this lovely town’s charm.

Little fire trucks for this little town

Fire station

The restaurant where I had an amazing fresh fish lunch.

Charming, right?

My craziest Montenegrin adventure was my trip to Ostrog. After hiking down the wall in Kotor, I took a bus to Budva, a nearby beach town. From there, it was another bus to Podgorica, which is Montenegro’s capital city. There were very few people who spoke English this far into the country, so communication was a challenge, and a little humorous.  I managed to learn I needed to catch a bus to Bogetici, which turned out to be a little town in the middle of nowhere. There wasn’t even a bus stop where I needed to get off for the monastery! Luckily the woman sitting next to me (who also spoke no English) was helpful in signalling for the driver to stop and let me off. From here, it was a 20 minute taxi ride up the mountain to one of the most spectacular architectural marvels I’ve ever seen. Despite all the stumbling and multiple means of transportation (and many hours) it took to get here, I didn’t regret it for a second.

The Lower Church, built in the 18th century, is tucked into the side of the mountain.

The Upper Church was built in the 17th century, in a cave!

Orthodox Christians and people of other faiths visit Ostrog Monastery, believing that the relics in the churches hold special healing powers.

There isn’t a lot of detailed info about the monastery online, but you can read a little about it here, or here.

Just outside the Main Gate is a little combo farmer’s market/flea market. Various vendors sold fresh fruit and veggies, fresh and dried fish and meats, cheese, olives, and other groceries, as well as antique coins, housewares and brass items. I bought a few goodies for the day’s next adventure: many buses to Ostrog.

I got an early start climbing the wall that winds up and over Kotor’s Stari Grad. The zigzagging stairs were narrow and crumbly, but the treasures along the way made for one of the adventures in Montenegro. As the sun came up over the mountains, the views of the bay became more stunning.

Up, up, up!

Just a hint of the views to come, before the sun made it over the mountains.

Behind the Cathedral of St. Tryphon in Old Town

Church of Our Lady of Health

Almost at the top!

Check out this view! (click to see it larger)

Zigzag stone steps - the only way up or down

Secret window - begging for me to climb through and explore!

Abandoned little church on the other side of the window

Creatures!

My other buddy on this secret hike

Little stone house on the hill behind the wall

The trail back up to the secret window

Continuing up the wall to the Fortress of St. John at the topl.

I made it!

One of the many rewards for my early morning climb - the view of the Bay of Kotor from the top of the wall after the sun came up.