Surprise!

I barely posted the last two weeks and what do you know, two posts in the last two days!!! I am currently sitting in the airport in Podgorica (capital of Montenegro) and desperately trying to find things to do to pass time. I have been here for 8 hours already and finally got to check my bag in but I still have 2 hours to go before I leave Montenegro. And internet just happens to be cheap in the airport (that's a first).

So, what has happened in the last day? I told you about climbing the fortress walls in Kotor so ater that we took the bus to Podgorica. Now, if you know me, I tend to be quite relaxed and easy going but I finally had enough. The bus was pretty much a Tonka truck packed with people (even standing in the aisles) and it was kind of air conditioned. It was a race to get on before it left and then we just tried to figure out what was happening. I am not use to buses pulling over anywhere to pick up people on the side of the road and then to drop them off wherever. It was very haphazard and frustrating. Granted, I probably over reacted a bit but I was getting tired of Montenegro and just wanted to be someplace else. So wen we finally arrived and ade it to our hotel, we crashed for the afternoon and watched american tv. I don't usually watch TV when I am travelling, but there is nothing to do here! When dinner time inally arrived, we took a taxi to a fancy restarant that we had high hopes or. Our waiter was incompetent but we just tried to focus on the food. The grilled octopus was spectacular and the blue cheese and walnut gnocchi was amazing. This was starting out well. And then they brought out what was supposed to be beef steak and vegetables - but it was an attempt at a TV dinner... but worse! The steak was inedible and the egetables were from a can. I managed 5 bites and then touched nothing else. What a disappointment. Jaime and I just couldn't catch a brea. At this point there were two good things about Montenegro - the dinner in Kotor and climbing the fortress walls. But our luck had to change. Enter Igor, taxi-boy (I think the title sounds like a superhero and he was!). He had dropped us off at the restaurant and we called him to pick us up. He had wanted to tell us the food was bad there but was being polite. So we got talking about his recommendations and then we asked about dessert - he suggested palecinkes. Now, I have tried them repeatedy on this trip and was instantly interested. This turned out to be the best palecinkes I have had (not including my own). What an amazing turn of events. Igor, with his kind and generous heart, changed the end of the trip. I (and that's a big if) I ever come back to Montenegro, Igor will be the first person I contact and I will insist on a tour with him (sights and food). Some people just make a trip: for me it was Igor and our kind and sweet old Italian man from Korcula.

So, the trip is almost at it's end and I have been thinking a lot today (remember, 8 hours). There was the intial stress of actually getting to Croatia but once Jaime and I were together, it was reat. I absolutely love Slovenia and it remains my favourite European country - it is dramatic and beautiful and friendly and perfect! Croatia was exciting, a new experience - Istria was delicious or the truffles and honey while the coast offered stunning backdrops and great stops along the way. Island visits are definately the way to go. Montenegro, well not so much. It will be the only country I have visited that I would not recommend to anyone and would not come back myself.

So, off to Vienna for wiener schnitzel and then home! Lots of love,

Lisa