Sveti Stefan - a village transformed into a luxury resort
We left the hotel at 9:30 for a drive along the Southern Montenegro coast to view Sveti Stefan Island from above. Albania is only a short distance down the road from here. Abandoned or war-ruined villas in various states of reconstruction dot the shoreline.
Returning north to Budva we walked thru town. The Old Town has city walls and a gate near the harbor. Several churches and many shopping opportunities populate the rest of the area. The churches are St Ivans (7th century), St Mary of Punte (from 840) and the Holy Trinity (completed in 1804).
My husband and I found an interesting little archaelogy museum with even more interesting attributions.
Montenegro coast
It seems that a lot of Roman artifacts from 4th to 1st century BC were found here. Or so they are dated by the notes in the museum. Everything from intact amphora-sized glass storage jars to pottery. I’m skeptical of the dating and authenticity but the items are fun to see. On the top floor are some really nice nautical items which are undoubtedly authentic and the best part of the museum. My favorite was a long bronze rod with vanes used to measure vessel speed.
Outside of the Old Town and near our bus pick-up point, I find a raspberry colored church with a fascinating cemetery. Many of the gravestones have photos of the deceased staring out at passersby. Most photos look neither happy nor sad - just thoughtful as though they aren’t quite sure that being dead is a good idea.
Dinner is scheduled for an outdoor courtyard - a fact I’m unaware of when I decide to wear a short sleeved top and light skirt. Informed about dinning in 40 degree weather, I add sweaters and a jacket so I look just like I have every night for the last 3 weeks. The dinner entertainment however was spectacular and well worth the cold weather outing. A folklore group “Njegos” from Centinje danced and sang throughout and even taught us a few steps. I would have loved a chance to actually dance with them.
